Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 72:1 (NA 2021)
Article: The Translation And Transmission Of ‘Son Of God’ In Arabic Insights From Gospel Manuscripts
Author: Paul C. J. Riley

TynBull 72:1 (2021) p. 25

The Translation And Transmission Of ‘Son Of God’ In Arabic
Insights From Gospel Manuscripts

Paul C. J. Riley

Equip Bible College, Australia
[email protected]

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine manuscripts of five translations of the Arabic Gospels to learn more about the translation and transmission of the title ‘Son of God’. Learning more about the communication of Jesus’ identity as ‘Son of God’ among early Arabic-speaking Christians can help Bible translators in Arabic contexts today. In addition, this examination of Arabic manuscripts demonstrates the use of Arabic versions in the practice of contemporary New Testament textual criticism.

1. Introduction

The study of ‘Son of God’ in Arabic Gospel manuscripts is relevant to two ongoing conversations in contemporary scholarship.

The first discussion relates to best practice for translating references to Jesus as ‘Son of God’ in Arabic contexts today.1 Among early Arabic-speaking Christians, the title ‘Son of God’ received significant attention as they sought to understand and communicate their faith. The study of Arabic Gospel manuscripts can provide insight into the ways that Arabic-speaking Christian communities at that time received and communicated ‘Son of God’. Considering this evidence can provide important insight into how to approach this challenge today.

TynBull 72:1 (2021) p. 26

The second topic, in which interest has been developing, is the use of Arabic Gospel manuscripts in New Testament textual criticism.2 In addition to the work of grouping the manuscripts into families, individual manuscript and family studies have also become available. These studies highlight the importance of two issues for using versions, and specifically Arabic translations, in textual criticism of the New Testament. First, textual critics need to understand the translation technique of the version to ascertain its relationship to the source text.3 Second, these studies address whether comparatively late translations, such as the Arabic versions, can provide significant support for variant readings.

2. The Manuscripts

The manuscripts used in this study come from five families, each with unique characteristics.4

Family a was a widely used Arabic translation of the Gospels made from a Greek source text.5 The manuscrip...