Found in Translation

By Rhonda K. Kindig

Found in Translation offers a fresh perspective for your Bible reading, both as an appealing devotional text and as an innovative reference manual. Over sixty-five essays consider New Testament verses through the lens of Greek translation choices. Participants of Bible study groups will find accessible support, while sermon writers or seminary students not confident of their Biblical Greek will find excellent resource assistance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781449717469

Rhonda K. Kindig

Rhonda K. Kindig, an experienced educator and scholar, shares popular Bible Study topics from the classes she leads at an historic Episcopal Church in the mountains of southwest Virginia. She has also written Found in Translation, Volumes 1 & 2, which reflect upon Biblical passages through the lens of Greek and Hebrew word translation choices.

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Copyright © 2011 Rhonda K. Kindig

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-4497-1745-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-1746-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2011928732

Printed in the United States of America

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/25/2011

Contents

PREFACE

Transliteration

Diacritical Markings

Appendix A: It’s All Greek to Me

No One Is Left Behind: Number Symbology

Resources

PREFACE

The word studies in this book are a collection of essays written to bring an alternative perspective to your reading and study of the Word. Each reflection is based upon research of translation possibilities of key Greek words from the New Testament’s original language.

The book fits into several readership niches. For lay readers, the reflections will be appealing as daily devotionals. For participants and leaders of Bible Study groups, the essays will provide background information to enhance their discussions and bring the words alive. For seminary students or sermon writers, who might not be confident with their knowledge of Biblical Greek, the word studies will offer translation assistance.

For anyone who picks up this book, I hope you will be pleased to read what I have found in translation!

χάρις τω Θεω

Thanks be to God

Transliteration

In the interest of ink, the following chart is provided for the reader to form transliterations of the Greek words throughout the book. Only lower case letters are shown, since these predominate in the texts.

Diacritical Markings

Except for rough breathing marks needed at the beginning of specific words, no accent markings will be included throughout this text. Readers who desire these, should consult a standard Greek lexicon for their correct placement.

Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. Matthew 1:19

Everyone knows Joseph was a nice guy. Just look at his behavior here, when we first meet him. Technically, the word translated as quietly is, in reality, the Greek word for secretly (λαθρα). But, he’s still a nice guy. And actually, the word rendered as planned is, in fact, a form of the Greek word for wished, rather than planned. (A wish is an impulse, whereas a plan involves some action.) Still, he’s a nice guy, right? Is that what this introduction intends for us to know about Joseph?

The precise adjective Matthew wrote is righteous (δίκαιος). Matthew must view this as an important attribute, since he uses the word throughout his Gospel, significantly more than Mark, Luke or John do.

We know righteousness was certainly a key concept in the Old Testament, recorded upward of 600 times. There is a connection between Old Testament righteousness and the righteousness of Joseph. It is to be found in the mere seventeen verses of our chapter which separate the verse above from the body of the Old Testament. Those seventeen verses outline the genealogy of Jesus. Read through it, and you may notice something unique. Do you see that four times women are included? Further, each woman is a Gentile. Was Matthew ahead of his time in recognizing women’s equality? Was Matthew indicating inclusiveness should be extended to foreigners?

Maybe, but why then does he only name three of the four women? We know full well the name of the fourth was Bathsheba, yet strangely it is her husband, Uriah, who is named! What is it that sets apart Tamar (whose story is in the 38th chapter of Genesis), Rahab (whom we meet in the 2nd chapter of Joshua), Ruth (who has an entire book in her own name), and Uriah (whose history is found in the 11th chapter of 2 Samuel)?

All four of them chose a higher righteousness instead of what might be expected. Rather than adhering to the strictest letter of the law, they followed something which went beyond. Through their actions, they preserved the family of God’s promises, which assured that the line would continue and the genealogy be written. Joseph does the same. Nice guy? Assuredly!

Thanks be to God.

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage. Matthew 2:1-2

To pay him homage. It is safe to say that Americans are not used to paying homage. ‘Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary indicates that homage is a ceremony in which a person acknowledges himself to be the vassal of a lord. We just do not relate to this outdated practice. More recent in publication, the Oxford Essential Dictionary, defines homage as acknowledging superiority. Americans, though, holding that all are created equal, do not like to subscribe to that practice either; we are loathe to think anyone is better than we are!

In the Greek text of our verse, the word is προσκυνησαι, and in the sequence of the New Testament, this is the first time we encounter the word. Many of us would have to agree that this is a key concept in the New Testament, because it is predominantly translated as worship. The Gospel of John and the Book of Revelation offer us the most uses of προσκυνησαι; indeed it is the whole point of the Book of Revelation!

In its most basic, literal understanding, it describes kissing (the Greek verb is κυνεω) either the feet or the floor before (the Greek preposition is προς) someone to whom obeisance is being given. In the ancient Near East, we know pharaohs and caesars demanded προσκυνησαι, as they viewed themselves as deities.

Our translators of Matthew’s Gospel, have given us homage instead of worship in this early chapter. However, in the last chapter of Matthew, they selected worship, to describe the disciples’ response to the risen Jesus. Is there a difference? Both involve devotion, of course, but does worship imply deeper reverence and adoration? Has the latter evolved from the former?

Perhaps worship is an evolving word for us, too, as we consider what worship should be, either individually or corporately.

Thanks be to God.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. Matthew 3:2

One of a parent’s routine litanies is, Now say you’re sorry! It is hoped that the child will not only attain the habit of apologizing but eventually come to feel remorse for the misdeeds, as well! According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to feel deep sorrow for one’s actions is the meaning of repent. Undoubtedly there is such an aspect of being sorry in this