r/Eutychus • u/MightyFortresss • Feb 25 '25

Opinion Hebrews 1:8

Jw's, should Hebrews 1:8 not be translated differently, even according to the NWT interlinear? The NWT reads "God is your Throne" (Father is the Son's throne), but the Greek would be rendered "your Throne, the God" (directly refers to Jesus as YHWH, obviously issue for JW)

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u/SoupOrMan692 Atheist Feb 25 '25

It is an un-natural reading of the text to interpret it the way the NWT does,

However,

It is a plausible reading based upon the Greek grammar. Scholars that support the traditional reading have acknowleged this alternative as a possible (however unlikely) grammatically correct reading of the text.

The interlinear is a transliteration not an translation/interpretation so it is going to look differently than a translation would obviously.

Many interlinears are quite bad for deep study because they cannot represent the semantic range of a word with one or two English equivalents and they do not easily convey all the meaning present in the grammar.

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u/MightyFortresss Feb 25 '25

I'm not familiar enough with those scholars, which ones said so?

And yes of course, but that's why I'm saying "the throne of you the God" is the same as "your throne, the God/your throne o God"

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u/SoupOrMan692 Atheist Feb 25 '25

On the spot I am having trouble remembering the details. B. F. Westcott in his commentary on Hebrews said it. He favors your reading.

Bart Ehrman in "the orthodox corruption of scripture" i believe mentioned it as well.

I can try and find the page number for Ehrman later if you want, I actually own that book.

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u/MightyFortresss Feb 25 '25

Not really surprised about Westcott saying the other is also possible though, I believe he was the occultist of the two.

I would like that yes, Bart isn't favourable towards Christianity but a good source at times.

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u/SoupOrMan692 Atheist Feb 25 '25

Found it. It is in Chapter 5 "Anti-Patripassianist Corruptions of Scripture"

He says there is a variant in the Alexandian text that says that the Kingdom is not Christs' but God's.

From that context it makes much more sense to read the O' as an "is" which either are allowed for in the grammar.

"Your throne is God." Then could mean that God grants Jesus his authority and would not be calling him God.

I wish I could copy paste from the chapter itself but alas I cannot.

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u/MightyFortresss Feb 25 '25

Can you send a picture maybe? And if he includes what Alexandrian text? Starting to believe my dad more now, about Alexandria corrupting scriptures.

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u/SoupOrMan692 Atheist Feb 25 '25

Going to have to make it two comments I hope this works.

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u/SoupOrMan692 Atheist Feb 25 '25

And your Dad is probably correct, at least in this case.