I've been snooping around Jeff Benner's website,
ancient-hebrew.org, and I like his idea of mechanically translating the Bible, though I really disagree with much of his translations in Genesis. Jeff's idea is that each Hebrew pictogram carries a meaning to form a "functional" vocabulary rather than the "abstract" vocabulary that western cultures use. I think there is SOME merit to the idea, so I wanted to put it to the test.
I'm not saying these translations are true, just brainstorming.For lack of a better source, I'll be using Jeff's pictogram chart to loosely derive my definitions.
Here.Lets start with Good (
טוֹב):
ט- Tet means basket, therefore to surround, contain, or carry.
וֹ- Waw means nail or hook, and is used as a conjunctive in Hebrew grammar
ב- Bet usually means tent or house, and as a prefix usually means, within
Translation:
טוֹב- Full and within. Therefore something that is 'good' is full within, or
complete.
Now Evil (
רָע)
רָ- Resh means head, summit, peak, beginning.
ע- 'Ayin means eye, to watch, know, perceive.
Translation:
רָע- High perception, condescension,
arrogance.
Now Righteousness (
צֶ֫דֶק):
צֶ֫- Tsadi means to follow, hunt, chase.
דֶ- Dalet means door, entrance, enter.
ק- Quph means sun on the horizon, therefore time.
Translation:
צֶ֫דֶק- Follow/pursue the door/entrance throughout time.
To follow the path, run the race. To take it a step further, we could say that the
light of the sun on the horizon represents the light of truth. In that case, Righteousness would be the
pursuit of the truth.
Quote:
Rev 21:23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
What do you think? Is this doctrinally sound? Contradictory? Is there a better translation?