In english, the holy books of ALL religions are subject to translation problems.

[browsing deer]

The King James version, the authoritative bible for the largest group did not argue it was the end all, but it gave the best flavor. It went to the greek and aramaic texts, and in the old testament especially tried to keep the poetry rather than painful accuracy.

Keeping painful accuracy is horribly difficult. From the first word, which is in a conjugation impossible in english, they recognised they would have problems. And then it gets worse.

 

[The Great Goose]

Thinking about religion is like a dog chasing it's tail. I thoroughly advise against it.

 

[ABikerSailor]

If you truly want to understand the OT, you need to get a scholar to translate it directly from Hebrew to English, because in the KJV, there were quite a few mistakes in it.

One of them is in Genesis, because in the original Hebrew it doesn't say "in the beginning" but rather "in A beginning".

And, the commandment that is against killing isn't "thou shalt not kill" but rather "thou shalt not MURDER".

One of my favorite shows on GLC (God's Learning Channel) is a show called "Hidden in the Hebrew with Uri Harrel". Learned a lot from that show.

 

[browsing deer]

One of them is in Genesis, because in the original Hebrew it doesn't say "in the beginning" but rather "in A beginning"

It is worse than than that. It is a word that does not translate at all well. It is more like "while things were in the process of beginning."

 

[HaShev]

Also problematic is transliteration errors, and translating to definition when the word could be a name. Thus "Blotting out the Name" like the Bible warned would happen. Also opposite that, personas are created from mere words that are used as a name that should have been defined into it's meaning. Example: Medatron means mediator a title goven both Enoch and Michael as mediator between God and Man.
Yet people made Medatron a character instead of a title given.
I suggest reading all portions from the OT in Tanakh in English through Chabad's Tanakh search engine. And use Lexicons to define words which have different meaning and slang use then we do today. It will help but won't ever be perfect, best research confusing verses and weigh out all interps onlibe as maybe someone knows somethong others missed out on.
The Scrolls were very helpful in revealing many Bible era use of words and slang by exposing more context references and outright commentary. If one can read and learn the Dead Sea Scrolls, that's a huge difference when reading the Bible.
My Book "Keepers of the Unpopular Truth" had a Lexicon exposing these words found through scrolls and historical research.
Links are probably dead online but, if I remember I'll try to post just the Lexicon in the forum upon request.

Great topic of discussion by the way and great responses too.

 

[flacaltenn]

The King James version, the authoritative bible for the largest group did not argue it was the end all, but it gave the best flavor. It went to the greek and aramaic texts, and in the old testament especially tried to keep the poetry rather than painful accuracy.

Keeping painful accuracy is horribly difficult. From the first word, which is in a conjugation impossible in english, they recognised they would have problems. And then it gets worse.

This is why the major religions all have Secondary texts like the Jewish Talmud or the Islamic Sunna and Hadith.
All larger and more verbose than the original Holy texts. Reminds me of that Sunday morning TV preacher with the chalkboard tracing OldTestament verses back thru the languages.. THAT guy understood this problem.

 

[flacaltenn]

We can't even agree on simple transliterations like Osama or Usama or Chanukah or Hanuka. Actually spent 2 days arguing with an internet droid over "proper" English spellings of Hebrew words..

 

[browsing deer]

Hebrew has 3 letters that express sounds not made in english. The Ch from Chanukah is a sound I can't make, no matter how hard I try.
Russian has 4 of these sounds.

That said, we have noises that are impossible for Russian and Hebrew speakers, W, th and h is close but very different to the hebrew and Russian kh

All languages have these confusing sounds. Like the Japanese r/l sound that is neither and both and usually expressed as r, but isnt. Or the Korean b/p sound that is neither and both and was expressed p for a while, but is b nowdays.

 

[AVG-JOE]

What difference do the stories in the ancient story books make if The God defined in them is even remotely "As Advertised"?

If The God of Abraham, as defined in The Torah, The New Testament and The Qur'an, is anything like any of the translations of any of the ancient Arab tales about Him that have survived our history, I know that I'm what you call totally fucked.

Step one is to pick a God.

Step two is to see what God wants.

 

[Indeependent]

What difference do the stories in the ancient story books make if The God defined in them is even remotely "As Advertised"?

If The God of Abraham, as defined in The Torah, The New Testament and The Qur'an, is anything like any of the translations of any of the ancient Arab tales about Him that have survived our history, I know that I'm what you call totally fucked.

Step one is to pick a God.

Step two is to see what God wants.

So you actually read these verses in context or pick stuff up at parties and message boards?

 

[Indeependent]

One of them is in Genesis, because in the original Hebrew it doesn't say "in the beginning" but rather "in A beginning"

It is worse than than that. It is a word that does not translate at all well. It is more like "while things were in the process of beginning."

You could spend a lifetime on each and every passuk.
Word by word, phrase by phrase.
Why is the verse stated in such a manner?
For instance, why does the first verse say, when sort of interpreted correctly, "all of the Heavens and all of the Matter", rather than simply, "the universe".
Yep, lots of digging in God's Blueprint for creation.

 

[The Great Goose]

You'll all go crazy!

 

[AVG-JOE]

What difference do the stories in the ancient story books make if The God defined in them is even remotely "As Advertised"?

If The God of Abraham, as defined in The Torah, The New Testament and The Qur'an, is anything like any of the translations of any of the ancient Arab tales about Him that have survived our history, I know that I'm what you call totally fucked.

Step one is to pick a God.

Step two is to see what God wants.

So you actually read these verses in context or pick stuff up at parties and message boards?

I have a very good understanding of the stories that Judaism and Christianity coalesced around and a basic understanding of The Qur'an and it's pathway to The God of Abraham.

I believe that if God is, the ancient Arab tales starring the family of some nomad named Abraham, who happened to live at the dawn between prehistoric and historic, are NOT the last word on such a being.

 

[AVG-JOE]

I don't believe that the family of Abraham was or is 'special'.

That's the unforgivable sin that will send me straight to hell, ass-u-me-ing The God of Abraham as defined in those popular ancient story books is the real deal.

 

[browsing deer]

For instance, why does the first verse say, when sort of interpreted correctly, "all of the Heavens and all of the Matter", rather than simply, "the universe".

I would say because it sounds pretty that way. YMMV.

 

[Care4all]

You'll all go crazy!

yep! but at least we would be doing so, out of our own curiosity and choice to study it!

 

[Indeependent]

I don't believe that the family of Abraham was or is 'special'.

That's the unforgivable sin that will send me straight to hell, ass-u-me-ing The God of Abraham as defined in those popular ancient story books is the real deal.

Your experiencing God after your body ceases to function has nothing to do with Abraham, it has to do with whether or not you're a person who provides benefit to God's universe.
I presume you do.

 

[AVG-JOE]

You'll all go crazy!

yep! but at least we would be doing so, out of our own curiosity and choice to study it!

Choices!​

 

[AVG-JOE]

I don't believe that the family of Abraham was or is 'special'.

That's the unforgivable sin that will send me straight to hell, ass-u-me-ing The God of Abraham as defined in those popular ancient story books is the real deal.

Your experiencing God after your body ceases to function has nothing to do with Abraham, it has to do with whether or not you're a person who provides benefit to God's universe.
I presume you do.

The answer to your question depends on how you define 'God'.

As I said, I believe that The God of Abraham, who demands that we serve Him via Judaism, if you were born lucky, or, if your blood says 'gentile', pick a pathway laid out by Saul or by Mohammad, and, if you pick wrong, you're fucked in the forever here-after just because.

Any experience based in reality that I might have with that particular God would be surprising, at least to me.

 

[AVG-JOE]

Any experience that I might have at all would be imaginary.