Contradictions 1 study
Historical notes 3 studies
Contradictions
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CTD043
In which language did Jesus speak?
Article CTD043 addresses the alleged contradiction between Matthew (“Eli, Eli…”) and Mark (“Eloï, Eloï…”) regarding Jesus’ cry on the cross. Linguistic analysis shows that Jesus spoke Aramaic (as evidenced by “sabachthani” in both texts) and that the difference between “Eli” (the Hebrew form) and “Eloï” (the Aramaic form) simply reflects each evangelist’s adaptation to his readership. There is no contradiction.
Mark 5.41 (King James Version) :And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
Historical notes
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INF005
Jesus and the Idioms of His Time
This article examines the main languages used by Jesus and his contemporaries in Palestine: Aramaic, the everyday language of the people; Hebrew, the liturgical language of the synagogues; and Koine Greek, the language of Roman administration and cultural exchange. New Testament examples illustrate each linguistic usage, revealing the richness of the multicultural context of the first century.
Luke 4.16-21 (King James Version) :And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org -
INF010
The unpronounceable name of God
YHWH, God's proper name in the Hebrew Bible, consists of four Hebrew consonants (the Tetragrammaton). Its exact pronunciation is unknown because ancient Hebrew does not write vowels. Out of respect for the third commandment (Ex 20:7), Jews replace it with 'Adonai' or 'Ha Elohim'. Translated as 'Kyrios' in Greek and then as 'the Eternal' in Protestant Bibles, this name appears nearly 6,800 times in the Old Testament.
Exodus 20.7 (King James Version) :Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org -
INF074
Difference in work between translation and revision
This article distinguishes Bible translation, which consists of creating a new version from the original texts in Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic, from revision, which improves and updates an existing translation. Translation requires mastery of the source languages and involves choices between literal fidelity and dynamism. Revision corrects errors, modernizes the language and improves readability. The example of the Segond Bible and its 1910 revision concretely illustrates these two complementary processes.
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ANN054
The Jews
Article ANN054 clarifies the terms used to describe the people of Israel: Jew, Israelite, Israeli, Hebrew, and Semite. Each term has a distinct meaning depending on the…