The Pattern of Salvation: An End to Quiet Desperation: a Comment on Victor Alexander's Translation of Isaiah: Affliction is to get you to cry out.
I thank Victor Alexander (v-a.com) again for his translation of Isaiah from the Ancient Aramaic. I cannot believe how badly I have misunderstood Isaiah, and how wonderful the poem really is. As Alexander points out in his Translator's Note, the whole book of Isaiah is one big poem. I had thought it a collection of individual prophesies regarding ancient nations.
What really restructured the book for me was Alexander's note on Chapter three: "The verses of the Book of Isaiah seesaw between praise and admonition for the nation. The content is polemical. Like a two-edged sword it cuts this way and that. In the Western literary tradition this poetic structure was misunderstood by the translators. They turned the meaning of the verses in each stanza one way or the other, not realizing the ebb and flow of the poetry. The Western translators harmonized the two facets of the meaning. They interpreted the two as either praise or admonition, when it's both." Ebb and flow of the poetry . . . cutting this way and that. OMG--I've been misreading the book and misunderstanding its meaning for forty years! Indeed, Isaiah's illustrations evoke emotions and swing from one sense to another, paring between indignation and affection, depravity and hope. He is talking about attitudes and the role they play in "the Salvation of Jehovah," which is the meaning of the name 'Isaiah.'
Alexander's translation from the Aramaic is not an easy read. Isaiah wrote thousands of years ago, and the point of some of his illustrations seem unclear to us. I trust it to be a faithful translation, though, Alexander being just as unclear as anyone else as to the meaning of what was said, but, "This is what it says." I will take that, with gratitude, and eke out what understanding I can. Our understanding is God's problem, anyway, and Alexander is part of the fix for that (thank you, Vic).
Two other notes, if I may:
1) Alexander uses the ancient Aramaic word for 'Lord,' Maryeh, throughout the book. I did not like it until I understood its significance: it welds together the ideas of Messiah, the Creator, Eashoa (Jesus), and Father all into one. THE One--Allaha; i.e., God.
2) In my opinion, what Isaiah said refers not to any future except the here and now. The emotions, senses and attitudes indicated by his illustrations are within us, and inasmuch as the ancient Hebrew had no future tense (Young, Literal Translation of the Bible*), I mentally convert the future tenses of modern translations, including Alexander's, into present and infinitive tenses to bring what is being spoken into the present and real. The "future" is ours--right here and right now.
*Pirated from a comment on Young’s translator's notes: “They would use the past tense to show that future things will definitely come to pass, thus assuring that God's promises are a sure thing . . . it's as good as done.” I disagree with Young; they used the past tense because the matter had been concluded in judgment. It's that Christian thing: "Every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart" (Young's Literal). "Did already commit." Enough said.
What really restructured the book for me was Alexander's note on Chapter three: "The verses of the Book of Isaiah seesaw between praise and admonition for the nation. The content is polemical. Like a two-edged sword it cuts this way and that. In the Western literary tradition this poetic structure was misunderstood by the translators. They turned the meaning of the verses in each stanza one way or the other, not realizing the ebb and flow of the poetry. The Western translators harmonized the two facets of the meaning. They interpreted the two as either praise or admonition, when it's both." Ebb and flow of the poetry . . . cutting this way and that. OMG--I've been misreading the book and misunderstanding its meaning for forty years! Indeed, Isaiah's illustrations evoke emotions and swing from one sense to another, paring between indignation and affection, depravity and hope. He is talking about attitudes and the role they play in "the Salvation of Jehovah," which is the meaning of the name 'Isaiah.'
Alexander's translation from the Aramaic is not an easy read. Isaiah wrote thousands of years ago, and the point of some of his illustrations seem unclear to us. I trust it to be a faithful translation, though, Alexander being just as unclear as anyone else as to the meaning of what was said, but, "This is what it says." I will take that, with gratitude, and eke out what understanding I can. Our understanding is God's problem, anyway, and Alexander is part of the fix for that (thank you, Vic).
Two other notes, if I may:
1) Alexander uses the ancient Aramaic word for 'Lord,' Maryeh, throughout the book. I did not like it until I understood its significance: it welds together the ideas of Messiah, the Creator, Eashoa (Jesus), and Father all into one. THE One--Allaha; i.e., God.
2) In my opinion, what Isaiah said refers not to any future except the here and now. The emotions, senses and attitudes indicated by his illustrations are within us, and inasmuch as the ancient Hebrew had no future tense (Young, Literal Translation of the Bible*), I mentally convert the future tenses of modern translations, including Alexander's, into present and infinitive tenses to bring what is being spoken into the present and real. The "future" is ours--right here and right now.
*Pirated from a comment on Young’s translator's notes: “They would use the past tense to show that future things will definitely come to pass, thus assuring that God's promises are a sure thing . . . it's as good as done.” I disagree with Young; they used the past tense because the matter had been concluded in judgment. It's that Christian thing: "Every one who is looking on a woman to desire her, did already commit adultery with her in his heart" (Young's Literal). "Did already commit." Enough said.
posted by Daniel C. Branham-Steele at
2:16 PM
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