#I LOVE HER SO MUCH HEHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE&÷<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<33<3<<3<3<33<<33<3<3<<3<33÷333<3<3<3<3 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

wordpress-blaze-239730566 · 4 days ago

Text

Julia Smith: First Woman to Translate the Bible

LISTEN NOW (7 Minutes):

Listen (above) to this episode read by Francis Douglas.

Born in 1792, Julia Evelina Smith Parker was the first woman to translate a Bible. She translated it from Hebrew and Greek into English.

For her translation of the Old and New Testaments, Julia Smith would take a single Hebrew or Greek word. She would then replace it with the equivalent English word. This was done word by word.

A literal word-for-word translation does not usually work out very well. This is true overall, regardless of what is being translated, biblical or otherwise.

So this resulting translation did lead to criticism of her work, and perhaps unfairly.

Looking at the history of Bible translations, one can easily find several other instances of this occurring.

Were they Criticized? Yes.

To the same degree? No.

As an example, in the 1300's, we can look at John Wycliffe's first translation of the Bible into Middle English.

Wycliffe's translation was also a literal word-for-word translation. Unlike Smith, however, who used the Hebrew and Greek, Wycliffe used Jerome's Latin Vulgate as his source.

Therefore, since his translation was based on the Latin Vulgate, it was, and is, a translation of a translation.

The preface to the King James Version explains that the translators did not translate the same word, in the same manuscripts, the same way, in all instances.

Rather, they attempted to capture the sense of the original word in each case.

Maintaining the form and structure of the original documents, Julia Smith produced what is known as a literal word-for-word translation.

In other words, she strictly maintained the exact order of the words when translating from Hebrew to English. She also did the same from Greek to English.

Some found the result of this work confusing, to say the least. However, for those reading in English, it gives us the opportunity, first-hand, to read as close to the original manuscripts as possible.

The structure may not make sense to us many times. However, if we take the time to meditate upon the words themselves, the meaning is there.

So, moving forward, let's start off with an excerpt from her preface. Written by Julia Smith.

As follows:

Over twenty years ago, when I had four sisters, a friend met with us weekly to search the Scriptures, we being desirous to learn the exact meaning of every Greek and Hebrew word from which the King James' forty-seven translators had taken their version of the Bible. We saw by the margin that the text had not been given literally, and it was the literal meaning that we were seeking.

I had studied Latin and Greek at school, and began by translating the Greek New Testament and then the Septuagint, from which our Savior quoted one or two texts which are not in the Hebrew Bible, and there is now said to be no Hebrew Bible extant so old as the Septuagint.

We all had a strong desire to learn the signification of the proper names, and I wrote to a learned friend about it, and he advised me to study Hebrew, saying, "it was a simple language and easily learned, there being but one book in the world of pure Hebrew, which was the Bible."

He added that, "then I could see with my own eyes and not look through the glasses of my neighbors."

I soon gave my attention to the Hebrew, and studied it thoroughly, and wrote it out word for word, giving no ideas of my own, but endeavoring to put the same English word for the same Hebrew or Greek word everywhere, while King James's translators have wholly differed from this rule, but it appeared to give us a much clearer understanding of the text.

So there we have an excerpt from the Smith Bible preface written by Julia Smith. Now I will read the 23rd Psalm from the Smith Bible.

Keep in mind this is a literal word for word translation: just as the order of the words appeared in the Hebrew texts.

As follows:

Chanting of David, Jehovah my shepherd, and I shall not want. He will cause me to lie down in pastures of tender grass. He will lead me to the water of rest. He will turn back my soul. He will guide me into the tracks of justice for sake of his name. Also if I shall go into the valley of the shadow of death, I shall not be afraid of evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff they will comfort me. Thou wilt set in order a table before me in front of mine enemies. Thou madest fat mine head with oil. My cup being satisfied with drink. Surely goodness and mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life. And I dwelt in the house of Jehovah to the length of days.

Julia Smith passed away in the year 1886.

If you are listening to this as a podcast, and would like to view the photos, please go to celebratethebible250.com. Just type “Smith Bible’ into the search box. The page that has the photos will be returned to you as a link.

So, until we meet again, and for “Celebrate the Bible 250” this is Francis Douglas. If you’re interested in learning more about the History of the Christian Holy Bible in America, please like, share, and subscribe: