Changes

One really simple example is the word "let." The original meaning of "let" was the same as "hinder," as in "If they are able to work, and refuse, then they may go hungry without let." Later this word's meaning changed to "allow".

One really simple example is the word "let." The original meaning of "let" was the same as "hinder," as in "If they are able to work, and refuse, then they may go hungry without let." Later this word's meaning changed to "allow".

Both effects above -- due to culture and the emergence of new terms -- may be increasing as communications increase.  If a word inevitably alters its meaning after an approximate number of uses, then the time period for the change in meaning will shorten due to improved technology, just as the length of a [[sound bite]] likewise shortens.  Likewise, the rate of emergence of new terms may be directly correlated to the frequency of communication.  In the [[internet]] era, combating the effect of language degradation and creation on the understanding of the [[Bible]] becomes more important.   

Both effects above—due to culture and the emergence of new terms—may be increasing as communications increase.  If a word inevitably alters its meaning after an approximate number of uses, then the time period for the change in meaning will shorten due to improved technology, just as the length of a [[sound bite]] likewise shortens.  Likewise, the rate of emergence of new terms may be directly correlated to the frequency of communication.  In the [[internet]] era, combating the effect of language degradation and creation on the understanding of the [[Bible]] becomes more important.   

But there is an economic obstacle to developing a translation of the Bible that remains current with changes in language.  Book sales have been declining sharply due to the internet, and it is probably not easy to recoup the substantial costs ($10 million for the [[Holman Christian Standard Bible]]) that are required to develop a new translation.  With the need to recoup and enormous investment, publishers of a new Bible are probably overly cautious in changing familiar terminology despite erosion in their meaning, in fear of criticism and a poor reception.  A lower-cost and more dynamic approach is needed to combat the effects of persistent degradations in language.

But there is an economic obstacle to developing a translation of the Bible that remains current with changes in language.  Book sales have been declining sharply due to the internet, and it is probably not easy to recoup the substantial costs ($10 million for the [[Holman Christian Standard Bible]]) that are required to develop a new translation.  With the need to recoup and enormous investment, publishers of a new Bible are probably overly cautious in changing familiar terminology despite erosion in their meaning, in fear of criticism and a poor reception.  A lower-cost and more dynamic approach is needed to combat the effects of persistent degradations in language.

|replace "peace" with "tranquility" - but this then gives possible issues for verses like I Kings 20:18, which now reads ''And he said, Whether they be come out for tranquility, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.'' Perhaps we could keep "peace" for ''shalom'', and "tranquility" for ''eirene''? Except Jesus, saying "Peace be with you", is presumably using shalom alechem, or Aramaic cognate, which leads to some interesting issues of consistency. Response: The Hebrew "Shalom" and Greek "Eirene" mean the same thing, which can be either a political state of peace (not at war) or a personal state of peace. If someone says "I'm at peace now", that means more than just they're not at war. So I object to the premise. We do need a better word to distinguish the two, but that word doesn't exist in Hebrew, Greek, or English (at least not as one word).  

|replace "peace" with "tranquility" - but this then gives possible issues for verses like I Kings 20:18, which now reads ''And he said, Whether they be come out for tranquility, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.'' Perhaps we could keep "peace" for ''shalom'', and "tranquility" for ''eirene''? Except Jesus, saying "Peace be with you", is presumably using shalom alechem, or Aramaic cognate, which leads to some interesting issues of consistency. Response: The Hebrew "Shalom" and Greek "Eirene" mean the same thing, which can be either a political state of peace (not at war) or a personal state of peace. If someone says "I'm at peace now", that means more than just they're not at war. So I object to the premise. We do need a better word to distinguish the two, but that word doesn't exist in Hebrew, Greek, or English (at least not as one word).  

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|Greek πλούσιος transliteration: "plousios": "abundantly supplied"<ref>http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=4145</ref><ref>James never used the term plousios to describe a believer.[http://www.ne14grace.org/images/James/Part%204,%20Chapter%201,%20Verses%209-12.htm]</ref>

|Greek πλούσιος transliteration: "plousios": "abundantly supplied"<ref>http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=4145</ref><ref>[http://www.ne14grace.org/images/James/Part%204,%20Chapter%201,%20Verses%209-12.htm James never used the term plousios to describe a believer]</ref>

|"rich"

|"rich"

|"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:24)

|"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:24)

|nearly everyone is "abundantly supplied" today with food and entertainment, and "rich" has come to mean ''relative'' wealth without any absolute significance; continued use of "rich" is misleading in justifying laziness and socialism

|nearly everyone is "abundantly supplied" today with food and entertainment, and "rich" has come to mean ''relative'' wealth without any absolute significance; continued use of "rich" is misleading in justifying laziness and socialism

|miserliness to the point of laziness and being unproductive

|miserliness to the point of laziness and being unproductive

|"fully fed and entertained" or "idle miser," or something similar. <ref>Often this term was used by Jesus (assuming he spoke Greek) to criticize unproductive, self-absorbed people who inherit wealth, as in the encounter with the rich young man who walked away, and also the [[Prodigal Son]]. - but N.B. ''When the evening came, there came an '''idle miser''' of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple''.  It could work, though.</ref>

|"fully fed and entertained" or "idle miser," or something similar.<ref>Often this term was used by Jesus (assuming he spoke Greek) to criticize unproductive, self-absorbed people who inherit wealth, as in the encounter with the rich young man who walked away, and also the [[Prodigal Son]]. - but N.B. ''When the evening came, there came an '''idle miser''' of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple''.  It could work, though.</ref>

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|Greek ᾅδου transliteration: ''haidou'', "Hades"

|Greek ᾅδου transliteration: ''haidou'', "Hades"

|"depths"

|"depths"

|"No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day." Matthew 11:23 ([[NIV]])

|"No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day." Matthew 11:23 (NIV)

|"depths" is now understood to mean the ocean. "Hades" was used by Matthew to help Greeks comprehend Christianity's Hell. The LXX use "haidon" in Psalm 115 to translate the hebrew "dumah", so it's applicable to other concepts as well.

|"depths" is now understood to mean the ocean. "Hades" was used by Matthew to help Greeks comprehend Christianity's Hell. The LXX use "haidon" in Psalm 115 to translate the Hebrew "dumah", so it's applicable to other concepts as well.

|Hell/depths of Hell

|Hell/depths of Hell

|replace "depths" with "Hell" - "shall be brought down to hell." (KJV)                      How then do we distinguish between haides and geenna (sticking to the Gk. for the moment)? Perhaps keep haides for the general realm of the dead, and geenna for a place of punishment? That seems to me to be the difference in nuance.

|replace "depths" with "Hell" - "shall be brought down to hell." (KJV)                      How then do we distinguish between haides and geenna (sticking to the Gk. for the moment)? Perhaps keep haides for the general realm of the dead, and geenna for a place of punishment? That seems to me to be the difference in nuance.

|"gave up"

|"gave up"

|"... he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30 (NIV)<ref>http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=19&v=30&t=NIV#conc/30</ref>

|"... he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30 (NIV)<ref>http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=19&v=30&t=NIV#conc/30</ref>

|"gave up" has a newer meaning, attested in the OED since the eighteenth century<ref>http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50094974/50094974se136  sense 64c</ref>: it now means to quit and stop trying, or surrender.  It has acquired a negative connotation.

|"gave up" has a newer meaning, attested in the OED since the eighteenth century:<ref>http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50094974/50094974se136  sense 64c</ref> it now means to quit and stop trying, or surrender.  It has acquired a negative connotation.

|"relinquish" is a term that avoids ambiguiity and possible negative connotation.

|"relinquish" is a term that avoids ambiguiity and possible negative connotation.

|replace "gave up" with "released" or "relinquished"

|replace "gave up" with "released" or "relinquished"

|}

|}

== The project begins: Esther א==  

== The project begins: Esther א==

See the [[Book of Esther]] for a synopsis of its history.

See the [[Book of Esther]] for a synopsis of its history.

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  |בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם--כְּשֶׁבֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ עַל כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה

  |בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם--כְּשֶׁבֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ עַל כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה

| in those days, when the king Ahhashverosh sat on his throne, in the the city of Shushan,

| in those days, when the king Ahhashverosh sat on his throne, in the city of Shushan,

| is "his throne" OK for kise malkhuto? I've gone with "capital" for בִּירָה which I think reads neatly. (Would it be alright to translate Shushan as Susa, or is that too much of a leap?)

| is "his throne" OK for kise malkhuto? I've gone with "capital" for בִּירָה which I think reads neatly. (Would it be alright to translate Shushan as Susa, or is that too much of a leap?)

Response: Kise malkhuto literally means "royal chair". I think we can understand that to mean a throne. Also, Shushan was not the captial, it was where the King lived in the summer when the captial got too hot. Updated response:  That Hebrew word my computer is incapable of typing means "in the city", so I'll replace my palace edit with city. "Iyra", (Ayin - Yud - Resh - Hay) means a generic city, but "Be'er" or "Berah" refers to a specific city. See multiple Israel cities such as Beer Shevah.

Response: Kise malkhuto literally means "royal chair". I think we can understand that to mean a throne. Also, Shushan was not the capital, it was where the King lived in the summer when the capital got too hot. Updated response:  That Hebrew word my computer is incapable of typing means "in the city", so I'll replace my palace edit with city. "Iyra", (Ayin - Yud - Resh - Hay) means a generic city, but "Be'er" or "Berah" refers to a specific city. See multiple Israel cities such as Beer Shevah.

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|בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלוֹשׁ לְמָלְכוֹ עָשָׂה מִשְׁתֶּה לְכָל-שָׂרָיו וַעֲבָדָיו חֵיל פָּרַס וּמָדַי הַפַּרְתְּמִים וְשָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת--לְפָנָיו  

|בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלוֹשׁ לְמָלְכוֹ עָשָׂה מִשְׁתֶּה לְכָל-שָׂרָיו וַעֲבָדָיו חֵיל פָּרַס וּמָדַי הַפַּרְתְּמִים וְשָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת--לְפָנָיו  

| הוּר כַּרְפַּס וּתְכֵלֶת אָחוּז בְּחַבְלֵי-בוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן, עַל-גְּלִילֵי כֶסֶף, וְעַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ; מִטּוֹת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף, עַל רִצְפַת בַּהַט-וָשֵׁשׁ--וְדַר וְסֹחָרֶת  

| הוּר כַּרְפַּס וּתְכֵלֶת אָחוּז בְּחַבְלֵי-בוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן, עַל-גְּלִילֵי כֶסֶף, וְעַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ; מִטּוֹת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף, עַל רִצְפַת בַּהַט-וָשֵׁשׁ--וְדַר וְסֹחָרֶת  

|There were white and violet linens held by purple linen ropes on silver rings and marble columns; couches of gold and silver on a flagstone pavement of (red stone), marble, (mother-of-pearl or a stone like pearl), and precious (black) stones.  

|There were white and violet linens held by purple linen ropes on silver rings and marble columns; couches of gold and silver on a flagstone pavement of (red stone), marble, (mother-of-pearl or a stone like pearl), and precious (black) stones.  

|This is going to be hard to say, but alot of this stuff is certainly not modern. Although the white and violet linen and purple cords, the silver rings and the marble (possibly alabaster) columns, and the silver and gold couches (or beds) all work (I think...the silver and gold couches might present a problem.) The real problem arrives when you get to the stones. The בַּהַט, דַר, and סֹחָרֶת are all used only once in Esther. The usage of שֵׁשׁ as "white marble" only occurs three times, all in Esther. All other times it is used as "linen" or "fine linen". If you want, you can go ahead and reduce the flagstone pavement to "multicolored", if it suits you.  

|This is going to be hard to say, but a lot of this stuff is certainly not modern. Although the white and violet linen and purple cords, the silver rings and the marble (possibly alabaster) columns, and the silver and gold couches (or beds) all work (I think...the silver and gold couches might present a problem.) The real problem arrives when you get to the stones. The בַּהַט, דַר, and סֹחָרֶת are all used only once in Esther. The usage of שֵׁשׁ as "white marble" only occurs three times, all in Esther. All other times it is used as "linen" or "fine linen". If you want, you can go ahead and reduce the flagstone pavement to "multicolored", if it suits you.  

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| וְהַשְׁקוֹת בִּכְלֵי זָהָב, וְכֵלִים מִכֵּלִים שׁוֹנִים; וְיֵין מַלְכוּת רָב כְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ  

| וְהַשְׁקוֹת בִּכְלֵי זָהָב, וְכֵלִים מִכֵּלִים שׁוֹנִים; וְיֵין מַלְכוּת רָב כְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ  

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|גַּם וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה, עָשְׂתָה מִשְׁתֵּה נָשִׁים--בֵּית, הַמַּלְכוּת, אֲשֶׁר, לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ.  

|גַּם וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה, עָשְׂתָה מִשְׁתֵּה נָשִׁים—בֵּית, הַמַּלְכוּת, אֲשֶׁר, לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ.  

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| כִּי-יֵצֵא דְבַר-הַמַּלְכָּה עַל-כָּל-הַנָּשִׁים, לְהַבְזוֹת בַּעְלֵיהֶן בְּעֵינֵיהֶן:  בְּאָמְרָם, הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אָמַר לְהָבִיא אֶת-וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לְפָנָיו--וְלֹא-בָאָה.  

| כִּי-יֵצֵא דְבַר-הַמַּלְכָּה עַל-כָּל-הַנָּשִׁים, לְהַבְזוֹת בַּעְלֵיהֶן בְּעֵינֵיהֶן:  בְּאָמְרָם, הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אָמַר לְהָבִיא אֶת-וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לְפָנָיו—וְלֹא-בָאָה.  

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