Musings... Dr. Black's BLOG
Comments on Translation Issues Affecting the ISV®
[Introductory Thoughts]
[The ISV Heritage: Where We Got our English Bible]
[The Poetry of the International Standard Version]
[Zechariah 12:10 — Look Upon Me Whom They Pierced]
[The Disciple Whom Jesus Kept on Loving?]
[John 3:16 — God Loved the World So Much!?!]
[John 18:4 — Whom Sweet Whom]
[John 21:15-17 — Sloppy Agape]
[Acts 2:38 — Baptism for Forgiveness?]
[1 Corinthians 13:4-7 — An Ode to Love]
[Ephesians 5:32 — Mustering Mystery out of Musterion]
[Philippians 1:27-30 — Good Citizens]
[1 Timothy 3:2 — "Teachable" or "Able to Teach"]
[Titus 1:12 — On Poets & Liars: When is Poetry Poetry?]
[Hebrews 1:1 — Alliteration in the Bible]
[Hebrews 6:1 — "Press on" or "Be Carried Along"?]
[Hebrews 12:1-2 — Too Much Lettuce?]
[James 1:17 — Good Giving?]
[James 2:14 — Can Faith Save?]
Whom Sweet Whom...
English grammar often raises eyebrows.
Bright, educated people who can run a computer spreadsheet with their toes are heard every
day saying things like:
"It’s me."
"Come to lunch with the boss and
I."
"Before the age of sixteen, a parent
should do the driving."
Each of these sentences is a gross
grammatical gaff. Some kinds of flubs are becoming so common that they’re beginning
to sound right to our ears. And in some cases they are right. What used to be regarded as
errors may now be acceptable or even preferred.
Take "whom" for example. Over the
years, wordsmiths such as Noah Webster have suggested ditching it altogether and letting
"who" do the job for both.
In nearly all cases today, we can use
"who" instead of "whom" in conversation or in informal writing. For
instance, in John 18:4 the ISV has Jesus say "Who are you looking for?" This is
certainly less stuffy than the NRSV’s "Whom are you looking for?"
Of course, one could argue that both
translations are incorrect, since it is "wrong" to end a sentence with a
preposition. This is something English teachers still get worked up over. In general,
however, it’s no longer considered a crime to end a sentence with a
preposition—unless you’re addressing the Supreme Court or the Philological
Society.
So look for conversational English in the
ISV—even from the lips of Jesus. |
