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Internal Evidence - Printable Version

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Internal Evidence - Larry Kelsey - 01-17-2004

Shlama Akhay,

Here's a section from William Norton's introduction entitled-- VI. INTERNAL EVIDENCE THAT THE PESHITO WAS MADE IN CENT. I., AND IS NOT A MERE TRANSLATION OF THE GREEK.

***{Quote}*** Jesudad said that the New Covenant Peshito is "a translation made by the care and solicitude of Thaddaeus and other apostles." Books written, as the Gospel of Matthew was, in the Syriac of Palestine, needed very little change when translated into the Syriac of Edessa. Paul's letter to the Hebrews, the letter of James, the first of Peter, and the first of John, were all addressed to Hebrews, and probably, therefore, were first written in Syriac, the language of the Hebrews; and needed but few changes when translated into the dialect of Edessa. These few changes were probably what Jesudad called a "translation," so far as the word had reference to these books. The Apostles, when taking the care and oversight of the translation of all the books in the Peshito, were not bound as an uninspired translator would have been, to follow always the exact words of what was translated. They had divine authority to use whatever difference of expression the Holy Spirit might guide them to adopt, as better fitted for use in the translation.
If, therefore, in comparing the Syriac with the Greek text, we find that they both express nearly the same meaning, but that in places a supposed Greek original so differs in words from the Syriac, that if the Syriac had been made by an uninspired translator, he would be justly condemned for such licentious departure from his Greek copy, the reason may be, that the inspired translator has been divinely guided to make that difference; and if, in some of these cases of different wording, the Syriac meaning be more clear, or exact, or better adapted for Syrian readers than the Greek reading is, those very differences become evidence of the correctness of the Syrian belief that the Peshito was made "by the care and solicitude of Apostles." For it is evident that an uninspired translator could not, as a rule, bring light out of darkness, clearness out of obscurity, exactness and correctness out of ambiguity and uncertainty. Persons familiar with the Peshito admit the truth of Faust Nairon's remark, that the Peshito does really sometimes "make clear, things difficult or doubtful in the Greek." (Introduction, p. 9.)
Bishop Walton quotes with approval the remark of De Dieu, that "the true meaning of phrases which often occur in the N. T., can scarcely be sought from any other source than the Syriac." (Polyg. Prol. xiii. 19.)
J. D. Michaelis says, "the Syriac Version leads us sometimes to just and beautiful explanations, where other help is insufficient." (Marsh's Michaelis, vol. ii. p. 44.) ***{End of quote}***

There are several more paragraphs to this section, but I thought I'd give everybody a taste. <!-- sSmile --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile.gif" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /><!-- sSmile -->

Shlama w'Burkate, Larry Kelsey


. - drmlanc - 01-18-2004

That is SWEET


. - drmlanc - 01-18-2004

I like to put that in the history article. Is this William Norton an "Aramaic scholar"?


Re: . - Larry Kelsey - 01-18-2004

drmlanc Wrote:I like to put that in the history article. Is this William Norton an "Aramaic scholar"?

Well brother...if he isn't he's sure got me fooled. <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: --> <!-- s:rockedover: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/rockdover.gif" alt=":rockedover:" title="Rocked Over" /><!-- s:rockedover: -->
I've been trying to find more information on this guy but have gotten absolutely nowhere--William Norton of North Devon--(a borough of London perhaps??) <!-- s:lookround: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/lookround.gif" alt=":lookround:" title="Look Round" /><!-- s:lookround: -->

Akha Larry


. - drmlanc - 01-18-2004

Ah well, since I know nothing of the man, I'll just assume that he is an expert (he must be, he agrees with us... <!-- sBig Grin --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/happy.gif" alt="Big Grin" title="Happy" /><!-- sBig Grin --> ) and put him down as "Aramaic scholar" like I do with Paul <!-- s:biggrin: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/biggrin.gif" alt=":biggrin:" title="Big Grin" /><!-- s:biggrin: -->