Exhibit XVII. Wrong Vocalization of the Aramaic
Chapter VI, "WRONG VOCALIZATION OF THE ARAMAIC" in Our Translated Gospels: Some of the Evidence, by Charles Cutler Torrey:
Exhibit XVII, F (Luke 11:48). This example is like the preceding, in that a curious and disturbing mistranslation is explained by the parallel in Matthew. The trouble is in a single word, written in Matthew precisely as in Luke, but wrongly interpreted by the latter. Matthew 23:29-31 is to be compared with Luke 11:47 f. "You build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed," Jesus says, and by this pious act you mean to declare [as Matthew expressly says in verse 30] that you of the present day condemn the blind wickedness of your forefathers. Luke than proceeds: "But by your own witness you do share in the deeds of your fathers, for they killed the prophets and you build their tombs." This is a ludicrous conclusion, proving the very opposite of what it is declared to prove! It adds nothing (except confusion) to what was said in verse 47. In Matthew there is neither contradiction nor ambiguity: "So you bear witness against yourselves that you are the sons of those who slew the prophets."
The explanation of Luke's mistake is given immediately and certainly by the Aramaic, as any one can see who will look at the text printed above. He had just translated the very same word, "build," in the preceding verse, and, as often elsewhere (see e.g. the note on 7:45 above), repeated his rendering without looking further. He could not render the pronoun ("build them") at the end of the clause, for it would refer either to "fathers" or to "prophets"! So he left the verb without an object.
According to Littmann, l.c., p. 24, Professor Lietzmann does not believe that this is the true explanation of the difficulty. The author of the First Gospel, however, says in unequivocal terms that it is
Chapter VI, "WRONG VOCALIZATION OF THE ARAMAIC" in Our Translated Gospels: Some of the Evidence, by Charles Cutler Torrey:
Luke 11:48 according to Greek: Your fathers killed the prophets and you build them (the tombs) ( אַנְתּוּן בָּנֵין לְהוֹן ).
True rendering: Your fathers killed the prophets, and you are their children ( אָנְתּוּן בְּנִין לְהוֹן ).
True rendering: Your fathers killed the prophets, and you are their children ( אָנְתּוּן בְּנִין לְהוֹן ).
Exhibit XVII, F (Luke 11:48). This example is like the preceding, in that a curious and disturbing mistranslation is explained by the parallel in Matthew. The trouble is in a single word, written in Matthew precisely as in Luke, but wrongly interpreted by the latter. Matthew 23:29-31 is to be compared with Luke 11:47 f. "You build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed," Jesus says, and by this pious act you mean to declare [as Matthew expressly says in verse 30] that you of the present day condemn the blind wickedness of your forefathers. Luke than proceeds: "But by your own witness you do share in the deeds of your fathers, for they killed the prophets and you build their tombs." This is a ludicrous conclusion, proving the very opposite of what it is declared to prove! It adds nothing (except confusion) to what was said in verse 47. In Matthew there is neither contradiction nor ambiguity: "So you bear witness against yourselves that you are the sons of those who slew the prophets."
The explanation of Luke's mistake is given immediately and certainly by the Aramaic, as any one can see who will look at the text printed above. He had just translated the very same word, "build," in the preceding verse, and, as often elsewhere (see e.g. the note on 7:45 above), repeated his rendering without looking further. He could not render the pronoun ("build them") at the end of the clause, for it would refer either to "fathers" or to "prophets"! So he left the verb without an object.
According to Littmann, l.c., p. 24, Professor Lietzmann does not believe that this is the true explanation of the difficulty. The author of the First Gospel, however, says in unequivocal terms that it is
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