Gender in Bible translation

Gender in Bible translation concerns various issues, such as the gender of God and generic antecedents in reference to people. Bruce Metzger states that the English language is so biased towards the male gender that it restricts and obscures the meaning of the original language, which was more gender-inclusive than a literal translation would convey.[1] Wayne Grudem disagrees, believing that a translation should try to match the words of the original language rather than introduce the translator's opinion as to whether the original words meant to include both sexes or not, and that trying to be gender-neutral results in vague and contorted writing style.[2] Michael Marlowe argues from a third standpoint, that the Bible is patriarchal, and gender-neutral language distorts its meaning in an attempt by translators like Metzger to impose their progressive modern views on the text.[3] The topic has theological and political undercurrents. Paul Mankowski says that inclusive-language translators are bowing to feminist political taboos rather than trying to translate accurately, while Marmy Clason says that their opponents are motivated by hostility to feminism rather than fidelity to the original meaning.[4]

The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) was one of the first major translations to adopt gender-neutral language.[1] The King James Version translated at least one passage using a technique that many now reject in other translations, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt. 5:9). The Greek word υἱοὶ that appears in the original is usually translated as "sons", but in this passage the translators chose to use the term "children" that included both genders.[5] Opponents of gender neutral language believe that readers who are not familiar with the original languages, can be influenced by a compromised meaning they believe is feminist.[6]

Translation of the names of God

There are a number of ways to translate the names of God into English from Hebrew. Hebrew uses only four consonants for the name—Yod-Heh-Waw-Heh (יהוה, YHWH)—hence it is called the Tetragrammaton. Some modern English bibles render this as LORD—L capital, and ord in small capital case. Others use Yahweh, and the old King James Version used Jehovah. In English, outside Bible translations, the tetragrammaton is often written as YHWH or YHVH.

The original meaning of this form is connected with the "I AM" of Exodus 3:14 (and it probably contains a Hebrew masculine verb prefix—the Y or yod). Sometimes this word is rendered into English by using Hebrew Adonai, instead of attempting to directly translate YHWH, following an ancient Jewish custom of respect.

The Hebrew word Adonai literally means my lord (with pseudo-plural), and is usually translated as Lord. The Hebrew names Elohim, El, Shaddai, and Yah are usually translated as God—with Elohim being the most common. Elyon translates as Most High.

There are a number of compound names for God. YHVH Tzevaot is translated as Lord of Hosts. YHVH Elohe tzevaot would be Lord God of Hosts. Among non-Orthodox Jews, there is a growing tendency to avoid the gender-in-English-language debate, and to simultaneously reclaim the vocabulary of Hebrew itself, by not translating these names in English prayers.

An example of a traditional translation is:

  • "The earth belongs to the LORD, and all it contains; the world and its inhabitants." (Psalm 24)

An alternative translation is:

  • "The earth belongs to Adonai, and all it contains; the world and its inhabitants."

Third person pronouns for God

Many prayers use one or more of the names for God many times within the same paragraph. The first time it appears a proper name is used, while further instances use a third person pronoun (he, she or it). English speakers usually use masculine or feminine third person pronouns to refer to people, and the third person pronoun—"it"—to refer to non-people. Traditionally, in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim writing, the third-person pronoun "He" has been used to refer to God in English translations. In non-religious contexts, English speakers have generally used the word "he" as a substitute for a gender-neutral third person pronoun.

The idea of God being an "It" rather than a "he" or "she" does have some support in Jewish, Christian and Islamic rationalist medieval thought, much of which was based on Neo-Aristotelian philosophy. Some medieval philosophers of all three of these religions took great pains to make clear that God was in no way like a person, and that all apparently physical descriptions of God were only poetic metaphors.

In the Chinese language, translators of the Christian Bible have created a new Chinese character to act as a divine pronoun: 祂 (Pinyin: tā). Tā, in essence, is the universal third person pronoun for all objects and persons. However, personhood (as well as gender) can be distinguished in writing. The normal pronoun for he, 他, is also used in generic cases. The radical 亻(rén) marks personhood (distinct from non-human referents), not simply gender alone. The radical in 祂, 礻(shì), marks the "elevated personhood" of divinity, without implying anything about the gender of the divinity referred to.

See also

References
  1. Bruce Metzger. "Preface to the NRSV". Archived from the original on 2010-02-06. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
  2. Grudem, Wayne (1997). "What's Wrong with Gender-Neutral Bible Translations?". CBMW. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  3. Marlowe, Michael D. (2005). "The Gender-Neutral Language Controversy". Bible Research. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  4. Mankowski, Paul (2007). "Jesus, Son of Humankind? The Necessary Failure of Inclusive-Language Translations". Orthodoxytoday.org. Retrieved December 12, 2020. Clason, Marmy A. (2006). "Feminism, Generic 'he', and the TNIV Bible Translation Debate". Critical Discourse Studies. 3 (1): 23–35. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  5. Strauss, Mark; Wegener, David (2009). "The Inclusive Language Debate". Christian Research Institute. Retrieved 2015-07-29.
  6. Poythress, Vern and Wayne Grudem (2000). The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy: Muting the Masculinity of God's Words. Broadman and Holman Publishers. p. 149. ISBN 0-8054-2441-5.

Bibliography
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