Holy Bible

This is me attempting to scratch a couple of itches.

• First, I'd like to begin cataloguing the translational and accuracy issues that bug me in a more structured manner. I've got https://akeratos.com/topics/scripture/checking-translations/ but I'd like to be more comprehensive about it.

• Second, I'd like to attempt to put together a format that lets me render out variously to LaTeX, Markdown, or something else entirely as the need arises. In particular, I'd like to be able to choose what depth of annotations are incorporated into the rendering, somewhat like a "verbosity" level.

Resources

Ordering of this list is arbitrary

• Challoner DRB / Neo-Vulgate
• Greek Septaugint
• Knox bible
• https://sacredbible.org/catholic/index.htm
  • "translated from the Pope Sixtus V and Pope Clement VIII Latin Vulgate Bible using the Challoner Douay Bible as a guide."
• RSVCE2, ESVCE
• Various other translations for comparison
• D.A. Carson's Exegetical Fallacies, 2nd edition

1997 Vatican norms for translation of biblical texts

cf. https://adoremus.org/1997/10/the-vatican-norms-for-scripture-translation/

Norms for the Translation of Biblical Texts for Use in the Liturgy

1. The Church must always seek to convey accurately in translation the texts she has inherited from the biblical, liturgical, and patristic tradition and instruct the faithful in their proper meaning.

2. The first principle with respect to biblical texts is that of fidelity, maximum possible fidelity to the words of the text. Biblical translations should be faithful to the original language and to the internal truth of the inspired text, in such a way as to respect the language used by the human author in order to be understood by his intended reader. Every concept in the original text should be translated in its context. Above all, translations must be faithful to the sense of Sacred Scripture understood as a unity and totality, which finds its center in Christ, the Son of God incarnate (cf. Dei Verbum III and IV), as confessed in the Creeds of the Church.

3. The translation of Scripture should faithfully reflect the Word of God in the original human languages. It must be listened to in its time-conditioned, at times even inelegant, mode of human expression without "correction" or "improvement" in service of modern sensitivities.

a) In liturgical translations or readings where the text is very uncertain or in which the meaning is very much disputed, the translation should be made with due regard to the Neo-Vulgate.

b) If explanations are deemed to be pastorally necessary or appropriate, they should be given in editorial notes, commentaries, homilies, etc.

4/1. The natural gender of personae in the Bible, including the human author of various texts where evident, must not be changed insofar as this is possible in the receptor language.

4/2. The grammatical gender of God, pagan deities, and angels according to the original texts must not be changed insofar as this is possible in the receptor language.

4/3. In fidelity to the inspired Word of God, the traditional biblical usage for naming the persons of the Trinity as Father, Son and Holy Spirit is to be retained.

4/4. Similarly, in keeping with the Church's tradition, the feminine and neuter pronouns are not to be used to refer to the person of the Holy Spirit.

4/5. There shall be no systematic substitution of the masculine pronoun or possessive adjective to refer to God in correspondence to the original text.

4/6. Kinship terms that are clearly gender specific, as indicated by the context, should be respected in translation.

5. Grammatical number and person of the original texts ordinarily should be maintained.

6/1. Translation should strive to preserve the connotations as well as the denotations of words or expressions in the original and thus not preclude possible layers of meaning.

6/2. For example, where the New Testament or the Church's tradition have interpreted certain texts of the Old Testament in a Christological fashion, special care should be observed in the translation of these texts so that a Christological meaning is not precluded.

6/3. Thus, the word "man" in English should as a rule translate adam and anthropos, since there is no one synonym which effectively conveys the play between the individual, the collectivity and the unity of the human family so important, for example, to expression of Christian doctrine and anthropology.

My addenda

• re: 3a: with due regard for the Neo-Vulgate, I'd like to add the Greek Septuagint to that. Often where the Hebrew is obscure, the Greek can be a help in determining the meaning of scripture.

• I'd prefer to translate words in ways that permit polysemy where it isn't excessive, unclear, or contradicts Church teaching. Often this means using older and more familiar English words anyway so it's usually not much of a trade-off.

• I'd like to avoid typical exegetical mistakes and errors whenever possible. I'm working through D.A. Carson's Exegetical Fallacies right now and finding it helpful despite the evangelical bias in some areas. A common issue is appealing to Attic or classical Greek lexicons where there has often been significant semantic drift by the time you get to 1st century Koine Greek.

• I'd like to lean on the early and apostolic church fathers as a possible view into how the early church understood scripture for a number of reasons including traditional authority and their proximity to how Koine Greek was used and understood at the time.