rubbish

One of the more amusing translation issues in the New Testament appears in the Letter to the Philippians 3:8 (NABRE), in which Paul writes: “More than that, I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

The Greek word σκύβαλον (skubalon) is translated in the above passage as rubbish, a translation that doesn’t accurately reflect the original Greek meaning. Skubalon, rather than meaning rubbish or “trash,” actually indicates “dung,” “excrement,” or “manure.” While this translation difference doesn’t substantially alter the meaning of the passage, we readily can see how the actual meaning of skubalon significantly strengthens Paul’s point.

The question raised by this translation difference is one of political correctness. When, if ever, does political correctness go too far? The translators here appear determined to avoid using any word to indicate dung or manure, perhaps because the easiest and clearest word to use in such a context is taboo in English. As a result, they prefer to somewhat alter the meaning of the text. The underlying and basic questions we encounter are whether translations of the biblical text are fundamentally reliable, whether they serve as a useful but incomplete reference, or whether we think they ultimately reduce text to so much rubbish.

related topics: scandal; sexual immorality; sin

you also may like our study of the book of Genesis
The first seven lessons of In the Beginning: The Book of Genesis, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provide an in-depth look at the very earliest biblical history—including the two accounts of Creation, events surrounding the Fall of Adam and Eve, the relationship between Cain and Abel, and the baptismal foreshadowing present in the account of Noah and the Flood. Remaining lessons look at lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. Click here to view a sample of the first lesson.

Click on the picture of the statue of Moses with horns (above) to learn more about Lost in Translation. A new entry is archived each Monday. Contact us to receive Lost in Translation by email every week. You may use any of the contact links on our website to ask Matthew a question.