Thursday, November 03, 2011

Analyzing Six Bible Translations: Part 31-Galatians 3:28

Galatians 3:28
ESV There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
NIV84 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
NIV There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
HCSB There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
NASB There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
NET There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female– for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Check a:  “male and female” versus “male nor female”
                The Greek of Gal. 3:28 clearly has the coordinating conjunction kai and is best translated “and.” I have yet to find any lexical entry containing an example where kai, a very flexible conjunction, is translated “nor.” The reason this is important is that Paul appears to be alluding to the creation account with “male and female,” and this allusion is lost when translated “male nor female.”

Part 2 running totals:

ESV
NIV84
NIV
HCSB
NASB
NET
Josh 15:18
1
1
1
1
-1
1
2 Sam 20:20
1
1
1
1
1
-1
Isa 6:5
1
1
1
1
1
-1
Isa 7:14
1
1
-1
1
1
-1
Ezek 21:7
1
1
1
1
1
-1
Mal 2:16
1
-1
1
1
-1
0
Telling Time
0
1
1
1
0
1
Negative Particles
0
1
1
1
1
1
Textual Variants
1
1
0
-1
0
1
Matt 6:13
-1
1
1
1
-1
1
“the Jews” in FG
-1
0
1
0
-1
1
“signs” in FG
1
-1
1
1
1
-1
Gender issues
0
-1
1
1
-1
1
Matt 13:32
1
-1
1
1
-1
1
John 1:5
1
-1
1
1
-1
1
John 3:3
0
0
0
0
0
1
John 3:16a
0
0
0
1
0
1
John 3:16b
-1
1
1
1
-1
1
John 3:16c
0
-1
1
0
-1
1
Romans 3:22
1
1
1
1
1
-1
Romans 16:7
1
-1
-1
1
-1
1
2 Cor 11:25
0
0
1
1
0
1
Gal 3:28
1
-1
1
-1
-1
-1
TOTALS
10
3
16
16
-4
8


4 comments:

Chad Whitley said...

Dr. Croteau,

This series was very informative; thanks for all your hard work!

I looked up Galatians 3:28 in two copies of the NIV 2011, and in both, I find this reading:

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Is it possible that you accidentally got the NIV 84 readings and the NIV 2011 readings confused?

David A. Croteau said...

Chad,
You are totally correct. I will fix that now. Thanks!

Sandy Grant said...

A fascinating observation that had not occurred to me before!

David A. Croteau said...

Thanks. A former student pointed it out a few years ago.

Dave