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by Andrew Case
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- 4 days ago47 min
The Bizarre History of the Hebrew Hapax "lilith" לילית
Edited and curated by Andrew Case and generated by NotebookLM based on: https://doi.org/10.54395/JOT-MJLIL21This episode examines the evolution of the Hebrew word lilith, found in Isaiah 34:14 (לִּילִ֔ית), from its likely origins as a biological bird to its status as a modern cultural icon. Through onomatopoeic experiments and applied psychology, the author argues that the term originally imitated the call of the Lilith Owl, a creature suited to the desolate habitats described in the Bible. Over centuries, cognitive illusions and superstitions regarding owls and nighttime death led translators to replace this natural bird with supernatural female demons from Greek and Near Eastern mythology. The study tracks this shift from early Greek translations and Dead Sea Scrolls to medieval legends that portrayed Lilith as Adam's rebellious first wife. Ultimately, while the word began as a vocal icon for a specific owl, it has since become an ineradicable symbol of feminine power and witchcraft in contemporary media. This transition highlights how linguistic misunderstandings and archaeological misinterpretations can transform a 2,700-year-old word into a complex mythic figure.
- 1 weeks ago25 min
Who Is the Dumb Consultant Who Approved This? (Oh, It Was Me!)
Guest: Randy Groff. Subtitle: How Ethical is Parachute Consulting?Watch the original presentation.A big thank-you to Randy Groff for being willing to share his talk on this podcast.In this presentation, Randy Groff critiques the "parachute consulting" model, where specialists briefly visit unfamiliar regions to approve Bible translations based solely on back translations. Drawing on decades of experience in West Africa, he compares traditional translation projects—which involve deep linguistic immersion—with modern Luke partnership projects that prioritize speed and local drafting. Groff’s research reveals that relying on back translations often conceals significant grammatical and contextual errors, which he only discovered after performing an exhaustive interlinear analysis. He argues that the pressure for cost reduction and rapid results in the non-Western world compromises the quality of sacred texts. Ultimately, Groff calls for a return to rigorous oversight and intermediate linguistic checks to ensure that local communities receive accurate and ethical translations.website | books | twitter | music | Hebrew | articles | facebook | contact | download all episodes for offline
- 2 weeks ago29 min
To Approve or Not? What guides consultants when they are uncomfortable with the text before them?
Watch the original video.“A sound translation will help shape theology - but theology should not dictate how the text is translated.”Many thanks to Steve Payne for being willing to share his work on this podcast.In this presentation, translation consultant Stephen Payne explores the complex ethical and practical dilemmas faced when approving biblical texts for publication. He argues that while local teams often prioritize cultural relevance and naturalness, consultants must act as stewards of accuracy to prevent theological biases or modern perspectives from altering the original message. Through various case studies, Payne illustrates how issues like contextualization, honorifics, and historical consistency can create friction between a consultant's conscience and a community's preferences. He emphasizes that while the role of a consultant is collaborative, they must ultimately ensure that theology does not dictate translation or compromise the integrity of the source text. Payne concludes that certified oversight remains essential in 2025 to provide global churches with high-quality, trustworthy Scripture. He provides a framework of guiding principles intended to help consultants navigate these sensitive situations with both humility and firm professional standards.
- 3 weeks ago47 min
Debating Scripture Non-Use
This episode examines the debate regarding the effectiveness and adoption of vernacular Bible translations in multilingual communities. While some researchers argue that diglossia and language prestige cause churches to favor national languages for formal worship, others present data showing that intentional engagement strategies can successfully integrate local languages into the church. A systematic review of seventy-three language groups reveals that local ownership and transitional workshops are critical factors in overcoming the dominance of a secondary language. Beyond public reading, this episode highlights the importance of audio formats and additional literature to build a pathway for deeper understanding. Ultimately, Scripture engagement is a complex, interdisciplinary process influenced by theological views, cultural traditions, and practical leadership. Successful use depends on empowering local leaders to see the spiritual and social relevance of their own mother tongue.Tim Hatcher's articlewebsite | books | twitter | music | Hebrew | articles | facebook | contact | download all episodes for offline
- Mar 2, 20261h 9m
Scripture Non-Use - The Greatest Threat to Bible Translation - with Dr. Dave Eberhard
Dave Eberhard has done a large scientific study with other colleagues for progress.bible, and the results are devastating. This is something I’ve been trying to raise caution about for a long time, but now we have hard evidence and data to support a simple idea which Dave is calling The Sequencing of Translation Hypothesis. This states that the following general tendency holds in most multilingual communities: a local language translation does not become a Scripture of normative public use if a national/regional language has already become normative in that domain. In other words, if a language of wider communication like English or Spanish was the first language to become normative in church and spiritual life, then a local language translation will not be used and is not necessary. The consequences of this hypothesis would be that most of the languages currently listed as needing translated Scripture would be removed from that list, and put us extremely close to eliminating Bible poverty.Dr. David M. Eberhard is the General Editor of the Ethnologue. Read a prepublication draft of the paper on the Vanuatu study.View a slide presentation of the study's findings.website | books | twitter | music | Hebrew | articles | facebook | contact | download all episodes for offline
- Feb 13, 202614 min
Part 12 - Pronouncing & Translating the Divine Name - Objections & Conclusion
Get the free book.In this episode, we tackle the most common defense for silencing the Divine Name: the "lost pronunciation" argument. This chapter dismantles the idea that because we lack an audio recording of Moses, we should default to a title. By drawing a direct parallel to the name of Jesus, the author points out a striking inconsistency: while the English "Jesus" sounds nothing like the Hebrew Yeshua or the Greek Iēsous, Christians utter it without hesitation. If God accepts a myriad of global pronunciations for the Son, it stands to reason He accepts various approximations of His own personal name.The discussion then moves into the subjective realm of "literary effect" and the weight of tradition. While some critics argue that using "Yahweh" in the Psalms spoils their poetic beauty, others find that restoring the Name adds a "refreshing vitality" and impact. This chapter concludes with a powerful, seven-point manifesto for returning the Name to our Bibles and our speech. The goal isn't phonetic perfection—which the author admits is impossible—but rather a "robustly biblical" shift from using a descriptive title to a personal name, ensuring that future generations grow up knowing God not just as a sovereign "Lord," but as a personal Being who revealed Himself by name.website | books | twitter | music | Hebrew | articles | facebook | contact | download all episodes for offline
- Feb 11, 202651 min
Part 11 - Pronouncing & Translating the Divine Name - Translating YHWH around the World
Get the free book.A 1992 United Bible Societies study group identified sixbroad options for translating the divine name which continue to frame thediscussion: 1. transliterate the name (adapting “Yahweh” or an established form like “Jehovah”)2. substitute a title such as the equivalent of “Lord” (followingSeptuagint and NT practice of using kurios)3. translate the meaning of YHWH (e.g. “Eternal One”)4. use a culture-specific name for the Supreme Being5. render YHWH the same way as the generic word for “God”6. employ a combination of these strategies[1] In practice, modern Bible translators have employed all ofthe above methods in various languages, balancing linguistic constraints andcultural context. This chapter examines the way many other languages besidesEnglish have rendered YHWH.[1]“YHWH,” Translation Insights and Perspectives (TIPS), accessed May 23,2025, https://tips.translation.bible/story/yhwh.website | books | twitter | music | Hebrew | articles | facebook | contact | download all episodes for offline
- Feb 9, 202639 min
Part 10 - Pronouncing & Translating the Divine Name - Traditions from the Reformations to the Present
Get the free book.In this episode, we explore the historical and theological evolution of the divine name in translation, tracing a path from the early Latin Vulgate to the modern digital age. We begin by examining the tension within the Protestant Reformation, where figures like Martin Luther and John Calvin criticized the "foul superstition" of replacing God's personal name with titles, yet often succumbed to tradition in their own Bibles. This chapter highlights the bold stand of Casiodoro de Reina, whose 1569 Spanish translation remains a landmark for its insistence that substituting the Tetragrammaton with "Lord" is a "singular sacrilege" that violates the integrity of the biblical text.The second half of the discussion shifts to the modern era, where we dissect the "flip-flopping" of major 20th and 21st-century versions. From the American Standard Version’s restoration of "Jehovah" to the subsequent reversals in the RSV and CSB, we look at how linguistic accuracy often loses the battle against liturgical familiarity and the financial pressures of the Bible publishing industry. We conclude by looking at the rise of the Sacred Name Movement and contemporary "Literal" versions, questioning whether modern translations are prioritising reader comfort over the specific, personal identity God revealed to the prophets.website | books | twitter | music | Hebrew | articles | facebook | contact | download all episodes for offline
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About Working for the Word - a Bible translation podcast
It's been said that people don't want to know: 1) how sausages are made, 2) how bibles are translated. In this podcast we bravely talk about the latter, go deep into biblical studies, and seek to treasure and understand the Bible together. It's for people who want to get nerdy about Scripture and for those who want to understand how their translations came to be. Everything from history to Hebrew, we're on a quest to learn more and make beautiful translations of God's Word. We believe the Bible is a unified, God-breathed, God-centered, hope-giving book, sweeter than honey, pointing to Jesus.
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