Version 3.0 of the Context Group Version Released
I am cutting version 3.0 of my ever-improving (I hope) translation of the Bible, called the Context Group Version. I have used utilities to make this translation available for the most part only for users of Palm OS devices (such as the Palm Pilot and the Treo series of cell phones). The module is meant to be used with the free (and extremely wonderful) PalmBible plus program. You can get the program PalmBible Plus here.
You can get my Context Group Version for the PalmBible Plus package by clicking here. This file is updated as of 7/23/08. For those who are curious, but do not have a Palm Pilot or similar device, you can read the CGV Bible online here.
Below are a listing of changes I have made in the text since my last update.
Apollumi translated more consistently as “destroy” or “be destroyed” (Jn 3:16). Reflects the Jewish idea not so much of death as of “being consigned to oblivion” rather than not surviving or lasting through to the Age of the Messiah.
Took out unwarranted commas in Luke 1:72 to make the verse flow better.
Changed the Greek word dialegomai to the closest English word in appearance as well as in meaning, “dialog.”
Changed the Greek evaggelistes from “evangelist” (which is just a transliteration rather than a true translation) to “announcer of the Imperial News.”
Changed apollumi to be as consistently as possible translated to “lost.” This preserves the importance to the Hebrew mind of community and group existence. To be “lost” and alone to the Hebrew was death. We still preserve this meaning when a wife tells me “she lost her husband many years ago.” She means that he perished and was “lost” to her. It also gives a sense of the meaninglessness of a life outside of the Covenant of God; it is “lost” and of no significance in history no matter what the history books record.
Cheirotoneo changed to elected per definition in Strongs: “to vote by stretching out the hand; to create or appoint by vote: one to have charge of some office or duty; to elect, create, or appoint.” The process appears to have been more “democratic” than is commonly interpreted.
After almost three years of work, I noticed that my core ASV document used “that” when it should refer to actions of persons; e.g., The men that conquered the Land.” Proper modern grammar requires “who” be used in such circumstances. I therefore undertook a rather large project of correcting this grammatical error. (I may have missed a few areas or made the change when I should not have done so. So please, dear readers, notify me of any mistakes in this area for the next release.)
Changed the explanation of “Christian” from “follower of the Anointed” to “resident of the Anointed” to conform to the pattern of the Greek as well as the theology it reflects of being “in Christ.”
Changed the Greek word, hairesis, from “sect” to “party” or “party spirit” to conform to the more “political” nature of the first century religion. Per Malina and Pilch in A Social Science Commentary on the Book of Acts.
In the same commentary, the two Context Group scholars note how “repentence” should be translated.
The word “repent” translates the Greek metanoesate (a favorite Lukan word, along with the noun form metanoia…It is often explained to mean “have a change of heart, of mind.” However, since in the culture an internal state requires a corresponding external action to be adequately labeled, metonoia doe snot simply mean an internal state. It requires corresponding external action. Hence translations such as “get your affairs in order,” “reform your lives,” are on target.
Accordingly I have changed “repent” to “reorient your lives” where ever possible in the New Testament. I have kept “repent” in the Old, as the word does not appear to have quite the same meaning for the Hebrew; at least in terms of its context.
Parrhesia changed from “bold” or my more recent “freely” to the more historically accurate context of “without regard to class or status” according to Malina and Pilch.
Daimonizomai changed from “possessed by a demon” to “oppressed by a demon.” Oppression gives more of the malevolent action of being under the “power of a demon” than does the word “possess” which can imply legitimate ownership. The “oppression” by the demons in the spiritual realm parallels their perceived “oppression” by Rome in the physical one.
Proselytati translated from “proselyte” (which is just a transliteration and not a translation) and “convert” to “resident alien.” Per Malina and Pilch in Social Science Commentary on the Book of Acts, “Obviously one cannot ‘convert’ to a group held together by the exclusivity deriving from common ancestry…The Septuagint uses proselytos to translate the Hebrew ger, the resident alien or outsider who lives in a Israelite town or city…The “respectful” outsider is one who shows respect for local Israelites and their traditions.” (Pg. 96)
I always had in my head that the word “synogogue” was a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew term (much like “Abba,” “Amen,” and “Hallelujah”). Wrong! According to Malina and Pilch, it was really just a general Greek term for “community center” without any particular reference inherit within it for particularly Jewish religious services. Therefore, I have changed references from “synagogue” to “community center” however, I added a footnote reference to “synagogue” as a help to readers.
In Acts 16:16, change pneumata puthon from “spirit of divination” to the more literal and culturally accurate “python spirit.”
Changed episkopos from “bishop” and even my previous translation of “overseer” to the more commonly used term, “supervisor.”
Changed demon, which is simply a transliteration of the Greek daimonia, to “unseen entities.” In the first century, “Demons … account for significant effects in a person’s life not caused by visible or present human persons. Demons (Greek), angels (Persia), and spirits (Semitic) were thus personified forces that had the power to influence and, at times, control human behavior.” (Malina and Pilch, Social Science Commentary of the Letters of Paul) In a world that had not yet discovered the microscope, viruses, or bacteria, such malevolent spirits were a reasonable assumption. However, for most of us, these “causes” remain unseen entities, so the ancients were not all that far off.
Consistently translated thlipsis as “affliction,” getting rid of the more modern day charged term of “tribulation.”
Modified the more archaic “vex” to “aggravate” in its various forms. I am not 100% happy with the change, but we will see how it rides.
Changed the imperfect mood of the Hebrew in Psalm 44:5-6 to variations of “should” rather than the future or pure present tense forms of other translations (the NJB makes it a past tense). The change makes the Psalm flow better in my opinion.
Don’t change “python”. It’s a false cognate. See: http://www.answers.com/topic/python-1; the snake was named after the spirit, not the other way around.
Also, was “apollumi” translated as “destroyed” or “lost”? You mention it twice above, each time giving a different translation and claiming that it’s made “more consistent”. I would choose “destroyed”, but its “apo” preposition does give it an implication of being separated. Perhaps “cut off” would be appropriate.
(Actually, I have no problem with using a different word each time — consistency is very good, but in reality the shades of meaning in any language cannot always be recast into a single word in a different language.)
-Wm
—Wm TanksleyHello William. Thanks for your continued interest in the CGV.
Yes, I made two different passes on Apollumi, and found–as you note here–that consistency does not work well in this case. The word in Greek can be translated “lost, destroyed, perished, or ruined.” A single word does not get the point across like I had hoped. Context determines, and sometimes even then it is hard to pick the best. Sometimes, like when it is contrasted with “life” or “found” then the guess is easy; at other times, not so much. I am guess that in the end, I was not much further along from my starting point in terms of this word.
However, I did make some changes, so if you downloaded the file yesterday, do it again now.
As for the Python spirit, I am going to let that stand for now. But I do note your objections and want to research it more. As you know, the passage in Acts is the only occurrence of this Greek word in the Bible. I like using “python” because it is a literal rendering of the Greek puthon. It also brings to mind echoes of Genesis 3:16, in a reversal pattern. But I will remain open to change.
Thanks again.
—Caine