What Greek text do you work with? The Textus Receptus, Westscott/Hort, NA27, or what?
Do you believe only the Byzantine texts, which date much later than the Alexandrian texts, are the only texts that are inspired by God? How do you reconcile the textual differences among the thousands of manuscripts? Lastly, how do you handle modern textual criticism and modern scholarship, i.e. do you avoid works such as Text of the Earliest New Testament Greek Manuscripts because they are authored by non-Jehovah’s Witnesses?
2007-10-29 04:49:03 · 7 answers · asked by enarchay 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
DwayneWayne, yes I realize that. But English translations will always have errors. So my question is: what Greek texts do the committed Jehovah's Witnesses study and how do the differences among the manuscripts affect their understanding of biblical inspiration?
2007-10-29 05:00:28 · update #1
So what Greek text will the average committed Jehovah's Witness work with?
2007-10-29 05:24:27 · update #2
Any and all.
Jehovah's Witnesses do not limit themselves to a particular bible translation, or a particular set of ancient manuscripts. Instead, their understanding is based on a conscientious understanding of the totality of available information.
Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/20000622/
http://watchtower.org/e/na/
http://watchtower.org/e/20020915/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050715/article_02.htm
2007-10-29 08:22:31 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
THA. WoW. If a Jehovah Witness could be a leader of this Nation or other Nation's; you guys would be the best, ever. I keep telling people how intelligent the JW's are.
Dropped in to say hello and check it out, since I received a "Best Answer" e-mail today. That answer was given quite some time ago. Surprises happen unexpectedly. Have fun!
2007-10-29 05:30:26 · answer #2 · answered by Debs 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I believe that the information found in the link below may help:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JWquestions_and_answers_archives/message/238
2007-10-29 05:37:04 · answer #3 · answered by tik_of_totg 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
*cricket, cricket, cricket*
Of course you do realize that the NWT was compiled by referencing a host of different greek texts...
2007-10-29 04:58:50 · answer #4 · answered by DwayneWayne 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Aloha Little Lamb! I have to go to work now, I will come back later and answer your question.
2007-10-29 09:49:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
--THESE ARE the sources for our New World Translation
Reference Edition, listed in our introduction:
*** Rbi8 pp. 9-11 Introduction ***
TEXTUAL SYMBOLS: Throughout our footnotes, when giving textual information, it has been necessary to refer to many early manuscripts and papyruses, codices, printed editions, and recent authoritative publications. Following is a chart of the major symbols that are referenced in the footnotes of this publication.
× (’Aleph) Codex Sinaiticus, Gr., fourth cent. C.E., British Museum, H.S., G.S.
A Codex Alexandrinus, Gr., fifth cent. C.E., British Museum, H.S., G.S.
ad Aid to Bible Understanding, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, 1971.
Al Aleppo Codex, Heb., c. 930 C.E., Israel, H.S.
Aq Aquila’s Gr. translation of H.S., second cent. C.E., Cambridge, England.
Arm Armenian Version, fourth to thirteenth cent. C.E.; H.S., G.S.
B Vatican ms 1209, Gr., fourth cent. C.E., Vatican City, Rome, H.S., G.S.
B 19A See Leningrad.
Bauer A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, by W. Bauer, second English ed., by F. W. Gingrich and F. W. Danker, Chicago and London (1979).
BDB Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, by Brown, Driver and Briggs, Oxford, 1978 reprint.
BHK Biblia Hebraica, by Kittel, Kahle, Alt and Eissfeldt, Privilegierte Württembergische Bibelanstalt, Stuttgart, seventh to ninth ed., 1951-55, H.S.
BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, by Elliger and Rudolph, Deutsche Bibelstiftung, Stuttgart, 1977, H.S.
C Codex Ephraemi rescriptus, Gr., fifth cent. C.E., Paris, H.S., G.S.
Ca Cairo Codex, Heb., 895 C.E., Cairo, Egypt, H.S.
D Bezae Codices, Gr. and Lat., fifth and sixth cent. C.E., Cambridge, England, G.S.
Gins. Massoretico-Critical Text of the Hebrew Bible, by C. D. Ginsburg, London, 1926.
Gins.Int Introduction to the Massoretico-Critical Edition of the Hebrew Bible, by C. D. Ginsburg, Ktav Publishing House, New York, 1966 reprint.
Gins.Mas The Massorah, by C. D. Ginsburg, Ktav Publishing House, New York, 1975 reprint.
GK Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, by E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley, Oxford, England (1910).
Grn The Interlinear Hebrew/English Bible, Vol. I-III, by J. Green, Wilmington, U.S., 1976.
Int The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, 1969, a word-for-word rendering from Greek into English.
It Old Latin Versions, Itala, second to fourth cent. C.E.; H.S., G.S.
J1 Matthew, Heb., edited by J. du Tillet, with a Lat. translation by J. Mercier, Paris, 1555.
J2 Matthew, Heb., incorporated as a separate chapter in ’E′ven bo′chan [“Tried Stone”], by Shem-Tob ben Isaac Ibn Shaprut, 1385. Mss of 16th and 17th cent., Jewish Theological Seminary, New York.
J3 Matthew and Hebrews, Heb. and Lat., by Sebastian Münster, Basel, 1537 and 1557 respectively.
J4 Matthew, Heb., by J. Quinquarboreus, Paris, 1551.
J5 Liturgical Gospels, Heb., by F. Petri, Wittemberg, 1573.
J6 Liturgical Gospels, German, Lat., Gr. and Heb., by Johann Clajus, Leipzig, 1576.
J7 Christian Greek Scriptures in 12 languages, including Heb., by Elias Hutter, Nuremberg, 1599.
J8 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by William Robertson, London, 1661.
J9 Gospels, Heb. and Lat., by Giovanni Battista Jona, Rome, 1668.
J10 The New Testament . . . in Hebrew and English, by Richard Caddick, Vol. I-III, containing Matthew—1 Corinthians, London, 1798-1805.
J11 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by Thomas Fry and others, London, 1817.
J12 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by William Greenfield, London, 1831.
J13 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by A. McCaul, M. S. Alexander, J. C. Reichardt and S. Hoga, London, 1838.
J14 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by J. C. Reichardt, London, 1846.
J15 Luke, Acts, Romans and Hebrews, Heb., by J. H. R. Biesenthal, Berlin, 1855, 1867, 1853 and 1858 respectively.
J16 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by J. C. Reichardt and J. H. R. Biesenthal, London, 1866.
J17 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by Franz Delitzsch, London, 1981 ed.
J18 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by Isaac Salkinson and C. D. Ginsburg, London.
J19 John, Heb., by Moshe I. Ben Maeir, Denver, Colorado, 1957.
J20 A Concordance to the Greek Testament, by W. F. Moulton and A. S. Geden, fourth ed., Edinburgh, 1963.
J21 The Emphatic Diaglott (Greek-English interlinear), by Benjamin Wilson, New York, 1864, reprint by Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, 1942.
J22 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by United Bible Societies, Jerusalem, 1979.
J23 Christian Greek Scriptures, Heb., by J. Bauchet, Rome, 1975.
J24 A Literal Translation of the New Testament . . . From the Text of the Vatican Manuscript, by Herman Heinfetter, London, 1863.
J25 St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, by W. G. Rutherford, London, 1900.
J26 Psalms and Matthew 1:1-3:6, Heb., by Anton Margaritha, Leipzig, 1533.
J27 Die heilige Schrift des neuen Testaments, by Dominik von Brentano, third ed., Vienna and Prague, 1796.
JTS Journal of Theological Studies, Clarendon, Oxford.
KB Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros, by L. Koehler and W. Baumgartner, Leiden, Netherlands, 1953.
KB3 Hebräisches und Aramäisches Lexikon zum Alten Testament, by W. Baumgartner, third ed., Leiden, Netherlands, 1967 and later ed.
Leningrad Codex Leningrad B 19A, Heb., 1008 C.E., H.S., Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library, Leningrad, U.S.S.R.
LS A Greek-English Lexicon, by H. Liddell and R. Scott, Oxford, 1968.
LXX Septuagint, Gr., third and second cent. B.C.E., H.S. (A. Rahlfs, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, 1935).
LXX× See ×.
LXXA See A.
LXXB See B.
LXXBagster Septuagint (with an English translation by Sir Lancelot Brenton, S. Bagster & Sons, London, 1851).
LXXL Septuagint (P. de Lagarde, Göttingen, Germany, 1883).
LXXThomson Septuagint, translated by C. Thomson, Pells ed., London, 1904.
M Masoretic Hebrew text found in Codex Leningrad B 19A as presented in BHK and BHS.
NW New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, 1984 revision.
P45 Papyrus Chester Beatty 1, Gr., third cent. C.E., Dublin, G.S.
P46 Papyrus Chester Beatty 2, Gr., c. 200 C.E., Dublin, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A., G.S.
P47 Papyrus Chester Beatty 3, Gr., third cent. C.E., Dublin, G.S.
P66 Papyrus Bodmer 2, Gr., c. 200 C.E., Geneva, G.S.
P74 Papyrus Bodmer 17, Gr., seventh cent. C.E., Geneva, G.S.
P75 Papyrus Bodmer 14, 15, Gr., c. 200 C.E., Geneva, G.S.
1QIsa The Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah, Jerusalem, found in 1947 in Qumran Cave No. 1.
Sam Pentateuch in Samaritan, fourth cent. B.C.E., Israel.
si “All Scripture Is Inspired of God and Beneficial,” Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Brooklyn, 1963.
Sn Hebrew Old Testament, by N. H. Snaith, Israel, 1970.
Sy, Syp Syriac Peshitta, Christian Aram., fifth cent. C.E., S. Lee, London, 1826, reprint by United Bible Societies, 1979.
Syc Curetonian Syriac, Old Syriac, fifth cent. C.E., Gospels, Cambridge, England.
Syh Philoxenian-Harclean Syriac Version, sixth and seventh cent. C.E.; G.S.
Syhi Jerusalem (Hierosolymitanum) Version, Old Syriac, sixth cent. C.E.; G.S.
Sys Sinaitic Syriac codex, fourth and fifth cent. C.E., Gospels.
Sym Greek translation of H.S., by Symmachus, c. 200 C.E.
T Targums, Aram. paraphrases of parts of H.S.
TJ Jerusalem Targum I (Pseudo-Jonathan) and Jerusalem Targum II (Fragmentary Targum).
TO Targum of Onkelos (Babylonian Targum), Pentateuch.
TP Palestinian Targum, Vatican City, Rome, Pentateuch.
TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (English ed.), Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, U.S.A., 1974 and later ed.
TDNT Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (English ed.), Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, U.S.A., 1964 and later ed.
Th Greek translation of H.S., by Theodotion, second cent. C.E.
TR Textus Receptus (Received Text) of G.S., by R. Stephanus, 1550.
Vg Latin Vulgate, by Jerome, c. 400 C.E. (Iuxta Vulgatam Versionem, Württembergische Bibelanstalt, Stuttgart, 1975).
Vgc Latin Vulgate, Clementine recension (S. Bagster & Sons, London, 1977).
Vgs Latin Vulgate, Sixtine recension, 1590.
Vgww Novum Testamentum Latine secundum editionem Sancti Hieronymi ad Codicum Manuscriptorum Fidem, by J. Wordsworth and H. J. White, Oxford, 1911.
VT Vetus Testamentum, E. J. Brill, Leiden, Netherlands.
W Freer Gospels, fifth cent. C.E., Washington, D.C.
WH The New Testament in the Original Greek, by Westcott and Hort, 1948 ed. (reprinted in Int).
ZorellGr Lexicon Graecum Novi Testamenti, third ed., by F. Zorell, Paris, 1961.
ZorellHeb Lexicon Hebraicum et Aramaicum Veteris Testamenti, by F. Zorell, Rome, 1968.
* Reading of the original (first) hand of a Greek manuscript.
2007-10-29 05:16:33 · answer #6 · answered by THA 5 · 6⤊ 1⤋
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2007-10-29 04:55:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋