Bible Translation as Missions

JBTM Dave Brunn10which means “his ears are closed.” Of course, now we’ve changed to a completely differentbody part. Is that okay, or is that going farther than what would be allowable in good translationpractice?To shed light on this, let’s look at another example from a real language. Some languages useother body parts to describe the seat of the emotions and the seat of the intellect. For example,in Job 19:27, the NASB has “my heart faints within me.” If another Bible says, “my kidneysfaint within me,” is that okay? Or, what about, “my mind instructs me” as “my kidneys instructme” (Psa 16:7)? Or, similarly, “I was pierced within” versus “I was pierced in my kidneys” (Psa73:21), and “You formed my inward parts” as “You formed my kidneys” (Psa 139:13). Now,I’m not going to ask you if you think this is okay. Actually, we don’t have to guess if that’s okay,because the latter renderings are the Hebrew; the former is the cultural adaptation. So, if onehas any questions about this variety of renderings, one would have to ask the NASB translators(though most of them are gone.)THIS is theCultural Adaptation(English)Job 19:27 (NASB)…My heart faints within me!Psalm 16:7 (NASB)…my mind instructs me.Psalm 73:21 (NASB)…I was pierced within…Psalm 139:13 (NASB)…You formed my inward parts...Hebrew {} “kidneys”…My kidneys faint within me!…my kidneys instruct me.…I was pierced in my kidneys……You formed my kidneys...Leviticus 9:10 (NIV) On the altar he burned thefat, the kidneys and the covering of the liver…So, kil yāh is the common Hebrew word for “kidneys,” which in the context of the offerings,where it’s talking about the physical body part, every English version translates it “kidneys” (cf.Lev 9:10). But in places where it’s used figuratively to speak of the seat of the emotions and theseat of the intellect, even our most literal versions translate it several different ways. The ESVand the NASB are both versions that I consider to be excellent, but they allow themselves quitea bit of leeway in the ways that they translated this Hebrew and Greek term. (It occurs once inthe New Testament, the word for “kidneys,” used figuratively). Also, even though their objectivesare very close, they didn’t translate it the same as each other. Sometimes, they both translatedit “heart” (cf. Job 19:27), and sometimes they both translated it “mind” (cf. Jer 17:10;20:12). Sometimes, the ESV translated it “heart,” while the NASB translated it “mind” (cf. Psa