Prologue: Multiple Bibles and Multiple Translations

Flashcards covering key terms related to Bibles, translations, and textual criticism.

Canon

A collection of books recognized as divinely inspired scripture by a religious community.

TaNaK

The acronym for the Hebrew Bible, consisting of Torah (Law), Neviim (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).

Textual Criticism

The scholarly study that aims to determine the best text of biblical manuscripts based on comparing different versions.

Apocrypha

Books that are excluded from the canonical scriptures by certain religious groups.

Deutero-canonical Books

Books accepted as canonical by some traditions, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church, but not by Protestant traditions.

Dynamic Equivalence Translation

A translation approach aiming for equivalent meaning in contemporary language rather than a word-for-word approach.

Formal Correspondence Translation

A translation philosophy that stays as close as possible to the exact words and structure of the original language.

Hebrew Bible

A term often used to refer to the canonical scriptures of Judaism, avoiding the implications of the term 'Old Testament'.

King James Version

A significant English translation of the Bible completed in 1611, noted for its historic influence but not considered up-to-date.

Septuagint (LXX)

An ancient Greek translation of Hebrew scriptures, important for biblical studies.

Masoretic Text (MT)

The authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible, compiled by Jewish scholars in the Middle Ages.

Koran

The central text of Islam, believed to be the word of God as revealed to the prophet Muhammad.

Supersessionism

The theological view that the Christian Church has replaced Israel in God's plan.

Textual Witness

A manuscript or version of a biblical text used in the study of textual criticism.

Conjectural Emendation

A method in textual criticism suggesting a reading not preserved in any manuscripts to correct a textual error.

Pentateuch

The first five books of the Bible, also referred to as the Torah.

Isaiah 52:13-15

A biblical passage often examined in discussions of translation differences among various bible editions.

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

A dynamic equivalence translation designed to be easily understandable for modern readers.

New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)

A Roman Catholic translation of the Bible known for its literary style and dynamic equivalence approach.