Robert+ Munday is examining the
2011 New International Version translation of the Bible. And already he has noticed an enormity
that disqualifies the whole enterprise in my mind. (And I should note now that he deals with this more
gently than I will.)
Here is Psalm 8: 4-6 in the 1984
NIV:
4 what is man that you are
mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for
him?
5 You made him a little lower
than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and
honor.
6 You made him ruler over the
works of your hands;
you put everything under his
feet
I’ve never been a fan of the
NIV. But I have no objections
there. That is a fair and accurate rendering. But now look at what that passage has become in the 2011 NIV:
4 what is mankind that you are
mindful of them,
human beings that you care for
them?
5 You have made them a little
lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and
honor.
6 You made them rulers over the
works of your hands;
you put everything under their
feet
As Munday points out (Again,
more politely than I.), the 2011 rubs out an important Messianic term, “the son
of man,” replacing it with the vomitous “human beings” to appease the gods of
gender neutrality or inclusiveness or whatever that clap trap is called.
“Son of man” is an important
Messianic title in both Old and New Testaments, used frequently by Jesus no
less. And this passage in
particular is quoted as referring to the Messiah in Hebrews 2:5-9. There is no excuse for rubbing this important
title out of Psalm 8. None.
It’s not for nothing that
Missouri Synod Lutherans are joining Southern Baptists in recommending the NIV
2011 not be used.
This reminds me of my Oxford encounter with the New Revised Standard Version, in which the very same
Messianic title “Son of man” is rubbed out in Daniel 7:13 in favor of – you guessed
it – “human being.”
I am generally not in favor of
burning Bibles. But I might make
exceptions for the 2011 NIV and for the NRSV.
1 comment:
Good post, Wannabe Anglican. Like you, I cannot reconcile myself with burning a Bible--even such a poorly translated one as the 2011 NIV or the NRSV (which I may tackle next on my blog if I have the time). But it will certainly be a cold day in the infernal regions before I use such a translation.
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