Exegeting and translating Jas 4,5b

Abstract

The concluding piece of counselling with which I-Jin Loh and Howard A. Hatton bring their discussion of lames 4, 5 to a close betrays a feeling of desperation: "Faced with the possibility of multiple translations, and none of them is clearly more appropriate and convincing than others, it is suggested that the translator follow one of the interpretations, perhaps that reflected in RSV or TEV, and give one or two other translations as alternative rendering(s) in a footnote." These are words of wisdom which not all versions of the Bible promoted by the United Bible Societies agencies have taken to heart. One may note that some Bible editions published by such Bible Societies before 1997 Good News Bible (1992), Bibbia in Lingua Corrente (1985) and Traduction Oecumenique de la Bible (1995) - have followed this editorial line, but those published later to this date tend to opt for one course of exegesis and provide only one version of the text - Gute Nachricht Bibel (1997), Parole de Vie (2002), La Bible Expliquee (2004). This second option taken by these editions tends to obscure the fact that this text has been experienced, and it is still being experienced as a crux interpretum because it offers difficult reading almost on every component of this half verse.