Comments on: did God reduce lifespans to 120? http://fontwords.com/2010/02/04/did-god-reduce-lifespans-to-120 Christ, Christianity, and Christendom. Fri, 18 May 2012 22:25:11 +0000 hourly 1 By: mitchell b powell http://fontwords.com/2010/02/04/did-god-reduce-lifespans-to-120/comment-page-1#comment-183 mitchell b powell Fri, 05 Feb 2010 05:18:56 +0000 http://fontwords.com/?p=826#comment-183 What's going on there in the NLT is overinterpretation. Even if they're right about the meaning of the verse that's overinterpretation. The practice of translating that way also makes it more difficult to sort through the merits of various interpretations, and it decreases people's confidence in the text they're reading when such disputes surface. For all the grief it gets, one of the reasons I like the KJV/NKJV is that it doesn't pull these kinds of stunts. Ever. I think we'd all be a bit better off if translations stuck pretty close to literal, with interpretive stuff relegated to commentary where it belongs. So the conclusion you came to was totally reasonable considering the translation you were reading from. It might even be reasonable otherwise. As to the NET, they tend to do a better job than the NLT, especially because their for-the-internet focus on massive numbers of footnotes has made the translation process much more transparent. Not quite as transparent as I'd like, but more than any other mainstream-type translation I know of. I like the HCSB. Back when I was preaching about every third week at a little church back in my hometown, a lady in the church had me borrow an HCSB for a while for me to see if it was a solid translation. It looked good to me. That's all the contact I've had with it, though. And now I've got all sorts of thoughts swirling about in my head about that NET rendering. I'd go into them here but I think I've got a whole post worth. What’s going on there in the NLT is overinterpretation. Even if they’re right about the meaning of the verse that’s overinterpretation. The practice of translating that way also makes it more difficult to sort through the merits of various interpretations, and it decreases people’s confidence in the text they’re reading when such disputes surface. For all the grief it gets, one of the reasons I like the KJV/NKJV is that it doesn’t pull these kinds of stunts. Ever. I think we’d all be a bit better off if translations stuck pretty close to literal, with interpretive stuff relegated to commentary where it belongs.

So the conclusion you came to was totally reasonable considering the translation you were reading from. It might even be reasonable otherwise.

As to the NET, they tend to do a better job than the NLT, especially because their for-the-internet focus on massive numbers of footnotes has made the translation process much more transparent. Not quite as transparent as I’d like, but more than any other mainstream-type translation I know of.

I like the HCSB. Back when I was preaching about every third week at a little church back in my hometown, a lady in the church had me borrow an HCSB for a while for me to see if it was a solid translation. It looked good to me. That’s all the contact I’ve had with it, though.

And now I’ve got all sorts of thoughts swirling about in my head about that NET rendering. I’d go into them here but I think I’ve got a whole post worth.

]]> By: Genesis 6:3 | Scripture Zealot http://fontwords.com/2010/02/04/did-god-reduce-lifespans-to-120/comment-page-1#comment-182 Genesis 6:3 | Scripture Zealot Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:18:38 +0000 http://fontwords.com/?p=826#comment-182 [...] at ve’al timkor is discussing the meaning of Genesis 6:3. Please go see his post and another thought . . [...] [...] at ve’al timkor is discussing the meaning of Genesis 6:3. Please go see his post and another thought . . [...]

]]> By: Scripture Zealot http://fontwords.com/2010/02/04/did-god-reduce-lifespans-to-120/comment-page-1#comment-181 Scripture Zealot Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:08:28 +0000 http://fontwords.com/?p=826#comment-181 NET - completely different So the LORD said, "My spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely, since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years." NET – completely different

So the LORD said, “My spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely, since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years.”

]]> By: Scripture Zealot http://fontwords.com/2010/02/04/did-god-reduce-lifespans-to-120/comment-page-1#comment-180 Scripture Zealot Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:05:34 +0000 http://fontwords.com/?p=826#comment-180 Thanks for bringing this up. I've been reading through the OT this time in the NLT. (My primary translation is HCSB and that is what I will read thereafter.) Here is how it reads: Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.” So you can see how I came up with that conclusion at first reading (this time) without looking into it. What do you think of that translation of this verse? Jeff Thanks for bringing this up. I’ve been reading through the OT this time in the NLT. (My primary translation is HCSB and that is what I will read thereafter.)

Here is how it reads:
Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.”

So you can see how I came up with that conclusion at first reading (this time) without looking into it. What do you think of that translation of this verse?
Jeff

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