[B-Greek] English translation of KOINON in Romans 14:14

George F Somsel gfsomsel at yahoo.com
Tue Nov 16 11:31:27 EST 2010


This list isn't about how something should be translated but about understanding 
the texts, but as regards translation, it all depends on context.  There is 
generally no one and only way to translate a particular word.  In one context 
"bad" will mean precisely what one would commonly understand.  In another 
context "bad" may actually mean "good."  KOINON is common, but in regard to 
sacred matters it becomes that which is outside the realm of the sacred and 
hence "unclean."  Context is king.

 george
gfsomsel 


… search for truth, hear truth, 
learn truth, love truth, speak the truth, hold the truth, 
defend the truth till death.


- Jan Hus
_________ 




________________________________
From: Michael Baber <illuminatiaries at yahoo.com>
To: B-Greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Sent: Tue, November 16, 2010 9:23:50 AM
Subject: [B-Greek] English translation of KOINON in Romans 14:14

In the NT, the adjective KOINOS occurs twelve times.
 
In the A.V., it is translated as follows:
"common" 7 times
"unclean" 3 times
"defiled" 1 time
"unholy" 1 time
 
Three times it is translated as "unclean" and only in Romans 14:14.
 
In the Latin Vulgate of Romans 14:14, KOINON is translated by the Latin 
word communem, from whence we get the English word "common."
 
In Acts 10;14, Peter distinguishes between KOINON and AKATHARTON 
which is translated by Jerome in the Vulgate as commune and inmundum,
respectively, and into English as "common" and "unclean" in most, if not all,
of the major English translations.
 
Then, in Romans 14:14, Jerome translates the Greek adjective KOINON by 
the Latin word commune, but most, if not all, English translations translate 
KOINON as "unclean."
 
Wouold it be acceptable to translate KOINON as "common" as it is done so 
7/12 times in the other scriptures?


      
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