Foreign phrases

[lablover]

I’ve been thinking about the few spots in the Gospels where something is written in Hebrew or Aramaic, followed by the translation–like when Mary Magdalene calls Jesus “Raboni” and it’s followed by the explanation that it means Teacher. They do that with Jesus’ last words on the cross, when he raises the little girl to life, and when he tells the blind (or deaf) man’s eyes (or ears) to be opened. Why? My husband and I have theorized that the words used can’t be adequately translated so the original word is put in for anyone who might be able to speak the language. This doesn’t happen in the epistles or in the Old Testament (that I can remember, but I’m no Scripture scholar.) Anyway, does anyone know why the “foreign” phrases are kept in?

 

[Pug]

The original writers of the gospels themselves are the ones doing it, not the English translators. The English translators are just putting it into English.

I don’t really know how to explain it better. It is like St. John wanted to keep the original expression of Rabbouni so the Greek folks hearing it could hear it, but then he told them what it meant. So the Greek of the gospel of John has the Aramaic transliterated into Greek, with an in Greek explanation of the term.

 

[lablover]

But I wonder WHY they did that? Maybe it’s a silly question–much ado about nothing–but since my husband and I really noticed those phrases, we’ve been trying to figure out the purpose of keeping them in the original language. Maybe there really isn’t a profound answer. Maybe it’s just 'cuz.

 

[Pug]

I don’t have a good answer. It might be helpful if we had a list of all the words that apply. Hmm. Alleluia, Amen, Abba, Messiah, Cephas, Rabouni, Boangeres (applied to the Sons of Thunder), these are what come to mind with a quick think, but there are more. These are names and worship terms, so it makes sense they tend to endure in the original language.

Um, I’m not sure, but gehenna is a term translated as hell in English, but it is a Hebrew place name or some such. It is possibly a candidate. Oh, also Raca or Raqa (for being a fool). That is probably an Aramaic thing. I suppose words like Pharisee could have a history, too.

Perhaps if the apostles themselves tended to use the term, or if St. Paul had tended to keep the term, then it got kept. Paul seems to lean toward saying Cephas, not Peter, for example. Perhpas some of it just keeps connection to where the Church came from (Jewish), or it keeps connection to how the original witness tended to relate the story to listeners. It is an interesting question.

 

[TOME]

Some hold as a rule of thumb that if an Aramaic term was keep it is reasonable to hold that these were words actually used by Christ. Abba, for example, was/is a Aramaic term which is difficult to translate but it describes the loving relationship between a Father and his child but more in the sense of a grown offsprings relationship with a sense of a mature and reverential relationship and not so much as the popular “Daddy”. One of my favorites is when Jesus raised the young girl calling to her “Little girl get up”. I had a professor who taught that the “Teliliah Cum” (please forgive the spelling) actually was better translated as “Little Lamb” it was a common term of love used by mothers for their little one (one can imagine Our Blessed Mother using that term often). I would think that because of the situation and the love expressed by Our Lord, that must have really imprinted on the mind of His Apostles. And of coarse there is Our Lord calling out from the croos the opening of Psalm 22. So to finish up, if we find these Aramaic words not translated but kept in their original form it is most likely because of the great impression they made on His the Apostles and the rest of followers who felt it necessary to keep as is.

 

[Pug]

I think a healing would make quite an impression on the observer, so your mention of the little girl incident reminds me of another healing where Aramaic comes through, so I list it here for the thread:

NRS Mark 7:34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

 

[lablover]

You guys came up with some interesting observations. My husband and I thought that perhaps the words or phrases were ones that can’t be adequately translated, and so the originals were used for the benefit of those who might speak the language. But I like the other ideas I just read, too. Thanks!