Tag Archives: Philippians

Aramaic NT Verse Comparison: Lamsa vs. AENT

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Closeup: Yochanan (John) Chapter 1, found on pg. 232 in the AENT.
Q:  “Is there a difference between the Lamsa translation and the AENT?”

 

A:  The Aramaic English New Testament (AENT) is founded upon the translation by George Lamsa, as well as translations by Paul Younan, and Etheridge, and Murdock, with significant improvements upon each of these translations.    Further, the AENT translation also consulted the Khabouris Manuscript (disc. 1954) which was not done by these other four translations.

 

In addition, the AENT is special, since the Aramaic is printed side-by-side with the English.  To the best of my knowledge, there is not a Lamsa book in diglot form, with both languages.  The reason this is important is for proof that the Aramaic has been translated correctly.

 

Here, I can give several examples:

 

Philippians 2:11 Lamsa:
“And every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God his Father.

 

Philippians 2:11 AENT pg. 592:
“And that every tongue should confess that Master YHWH is Y’shua Mashiyach[1] to the glory of Elohim his Father.”

 

We can see here that Lamsa followed the Greek tradition, writing “Jesus Christ is Lord” instead of following closely what the Aramaic actually says.  The Greek has been adequately expressed in English by the King James, aka Authorized Version:

 

“And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:11 AV)

 

Does the Aramaic actually say that “Master YHWH is Y’shua Mashiyach…?”  Let’s check:

 

וכֻל לֶשָן נַודֶּא דּמָריָא הו יֶשֻוע משִיחָא לשֻבחָא דַּעלָהָא אַבֻוהי

 

So we see that in this verse, the AENT has more accurately rendered the Aramaic into English than the Lamsa translation — and the difference is powerful.

 

1 Corinthians 12:3 Lamsa:
“Therefore I want you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed; and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Spirit.”

 

1 Corinthians 12:3 AENT pg.522:
“I therefore explain to you, that there is no man that speaks by the Spirit of Elohim, who says that Y’shua is accursed: neither can a man say that Master YHWH is Y’shua, except by the  Ruach haKodesh.[2]

 

By contrast, we see that the Aramaic is in fact worded the way the AENT claims:

 

מֶטֻל הָנָא מַודַּע אנָא לכֻון דּלַיתּ אנָש דַּברֻוחָא דַּאלָהָא ממַלֶל וָאמַר דַּאמַר דַּחרֶם הֻו יֶשֻוע  וָאפלָא אנָא מֶשכַּח למִאמַר דּמָריָא הֻו יֶשֻוע אֶלָא אֶן בּרֻוחָא דּקוּודשָא

In places where the AENT English differs from the English found in prior translations, the reasons are given in the AENT footnotes.

Order the AENT (and Yerubilee music) from our site:

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Teddy Chadwick,

Israel

 

JTOD.org & Yerubilee.com

 

Footnotes below are as found in the Aramaic English New Testament by Andrew Gabriel Roth, 3rd & 4th Edition.
[1] Please see Alef Tav; Divinity Passages; YHWH is Y’shua Mashiyach, in Appendix.

 

 

[2] Simple and beautiful, yet perhaps the most powerful statement of belief in all of Rav Shaul’s letters.  A declaration of such magnitude as this most certainly demands original Hebrew and Aramaic to comprehend the fullness of such a bold statement and revelation.

 

Philippians 3:20-21 from Aramaic Source Texts

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But our concern is with heaven and from thence we expect our Life Giver, our Master, Y’shua the Mashiyach who will change the body of our abasement, that it may have the likeness of the body of his glory according to his great power, whereby all things are made subject to him. (Phil. 3:20-21 AENT)

This is a powerful, encouraging Word.  Our concern is not with earthly things, but Kingdom things and Kingdom issues.  Our earthly physical body will be changed in the end – we will be transformed – puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?  This is the GREAT HOPE.
Backing up a little to verse 17, let’s get more of the context:

Be like me, my Brothers; and contemplate them who walk after the pattern you have seen in us.  For there are many who walk otherwise; of whom I have often told you, and I now tell you with weeping that they are adversaries of the stake of the Mashiyach;  whose end is destruction; whose Elohim is their belly and their glory their shame; whose thoughts are on things of the earth. (Phil. 3:17-19 AENT)

Is your Elohim your belly?  Or rather, is your Elohim the King of kings and the Master of masters?  

Your Elohim, personally speaking, is whom you serve; it is whom you strive to please.  

If your number one priority is your own comfort, your own provision for yourself, even your own diet preferences (“I know the Word says don’t eat such-and-such, but I’ll pick my theologies according to how I want to live; all that old stuff is done away with, right?”) then the answer for you is clear.  If your choices are made according to the ways of the world (“looking out for Number One = mySELF”), then your Elohim is your own belly.  
If, on the other hand, you care to “be like Paul,” and to “contemplate them who walk after the pattern you have seen in us,” then you will not serve your belly; and you will not be “adversaries of the stake (cross) of the Mashiyach.”  
Paul said “be like me” in these other places as well:

 

1 Cor 4:16  (and my ways v.17) 
1 Cor 11:1,2
1Thess 4:1-7, 11
2 Tim 3:10
So, what is Paul’s “way of life?”
For direct evidence, check out these passages:
Acts 20:16
Acts 21:20-24
Acts 24:14
Acts 25:8
Acts 26:20
Blessings to you, in the name of Y’shua the Messiah.

 Aramaic English New Testament:

“…the NT Time Bomb!” – Rev. Frederick Brown Harris, Chaplain to the US Senate.

A new translation from qualified Eastern manuscripts

With amazing insights!

 

Available at:

http://JTOD.org/AENT.cfm

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