'Yet' versus 'Therefore' in Scripture
The word 'yet' signposts that what has gone before is contrary to what is about to come. For example, consider the sentence: 'He is a very fit and athletic young man, yet when he ran a short distance he was out of breath'. So, that he was out of breath does not tally with, or contradicts, the fact that he is fit, young and athletic, and the word 'yet' signifies this contradiction. Whereas, the word 'therefore' means the opposite as this signposts that what has gone before follows from what is about to come. For example, consider the sentence: 'He is a very fit and athletic young man, therefore when he ran a short distance he was not out of breath'. So, that he was not out of breath does indeed tally, or is conistent with, the fact that he is fit, young and athletic, and the word 'therefore' signifies this consistency.
So, how does all this relate to scripture? Well, I was recently reading the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus in John 11, and, for some reason, decided to read two translations - the New International Version (NIV), and the Amplified Bible (AB). Then, in verses 5 and 6, I noticed that at a crucial point in the story, the NIV had used the word 'yet' to signify an up-coming contradiction; whereas in the same place the AB used the word 'therefore' to signify an up-coming consistency.
In the NIV it says: 'Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days.' Whereas, in the AB it says: 'Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus [They were his dear friends, and he held them in loving esteem]. Therefore [even] when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he still stayed two days longer in the same place where he was.'
Now, of course, I am not privy to why the respective translators used opposite words to convey the meaning of scripture, and no doubt a lot of these reasons are bound-up with ambiguities and disputes in complex scholarly debates over Biblical translations into English. Nevertheless, I was still very struck by the contrast and found myself meditating on the two opposite meanings, but taking them at face value, wondering how I should respond to them.
Now, one response, of course, would be to rubbish one translation, but this seems to me far too quick and shallow. Often people have argued for particular Bible translations over others, but this surely does not take account of the various ways God wants to communicate to people through different Bible translations. And that whatever your preference, the important thing is that you engage in a meaningful way with scripture, and as you relate to the particular translation you prefer and can make sense of. However, the problem here is that the meaning is not just translated differently, it means the opposite, so what do we do with this fact, if we are not to jettison one Bible translation for another? I was left a little bit stunned at this further question, but then as I revisited the scripture itself, began to see what God might be telling me. Namely, that there are two different perspectives on the story which do pull in opposite directions, but that both perspectives are important for us to see and hear so we can make better sense of our relationship with God and Christ.
So, we might conclude that in the NIV version the word 'yet' leaves us with a doubt as to the genuineness of Jesus' love for Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. Of course, this doubt is only temporary, because as the story unfolds we realise that his two-day delay was to show God's glory and blessing even more in their lives, in raising Lazarus from the dead. Nevertheless, we must still say that in that moment, the 'yet' signifies a possible contradiction between Jesus' apparent love for his friends and that he stays where he is, for now. Then, as I meditated on this scripture further, what I saw more clearly is that this waiting is often what it feels like from a human perspective, when we wait on God's timing. He seems late, and unloving, when we have to wait for his greater glory and blessings in our lives. And, what the NIV translation does is remind us of the importance of this human perspective, and that we need to be honest about the subsequent 'yets' in our lives, and to then honestly engage with God and Christ as we wait.
Turning though to the AB version the word 'therefore' leaves us with a further puzzle to meditate upon, showing us the God-like perspective concerning how God and Christ often deals with us. That because he loves us so much, he must therefore let us wait. From the human perspective, this God-like perspective is hard to understand, as the waiting, at least initially, can make you feel fearful and unsure of God's love. However, while the NIV version prompts us to take these fears and uncertainty to God honestly in prayer, so the AB version prompts us to trust that God is loving us while we wait, and in order that our lives can be blessed more than they would be otherwise. In other words, the 'yet' leads to the 'therefore' as we move from doubt to faith, and so thank God for both translations!
Click on book cover image on this blog's home page for information on my book Nine Steps to Well-Being: A Spiritual Guide for Disconnected Christians and Other Questioning Journeyers - first three chapters are FREE!!
So, how does all this relate to scripture? Well, I was recently reading the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus in John 11, and, for some reason, decided to read two translations - the New International Version (NIV), and the Amplified Bible (AB). Then, in verses 5 and 6, I noticed that at a crucial point in the story, the NIV had used the word 'yet' to signify an up-coming contradiction; whereas in the same place the AB used the word 'therefore' to signify an up-coming consistency.
In the NIV it says: 'Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days.' Whereas, in the AB it says: 'Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus [They were his dear friends, and he held them in loving esteem]. Therefore [even] when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he still stayed two days longer in the same place where he was.'
Now, of course, I am not privy to why the respective translators used opposite words to convey the meaning of scripture, and no doubt a lot of these reasons are bound-up with ambiguities and disputes in complex scholarly debates over Biblical translations into English. Nevertheless, I was still very struck by the contrast and found myself meditating on the two opposite meanings, but taking them at face value, wondering how I should respond to them.
Now, one response, of course, would be to rubbish one translation, but this seems to me far too quick and shallow. Often people have argued for particular Bible translations over others, but this surely does not take account of the various ways God wants to communicate to people through different Bible translations. And that whatever your preference, the important thing is that you engage in a meaningful way with scripture, and as you relate to the particular translation you prefer and can make sense of. However, the problem here is that the meaning is not just translated differently, it means the opposite, so what do we do with this fact, if we are not to jettison one Bible translation for another? I was left a little bit stunned at this further question, but then as I revisited the scripture itself, began to see what God might be telling me. Namely, that there are two different perspectives on the story which do pull in opposite directions, but that both perspectives are important for us to see and hear so we can make better sense of our relationship with God and Christ.
So, we might conclude that in the NIV version the word 'yet' leaves us with a doubt as to the genuineness of Jesus' love for Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. Of course, this doubt is only temporary, because as the story unfolds we realise that his two-day delay was to show God's glory and blessing even more in their lives, in raising Lazarus from the dead. Nevertheless, we must still say that in that moment, the 'yet' signifies a possible contradiction between Jesus' apparent love for his friends and that he stays where he is, for now. Then, as I meditated on this scripture further, what I saw more clearly is that this waiting is often what it feels like from a human perspective, when we wait on God's timing. He seems late, and unloving, when we have to wait for his greater glory and blessings in our lives. And, what the NIV translation does is remind us of the importance of this human perspective, and that we need to be honest about the subsequent 'yets' in our lives, and to then honestly engage with God and Christ as we wait.
Turning though to the AB version the word 'therefore' leaves us with a further puzzle to meditate upon, showing us the God-like perspective concerning how God and Christ often deals with us. That because he loves us so much, he must therefore let us wait. From the human perspective, this God-like perspective is hard to understand, as the waiting, at least initially, can make you feel fearful and unsure of God's love. However, while the NIV version prompts us to take these fears and uncertainty to God honestly in prayer, so the AB version prompts us to trust that God is loving us while we wait, and in order that our lives can be blessed more than they would be otherwise. In other words, the 'yet' leads to the 'therefore' as we move from doubt to faith, and so thank God for both translations!
Click on book cover image on this blog's home page for information on my book Nine Steps to Well-Being: A Spiritual Guide for Disconnected Christians and Other Questioning Journeyers - first three chapters are FREE!!
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