“To Depart” or “More and More”?

The excellent linguistics scholars, headed up by James Scott Trimm at the Institute for Scritpure Research have highlighed and corrected a poor New Testament translation from the Semitic Aramaic language into Greek, as follows...

One word that the Greek translators often misunderstood was the Aramaic word אזל   which normally means "to go" or "to depart" but is used idiomatically in Aramaic to mean that some action goes forward and that something progresses "more and more."    

The Institute for Scripture Research has done an excellent job in taking forward linguistic studies of the scriptures in their original languages (or at least the source manuscripts we have available to us, whether they be Aramaic, Hebrew or Koine Greek. One case where the Greek translator misunderstood this word and translated to literally is in Jn. 12:11: 

 “Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away [Ed. - Surely not!?], and believed on Jesus.” (KJV) 

The ISR has translated the Aramaic of this passage as follows:

"Because many of the Judeans, on account of him, were trusting more and more (אזל  ) in Yeshua.”

And again in Jn. 15:16:

“...that ye should go and bring forth fruit...” (KJV) 

Which the ISR has translated from the Aramaic: 

 “...that you also should bear fruit more and more (אזל  )...”

You can buy many of the ISR's excellent Bible translations from their website.

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