Evening star., 1909-06-06
Tracing Tradition


"Where the English versions have de-
parted from the current Jewish interpre-
| tation such as is deposited in Rashi and
the great Jewish commentators of the
middle ages, we must be sure Of the ade-
quacy Of the grounds upon which the
deviation is made. For unless the new
Interpretation Is supported by weighty
argument we may simply find ourselves
exchanging guess for guess. Of
course Jewish tradition must be traced
to Its sources. Sometimes a more recent
tradition must be set aside in favor of
an older tradition Nor must we follow
the revised version to the detriment of the
older version, when upon examination we
find that the newer rendering is forced
and Is worse solution of difficult prob
lem than the Older attempt. Above all,
In q popular version like the one now be-
ing attempted, there is no room for novel
ties. Exceptional cases Notwithstanding,
| only that which has stood the test of
the ages may safely claim a place In a
version intended to serve more than the
purposes of the hour
with the authors of the King James
the margin alternate renderings, a va
riety of senses In the case OF rare
words 1t is probably best to give one
meaning only, for the very reason that
certainty Is unattainable. and If we were
to mention variant renderings we might
multiply them unduly. Again. where
passage admits of more than one render
ing. in the majority of cases it will be
best to give the most plausible and forego
the mention of the less commendable ones
altogether. But there are cases in which
1t is impossible to decide with any de-
gree of positiveness and the conscience
of the translator bids him leave the
choice to the reader. We Jews are wont
to find in Rashi or any other Jewish
commentary more than one meaning of
given word or passage. This means SO;
but some say 1t means so: but the latter
Interpretation Is far-fetched: the former
is the correct meaning Such expressions
meet US again and again in the Jewish
| commentaries. If our version is to be
rightly Jewish, II must mirror the mental
attitude of the great Jewish commen-
tators. who were not even abashed to con-
fess their Ignorance.
Difficulty of Translation.
Moreover. despite all the wealth of
the English language, it is not always
easy to find an adequate English render
ing which is free from ambiguity. Either
the translator would have to indulge in
lenthy paraphrases, or if he choose brew
ity, he will court misunderstanding.
Then. again. there are cases where the
received Hebrew text appears unintelli-
gible as compared with that which the
ancient versions presuppOse. While the
text of the new translation will in every
case reproduce with utmost fidelity the
so-called Masoretic text. there is no reason
why. in particularly difficult cases, d-
vergent reading, based upon one of the
ancient versions, should not be recorded.
1T needs hardly to be mentioned that in
Jewish translation there must not occur
such un-Jewish phrases as oracle for
the most holy place of the temple; or I
have made thee a god. or as a god, to
Pharoah.' or I see a god (the reference
Is to the ghost of SamueD coming up out
of the earth The American revisers
refer to our reverence for the ineffable
name of God as a superstition. We Jews
will certainly persist in saying 'Adonai,
the Lord
Such in the main will be the features
OF the new translation