What the Bible translators may not have known.

All languages of the world, both past and present, have idioms, metaphors and mannerisms of speech. This style of speech is called colloquialism. An idiom is a saying that a stranger to that language cannot understand and therefore takes literally and is misunderstood. This is because we use an idiom to say one thing, but we mean another. For example, in Semitic language (Hebrew/Aramaic) one would say "If your hand offends you, cut it off," which means, If you have a habit of stealing , cut it out." A Western or American/English idiom, "He is in hot water", "He is in a jam" or "He has gotten himself into a real fix," really means, "He is in trouble." Idioms and colloquialisms cannot be taken literally.

A translator of the Holy Bible must know the true meanings in order to translate them accurately into another language. This is one reason why the Bible is misunderstood and has been subjected to revision throughout the years. The sixteenth century translators of the Holy Bible did not understand the idioms and proper synonyms of the language they translated, nor did the early Greek language translators, who translated portions of the New Testatment from a Semitic language, (probably Aramaic). Most Biblical scholars now agree that the language that Jesus and the Disciples spoke was Aramaic, and the scriptures of the old Testament were written in Hebrew, both Semitic languages. Semitic being of the Biblical "Shem" one of the sons of Noah. Common sense and conscience tells me that in order to get the true understanding of the original scriptures, one would want translations from the original or earliest accepted Semitic writtings, and not of the Koine Greek translations.






Source: DR. George M. Lamsa Semitic language expert and translator

Proper translations of the book we know as The Bible.

It is the writers intention to seek and find the truth within the ancient texts of what we now call the Bible, using the proper translations from the original Semitic languages of Hebrew and Aramaic. Most of the prophets would have spoken either Hebrew or Aramaic. With that in mind, one would have to consider the Near Eastern culture of the times, the proper translations from the Semitic language to English, the best use of synonyms, and the understanding of the idioms(figures of speech) of the day. Most Biblical scholars now agree that the language that Jesus and the Disciples spoke was Aramaic. This blog will concentrate on the translations and interpretations from the earliest and validated Hebrew and Aramaic text, comparing it with the Greek text and translations therein the western or English Bible of today.

The term Bible was not used in the old Semitic languages of Hebrew or Aramaic. The English word Bible comes from the old french bible that was derived from the Greek word biblia which meant "books". The original term for the Bible was "Scriptures" or "the Writings". The term Bible came about when the Greek word for scriptures was translated into Latin and the word biblia was substituted to show a collection or library of books. To understand or know what was written in the original or earliest scriptures, one must come at the English translations from a Near Eastern/Aramaic /Hebrew point of view. In Hebrew the name for the Bible is torah. Most scholars translate this Semitic word as the "Law". The torah originally referred to the first five books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy. Later on the Jewish people also used torah to refer to the entire Hebrew sacred writings.( see Tanakh). The Aramaic speaking Semites call the sacred writing auretha. Both torah and auretha derive from the Semitic root yrh and mean "to teach," "to instruct" and by inference "to enlighten". Therefore, the early portions of the book we call "The Bible" is a book of directions, teachings, or enlightenment. One must always consider the Near Eastern culture and times when trying to understand the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures, and sometimes also New Covenant.

And Then There was Light: DR. Rocco A. Errico (Noohra Foundation)