[COLOR="Navy"]Hi Folks,
The next point to note is what I will call the 'casualness of the alternative word' fallacy, or problem.
Now, to be fair, at least 'against' did in fact try to offer an alternative word that he suggested would be used if Paul's sense would be to "study to shew...". Often this primary aspect of translation discussion is simply ignored.
> "against"
> Had he intended “study” instead of “diligence” he could have
> used a Greek word like “melete” or “progummazo”.
I will let 'against' indicate the New Testament usages of progummazo when he posts and we can discuss that later. For now let's discuss 'melete', a fascinating word . Is it well-suited for 2 Tiimothy 2:15 ?
This word has a number of forms and a diverse history, from a Greek muse, to exercise and practice, to meditation, to contemplative study, to ritualistic repetition of scripture as per monks.
The simplest and best analysis then is to look at the three koine Greek usages in the New Testament.
Mark 13:11
But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up,
take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak,
neither do ye premeditate:
but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour,
that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.
Acts 4:25
Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said,
Why did the heathen rage,
and the people imagine vain things?
1Timothy 4:15
Meditate upon these things;
give thyself wholly to them;
that thy profiting may appear to all.
http://www.sacrednamebible.com/kjvst...K319.htm#S3191
h) Greek 3191. meletao, mel-et-ah'-o;
to take care of, revolve in the mind:-imagine, (pre-)meditate
Clearly the mental emphasis in the NT koine Greek usages is unacceptable, it will not work at all for the sense that is given in 2 Timothy 2:15.
2Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
Where we are not called to simply meditate or think or imagine or mentally exert in order to "shew thyself approved unto God, a workman..".
So we see that the little throwaway line about using melete, when we examine NT usage, is a failure. Incidentally this is rather common in translation discussions, the issue of the best way to describe a point being made in the source language is glossed over. Substantive analysis is lacking.
Incidentally this leads us to another part of 2 Timothy 2:15, an aspect that is very import for the finest translation. The earnest, diligent, labor aspect of our study is already contextually emphasized strongly in the next phrase in the verse.
"workman that needeth not to be ashamed" . Thus allowing study to stand as a straightforward and simple wide-ranging word on its own, without adding in extraneous or repetitive words. In the other usages of melete in the NT you will not see this complementary contextuality ('context is king' - translation theory).
You can also see how the Timothy passage is complementary to another NT usage:
Hebrews 4:11
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest,
lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Note, even the modern versions often agree on the concept of labour and effort here.
strive - ESV
make every effort - HCSB
make every effort - NIV
Thus we find that all the examples, the King James Bible translators work with the definition, the semantic range, the context and the flow of meaning. When we see folks with limited backgrounds somehow think they are improving, no correcting, the work of fifty world-class scholars who had a depth of day-to-day language background far beyond the norm today .. with little rinky-dink and transparent attempts like critiquing "study to shew .. !" .. you really do wonder a bit and scratch your head in puzzlement. Only the authority of the King James Bible must be the real issue.
Shalom,
Steven