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Him that pisseth against the wall: a Bible study

April 10, 2008 in Nutbar, Christianity by markk

I find Bible translation to be a hugely interesting topic. There are so many things that translators have to take into account.

For example: if the Bible uses graphic or explicit imagery, do you translate into equivalent English? Or do you tone it down, to avoid offending the sensibilities of delicate churchgoers?

Consider the King James rendering of 1 Kings 14:10 -

Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.

How do modern translations handle this? The NIV, in place of “him that pisseth against the wall”, has “every last male”.

Lame.

Now, watch a Baptist preacher take on this very subject (RSS readers click here to view):

(Originally found at Better Bibles Blog.)

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