Most Bible translations bend the text, making the rough bits more palatable to modern sensibilities. In this Old Testament translation, Goldingay invites readers to hear the strange accent of the Hebrew text unbaptized in pious religiosity. Translating consistently, word by word, this unique interpretation allows the sacred text to be read through fresh eyes.
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Most Bible translations bend the text, making the rough bits more palatable to modern sensibilities. In this Old Testament translation, Goldingay invites readers to hear the strange accent of the Hebrew text unbaptized in pious religiosity. Translating consistently, word by word, this unique interpretation allows the sacred text to be read through fresh eyes.
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Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 942 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
OT John Goldingay has written a new translation on the Old Testament, what he calls the First Testament. His translation style is closer to word-by-word rather than sentence-by-sentence. If something is vague or unclear, it's because Goldingay has followed the Hebrew text. Some names are transliterated, others are translated. He tries to use the same Hebrew word to translate any one Hebrew word. This way, for example, you can see how the word "serve" shows up throughout Exodus without that Hebrew word being obscured by a different English word.
Sometimes Goldingay translates names (Nod = 'Drifting'). Other times he gives the Hebrew of someone's name and/or how it puns on a nearby word. In Genesis 9, Japhet is written as 'Yephet'. Goldingay translates 9:17 as, "May God extend [yapht] Yephet and may he dwell in Shem's tents" showing the pun on Japhet's name.
In some verses he translates one name but not another. In Genesis 12:8 he shows that 'Ha'ay' (=Ai) means 'The Ruin,' but not that 'Bet-el' (=Bethel) means 'House of God' (though he may explain this later on. Still, he normal gives the translation on the first occurrence).
Goldingay's section headings are pretty interesting, with some humorously getting the point of the passage across. Genesis 11: "Babel becomes Babble-on."
Some phrases remind me Hawaiian Pidgin translation of the NT, "Da Jesus Book." In Genesis 12.1-3, God will make Abraham to be a 'big nation' (instead of a great nation). In Numbers 14.18, Yahweh is not steadfast in love but 'big in commitment' (see also Num 14.12). The translation is fine, but why not leave 'great' as it was?
Goldingay doesn't use certain words like salvation, holiness, covenant, eternity, justice, and righteousness because he thinks these words don't correspond well with their Hebrew counterparts. What does he use instead of "righteous"? "Faithful," which has a different connotation to it. A righteous person is faithful, but a faithful person isn't necessarily righteous. Genesis 18:25a: "Far be it from you to do a thing like this, putting to death the faithful with the faithless, so the faithful and the faithless are the same."
Genesis 18:25b is clunky, "Isn't the one who exercises authority over the entire earth to exercise authority."
More examples are found on my blog.
Because the wording is so odd (being like Hebrew), you will read more slowly and carefully. Goldingay doesn't intend for his translation to overshadow any others. He admits there is no perfect translation. I think he succeeds in that. Goldingay is a moderately critical scholar, and I don't agree with all of his views, which do come out in his translation. If you pick this up, don't make this your main translation.