[B-Greek] Help Translating John 1:18

Mark Lightman lightmanmark at yahoo.com
Wed Jul 9 22:59:36 EDT 2008


Nichole,
 
George's translation of John 1:18 is accurate and adds less words than
your correction of the rendering from this "edition" you are speaking
about.  I would only add a translator might want to try to render the
asyndeton between the two sentences.  Actually, George's semicolon
is a nice touch, but I think John may have had something stronger in mind, 
like, "No one has ever seen God.  This is the situation: the one and only,
being divine, being in the  bosom of the father, exegeted (God.)" I would
not suggest including this in the translation, but I think that is what the
Greek says.  I think Carl's point is rather than just translate the passage
one needs to be prepared to talk about it, to note, for example, that
MONOGENHS renders a Hebrew word which probably means something
like "special" or "beloved" or "the only one for me."  "Only begotten"
while on one level literal, is very misleading because the focus is on the
only part, and certainly does not imply that John thought God begat
Jesus.  I like One of A Kind, but again I think what Carl is saying is that
what ultimately matters is not what is put on paper by any one 
translator, but what goes on in your head as you read the Greek.
George's translation is "good" or "accurate" to me because it shows
me that he understands the Greek.  Based on the one example you
give so far of this "edition,"  I sure can not say the same of the people who 
are putting it together.  I like your question though, as it gets us all thinking,
which is the value of this list. 
 
Mark L.

--- On Wed, 7/9/08, tempest at sunsetgrfx.com <tempest at sunsetgrfx.com> wrote:

From: tempest at sunsetgrfx.com <tempest at sunsetgrfx.com>
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] Help Translating John 1:18
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 5:49 AM

On Wed 07/09/08  4:48 AM , tempest at sunsetgrfx.com wrote:
  George, 
 Thank you for responding to my question. 
 What do you mean it is "non-English"?  If it is because of the last
line, maybe if i put it this way:
 "(He) is in the Bosom of the Father (which) He declared"  
 (We don't want to add any extra words.  In my opinion, it reads just
fine--I'm just worried that it's not accurate.)  
 Does that clear it up for you?  
 Also, you said: "While I consider it desirable to stay as close to
the original as possible, it still must be English and understandable
by those speaking English".  Do you, then, consider it accurate? ...or
no?  
 Also, what do you mean by "a creedal formulation of procession
though that was respecting the Holy Spirit"?
 Thanks.  
 May GodJesus bless you.  
 -Nichole Boseck
 On Tue 07/08/08  2:59 AM , George F Somsel  wrote:
 18 Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· 
μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον
τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο.     18
QEON OUDEIS hEWRAKEN PWPOTE; MONOGENHS QEOS hO WN EIS TON KOLPON TOU
PATROS EKEINOS ECHGHSATO.   No, I wouldn't consider it accurate since
it is distinctly non-English.  While I consider it desirable to stay
as close to the original as possible, it still must be English and
understandable by those speaking English.  Additionally, where does he
get the idea "coming from God"?  This seems to be based on a creedal
formulation of procession though that was respecting the Holy Spirit. 
   No one has ever seen God;  the only-begotten God, who is intimately
connected with the Father [Lit: "in the bosom of the Father"], he has
revealed [him]. 
   george
 gfsomsel 
 … search for truth, hear truth, 
 learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
 defend the truth till death. 
 - Jan Hus
 _________
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