Dr. Joel Hoffman

Dr. Joel Hoffman

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Dr. Joel M. Hoffman, a frequent guest lecturer in churches and synagogues, has held faculty appointments at Brandeis University and at Hebrew Union College and lectured at universities on four continents. He is the author of "And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible's Original Meaning" (2010, Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press) and "In The Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language" (2004, NYU Press) and the chief translator for the 10-volume series "My People's Prayer Book" (winner of the National Jewish Book Award).



He also moderates the popular Bible-translation blog "God Didn't Say That" at www.GodDidntSayThat.com.



He can be reached through his website at www.Lashon.net.

Blog Entries by Dr. Joel Hoffman

Five Mistakes in Your Bible Translation

(1231) Comments | Posted December 9, 2011 | 9:11 AM

In the original Hebrew, the 10th Commandment prohibits taking, not coveting. The biblical Jubilee year is named for an animal's horn and has nothing to do with jubilation. The pregnant woman in Isaiah 7:14 is never called a virgin. Psalm 23 opens with an image of God's might and power,...

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Five Ways Your Bible Translation Distorts the Original Meaning of the Text

(1544) Comments | Posted October 14, 2011 | 9:35 AM

From the Ten Commandments to the Psalms to the Gospels, English translations of the Bible distort the original meaning of the text: The Ten Commandments don't forbid coveting. Psalm 23 is not primarily about sheep or a shepherd. And God didn't give his only begotten son because he loved the...

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