Jude 3: Although or When

[bravebee]

The ESV translates Jude 3 this way:

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

KJV has it this way:

Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

The ESV implies that Jude wanted to write about one subject, but was constrained by the Spirit to write about something else. The KJV version has the idea that because he wants to write about their common salvation, he must exhort them to contend for the faith (meaning that contending is tied to the common salvation). It seems to be the idea that since I'm writing about salvation, you must contend. This seems very different than saying I wanted to write about salvation, but instead I am appealing to you to contend.

How do you interpret it?

 

[whirlingmerc]

The two goals work together. The salvation was delivered once and apostolic, not changing, it still stresses some aspects of salvation in some ways
It has allot of things to say about election and perseverance of the saints

Some of those themes came out because of the nature of the opposition

 

[Rev. Todd Ruddell]

My own, somewhat stilted translation of the verse looks like this:

Beloved, making all diligence to write to you-all concerning the common salvation, I have a necessity to write to you-all, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith once-for-all delivered to the saints.

The original has no word that would be translated "when" or "although". The grammatical diagramming would emphasize "I have necessity" as the subject-verb, and two participles, making all diligence, and exhorting, are ways this necessity is worked out. I don't see any conflict between the two at all.

There is a variant between the MT/CT families. One would have "our common salvation" (CT) and the other "the common salvation" (MT)

 

[bravebee]

Rev. Ruddell--

That is helpful. Even though there is no word that can be translated "when", it does carry that idea that my writing to you to contend for the faith is a result of our common salvation. The ESV insertion of the word "although" doesn't fit as well because it presents the idea that Jude's urging to contend was alternative to his intent to write about the common salvation.

Your translation seems to fit with the theme of the book dealing with false believers inside the church.

Thank you.