I received a typical but understandable response to my podcast entitled "No Gender-Based Hierarchy in Marriage, Because...."
A viewer posted a Bible verse (with no additional commentary) in the comment section. They posted 1 Corinthians 11:3, and nothing else: "But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of the Christ is God."
Here is my REPLY....
.png)
Jocelyn Andersen is a Christian author who combines theological inquiry, creative communication, and a strong desire to challenge beliefs that she sees as inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus
This is important to note, because women are not men and should not be referred to as such. Women should be referred to as women, she, her, or herself, and mixed crowds should be referred to as they, them, themselves, or people, and not as "he, him, himself, or men."
Because of The Fall, all languages are androcentric (male-centered), including English, but it is time to stop translating ancient sacred texts in such a way, when we know better. Semantics are important as language informs attitudes.
If the topic of God and Women interests you, join the conversation HERE.
Jocelyn Andersen is a Christian author who combines theological inquiry, creative communication, and a strong desire to challenge beliefs that she sees as inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus
Semantics do matter, but according to most Bible translators, women do not. And in this day and age, with so many modern Bible translations, there is no excuse for this.
I just finished reading 1 Peter chapter 4, so I will use my version as an example. My Bible is an ancient version, so the androcentricity (male-centeredness) of the semantics are understandable but be aware that most modern versions are inexcusably comparable when it comes to the semantics of male pronouns and the words man or men being used as a generic term for all humans.
In 1 Peter chapter 4, the pronouns he, him, or his are used 11 times. The words man or men are used 8 times. In just one chapter, women are called men 16 Times, as the words are used correctly only 3 times. Seeing as there are 1189 chapters in the Bible, it is entirely possible that Bible-readers see women referred to as men up to 19,000 times!
That would seem to make the Bible an androcentric book. But it isn't when we understand that it is human language that is male-centered, and not our loving Creator. Language evolves as people evolve in their understanding of the world around them. Androcentrism came about as a result of sin. God never ordained it. But he did predict it (Genesis 3:16).
In his 1974 book, Word Play, Peter Farb wrote that, "An English speaker uses the word 'he' to signify a hypothetical person [either male or female]...centuries of social convention have made 'he' the acceptable word...."
1974 was almost 50-years ago, and in case no one has noticed, times and many social conventions have [rightly] changed. "He" is no longer an acceptable pronoun with which to describe women, which, by the way...comprise over 66% of the human population.
Blackstone Law reigned supreme in England and the U.S. until the 1920's. It decreed that wives be absorbed into the legal identities of their husbands. Since the 1960's, such legalities have changed in the U.S., but Blackstone Law and its archaic view of women is alive and well within the psyches of most modern Bible translators and commentators, who continue to absorb all womanhood into the identities of God's male creation, effectively rendering women virtually invisible, via semantic burqas.
Over the years, many [formerly] socially accepted words and norms have changed. Languages change and morph with time. Modern English bears little resemblance to ancient English. So, why is it that the social norm of referencing all humanity as male--by describing all people using the words man, men, he, him, or his--persists?
The tradition is archaic. And as a woman, I find the practice offensive. It no longer reflects the values and mores of the English-speaking world and must change.
Understanding that all languages are androcentric, including English, biblical scholarship must make the translational shift from the historical and traditional male-centered perspective and begin using language that includes both sexes as biblical context dictates.
It is not Ok to continue referring to women using male nouns and pronouns. God speaks through his written Word to his daughters as well as his sons, and the language of our Bibles and commentaries must reflect that.
Our Creator does not favor his male creation over his female creation. The Living God does not merge the one into the other, so Bible translators, scholars, and commentators must stop doing so.
Even when the male-centered original languages use a male noun or pronoun [when addressing both women and men], context must be taken into account. Biblical writers used the languages they had available to them. Modern scholars know this, yet they persist in predominantly using the male perspective in Bible translation and commentary.
They even add sexist and misogynistic interpretive language when they are fully aware that the original texts say no such thing. But by using male nouns and pronouns while speaking to or referencing both sexes, gender-biased English Bible translators render women virtually invisible. Islam does this by forcing their women to wear burqas in public. Bible translators do the same by calling women men.
New editions of Bible translations roll off the presses at record rates. There are hundreds of modern translations. So, when are the translators going to stop calling all of humanity men. When are they going to stop calling women men? Peter Farb's advice in, Word Play, has long been obsolete. When speaking of a hypothetical human, either woman or man, the word "he" is no longer acceptable.
~~~
“Gentlemen, don’t even think about marriage until
you have mastered the art of warfare.”
Pastor John MacArthur
(Quoting World War Two Field Marshall Montgomery) in
the Introduction to his teaching, “The Fulfilled Family….”
Does the Bible teach such a thing as a woman’s “place?” Are women really cursed because of sin? Are women silly and gullible as some teach? Christian author, Jocelyn Andersen, doesn’t believe so. To gain a comprehensive overview of what God says about women, Woman this is WAR!, is the book to read.
What
readers are saying:
"This
book is well written, well researched, and a real eye opener."
"Andersen
is a gifted writer, and the book was easy to read even as it covers thoughtful
and sometimes technical information. I am glad I read it. I’ve read a great
deal about women in the church and home, and it is easy to think there is
nothing new to be learned or considered – but this book has a unique approach
and covers aspects overlooked by others. Everything is well documented with
footnotes in case you have questions or want sources."
"The
author is not only a gifted writer but clearly well-studied and informed."
" I
was pleased that translation bias was covered in a chapter, an issue that needs
to be addressed, and one that I find quite hard to bring up with lay people or
everyday believers who lack knowledge about Bible translation. We can trust our
Bibles, but we also need to acknowledge that certain passages are difficult to
translate and bias can come into play."
"Andersen
tackles most of the primary the teachings of complementarianism with an
impressive exegesis"
Author and speaker, Jocelyn Andersen, is an eclectic
Christian writer. She is a Bible teacher who writes about many subjects
including Bible prophecy and equality of the sexes. She is best
known for her advocacy in domestic violence awareness. Her book, Woman Submit! Christians & Domestic Violence, has been a
staple in the library of resources on that subject.
If the topic of God and Women interests you, join the conversation HERE.
Jocelyn Andersen is a Christian author who combines theological inquiry, creative communication, and a strong desire to challenge beliefs that she sees as inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus
An accurate translation is:
...woman of valor [chayil][1] he [shall] find [her]![2] Her value is far above rubies
[1] The Hebrew word Chayil [H2428], which is mistranslated only when applied to women, means: Valor, Strength, or Might. The word never means “virtue.”
Chayil is mistranslated as “virtuous” only three times in the Hebrew text, and each of these mistranslations is deliberate due to translator bias against women.
This bias is not found only in ancient translations but in modern translations also, as translators continue to add to and take away from the Word of God, with respect to the word, chayil, ... but only when it is associated with women.
Other than misogyny, there is no lingual or textual reason to translate the Hebrew word, chayil, as virtuous. The Woman of chayil, according to scripture, is a woman of strength and valor.
[2] The common translation, “Who can find her?” is also a mistranslation. Nothing in the text suggests that strong women are impossible or even difficult to find, but that is almost impossible to know by reading most translations.
James Strong defined the Hebrew word, mi (translated as "who?") as an interrogative pronoun. But it appears that exegetical rules apply only when it suits scholars, as Exodus 24:14 translates the word mi as “any,” and not in an interrogative sense.
When it comes to Bible translation, rules are often followed or ignored according
to translator bias, and such is the case concerning women of chayil.
This is an excerpt from The Hungry Hearts Bible Commentary edited by this author.
Jocelyn Andersen challenges the status quo with an
often non-traditional and out-of-the-box approach to biblical understanding.
She writes and speaks on
a variety of subjects including Bible Prophecy, God and Women,
and Christian response to domestic violence. Her work has
been featured in magazines,
newspapers, radio, and television.
To receive an announcement from Amazon whenever a new book is released by Jocelyn Andersen, subscribe to Her Amazon author's page.
What
readers are saying:
"This
book is well written, well researched, and a real eye opener."
"Andersen
is a gifted writer, and the book was easy to read even as it covers thoughtful
and sometimes technical information. I am glad I read it. I’ve read a great
deal about women in the church and home, and it is easy to think there is
nothing new to be learned or considered – but this book has a unique approach
and covers aspects overlooked by others. Everything is well documented with
footnotes in case you have questions or want sources."
"The
author is not only a gifted writer but clearly well-studied
and informed."
" I
was pleased that translation bias was covered in a chapter, an issue that needs
to be addressed, and one that I find quite hard to bring up with lay people or
everyday believers who lack knowledge about Bible translation. We can trust our
Bibles, but we also need to acknowledge that certain passages are hard to translate
and bias can come into play."
"Andersen
tackles most of the primary the teachings of complementarianism with an
impressive exegesis"
Jocelyn Andersen is a Christian author who combines theological inquiry, creative communication, and a strong desire to challenge beliefs that she sees as inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus
I coined the term "English-Translation-Theology" for a reason
Where insubordination is impossible, there is no subordination.
To receive an
announcement from Amazon whenever a new book is released by Jocelyn Andersen, subscribe
to Her Amazon author's
page.
To
Contact Jocelyn: Use
the contact form in the sidebar of her blog at www.jocelynandersen.com to leave comments on her books, to reach her with questions,
or to request for her to speak at your group.
Jocelyn Andersen is a Christian author who combines theological inquiry, creative communication, and a strong desire to challenge beliefs that she sees as inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus
