Saturday 6 October 2007

Mistranslated Verse

"For a child is begotten to us, a son will be given to us and the authority is upon his shoulder; Called, his name, by The Wondrous Advisor, The Mighty G-d and The Eternal Father, "The Prince of Peace". Yeshayahu 9:5"


Lately I have been studying this verse after listening to Handel's Messiah. It is a work of great momentum and enthusiasm. The above verse was quoted according to the KJV Bible in the Handel's Messiah. I seen some problem in the sentence as the original Hebrew read somewhat like my rendering above. The rendering in the KJV bible read thus:


"For unto us a child is born , unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6"


There is arguable translation however, the second sentence which describe the name of the Prince can be both as the sentence implying the meaning do not have a proper structure. However, Orthodox Judaism has always identify the verse with the former.


This verse states the greatness of Hezekiah, the righteous king after Ahaz (for Ahaz is evil). Hezekiah's throne name is as mentioned and through him, the eternal Throne of David will be established. This is also a two-fold verse foretelling what the Mashiach should do when he came. This is, also, the summary for the chapter 9 of Yeshayahu and it offers a reconciliation to the Yerushalamites after the reign of the terrible king, Ahaz.

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