Subject: Re: All or some

From: [email-masked] (Nichael Lynn Cramer)
Date: Sun, 2 Jun 1996 14:40:59 -0400

Dwight Nelson wrote:
>TC'ers: This isn't the usual sort of question to end up here, but I'm having
>trouble getting other NT lists to respond to my queries so I figured I'd
>give this list a try- seems that I fall between something and something else
>but no one is quite sure what. If anyone can suggest a list which deals with
>textual problems etc. of a more literary nature, please let me know, as that
>is probably where I belong.
>The question: Does anyone know why it is that in Matthew 28:17b the usual
>translation is 'but some doubted'. The little I've been able to get hold of
>regarding this trans. indicates that the inclusion of 'some' is an exception
>to what would usually be 'but doubted'. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but
>is this a bit of subjectivism/bias on the part of our forebears, or is there
>an explanation outside of someone not wanting all of the disciples to be
>cast in a bad light?
>While from a textual standpoint this may not seem to be much, from a
>homiletical perspective it's one hell of a problem.
>Dwight Nelson

Dwight

I'm not sure I understand the question well enough to help directly, but
one source that I've found very useful on exactly this sort of question is
the series "UBS Helps for Translators".  In particular _A Handbook on The
Gospel of Matthew_ contains a discussion of about 3/4 of a page on the
phrase "but some doubted", discussing various aspects that translators
--and by extension those dealing with homiletical matters-- should be
concerned with when translating this passage and offering (and evaluating)
several alternative translations from several standard modern translations.

The books are available from ABS, and although there is one volume per
biblical book (although not all books are included) the prices are quite
reasonable.

Hope this helps

Nichael
[email-masked]                                               __
http://www.sover.net/~nichael              Be as passersby   -- IC