{"id":1788,"date":"2025-03-13T10:03:11","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T10:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maurobiglino.com\/bibbia-e-traduzioni-cosa-dicono-davvero\/"},"modified":"2025-03-13T10:29:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T10:29:15","slug":"bible-and-translations-what-do-they-really-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maurobiglino.com\/en\/bible-and-translations-what-do-they-really-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Bible and translations: what do they really say?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row fade_scroll=”yes” enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” css=”.vc_custom_1725610425174{padding-bottom: 30px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text el_class=”abstract”]Over the years, the interpretation of<\/b> and translation from the Bible<\/b> have undergone profound changes, reflecting the continuous advancement of linguistic and historical studies<\/b>. The recent publication of new Bible versions<\/b> has finally confirmed many of the observations that Mauro Biglino<\/b> has been making for over a decade, for example with reference to the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14<\/b> the translation of key terms such as almah<\/i><\/b> (young woman<\/i>) has changed.<\/p>\n

In this article we will examine some of these changes in depth and also discover a clarification regarding the physical location of the biblical deity<\/b>, a theme that is also confirmed in the Koran<\/b>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” css=”.vc_custom_1725610643039{margin-top: 30px !important;margin-bottom: 50px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_video link=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/XOZ4C8qWWrQ” align=”center”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1741860378343{margin-top: 5px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

English subtitles<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Isaiah’s prophecy: Mary or simply the mother of Hezekiah?<\/h2>\n

One of the most debated topics concerns the alleged prophecy of Isaiah<\/b> about the birth of Jesus<\/b>. For centuries, Christian translations have interpreted the term almah<\/i><\/b> as \u201cvirgin\u201d<\/b>, fueling the idea that the text refers to Mary<\/b>. However, the most recent editions of the Bible<\/b>, such as The Revised New Jerusalem Bible<\/i> of 2024<\/b> and the Bible Einaudi<\/b>, confirm that almah<\/i><\/b> simply means \u201cyoung woman\u201d<\/b> and that the child mentioned is actually Hezekiah, son of King Ahaz of Judah<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the term harah<\/i><\/b> in the Hebrew text is an adjective<\/b> and indicates a woman who is already pregnant<\/b> and not one who will conceive in the future<\/b>.<\/p>\n

This interpretation is confirmed by the explanatory notes<\/b> in more recent Bibles, which indicate that the woman mentioned was probably the wife of King Ahaz<\/b>, identified in the Book of Kings<\/b> and Chronicles<\/b> by the name of Abijah<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The Greek translation of the Bible<\/b>, the Septuagint<\/i>, translated almah<\/i><\/b> with the Greek word parthenos<\/i><\/b>, which means \u201cgirl\u201d and \u201cvirgin\u201d<\/b>, thus feeding a misunderstanding<\/b> that has been rooted in the Christian tradition<\/b> for centuries.<\/p>\n

But in the original Hebrew context<\/b>, the sign spoken of by Isaiah<\/b> was not miraculous<\/b>: it referred to an imminent historical event<\/b>, not to an extraordinary birth that occurred centuries later.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” responsive_css=”margin_top_large:30px|margin_bottom_large:50px|margin_bottom_small:30px”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”1784″ alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]Another interesting aspect is the timing<\/b> indicated in the text. The more recent Bible<\/b> clarifies that the woman \u201cwill give birth within a few months\u201d<\/b> (within months<\/i>), confirming that the child had already been conceived<\/b> and that the sign did not concern an event far in the future<\/b>.<\/p>\n

This view is also supported by the Talmud<\/b> and rabbinical commentaries<\/b>, which do not associate Isaiah 7:14 in any way with the messianic figure of Jesus<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The implications of this revision<\/b> are enormous, as it dismantles one of the most quoted prophecies in the New Testament<\/b> in support of the virgin birth of Christ<\/b>.<\/p>\n

If the verse from Isaiah<\/b> did not foretell the birth of Jesus<\/b>, then one of the main scriptural foundations<\/b> on which this doctrine is based falls away<\/b>.<\/p>\n

This shows how the translation<\/b> and interpretation<\/b> of biblical texts have been profoundly influenced by theological necessities<\/b>, rather than by a philologically correct reading<\/b> of the original Hebrew<\/b> text.<\/p>\n

Awareness of these translation errors<\/b> has led many modern<\/b> editions of the Bible to finally correct the translation of Isaiah 7:14<\/b>, aligning themselves with what scholars such as Mauro Biglino<\/b> have been arguing for over a decade<\/b>.<\/p>\n

This represents an important step<\/b> in the philological understanding of the Bible<\/b> and once again confirms how necessary it is to critically review many of the interpretative traditions consolidated over time<\/b>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” css=”.vc_custom_1725610661138{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The true meaning of Yam Suf: the Sea of Reeds<\/h2>\n

Another example of correction in translations<\/b> concerns the term yam suf<\/i><\/b>, traditionally rendered as \u201cRed Sea\u201d<\/b>, but which in reality means \u201csea of reeds\u201d<\/b> or \u201csea of rushes\u201d<\/b>.<\/p>\n

This new understanding radically changes<\/b> the context of the episode in Exodus<\/b>, since it is not a miraculous crossing of the Red Sea<\/b>, as has been taught for centuries, but a natural phenomenon that occurred in a marshy area<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The waters of Yam Suf<\/i><\/b> are described in the biblical text as having temporarily receded due to a strong wind<\/b>, allowing the Israelites to cross the dry<\/b> bed.<\/p>\n

This detail is confirmed<\/b> by descriptions of natural phenomena<\/b> related to shallow bodies of water, such as tides<\/b> or the effects of wind on lagoons and marshes<\/b>.<\/p>\n

After the Jewish people<\/b> had passed, the wind died down<\/b> and the waters returned to their original state<\/b>, overwhelming the Egyptian army<\/b>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” responsive_css=”margin_top_large:30px|margin_bottom_large:50px|margin_bottom_small:30px”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”1782″ alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” css=”.vc_custom_1725610661138{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]If we consider the correct translation<\/b> of the term yam suf<\/i><\/b>, it emerges that the episode does not concern the Red Sea<\/b>, but a marshy area<\/b>, probably near the Nile delta<\/b>, which makes the story more consistent with known geophysical dynamics<\/b>.<\/p>\n

This change of perspective<\/b> is significant because it reduces the miraculous element of the story<\/b> and brings it back to a historically and scientifically plausible narrative<\/b>.<\/p>\n

The Bible<\/b> itself, in the most recent versions mentioned above<\/b>, begins to incorporate this correction<\/b>, finally translating yam suf<\/i><\/b> as \u201csea of reeds\u201d<\/b> instead of Red Sea<\/b>.<\/p>\n

This is a further example<\/b> of how modern linguistic and historical research<\/b> is gradually bringing to light the true meaning<\/b> of many biblical passages<\/b> that have been misunderstood<\/b> or theologically reinterpreted<\/b> for centuries.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” css=”.vc_custom_1725610661138{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

The God of the Bible is always localized in space<\/h2>\n

One of the most fascinating aspects of reading the Bible literally is the constant physical localization of God<\/b>. Yahweh is not an omnipresent and abstract<\/b> entity, but a being that moves through space<\/b>, manifests in specific places and physically interacts with his interlocutors. This concept is extensively discussed in chapter 11<\/b> of The Gods of the Bible<\/i><\/a>, which analyzes the role of the malachim<\/i>, the messengers of God<\/b>, erroneously translated as angels<\/b>.<\/p>\n

As highlighted in the book, the malachim<\/i> are not spiritual beings, but individuals in flesh and blood<\/b> who walk, eat, get tired and interact physically<\/b> with human beings. These individuals not only transmit orders, but often act in strategic and operational<\/b> roles.<\/p>\n

For example, in Exodus 23:20-30<\/b>, Yahweh orders the sending of a malakh<\/i> to guide the Israelites in the conquest of the Promised<\/b> Land, with functions that resemble more those of a military commander<\/b> than those of an ethereal being. Furthermore, in Genesis 16<\/b>, the malakh<\/i> that meets Hagar is not an otherworldly figure, but a being that walks in the desert<\/b>, appears surprised to find her there and asks her questions to understand the situation. Also in Genesis 22<\/b>, when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac, it is a malakh<\/i> that stops him at the last moment, suggesting a physical and concrete intervention<\/b>.<\/p>\n

These episodes highlight a God who is not omniscient nor omnipresent<\/b>, but who interacts through messengers<\/b> who must physically move through space<\/b> to carry out orders. Their presence is often a source of fear for<\/b> those who encounter them, as in the case of the malakh<\/i> of 1 Chronicles 21<\/b>, who appears with a \u201csword\u201d<\/b> pointed at Jerusalem, terrorizing David<\/b> and the inhabitants of the city.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” responsive_css=”margin_top_large:30px|margin_bottom_large:50px|margin_bottom_small:30px”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_single_image image=”1780″ alignment=”center”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” css=”.vc_custom_1725610661138{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]An interesting aspect also emerges from Judges 6<\/b>, in which Gideon<\/b> encounters a malakh<\/i> while he is threshing wheat. The being does not appear as an ethereal vision<\/b>, but is a man who interacts with him<\/b>, agrees to wait while Gideon prepares some food and then performs a surprising action: with a stick, he lights a flame to burn the offering<\/b>, indicating the use of an unknown technology<\/b> rather than a divine miracle.<\/p>\n

Finally, the Bible describes chance encounters<\/b> between the malachim<\/i> and humans, as in Genesis 32<\/b>, where Jacob comes across a camp of elohim<\/i><\/b>. The malachim<\/i> do not bring divine messages, they do not manifest themselves in a halo of light<\/b>, but they simply happen to be in his path, suggesting a stable and physical presence on this planet<\/b>.<\/p>\n

All these elements lead to a vision of the Bible that is radically different<\/b> from the traditional one: the biblical God is localized, works through corporeal beings and acts within a material and strategic<\/b> framework. This aspect is also reflected in extra-biblical narratives<\/b>, such as the Sumerian and Babylonian<\/b> ones, which describe divine figures<\/b> interacting with human beings in an equally tangible and concrete way<\/b>.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Up” css=”.vc_custom_1661934423901{padding-top: 40px !important;padding-bottom: 40px !important;}” row_hide=”hidden-xs”][vc_column width=”1\/6″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”2\/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1661934759256{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;border-left-color: #000000 !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #000000 !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #000000 !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #000000 !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][vc_row_inner content_placement=”middle” gap=”0″][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″ enable_content_animation=”yes” animation_preset=”Fade In Left” css=”.vc_custom_1661934743455{padding-left: 40px !important;}”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Find out more about the bestseller \u201cThe Gods of the Bible\u201d<\/h3>\n

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