The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

14? The word "ta-bhal" is used sixteen times, but Luther never translated
it "taufen," except in this place. It is also noticeable that in this place alone
does the Septuagint translate "ta-bhal" by "baptizo." The Vulgate
considers it as equivalent in meaning to "ra-hhatz" of the preceding verses,
and translates it “lavit," washed. The Targum considers the two words as'
equivalent. So does the Syriac, and so the Arabic. Pagninus' version gives
to both the same meaning, but marks the distinction between their form by
translating "ra-hhatz," "lavo," and "ta-bhal," "abluo." In his Thesaurus,
he gives as a definition of "ta-bhal," "lavare, baptizare," and translates it in
2 Kings v. 14, "lavit se," washed himself. Origen, and many of the Fathers,
had found in the washing of Naaman a foreshadowing of Baptism. De
Lyra, Luther's great favorite as an expositor, expressly calls this washing
(2 Kings v. 14) a receiving of Baptism. Luther saw in it the great idea of
Baptism--the union of water with the Word, as he expressly tells us, in
commenting on the passage, in his exposition of the cxxii. Psalm. 334 The
word "taufte," therefore, is to be translated here, as everywhere else in
Luther's Bible, not by immerse, but by "baptize." Naaman baptized
himself, not dipped himself in Jordan, is Luther's meaning. The Hebrew,
ta-bhal, Luther translates fourteen times, by tauchen, to dip, in accordance
with its accepted etymology. But he also translates what he regarded as its
participle, by color or dye, Ezek. xxiii. 15. According to the mode of
reasoning, whose fallacy we are exposing, wherever Luther uses "taufen,"
we may translate it "to dye;" for the etymological force of a word,
according to this, is invariable, and all true translations of it must have the
same meaning.
Bapto Luther translates by "tauchen and eintauchen," to dip, dip in;
but he also translates by "besprengen" (Rev. xix. 13), to sprinkle: but,
according to this mode of reasoning, tauchen and taufen both being
equivalents, taufen is sprinkling, and Baptism is sprinkling, and dipping is
sprinkling. By the way in which it is proved that Taufe is immersion, may
be proved that both Taufe and immersion are sprinklings Baptizo Luther
never
334 Leipz. Edit. V. 461.