Robert Truelove
Puritan Board Sophomore
Rather than type out my thoughts on the proper way to translate "anthropose", I submit Michael Marlowe's article from 2003...
http://www.bible-researcher.com/anthropos.html
His conclusion stated again here...
"Now, in consideration of these examples the question which remains is, how can a competent scholar such as D.A. Carson honestly maintain in a published work that the word anthropos has no masculine connotations? We fail to see how this opinion can be maintained. Yet he not only does this, but he also condescendingly alleges that those who would disagree with him are in a "confusion over the elementary linguistic distinction between meaning and referent." ... But we will leave it to the reader now to discern which side of the gender-neutral Bible controversy is involved in error and confusion on this point.
The usage of words relating to gender and humanity in the Greek language are no less "sexist" than the ordinary English usages which feminists have been trying to abolish for 30 years now, and this may be seen clearly enough in the case of the word anthropos. It is also evident that Carson and others who have confused the issue with specious arguments about Greek words and linguistics are merely distracting us from the fact that the "inclusive language" debate has to do not with Greek but with our English words and their meaning, and the recent attempts to reform our English usage along politically correct lines. On this question of English usage the professors of Greek have no more authority than any layman who is acquainted with the English language."
In light of the data, I ask this same question? Besides the influence of feminism on the English language, what justification do we have for translating "anthropos" as "people", "others" or "humans" since it is obviously as "male" a word as "man" <-which can also be used in an inclusive way when not being emended by feminism.
Example:
Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive others (anthropos) their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you - ESV (anthropos = others!?)
For if ye forgive men (anthropos) their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you -KJV
"anthropos" is translated in a gender-neutral way dozens and dozens of times in the ESV, as well as any new translation since the turn of the century. You can see each instance in the ESV here... http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G444&t=ESV
I suppose my problem is that I don't see that "Gender-Inclusive" in the case of "anthropos" therefore means "Gender-Neutral" because that word just doesn't seem to be a gender-neutral word. It's a masculine word that can be used in an inclusive way...just like "man". Thoughts?
http://www.bible-researcher.com/anthropos.html
His conclusion stated again here...
"Now, in consideration of these examples the question which remains is, how can a competent scholar such as D.A. Carson honestly maintain in a published work that the word anthropos has no masculine connotations? We fail to see how this opinion can be maintained. Yet he not only does this, but he also condescendingly alleges that those who would disagree with him are in a "confusion over the elementary linguistic distinction between meaning and referent." ... But we will leave it to the reader now to discern which side of the gender-neutral Bible controversy is involved in error and confusion on this point.
The usage of words relating to gender and humanity in the Greek language are no less "sexist" than the ordinary English usages which feminists have been trying to abolish for 30 years now, and this may be seen clearly enough in the case of the word anthropos. It is also evident that Carson and others who have confused the issue with specious arguments about Greek words and linguistics are merely distracting us from the fact that the "inclusive language" debate has to do not with Greek but with our English words and their meaning, and the recent attempts to reform our English usage along politically correct lines. On this question of English usage the professors of Greek have no more authority than any layman who is acquainted with the English language."
In light of the data, I ask this same question? Besides the influence of feminism on the English language, what justification do we have for translating "anthropos" as "people", "others" or "humans" since it is obviously as "male" a word as "man" <-which can also be used in an inclusive way when not being emended by feminism.
Example:
Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive others (anthropos) their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you - ESV (anthropos = others!?)
For if ye forgive men (anthropos) their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you -KJV
"anthropos" is translated in a gender-neutral way dozens and dozens of times in the ESV, as well as any new translation since the turn of the century. You can see each instance in the ESV here... http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G444&t=ESV
I suppose my problem is that I don't see that "Gender-Inclusive" in the case of "anthropos" therefore means "Gender-Neutral" because that word just doesn't seem to be a gender-neutral word. It's a masculine word that can be used in an inclusive way...just like "man". Thoughts?
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