And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible's Original Meaning [Hardcover]

Joel M. Hoffman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 2, 2010

For centuries, translations of the Bible have obscured our understanding and appreciation of the original text. Now And God Said provides readers with an authoritative account of significant mistranslations and shows how new translation methods can give readers their first glimpse into what the Bible really means.

And God Said uncovers the often inaccurate or misleading English translations of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament that quotes from it. Sometimes the familiar English is just misleading. Other times the mistakes are more substantial. But the errors are widespread. This book tackles such issues as what’s wrong with the Ten Commandments (starting with the word “commandments”), the correct description of the “virgin” birth, and the surprisingly modern message in the Song of Solomon, as well as many other unexpected but thought-provoking revelations.

Acclaimed translator Dr. Joel M. Hoffman sheds light on the original intention of the text and the newly developed means that readers can use to get closer to it. In And God Said his fresh approach has united the topics of religion, language, and linguistics to offer the first modern understanding since the Bible was written.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Author Hoffman, a linguist and a translator, uses his knowledge and his skills to correct some of the common errors in translating the language of the Bible from Hebrew into English. His initial three chapters are devoted to explaining linguistics and translation theory, skillfully clarifying complex concepts. The remaining five chapters ably apply these ideas to biblical phrases that, according to Hoffman, require rewording. He begins with the important commandment, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. He convincingly claims that the Hebrew words for heart and soul have been severely mistranslated and should be rendered as mind and body. Similarly, Hoffman effectively demonstrates errors in rendering shepherd, my sister, my bride, two of the Ten Commandments, and virgin. Attentive readers will find this book to be valuable for properly understanding the Bible. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

PRAISE FOR AND GOD SAID

"Deeply welcome as a valuable tool for teaching . . . well-worth acquiring."--Jewish Book World

"A sensitive . . . discussion of the structure of languages in general and of Biblical Hebrew in particular."

--The Jerusalm Post

"A lively tour of the difficulties besetting the Bible's translators, their successes and (more frequent) failures."--Jewish Ideas Daily

“A wise and important book, and a lot of fun to read.”

--Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

“Hoffman is wise and gentle as he exhibits the issue of distortion by way of translation. Short of all readers learning Hebrew, Hoffman’s work is the best gift for a careful reader of a text that defies easy contemporary rendering.”

--Walter Brueggemann, author of The Prophetic Imagination

"[Hoffman] unites Biblical scholarship and translation theory, embracing modern science and modern linguistics, to help us understand what the Prophets and our forebears were doing and how they wrote.  He retrieves what the Bible really was and what it can be for us now."

 

--The Very Reverend James A. Kowalski, The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine

 

 

PRAISE FOR IN THE BEGINNING

 

"Hoffman has a flair for explaining how languages work."

 

--The Times Literary Supplement (London)

 

"Written in an energetic style with a commitment to exploring the evolution of Hebrew from ancient times to the present in ways that a broad audience can comprehend."

 

--Religious Studies Review

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1 edition (February 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312565585
• ISBN-13: 978-0312565589
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Joel M. Hoffman, an expert in translation, Hebrew, and the Bible, is known for his "fresh insights and interpretations about religious life in the 21st century." A popular speaker, Dr. Hoffman presents to churches, synagogues, community groups, and university audiences across the world. He holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and has served on the faculties of Brandeis University and Hebrew Union College.

Dr. Hoffman is the chief translator for the popular 10-volume series, My People's Prayer Book (winner of the National Jewish Book Award) and for My People's Passover Haggadah. He is the author of the critically acclaimed In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language (NYU Press), and, most recently, And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible's Original Meaning (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press), which explores how translation mistakes mask the original meaning of the Bible.

Dr. Hoffman lives in Westchester, NY.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Understanding Biblical Hebrew February 28, 2010

By David Joslin

Format:Hardcover

Joel Hoffman's book, And G-d Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible's Original Meaning, is just invaluable for in-depth study of the Bible, especially in the original language. I had thought the book was going to be some sort of analysis and criticism of the standard translations out there--he does that, mostly in the appendix, but that's not what the book is about. It is really about how to understand Biblical Hebrew. Using linguistics (in a remarkably clear and non-intimidating way), Hoffman describes the different kinds of information conveyed by a Biblical text, and then works out the methodology by which one can best understand the text. No big secret: he argues that context, the comparison of the text with other examples of the same word or phrase, is the only sure way to make sense of a doubtful passage. In the second half of the book, he uses his approach to go after some of the biggest mistranslations in the Bible: "lev" and "nefesh" from the Shema (KJV's "heart" and "soul"), "ratzach" and "chamad" from the Aseres ha'Dibros (NIV's "murder" and "covet" in the "Ten Commandments"), "achotah, kalah" from the Song of Songs (NIV's "my sister, my bride"), "alma" from Isaiah (NIV's "virgin"), among others. In other words you get some really outstanding Torah study, that can really raise your understanding of the Bible.

Just as outstanding book. Really, a necessary book. I haven't been so impressed by a book since first reading James Kugel.

You all have to read it.

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Reverent and Revealing August 22, 2010

By Gary Simmons

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dr. Joel Hoffman, a Jewish professor of linguistics, walks the reader through the world of translation. He brings examples from English and several other modern languages to show just how difficult translation can be at times. If it's difficult to translate from one modern language to another, just try from an ancient (and dead) language to a living one!

His examples are clear, free of unnecessary jargon, and drawn from the Hebrew Scriptures. As a Christian, I wish he had looked a little more at the New Testament (with which he is also quite familiar), but I cannot fault him. He did very well in this book. The one complaint I have about this book is the title. It really looks on the outside as if it were one of those fringe Bible code type books. But I promise you, it's not.

Neither is this book an assault on the Christian (or Jewish) faith in any sense. The author seeks to refine our understanding so that we may be further enriched in reading Scripture. I consider this a must-read for believer and unbeliever alike. In fact, Dr. Hoffman includes concise explanations for his biblical examples so that those not familiar with the Bible can still follow his thoughts.

Overall, the book gives the impression that Bible translators throughout the centuries have done a decent job, perhaps a C+ to a B-, but could do better in some respects. And on certain issues, there is no complete translation and the only remedy is explanation/commentary. The Bible says that God will preserve his word, but folks, that doesn't mean that God's promising to give perfect translations. The Bible (NT) says that the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, but that doesn't mean that you as a solo rebel Christian are infallible in your interpretation. I'd just like for everyone to keep that in mind: no translation will ever remove the need for instruction in order for readers to understand.

OK, enough of that tangent. The best thing about this book is that it concisely shows why word-for-word doesn't work, or at least is not the be-all and end-all of translation styles.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lively and Fascinating Read March 10, 2010

By David Frank

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is one of those eye-opening books that is thoughtful, provocative, learned, and a whole lot of fun to read. Along the way you gain startling insights into the issues and difficulties of translating not only the words from one language to another, but also connotations, cultural realities. And these insights come to you in an examination of some of the best known and deeply felt prose in English or any language - the Bible. The author, Joel Hoffman is such a natural teacher and guide through what might have been an arcane or dry academic dissertation. But Hoffman turns it into an exciting conversation and a fascinating search for just the right turn of a phrase that can unlock the ancient meaning of the Biblical stories. I highly recommend it. Its like a college course in linguistics taught by a major-league raconteur.