Some verses for all of us to keep in mind when discussing the differences among Bible translations (or any other divisive topic):
“But if you are harbouring bitter jealousy and the spirit of rivalry in your hearts, stop making false claims in defiance of the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes from above; it is earth-bound, sensual, demonic. For with jealousy and rivalry come disorder and the practice of every kind of evil. But the wisdom from above is in the first place pure; and then peace-loving, considerate, and open-minded; it is straight-forward and sincere, rich in compassion and in deeds of kindness that are its fruit. Peace is the seed-bed of righteousness, and the peacemakers will reap its harvest.” (REB, emphasis mine)
As one who grew up watching my mom rototill the vegetable garden each spring, that final image of a seed-bed really resonates with me. The more conventional translation is “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” (TNIV) or “And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (ESV). Just as deeds of kindness are the fruit of pure wisdom (v.17), righteousness is the harvest of peace. Verses 17-18 go right along with the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and Paul’s definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13.
The REB’s choice of “the spirit of rivalry” for the Greek eritheia is interesting. Most modern translations use some variant of “selfish ambition”. However, BDAG notes that, before the NT texts, eritheia was only found in the work of Aristotle, “where it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means”. Similarly, Thayer’s Lexicon states that the term was used by “those who electioneer for office, courting popular applause by trickery and low arts.” To my ears, the more general concept of selfishness and/or ambition doesn’t adequately capture this latter element of purposeful deception and, while the REB gets at more of the inner motivation, it leaves this open as well.
I wonder if perhaps a more interesting one-word translation would be “skulduggery”…
One Comment
Thanks for this post. Too often, we (I include myself) can focus on almost anything except the Lord and his desires. Among his desires is peace in the body. We can focus on theology or on Bible translation quibbles or on church organization or church methods while forgetting the Lord himself. The problem for most English-speaking is not that they need a better translation. It’s that they need to trust the Lord whom they can meet in any of a number of excellent translations. This isn’t to downgrade the work of translators. Theirs is one of the variety of precious gifts that the Lord has given to the body.