Two challenges for Bible readers and translators are
idioms and euphemisms.
An idiom is a word or group of words that
cannot be understood by their literal meanings.
The Bible contains
a number of idioms and when we encounter them, if we are paying attention, we
will realize that what we read simply didn’t make sense. I will discuss idioms
in a future blog, but for now consider what a person from another culture with
a different language would think of he or she was charged with the task of
translating the following idioms (underlined) without know they are idioms:
(1) If that happens, I will eat
my hat.
(2) I got it straight from the
horse's mouth.
(3) I'll do it when the cows
come home.
(4) You really put your foot
in your mouth this time.
(5) It's raining cats and
dogs outside.
If the translator simply used the literal translations of
the underlined words their readers would have some strange images popping up in
their minds, but they wouldn’t have a clue as to what the original author
meant.
A euphemism is
the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may
offend or suggest something unpleasant.
An example of a common American euphemism is -
"I'm going to powder my nose." Just like with idioms you
can’t use the literal meanings of the words of euphemisms. Obviously, the literal meanings of the words
powder and nose have anything to do what the euphemism means.
English translators of the Hebrew Scriptures often use
euphemisms instead of literally translating the Hebrew word below:
It is called the
tetragrammaton which means the four letters, which are transliterated
“
YHVH” and translated as “
Yahweh.” A popular euphemism for the
above name in English translations is “
LORD.” Notice that it is written with all capital
letters. Readers of these translations encounter the following words in their
Bible --
LORD,
Lord and
lord. I would wager that many fail to even notice the
differences between them. The English word “lord” has the following definition --
a person who has
authority, control, or power over others; a master, chief, or ruler.[i]
Obviously, the above definition doesn’t apply when the
word is used as a euphemism because of the second word in the definition – “person.” Yahweh is a god, not a person.
Keep in mind that the Hebrew Scriptures didn’t come with an attached New Testament
and the earliest manuscripts of New Testaments books were written in Greek. In
those manuscripts we find a Greek word that is translated “lord” and it means
the same thing as the English definition above.
Some English translations made by Jewish translators
avoided the confusion created by using the word “LORD” by using the following
euphemisms:
(1) G-d
(2) HaShem (The Name)
(3) The Power
(4) Heaven
(5) The Holy One
(6) The Most High
(7) The Blessed One
In the New Testament we find one of the above euphemisms
embedded in the Greek text. It is strong evidence that the words were
originally spoken in Hebrew, but later translated in Greek. The word I am
referring to is “Heaven.”
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs
is the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew
5:3)
Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke
6:20)
Many theological debates have taken place over the
meanings of the two underlined phrases. When we recognize that “Heaven” in
this context is a euphemism we realize they mean the same thing. The question
often asked is – why are they different?
The answer appears to be that the text with the euphemism was meant for a
Jewish audience, while the text with the word “God” was meant for a non-Jewish
audience.
Whenever you read your Bible don’t turn off your mind –
be alert for things that simply do not make sense in English. Chances are you
may have discovered a euphemism or idiom. Do a little digging in footnotes or
online and chances are you may discover what it meant to the ancient author.
Shalom,
Jim Myers