Tuesday, September 04, 2007

“Because Does Them the Man”

This Sunday’s Old Testament reading brought forth a rather odd variance between our translations and the Hebrew text. I found it extremely odd that not even the Septuagint translated the definite article that Moses records. It is amazing what a difference a definite article can make in the understanding that one carries from a sentence or phrase. In this case, it makes the difference between distinguishing Law and Gospel, between self-reliance and reliance upon Christ.

The text is Leviticus 18:1-5 from the appointed reading for the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity. If you would like to examine the difference that I have indicated, this link will enable you to read or hear the sermon and the distinction made by inclusion of the definite article that Moses included.

It really is a wonderful text that is full of God’s grace, at least when it is translated the way that the Holy Spirit led Moses to write it.

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