Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Daughters of the ostrich

In all the English versions of the Bible (including the self-proclaimed "literal" translations) I've consulted, Isaiah 34:13 says ostriches, along with other wild animals, will take over the palaces of Edom after the Lord has removed all its inhabitants. This is curious, since the Hebrew says these will be the "daughters of the ostrich."

Obviously, the daughters of the ostrich are ostriches themselves, so one could argue that no meaningful content is lost by the omission. But no doubt Isaiah, and the Holy Spirit who inspired his prophecy, knew that as well. One could argue this is merely poetic language, and the meaning is accurately conveyed by the more prosaic choice of the translators. But again, the original was written as poetry; therefore, a prosaic choice is not be a faithful translation.

What we have, then, is an interpretation of Isaiah 34:13. While it is an entirely legitimate interpretation, it cannot be honestly called a translation.

No comments: