Publishing House Dr. Hans-Juergen Grieser

Hebrew Universal Bible Dictionary: Foreword

My compensating share, O JHWH,
I speak,
is to guard Your words.

Praise (Psalm) 119.57

The "Universal Bible Dictionary" hereby presented has to be put under the terms of reference as indicated in the above quoted word. The purport of this dictionary consisted in rendering the vocabulary of the original text of the Bible as close as possible, as is described in 2.Tim.3.16 with "The Writ". Herewith is meant a translation with the aim to maintain the divine word order of the different words of the Hebrew original text of the Writ. As I explain in detail in the book "Lexicology of the Bible" (see below) the god-spirited vocabulary of the Word of God (2.Tim.3.16 is to be recognized) and its representation in the contexts of the Bible is the only reliable criterion for the correct recording of the meanings of biblical words and their translation.

Every author of a professional book is considerate to use the standardized words of the respective subject (medicine, physics, chemistry, law, business administration, and others) under consideration of their definition. Jurists must distinguish - to give only some examples - between property and possession, physicists between energy and power, and chemists between sulfate and sulfide. Bible translators largely have not cared about such a word order. Although every interpreter of the Word of God in the end knows that the Word of God can only be explained by the Word of God, only few think that this also applies to the words of the Word of God. He who puts up the not provable assertion that the biblical meanings of the words have to be derived from the environment’s vocabulary of the epoch of its writers should be clear on the fact that he therewith assigns the Bible to a profane basis. Such a base partly is untraceable even today and is subject to personal interpretation where it seems available. In addition, here is assumed that the vocabulary of that time was used under the consideration of a uniform word order. A corresponding word discipline, i.e. a word usage paying attention to the correct word assignation is in our time not even given in reference books and patent specifications on a large scale. Obviously, this word conciseness was available only in the time of the uniform language after the Mabul (the Flood) 1.Mos.11.1.

It is a known problem that translations never can replace the original (the original text). Due to the other grammar and the different connotations of the words final limits are set to the language of the translation. All the more, one has to pay attention to adopt the word order of the original text of the Writ (Bible). To this belongs the consideration of the word families (words with the same word root) and the avoidance of the rendering of words of different word roots of the original text with only o n e word in the translation. It happens, though, that a word of the original text with a very wide connotation can not be rendered with only o n e word in the language of the translation. In this case it has to be translated with an additional word which is able to express the not covered connotation of the original text word. However, both words should not be used for another word of the original text in order to maintain the word root differences of the original text in the translation. Exceptions to this rule are the prepositions, because in not few cases they are used in a Babylonian confusing way, or by grammar rules used differently in the language of the original text.

In 2.Tim.1.13, Paul requests to have a "sub-type of words being healthy". He explains with this that a word distinction which is not taken into account lacks the healthiness of the word (i.e. also the resistance to corruption), and leads to the confusion of concepts by which the typical can not be understood. Quite generally, the reason for vage and inappropriate results of thinking does not only lie in the consequence (logical continuation) of the thinking often being missing, but also in the missing prerequisite of thinking, namely the default of clear concepts. However, unclear and wrong concepts arise from the missing discipline in the use of words, i.e. from a nonobservance of the word order. Many people know that the words "the equal (book)" and "the same (book)" have to be distinguished. To nearly all Bible translators, however, it is obviously unknown that the original text word for "soul" must not be translated with "life", since another word of the original text stands for the word "life". Coincidences of this type are legion in the Bible translations. The reason for this mainly lies in the dictionaries, because these represent the Babylonian word use of an original text word. For worldly dictionaries this is neccessary, because for them the use of the words in the colloquial speech is authoritative. This as well applies to dictionaries of ancient languages (e.g. classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin) when they are intended for the translation of these languages, for the word use is not standardized in this literature. However, quite differently have to be judged the dictionaries which are intended for the translation of the original texts of the Bible. Theologians who reject the word inspiration and with that the word cited at the beginning of 2.Tim.3.16 will see this differently. However, who advocates the conviction that all the Writ is θεóπνευστος God-spirited or Spirit-set (from the classical Greek God is described as One who does install and depose, for in the word root θεο conceptionally lies the meaning of "setting / placing") will not impute to Him who is setting the Word of truth any Babylonian disorder.

I am also convinced that Mose did not have to do any translation when he wrote down the Genesis, the text of which, written on the Toledot-tablets originating from Adam, via Jered, Noah, Heber, and Jacob, reached Egypt where they were hidden by Joseph. It should be clear that God has handed down this text neither in Accadian (this language has approx. 700 words only) nor in Aramaic, but certainly in Hebrew. It is a matter of good faith that God has guarded His Word, which from the beginning onward has had tent among men, and that He did not mix His Word with Babylonian languages. Before the confusion of the language the Word of God existed in the original language Hebrew. Who ever doubts this fact, indirectly marks its beginning as a legend or fairytale story.

The Universal Dictionary of the Bible offers - next to few free translations - a largely coincidence free translation of the biblical vocabulary. By the word families (see volume 2, page 2017ff) there is a possibility of verification of the consequence of the translation and a confirmation of the choice of words met for the translation respectively. This confirmation arises if the words of a word family chosen for one Hebrew root of a word are suitable for the translation in the contexts of all biblical occurrences of the corresponding Hebrew words.

In addition, the Universal Dictionary offers the translation spectrum of the respective words which include the following german Bible translations:
bu: Martin Buber "Die Schrift /The Scriptures" (1954)
zz: Zunz "Die heilige Schrift /The Holy Scriptures" (1848)
LÜ: Luther-Übersetzung (1984)
EÜ: Elberfelder Bible (1985)
In the rendering of the spectrum, the LÜ and EÜ are joined under the name aü: "other translations".
The passages of the Bible from which the translations of the respective Hebrew word were taken are mentioned in front of the spectrum (see pages 19, 20: "abbreviations of the biblical books").

Example:
Gerechtigkeit / justice (3M19.15; JJ42.6; LB9.5; LB45.8):
bu: Bewährung / probation; Wahrhaftigkeit / truthfulness; Wahrheit / truth;
Wahrspruch / verdict
zz, aü: Gerechtigkeit / justice; gerecht / just; zz: Heil / salvation;
aü: Gericht / judgment; recht / right

In the mentioned four occurrences Buber offers four, Zunz two, and aü: four different translations. In the cited 4 biblical passages - in 16 translation possibilities - 4 Bible translations offer 9 different renderings of the word for justice.

As a further addition, the Universal Dictionary includes an English translation of the Hebrew words in which the word order - as explained - precisely was observed, and with which the word families corresponding to the original text are recognizable. This supplementation opens up the opportunity of the use of the dictionary in the English-American linguistic area, however, it may contribute to a more extensive comprehension of the connotation of the individual words.

The dictionary section "Hebrew biblical names" (see page 1045 ff.) contains all proper names of the Taana´ch. The respective name is translated, and the different bearers of the name are listed (with detailed Bible passages mentioned). The names appear in German (according to the Dabhar Translation and other German translations) and English (as in English and American translations of the Bible), however, without English translation of the names.

In the sections "German-Hebrew Dictionary", "English-Hebrew Dictionary", and "Biblical Hebrew Word Families" - which are included in volume 2 - the respective indicated Hebrew root word via the reference system (specification of pages and position on pages) under which grammatical word forms, further translations, and the spectrum of the translators are listed.

The two volumes of the Universal Dictionary for the Hebrew part of the biblical vocabulary are not free of mistakes and faults. The correction of the wealth of words in three languages in hand which demands far bigger standard than their manifoldly ordered writing down, inevitably causes that something "drops out". Also the databases programmed by my co-worker Ulrich Hoffmann which made possible the administration and control of the lexical data on the given scale of work and task, have got "malices" which are not recognized everywhere. So also from this side, a faultless presentation cannot be guaranteed, and therefore a liability regarding this is not assumed. Notes and suggestions on corrections and improvements are accepted, a statement being carried out on this, however, cannot be assured.

Since for the reliability of the given translations also the question about my language and technical competence is understandable, I hereafter quote some of my publications which, together with the work on hand, at present take far over 20 000 pages:

Hellenic-speaking expositions of the Writ (only in german language)
also issues to the original text: Septuagint and Masoretic text
(1993; 2. edition; ISBN 3-933455-02-2; 276 pages)
The Hebrew verbs; 2 volumes: Hebrew-German; German-Hebrew
(1998; ISBN 3-933455-00-6; 2376 pages)
Dictionary of Contractions and Abbreviations; Hebrew-German and Hebrew-English
(1999; ISBN 3-933455-03-0; 431 pages)
Lexicology of the Bible
and etymology on the Hebrew origin of the European languages (only in german language)
(2000; ISBN 3-933455-04-9; 1163 pages)

Here, too, is to point to the Dabhar Translation (see page 27: About the author) which represents the basis of the Universal Dictionary. By this translation with its concordances - organized according to the words of the original text - the evidence is provided, that a Bible translation under the consideration of the necessary word order is possible.

In conclusion, the gratitude is expressed also for this work to all my contributors and all those who supported this work directly and indirectly.

The main gratitude of all of us, again, is addressed to the God and Father of lights from whom comes all and every accordingly accomplished gifting :Jak. 1.17:.

Schomberg, June 2003

F.H. Baader

What is the meaning of Dabhar?

The order adress for the purchase of the Dabhar Translation may be asked for from the publishing house: info@grieser-verlag.com

Last modification of this document: Monday, February 12, 2007