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17. And this circumstance would assist rather than hinder the
understanding of Scripture, if only readers were not careless. For
the examination of a number of texts has often thrown light upon some of
the more obscure passages; for example, in that passage of the prophet
Isaiah, one translator reads: "And do not despise the domestics of
thy seed;" another reads: "And do not despise thine own flesh."
Each of these in turn confirms the other. For the one is explained by
the other; because "flesh" may be taken in its literal sense, so
that a man may understand that he is admonished not to despise his own
body; and "the domestics of thy seed" may be understood figuratively
of Christians, because they are spiritually born of the same seed as
ourselves, namely, the Word. When now the meaning of the two
translators is compared, a more likely sense of the words suggests
itself, viz., that the command is not to despise our kinsmen,
because when one brings the expression "domestics of thy seed" into
relation with "flesh," kinsmen most naturally occur to one's mind.
Whence, I think, that expression of the apostle, when he says,
"If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh,
and might save some of them;" that is, that through emulation of
those who had believed, some of them might believe too. And he calls
the Jews his "flesh," on account of the relationship of blood.
Again, that passage from the same prophet Isaiah: "If ye will not
believe, ye shall not understand," another has translated: "If ye
will not believe, ye shall not abide." Now which of these is the
literal translation cannot be ascertained without reference to the text
in the original tongue. And yet to those who read with knowledge, a
great truth is to be found in each. For it is difficult for
interpreters to differ so widely as not to touch at some point.
Accordingly here, as understanding consists in sight, and is
abiding, but faith feeds us as babes, upon milk, in the cradles of
temporal things (for now we walk by faith, not by sight); as,
moreover, unless we walk by faith, we shall not attain to sight,
which does not pass away, but abides, our understanding being purified
by holding to the truth; for these reasons one says," If ye will not
believe, ye shall not understand;" but the other, "If ye will not
believe, ye shall not abide."
18. And very often a translator, to whom the meaning is not well
known, is deceived by an ambiguity in the original language, and puts
upon the passage a construction that is wholly alien to the sense of the
writer. As for example, some texts read: "Their feet are sharp to
shed blood;" for the word ozus among the Greeks means both sharp and
swift. And so he saw the true meaning who translated: "Their feet
are swift to shed blood." The other, taking the wrong sense of an
ambiguous word, fell into error. Now translations such as this are
not obscure, but false; and there is a wide difference between the two
things. For we must learn not to interpret, but to correct texts of
this sort. For the same reason it is, that because the Greek word
hoskos means a calf, some have not understood that moskeumata are
shoots of trees, and have translated the word "calves;" and this
error has crept into so many texts, that you can hardly find it written
in any other way. And yet the meaning is very clear; for it is made
evident by the words that follow. For "the plantings of an adulterer
will not take deep root," is a more suitable form of expression than
the" calves;" because these walk upon the ground with their feet,
and are not fixed in the earth by roots. In this passage, indeed,
the rest of the context also justifies this translation.
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