https:\/\/biblehub.com\/isaiah\/40-2.htm<\/a>. For example, the Literal Standard Version (LSV) renders the verse this way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n2<\/sup>Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that<\/mark> her warfare has been completed, that<\/mark> her punishment has been accepted, that<\/mark> she has received from the hand of YHWH double<\/mark> for all her sins.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Christian Standard Bible (CSB) translation differs a bit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2<\/sup>Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and announce to her that<\/mark> her time of hard service is over, her iniquity has been pardoned, and she has received from the LORD\u2019s hand double<\/mark> for all he sins.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWe can see the phrase \u201cspeak tenderly to Jerusalem\u201d of the CSB replaces the more literal \u201cspeak to the heart of Jerusalem\u201d of the LSV but are parallel in meaning. The LSV explicitly mentions the 3 clauses introduced by \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9<\/mark> (\u201cki\u201d) while the CSB shows only the first. But the reader can get the logical divisions by means of the commas used before the next clauses. Another difference is the rendering of the 1st<\/sup> clause: the LSV has \u201cher warfare has been completed\u201d while the CSV has \u201cher time of hard service is over.\u201d But both translations use \u201cdouble<\/mark> for all her sins\u201d in the last clause. The other English translations would have differences revolving around these items.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAs mentioned earlier, almost all the versions use \u201cdouble for all her sins\u201d or words to that effect; the only exception is the Good News Translation (GNT) that rendered \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05e4\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u0596\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd<\/mark> (\u201ckiphlayim\u201d) as \u201cin full,\u201d to wit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n2<\/sup>Encourage the people of Jerusalem. Tell them they have suffered long enough and their sins are now forgiven. I have punished them in full<\/mark> for all her sins.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nLooking at Isaiah 40:2 more closely, Dr. Meredith Kline proceeds by taking the 3 clauses as Hebrew synonymous parallels. The 3 statements in total speak of the completion of the time for punishment, wherein Jerusalem has been pardoned after her punishment and that her recompense has been commensurate with her sins. He analyzes the first 2 clauses\/statements to build up his case for a proper translation for the 3rd<\/sup> clause. He then dissects the meaning of the dual word \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05e4\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u0596\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd<\/mark> (\u201ckiphlayim\u201d) in its contextual usages. The underlying Hebrew noun \u05db\u05b6\u05bc\u05e4\u05b6\u05dc (\u201ckephel\u201d) is only found 3x in the OT. He suggests that it can be more correctly translated to mean \u201cequivalent\u201d instead of \u201cdouble.\u201d Dr. Kline says that the translation option of \u201cequivalent\u201d or \u201cmatching image\u201d or \u201cduplicate\u201d rather than \u201ctwofold\u201d has not been reckoned sufficiently. He believes that it the \u201cnotion of an inequitable double payment\u201d for sin is inappropriate with the character of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIt is not only the word \u05db\u05b6\u05bc\u05e4\u05b6\u05dc (\u201ckephel\u201d) which is studied; Dr. Kline also takes a look at other Hebrew nouns and verbs related to this word that upon closer examination \u201cdouble\u201d actually has the meaning or sense of having a twin or duplicate or a match, and not twice the quantity. He also examines Greek words in the New Testament (NT) and suggests that in the light of God\u2019s righteous \u201cscales of justice\u201d the words should be more appropriately translated as \u201cequivalent\u201d rather than \u201cdouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the foregoing, one can ask whether God can actually punish anyone more than one deserves. It really is a question of fair punishment for sin. Of course, God is sovereign, he hates sin and determines what is, or what is not fair. But since our God is a God of justice and righteousness, then he is just and consequently fair. With these theological truths in mind, Dr. Kline in his study gave his translations to the 3 clauses. For the 1st<\/sup> clause: that \u201cher assigned term of service is completed.\u201d For the 2nd<\/sup> clause: that \u201cthe debt of her iniquity has been paid.\u201d And for the 3rd<\/sup> clause: that \u201cshe has received from Yahweh\u2019s hand matching punishment as the payment for all her sins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nIn conclusion, my formal equivalence translation of Isaiah 40:2 follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2<\/sup>Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that<\/mark> her assigned term of service has been completed, that<\/mark> her punishment of iniquity has been accepted, that<\/mark> she has received from the hand of the LORD a matching equivalent<\/mark> for all her sins.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nWe will continue in January after the Christmas break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
God bless us all. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. The 8-day Jewish Feast of Dedication\/Festival of Lights known as \u05d7\u05b2\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 Hanukkah has come and gone last December 7-15. Israel says 20 hostages have perished while in captivity. But still more than a hundred (~117), including the remaining 19 women and children including a baby are still held hostage in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6,7,9,8,5],"class_list":["post-365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ptr-art-calaguas","tag-church-of-the-risen-lord","tag-crl","tag-spiritual-refreshment-of-the-day","tag-upcemi","tag-upcrl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":366,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365\/revisions\/366"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}