The Hebrew Heritage Bible Translation

By: Carl Johnson

Since the mid 1980’s1 a growing number of New Testament translations have been
produced that translate the text with its Jewish/Hebraic background 2 or perspective
primarily in mind. That this is happening is indeed significant, as the realization is
starting to be understood by some scholars that both culture (Jewish) and the root
language (Hebrew and Aramaic) must play a major role in properly analyzing and
translating the text while reflecting the original intent of the author. But what is a
Jewish/Hebraic perspective? One translator states, “…the time has come to restore the
Jewishness of the New Testament. For the New Testament is in fact a Jewish book – by
Jews, mostly about Jews, and for Jews as well as Gentiles.”3 Some may ask why is this
perspective so important to have? One scholar sums it up by stating, “these authors, in
both the Old and New Testaments, find their primary orientation in the Semitic culture of
the East. God breathed his word into the minds of the biblical authors within a Jewish
cultural environment.” Consequently, as another writer notes, “to ignore Hebraic ways of
thinking is to subvert Christian understanding.” 4 So, the goal of these types of
translations appears to be clear, that the intent of the translator is to place the text back
into the soil from which it sprang, that being a Jewish one, in order to give the reader a
better understanding of its original meaning.

But what exactly constitutes a translation with a Jewish/Hebraic perspective? What kind
of characteristics does it have that distinguishes it from all others? After evaluating some
of these translations several unique features become quite apparent – though not all must
be present. Such as:

1) 1) transliterations – Names and place names are usually transliterated instead of

translated, such as; Yeshua for Jesus, Shaul for Paul, Yochanan for John, Yehuda for
Judea, Yerushalayim for Jerusalem and Bet Lechem for Bethlehem and so on. This
feature is usually pretty common in these translations where using the biblical
spelling is part of restoring its historical and cultural context. This is not to be
confused with Sacred Name translations, whose major goal is to use the correct
spelling and pronunciation for the sacred names of God and his Son.

2) 2) Cultural emphasize – the Jewish cultural is emphasized to strengthen the reader’s

awareness of it, such as: referring to the “hem” or “fringe” of Jesus robe as his
“tzitzit” which was commanded by the Torah for all Jewish men to ware on their
garments. In Acts 20:7, where Paul’s meeting with believers in Ephesus is “on the
first day of the week” was probably held not on Sunday evening but, reflecting the
Jewish way of reconking time on Saturday night.5 Also measurements and weights
are usually not translated into English terms but retain their original terminology and
then the English eqivalence are footnoted.
3) 3) idioms or common expressions – understanding idioms is especially important in
this type of translation and plays a critical role in accurately translating the text. But
what is an idiom? Webster’s dictionary states an idiom “is a form of expression of
speech having a meaning that is not readily understood from the meaning of its
component words.” Another words if you try to understand the words as they are
literally written you will find it very difficult to understand its meaning. For example,
if someone used the expression that “he hung up his shoes,” (which is a Spanish
idiom meaning “he died”) you would probably fail to properly understand it unless
you were from that culture. These types of expressions can only be determined and
understood by their cultural setting. Those who translate with a Hebraic perspective
insist it is impossible to correctly understand many passages found in the New
Testament if you fail to translate them from a Jewish/Hebraic perspective. One
example of this is found in Luke 6:22, the KJV literally reads “…cast out your name
as evil…” the NIV reads “…reject your name as evil….” Taken at face value one
could conclude that a person’s name is being called evil, though when read in context
of the surrounding verses this meaning is certainly not meant. One scholar explains
that through his research he has determined that this expression (cast out your name
as evil) is really a Hebrew idiom that has been preserved for us in Greek clothing. He
believes that the better way to translate this expression into English would be,
“malign you,” or rendered in colloquial English as “give you a bad name” or “smear
your name.”

With this in mind, The Hebrew Heritage Bible Translation, According to the Gospel of
Luke is one of the more recent works produced in the line of Jewish/Hebraic translations.
Starting with the gospel of Luke, Dr. Brad Young, professor of Judaic-Christian Studies
at Oral Roberts University, is planning on translating the entire New Testament from the
perspective of its Hebraic heritage. Dr. Young states that “at first I didn’t have any
intention of producing a new translation, but as I studied other translations I realized the
lack of awareness there was by translators to understand the Hebrew meanings of many
of the Greek words.” He continues that “present translations render the Greek text
without thought for the Hebraic perspective of early Christianity. For too long scholars
have only considered the Greek text without taking into consideration the Semitic origins
behind them.” Dr. Young stresses that “everyone needs a translation of the New
Testament which will make the message of Jesus clear and open up the world of his early
disciples.” He sums up his thoughts that, “the Hebrew Heritage Bible Translation will
emphasize the Hebraic meaning and Jewish cultural significance of the New Testament
text. Readers will gain a new vision of Jesus and his followers.”

In producing his translation, Dr. Young relied on the 27th edition of the Nestle-Aland’s
Greek New Testament with help from Codex Bezae (a fifth/sixth century manuscript)
which he believes tends to be more Semitic than most other manuscripts. Dr. Young
explains that “the textual analysis of the manuscript evidence will take into consideration
the Semitisms found in the Greek text of the New Testament. This translation will seek
dynamic equivalents in English of the Greek text which will communicate the Hebrew
meaning of the sayings of Jesus.”
Dr. Young has a background that is well qualified to carry out this type of translation
work with his extensive studies in early Christianity and ancient Judaism. After receiving
his B.A. in the United States, Dr. Young went on to complete his Ph.D. at Hebrew
University in Jerusalem, where he studied under the world renowned authority of Early
Christianity, Dr. David Flusser. His doctoral dissertation was titled Jesus and His Jewish
Parables.

Since returning to the states Dr. Young has been widely recognized as an authority on the
life and teachings of Jesus. Besides teaching at ORU, Dr. Young founded and serves as
President of the Gospel Research Foundation located in Tulsa, OK, which is dedicated to
the scholarly exploration and spiritual restoration of the Jewish roots of the Christian
faith. Other books Dr. Young has published are; The Jewish Background to the Lord’s
Prayer, Jesus the Jewish Theologian, Paul the Jewish Theologian, and The Parables.
Currently, Dr. Young is translating Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Following are passages taken from Dr. Young’s translation and his reasons for translating
them in the manner he did.

In Luke 4:3, Dr. Young translates this verse as “Since you are the Son of God,” rather
than the usual translation “If you are the Son of God.” Dr. Young explains this minor but
significant change in that the “Greek authorities agree that this is what is called a
‘condition of reality.’ The better translation conveys the idea that he is the Son of God.”

In Luke 4:5, Dr. Young departs from most modern translations and renders this passage,
“Then the (Devil brought him to a high mountain) and showed him all the kingdoms in a
moment of time.” The idea of Jesus being led up to a high mountain is omitted by most
modern translations. Dr. Young admits that “the words of the translation in parentheses
(Devil brought him to a high mountain) do not have strong textual support. Nevertheless
the context and Jewish background support their authenticity. They may have been
deleted by a scribal error when the copier’s eyes moved ahead a few words in the line.
The story reminds the listener of the experience of Moses upon Mount Nebo when he
was shown all the land of Israel in a moment of time.”

In Luke 6:24, the standard translation “But woe to you” is translated “Pay the strictest
attention for your own sake” because as Dr. Young states it “is much stronger in English
than the usual translation. The Greek words might even be translated ‘Damn you!’ which
show the urgency of the situation in English.” He adds that “one could also translate this
as, ‘Take heed for your own sake!’, ‘Watch out for yourself’, or ‘Change your behavior
now before you are punished by God for your actions!’”

In Luke 7:23, Dr. Young translates the passage as “Blessed is the one who does not
stumble over me!” He explains that the “Greek word skandalizo is literally translated
here ‘to stumble.’ It is much stronger than some of the recent translations which render it
as ‘to take offense.’ The force of the text means to stumble so as to fall. It means a
complete failure.”
In Luke 9:46, the text reads “An argument arose among them as to who should be
leader.” Dr. Young explains here “the word ‘leader’ is usually translated ‘greatest.’ The
word ‘greatest’ in Hebrew, rav, most probably referred to a position of leadership.”

In Luke 11:8, most translations render this verse “…yet because of his persistence…,”
(italics mine) but here Dr. Young uses the word “chutzpa.” He explains that this “is the
exact equivalent for the Greek word anadeia which sometimes is related to the word,
‘faith’ in the teachings of Jesus which in some contexts really means, ‘unrelenting
resolve,’ ‘bold determination,’ ‘raw nerve,’ or ‘strong willed tenacity.’”

In Luke 12:10, Dr. Young again departs from all other translations when he translates the
usual term “Son of man” for “another person.” In this passage he explains that “the
words, ‘another person’ represent the Semitism, ‘son of man’ which in this context is best
understood as a reference to every human being. In other contexts in the gospels, it is a
reference to the messianic title, ‘son of man,’ which developed in part from Daniel 7:13.”

In Luke 13:31, Dr. Young states that “this is the only place that I translated the Greek
word farasaioi as ‘Pharisees’ instead of ‘spiritual leaders.” The word ‘Pharisee’ in
English has come to mean ‘hypocrite.’ In the time of Jesus, the word was more positive
and referred to those who were spiritual leaders. One might even translate the word
Pharisees as, ‘spiritual giants,’ ‘spiritual elite’s,’ ‘pious ones,’ or ‘devout.’ In most
passages, I have translated farasaioi with the dynamic equivalent of ‘spiritual leader’
which more clearly represents the Pharisees from first century Israel. Here in this
passage, however, it is clear that some of the Pharisees are trying to save the life of Jesus
because he was in danger from Herod Antipas just like John the Immerser. English
speakers must change their perception of the religious teachings and spiritual legacy of
the Pharisees who were really very close to Jesus and his followers in their theology and
in their longing for faith renewal among the people.”

In Luke 15:18, the verse reads, “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him,
‘Father I have sinned against heaven [God], and before you…’ Dr. Young explains that
“here the word ‘heaven’ refers to God which might not be apparent to all English
readers.”

In Luke 16:18, Dr. Young is the only translator that I’m aware of to construe this passage
as, “Everyone who divorces his wife in order to marry another, commits adultery…”
“In this passage the words “divorce” and “adultery” are often misunderstood” says Dr.
Young. “Not infrequently Christians have thought that Jesus made divorce synonymous
with adultery. Nothing could be further from the truth…” Dr. Young adds that in this
verse “both verbs ‘divorce’ and ‘marry’ are in the present tense. In Hebrew the force of
the expression would have linked the two actions together in a continuous motion,
‘Everyone who divorces and marries another commits adultery.’” Dr. Young further
explains that, “the second part of the verse must be understood in a similar fashion. In
light of the Mishnah passage in Sotah, if a man marries a woman who obtained a divorce
merely for the sake of her second marriage, then it is considered adultery. Divorce is not
adultery. However, one can obtain a divorce for the sake of remarriage and thereby break
the sacred trust of marriage fidelity.” 6 (for a more detailed explanation see Dr. Young’s
book, Jesus, the Jewish Theologian).

In Luke 22:31, the KJV, NIV and NASB all render this passage as if Satan were
demanding to sift Simon as wheat. Dr. Young on the other hand translates it “…Satan has
demanded permission to sift through all of you like wheat.” He explains that “though
Jesus is speaking to Simon, the plural form in Greek for ‘you’ indicates that Satan wanted
to sift through all the disciples like wheat.”

In Luke 24:51, Dr. Young omits the phrase “and he ascended into heaven” because he
believes that “this seems to be a scribal addition to Luke’s text based upon the description
of the ascension in Acts 1:9.”

As one reads through this translation one will notice many places the author exchanges
one word for another in order to make the text reflect its Jewish nature such as:
“Messiah” for “Christ,” “Shabbat” for “Sabbath,” “Torah” for “law,” “shalom” for
“peace,” and “Pesach” for “Passover”. Other changes found in this work are “immerse”
for “baptize,” “emissaries” for “apostles,” and “spiritual leaders” for “Pharisees.” As
stated above, the reason for these changes have been to help reflect the original culture of
the text. With this being so it is rather surprising to see that Jewish terms are not also
used when referring to the name of the supreme being – LORD, God and the Holy Spirit.
But this may have been purposely omitted as not to confuse the reader with names they
are totally unfamiliar with.

All Bibles naturally fall somewhere along the “method of translation” spectrum. On one
end of the spectrum is found a word for word (or formal equivalence) translation.
Somewhere in the middle we have a thought for thought (also referred to as dynamic or
functional equivalence) translation, and to the opposite end of the spectrum we have a
paraphrase, or as some refer to it as a “free rendering or amplification of a passage, an
expression of its sense in other words.” 7 As a translation this one falls somewhere
between a word for word and a dynamic equivalence translation. Certainly, it’s not as
literal as the NASB or the KJV, but it’s also not quite as dynamic as the NIV. At times
the language flows freely and distinctively while at other times it appears stiff and
archaic, but overall this translation is highly readable. One great feature of this translation
is the helpful notes found at the bottom of most pages explaining the reason for rendering
a particular passage in the manner he did. Another feature adopted by this translation is
its use of gender-inclusive language, which is becoming a popular feature of recent
translations.

I’m sure for some in the church and academic world today there will be passages that
cause controversy and disagreement. But one thing is for sure, Dr. Young will challenge
many to take a new and serious look at the approach and method of translating the text
from its original perspective. Though this New Testament translation is many years from
being completed, Dr. Young will certainly give all its readers a fresh new way in which
to engage and understand the scriptures like those who first heard its message so long
ago.

Footnotes

1 – The recent start of these translations really began with Hugh Schonfield’s, The
Original New Testament (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985) which is a revision of his
earlier translation, The Authentic New Testament in 1955.

2 – A total of eight so far, the current list of Jewish/Hebraic N.T. translations is: (1)1955,
The Authentic New Testament by Hugh Schonfield; (2)1985, The Original New
Testament by Hugh Schonfield, a later revision of his earlier work; (3)1989, The Jewish
New Testament by David Stern; (4)1989, God’s New Covenant by Heinz Cassier;
(5)1996, The Power New Testament by William Morford; (6)2001, Hebraic Roots
Version “New Testament” by James Trimm; (7)2001, The Hebrew Heritage Bible
Translation According to the Gospel of Luke by Brad Young. (8) 2003, The Hebrew
Names Version of the World English Bible by Michael Paul Johnson. This list could also
include The Orthodox Jewish Brit Chadasha by Phillip Goble translated in 1997, but this
work can hardly be considered an English language translation (its more of a hybrid
translation) due to the fact its language is so peppered with Hebrew words and phrases.

3 – David Stern, The Jewish New Testament (Clarksville: Jewish New Testament
Publications, Inc., 1989) p.ix.

4 – John Dillenberger, “Revelational Discernment and the Problem of the Two

Testaments,” in The Old Testament and Christian Faith, ed. Bernhard W. Anderson
(repr. New York: Herder and Herder, 1969), p.160.

5 – David Stern, The Jewish New Testament (Clarksville: Jewish New Testament
Publications, Inc., 1989) p.xix.

6 – Brad Young, Jesus, The Jewish Theologian (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.,
1995) pgs.113-117.

7 – Ed. Della Thompson, Oxford Dictionary of Current English (Oxford and New York:
Oxford University Press, 1993) 2nd edition.