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?]
Good Giving?
"Every good and perfect gift is from
above…"
So reads the NIV in James 1:17. Only one
small problem. James uses two different words for "gift," and he apparently does
so for a reason. (Translations that consider James’ words for "gift" to be
synonymous should at least give the alternative understanding in a footnote, but this is
generally not done—to the disadvantage of the reader.)
The first word (dosiV) refers to the
act of giving; the second word, (dorhma) refers to what is given. In other words,
James is saying that God is the source of both the desire to give a gift and the gift
itself. The NASB seems to miss this point when it renders "Every good thing bestowed
and every perfect gift is from above…." Again, remember that the first term
refers to the act of generosity, the second term to the result of generosity:
Every generous act of giving and every
perfect gift is from above..."
The above is the ISV rendering—and, we
believe, precisely what God intended to say through James. True, "It is more blessed
to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35), but both are equally from God! |
