prophets vs. Prophets in the HCSB

My wife and I returned home tonight (Sunday) safely from our restful, refreshing retreat in Vancouver, BC.

Among the many email messages awaiting me was the HCSB email newsletter. Included in it was this question and answer:

Q: Why is "Prophets" capitalized at places like Luke 16:16, but not at places like Hebrews 1:1?

Translation associate general editor Ray Clendenen explains:

A: In Luke 16:16, the term "Prophets" is referring to a division of the Hebrew Bible, referred to in Hebrew as the Neviim, comprising the "Former Prophets" (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) and the "Latter Prophets" (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel). Thus it is capitalized. In Hebrews 1:1, the term refers to individuals who were prophets, as opposed to kings, scribes, etc. Thus it is not capitalized.

I like that. Of course, we can't hear the capitalization when the words "prophets" and "Prophets" are read aloud by someone else, but they are marked in the text for readers to see. Another good translation technique to make a better Bible.

Categories: HCSB, translation accuracy, Bible translation