Recently I read an objection to versions like the TNIV that do not capitalize pronouns in reference to deity. The objector believes that pronouns in reference to deity must be capitalized.
For example, in the objector’s eyes, the TNIV falls short in its rendering of the pronouns in reference to deity in John 3:16.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (emphasis added).
Frankly speaking it doesn’t matter to me. Before switching to the TNIV I used the NASB for a few years, and it is known for capitalizing pronouns in reference to deity.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (NASB, emphasis added)
So who established the rule that pronouns in reference to deity must be capitalized? Does it really make a difference to the reader?
This is very interesting because I thought the KJV would have them capitalized and it doesn’t. (I obviously wasn’t raised on the KJV.) But NKJV does.
I wonder when and how it started.
It’s interesting the things people nit pick about. If this is a shibboleth then they will have limited choices.
I happen to like it, despite some people’s objections to translation in some instances, but don’t believe it’s disrespectful not to.
Jeff
Capitalized pronouns doesn’t much matter to me, but one thing that’s been strange to my sensibilities is the use of an uncapitalized ‘god’ in reference to Yahweh in a couple of things that I’ve been reading. It takes a little getting used to.
Obviously it is an English hangup. The Greek text feels no compulsion to “respectfully” capitalize pronouns referring to God.
Then again, Greek was formulated and practiced in a polytheistic branch of history, while English, not so much.
I myself tend to use the capitalized form only when there are multiple referents possible and I want to distinguish God. It acts as a a nice way of accomplishing this, rather than having to create some nasty circumlocution.
I like to leave pronouns uncapitalized. While most times it is very evident that the Diety is being referenced, sometimes that is not the case. When the pronoun is capitalized, the translator has now made determination that God is being referenced, even if the person speaking doesn’t recognize that fact, such as in the case of the Pharisees addressing Jesus. I would rather leave pronouns in lower case and let the text speak for itself.
One of my first projects at Tyndale (in 2005) was to go through the NLT and mark all of the divine pronouns in the text. The NLT doesn’t capitalize divine pronouns, but one new edition was going to have them capped (the Discover God Study Bible).
Anonymous is right, there are countless places where a decision needed to be made, and often it was quite a difficult choice. The ambiguous ones were marked as such, and a few other people were brought in to look at them, but in the end you have to decide either to cap it or to leave it lowercase–and then it is right there, in black and white.
Why did the NLT go with lowercase to begin with? As I understand it, it was primarily a matter of English style.
@Jeff, for people it’s another shibboleth.
@Nick,at some levels translators need to show good taste and judgment.
@Sphodra, thanks for stopping by. It is indeed an “English hangup,” and I really like your note on the Greek culture and so on.
@Anonymous, thanks for stopping by. I believe the text often makes it evident who is being referenced except for a few places (Mark 2:15).
@Keith, thanks for sharing that with us. The more and more I look into translations I beginning to realize and appreciate what translators are up against.
Either way is fine with me now. I was used to it being capitalized but now it really doesn’t matter. If we were reading Greek or Hebrew, we’d have no choice. So I’m grateful for the option we have in English.
Sphodra, it is more an American hangup than an English one. Here in England Bibles are rarely published with capitalised pronouns for God, although some other books are. But this is the rule in some other countries, such as Russia.
To illustrate the difficulty of this situation, how would you capitalise Mary’s words in John 20:15? Do you capitalise “him” meaning Jesus, or “you” meaning the one she thinks is the gardener? If you capitalise both, you have the absurd picture of Jesus carrying his own body away!
Ah, I was actually referring to when I write about God, not when I translate scripture itself. I do devotionals and definitely use writing to discuss what he is teaching me. In that context, I am sometimes inclined to differentiate with capitalization to avoid circumlocution. In the biblical translation arena – though it is likely not 100% percent – I try to stick with lowercase.
Peter, thanks for the info about the difference between American and British English. I had no idea.
I looked at John 20:15 in the NKJV, which is all capitalized. It certainly did sound kind of funny. It’s really something to think about.
Kevin, using capitalized pronouns in reference to deity is akin to that strained argument of some to maintain “Thous” and “Thees” in prayers to God. Such are artificial constructs at best.
I was taught in grade school to always capitalize divine pronouns and I will keep doing it. It tears at my heart, and I’m sure at Our Lord’s Heart too, when capitalization is not used. Just think about how Our Lord Jesus feels.
I will not capitalize the evil one’s name.
This country is in for a big one some day…. homos, sex, abortion, taking God out of our country. Wake-up and get down on your knees and beg God’s forgiveness!
Where in Scripture are we instructed by our Lord to capitalize pronouns in reference to him? But I appreciate your zeal for that which is divine.
I found this blog, while searching this issue, so thanks for asking the question.
My theology is that God doesn’t need us, but wants us. Thinking along those terms I don’t think He really cares if it’s capitalized or not. However, I personally do capitalize to make it stand out and show respect in regards to other readers who are reading, especially if I am teaching on the topic.
Where did it come from? For me it came from the text books we used at the Christian school I attended. I have the text books (mainly BEKA) and they did instruct us to capitalize pronouns referring to Deity. (Truth be told, I only do it to Deity that I believe in)
Thanks for dropping in Matthew. I believe that’s my tendency too.
Why do so many translations (not NAB or NEB or JPS) capitalize the second lord in Ps. 110:1. The Hebrew word is adoni and not adonai. The word adoni is not a Deity title, ever. So it appears in all of the 194 times as lord, but here in Ps. 110:1 translators tend to put Lord giving the impression that the original is adonai (Lord God), and it is not! This Psalm is vastly important for NT understanding of Jesus in relation to God, and he is given the title of a supremely elevated human person, but not God, Ie not adonai, but adoni, my lord (The RV got it right in 1881). In v. 5 of the same psalm the positions are reversed so that God is said to be supporting the Messiah. We find that image quite often.
The word in v. 5 is adonai (Lord God).
Anthony, good observation! I’ll have to look into that some more. Thanks for point that out.
@Peter Kirk I’m a New Zealander and we generally use British English as opposed to American English. I wouldn’t say that capitalization of the divine pronoun is particularly an American phenomenon – perhaps the more conservative Americans have retained it longer – after all, it goes right back to the King James, which does capitalises ‘He’. CS Lewis does it prolifically!
I think it’s appropriate for Bible translations to not use capitalisation since it more closely resembles the original text. I prefer to use the traditional established convention of capitalization in the English language, to show respect for God, but I’m not saying it’s bad grammar or necessarily disrespect for God to do otherwise.
I wonder if your readers are aware of the amazing attempt to make the Messiah God, by putting a capital letter on “my lord’ in Ps. 110:1 This psalms is THE critical christological text to describe who the risen Jesus is. He is adoni, my lord, and not Adonai, my Lord (God). The RV in 1881 corrected the capital letter on lord in KJV. And it corrected the same error in Dan 12:8, where again the KJV has put a capital letter on Lord to make readers think the one addressed was a preexising “God-Jesus.”
The use of a capital is fine as long as one is consistent, but the public is not allowed to see that the Messiah is lord and not Lord, due to the bias of translation and the power of the Trinitarian idea. These are not small issues, since the whole nature of God and of Jesus is at stake here. Ps. 110:1 is a brilliant key to the revelation of the relationship of Jesus to God, his Father. Its truth is muddied and confused by in the insertion of a capital letter on the second lord, contrary to the express editorial rules of the translations themselves. Adoni, my lord, occurs 185 times in the Hebrew Bible and it is never a reference to God. It always designates a non-Deity superior, and that is who Jesus is, as the risen lord. Note how Peter used this verse as a prooftext and the basis for knowing about the risen lord, who is the lord Messiah at God’s right hand (Acts 2:34-36), Many commentaries even misreport the Hebrew word in Ps. 110:1 and thus corrupt the sacred text. The Hebrew word is definitely not adonai, but adoni, and the difference is the difference between God and man (see the Hebrew Lexicon by Brown, Driver and Briggs at the entry for ADON (lord). Strong’s does not show this important difference between adoni and adonai, but on page 22 of the New Englishman’s Hebrew Concordance (Wigram) the reader will see the words “adoni, my lord.” The capital letter in translations for the second lord of Ps. 110:1 amounts to a theological error of huge proportions.
Uninvited heresy. Is that worse than being a troll?
Stan, I allowed it if for no other than to expose the folly of it.
I have a question I’d like answered. In writing the sentence, “Let’s lay a scriptural foundation.” Is there an English Grammar rule stating that ‘scripture’ should be capitalized? I was taught to use capitals for diety and other words pertaining to the Bible, however this has really got me stumped! Help.
Many years ago I read a fascinating article on this subject with a title something like, ‘Did Jesus spell mine with a capital M?’. I wish I could find it! Whilst I respect those for whom it is a matter of respect for God, I find it very interesting that (despite Ben’s claim to the contrary) the King James version does NOT capitalise the divine pronoun.
I have wondered whether the capitalisation came in with the Victorians in the 19th century. It’s worth remembering that before then English spelling was often very inconsistent anyway. I believe that Shakespeare spelt his name differently in different signatures!
I’m also interested that a couple of people posting have an issue in typing ‘ie’ instead of ‘ei’, leading to ‘diety’ instead of ‘deity’. I have the same problem with you/yuo!