God-Breathed Scripture Part 2
One of the “well-known difficulties” presented by 2 Timothy 3:16 (Part 1) has to do with the position of the adjective usually translated as “inspired by God” (NASB) or similar. Evidently, it is “grammatically permissible” for this word to be in “the attributive position or the predicate position” (H. Wayne House ‘Biblical Inspiration in 2 Timothy 3:16,’ Bibliotheca Sacra Jan 1980). Thankfully House explains what he means. He tells us that “the word ‘is’ may be understood immediately before (this adjective), making it a predicate adjective (with the clause translated ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and also profitable’), or immediately after (the adjective), making it an attributive adjective (with the clause translated, ‘All God-breathed Scripture is also profitable’).” The translators of the KJV treated it as predicative (“All scripture is given by inspiration of God”); the ASV, attributive (“Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable”) and the RSV, predicative (“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable”)
At first glance, the difference between the two may not seem noteworthy, but language specialist
Daniel B Wallace asks an important question:
Should we translate this verse “every inspired scripture is also profitable” with the possible implication that some scripture is not inspired (my emphasis), or should we translate it “every scripture is inspired and profitable,” in which case the inspiration of scripture is directly asserted? (My Take on Inerrancy https://bible.org/article/my-take-inerrancy)
Wallace concludes that “from all available evidence, the first readers of 2 Timothy would be expected to read (this adjective) as a predicate adjective since there is nothing compelling in the context to detour them from this most natural understanding (my emphasis).” Similarly, A. T Robertson judged the predicative reading “more natural” (Robertson’s Word Pictures). House warns against dogmatism in deciding the correct translation but concludes that “with all things taken into consideration (syntax, word formation, and context) the balance of the argument is that 2 Timothy 3:16 should be translated, ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable….’”
Rex
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