The Hebrew Bible (Alter)
The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary is an English translation of the Hebrew Bible completed by Robert Alter in 2018. It was written over the course of two decades.
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| Translator | Robert Alter |
|---|---|
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
Publication date | 2018 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 3500 |
| ISBN | 978-0393292497 |
Alter's translation is considered unique in its being a one-man translation of the entire Hebrew Bible.[1] Moreover, while most translations aimed to preserve theological accuracy, Alter's translation aims to convey the literary style of the original Hebrew text in English, recreating as much as possible its poetic rhythms and metaphors.[2] The translation is accompanied by a short commentary to elucidate the text. It has been praised for its elegant prose style by scholars of comparative literature, such as Ilana Pardes, and even Bible scholars like Yair Zakovitch of the Hebrew University. Other scholars, however, such as Edward Greenstein of Bar-Ilan University’s Bible department, have criticized the work for alleged inaccuracies.[1]
References
- Gilad, Elon (January 20, 2019). "How a Literature Professor Found Himself Translating the Entire Bible From Scratch". Haaretz. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
- Gilad, Elon (January 18, 2019). "In the Bigynnyng: A Brief History of the English Bible". Haaretz. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
Further reading
- Hendel, Ronald; Kushner, Aviya; Held, Shai; Hart, David Bentley; Berlin, Adele; Kirsch, Adam (2019). "Robert Alter Bible: A Symposium". Jewish Review of Books. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- Kirsch, Adam (June 12, 2013). "Robert Alter's Masterful Translations of the Bible as Literature". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- Kirsch, Adam (October 20, 2010). "Counter-Revelations". The New Republic. ISSN 0028-6583.
- Rendsburg, Gary A. (December 19, 2018). "Book Review - The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary, 3 vols. by Robert Alter". Moment Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- Regt, Lénart J. de. 2022. "Robert Alter's New Translation of the Hebrew Bible: An Assessment for Translators." The Bible Translator 73.2:157-173.
- Rocker, Simon (December 6, 2018). "Can you rewrite the Bible? This man has made it his mission". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
- Shulevitz, Judith (October 17, 2004). "'The Five Books of Moses': From God's Mouth to English". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
- Steinberg, Avi (December 20, 2018). "After More Than Two Decades of Work, a New Hebrew Bible to Rival the King James". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
- Tioyé, Samy Ikoa. 2022. "Robert Alter's Translation of the Hebrew Bible: A Response to Lénart de Regt. The Bible Translator 73.2:174-180.
- Wilensky, David A. M. (November 21, 2018). "Robert Alter completes his monumental translation of the Hebrew Bible". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved December 22, 2018.