Solparvus
Puritan Board Senior
It's been my ambition to read and memorize the Bible in Greek and Hebrew. I don't have much trouble reading Greek, my Hebrew is coming, I do have some passages memorized in the originals. I like to have in mind the very original words that Christ has spoken, and languages are a gift God has given me. There's need of people who are fluent in these languages. It takes fluency to most effectively use the languages in understanding a passage, many errors start because of misunderstanding of the languages, and I love languages. Plain and simple. So the ambition sounds reasonable and possible.
Still, whatever the arguments, English is just easier and more edifying at this time. "I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean" easily trumps "vzarachti aleychem mayim tahorim vtahartem mikal tumotheychem." In English I already have a world of natural associations built with each of the words in that simple clause, and the passage is powerful and compelling in English, but in Hebrew even the common words such as "mayim" don't strike me effectively enough, and the sentence contains about three words I didn't know before I set out to memorize the passage, and then of course dealing with at least one irregular verb. Now multiply that phenomenon by about five or six verses.
And practically speaking, it's easier to quote a passage to someone in English than think of it in Greek or Hebrew, do quick translation, and then try to deliver the passage with fluency, conviction and persuasion.
At the same time, I know it takes so much work to maintain the languages, and if you're semi-fluent you know just enough to be dangerous. So, to lessen the efforts means potentially losing ground, and I know that fluency in these languages (for what can be had for dead languages) is possible. John Wesley knew his Greek New Testament better than the English. And there's very great need for people in the church who are fluent experts in these languages.
So I'm just beginning to wonder, am I simply laying a burden on myself too heavy to be borne, and might God be saying to me, "Who required this at your hand?" Might I just not be thankful enough for the labor of scholars and translators who have put the Bible in English, and might this whole thing just reek of academic pride? Or is there anyone else has had these ideas, stuck with them, and say they'd never do it another way, and this is actually a reasonable and wise use of my gifts?
Still, whatever the arguments, English is just easier and more edifying at this time. "I will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall be clean" easily trumps "vzarachti aleychem mayim tahorim vtahartem mikal tumotheychem." In English I already have a world of natural associations built with each of the words in that simple clause, and the passage is powerful and compelling in English, but in Hebrew even the common words such as "mayim" don't strike me effectively enough, and the sentence contains about three words I didn't know before I set out to memorize the passage, and then of course dealing with at least one irregular verb. Now multiply that phenomenon by about five or six verses.
And practically speaking, it's easier to quote a passage to someone in English than think of it in Greek or Hebrew, do quick translation, and then try to deliver the passage with fluency, conviction and persuasion.
At the same time, I know it takes so much work to maintain the languages, and if you're semi-fluent you know just enough to be dangerous. So, to lessen the efforts means potentially losing ground, and I know that fluency in these languages (for what can be had for dead languages) is possible. John Wesley knew his Greek New Testament better than the English. And there's very great need for people in the church who are fluent experts in these languages.
So I'm just beginning to wonder, am I simply laying a burden on myself too heavy to be borne, and might God be saying to me, "Who required this at your hand?" Might I just not be thankful enough for the labor of scholars and translators who have put the Bible in English, and might this whole thing just reek of academic pride? Or is there anyone else has had these ideas, stuck with them, and say they'd never do it another way, and this is actually a reasonable and wise use of my gifts?