Question

[Fundamentalist]

I hope posted a question yesterday on “The Majority Texts” and didn’t get any sort of response.

I am wondering, what languages were the original NT books written, and what translations would have been used with the close of the canon? Are we reading the accurate and complete translations in the RSV-CE? Is this the same as the KJV?

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

It is my understanding that the New Testament was written entirely in Greek. There would have been more than a few versions of the books, due to errors on the part of copyists, but they would have been in Greek at the time the canon was closed.

I believe that the Bible was first translated into Latin in the 5th century by St. Jerome.

As for teh accuracy of translations, I am not an authority

 

[Fundamentalist]

Thank you very much!

 

[Nita]

There is some evidence that St. Matthew wrote the his original text in Aramaic. The following is a quote from some fragments of Papias’ writings:
**VI ** …Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could.
newadvent.org/fathers/0125.htm

I believe the originals of Mark, Luke, and John were written in Greek.

 

[DRIVING_BEAR]

There is some evidence that St. Matthew wrote the his original text in Aramaic. The following is a quote from some fragments of Papias’ writings:**VI **…Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could.

newadvent.org/fathers/0125.htm
I
Matthew did write his book in Hebrew in fact hebrew copies of it are still around

google Shem Tov hebrew matthew

 

[Nita]

Matthew did write his book in Hebrew in fact hebrew copies of it are still around

google Shem Tov hebrew matthew

The current Hebrew texts are very probably translations made from the Greek copies. (None of the original gospel texts are still in existence.)

 

[LeroyCRHP]

To summarize: first written in combination of Aramaic and common Greek, quickly into Koine Greek and then in the 5th century Latin by Jerome? Hence why you hear scholars talk about what was said in Greek when there is a question about content in the Bible.

The Vulgate

As the centuries after the resurrection unfolded, the dominant language spoken in the Roman Empire began to change. No longer was Greek the dominant language. In 382, Pope Damascus therefore commissioned Jerome (c. 347-420) to translate the Bible into Latin, a task which took him twenty years to complete. This Bible came to be known as the versio vulgata (common translation) and became standard for the Western Church. In English, we call this Bible the Vulgate.

 

[SpiritMeadow]

It is my understanding that the earliest copies we have were all in Greek. We have never seen an original, so we don’t actually know. I think it likely they were written in Greek because it was the common language of the realm under Rome, but of course it is only an opinion.

 

[Nita]

To summarize: first written in combination of Aramaic and common Greek, quickly into Koine Greek and then in the 5th century Latin by Jerome? Hence why you hear scholars talk about **what was said in Greek **when there is a question about content in the Bible.

Interesting question Leroy.
One big plus for Greek manuscripts is that translation wasn’t involved in producing other manuscripts.(except possibily Matthew’s gospel). Translations always involve judgements on the part of the translators when it comes to choosing the word/s they consider best express the meaning of the passage. Thus, personal belief and opinion can enter into the vocabulary choice. It is sometimes helpful to refer back to the Greek wording.

 

[COPLAND_3]

I hope posted a question yesterday on “The Majority Texts” and didn’t get any sort of response.

I am wondering, what languages were the original NT books written, and what translations would have been used with the close of the canon? Are we reading the accurate and complete translations in the RSV-CE? Is this the same as the KJV?

I have a theory that most the NT authors wrote their accounts more than once, and even in more than one language, especially Greek and Aramaic. Here is my explantion litteralchristianlibrary.wetpaint.com/page/My+Theory+About+Variant+Readings

 

[mackbrislawn]

I hope posted a question yesterday on “The Majority Texts” and didn’t get any sort of response.

I am wondering, what languages were the original NT books written, and what translations would have been used with the close of the canon? Are we reading the accurate and complete translations in the RSV-CE? Is this the same as the KJV?

Coptic would be another language scripture would have been translated into very early.