Why did the Geneva Bible start using the word "Pastor"?

[carlos123]

I am interested in doing a bit of collective historical research if anyone is game for that.  

 

The Geneva Bible was the first English bible to start using the Latin word "Pastors" in Ephesians 4:11.   The New Testament was published in 1557 followed afterwards by the entire bible in 1560.  

 

All other English bibles, prior to the Geneva, rendered the underlying Greek word in Ephesians 4:11 as a derivative of the word we know as "shepherds".  

 

The Wycliffe Bible - shepherdis

The Coverdale Bible - shepherdes

William Tyndale New Testament - Sheperdes

The Great Bible - Shepherdes

Matthew Bible - sheperdes

 

The Geneva Bible also used the Latin word "Pastors" (either in the singular or plural) in 9 other verses in Jeremiah.  

 

Jeremiah

2:8

3:15

6:3

10:21

12:10

17:16

22:22

23:1

23:2

 

Today all modern English bibles have gone back to using the word "shepherd" or a derivative in Jeremiah. 

 

But the rendering of the underlying Greek word into "Pastors", as the Geneva Bible did, has remained and has now become the norm (with the exception of the English Standard Version and Young's Literal Translation who have rendered this word into "shepherds").  

 

Why did the Geneva Bible begin using the word "Pastors"?  

 

There is no logical, linguistic, scriptural, or other reason to justify this rendering. 

 

Anybody got any interest in digging into history with me to find why this rendering began to be used by the Geneva Bible?  

 

Carlos

[Floatingaxe]

ποιμήν
poimēn
poy-mane'
Of uncertain affinity; a shepherd (literally or figuratively): - shepherd, pastor.

[OldSchool2]

Perhaps because "Pastor" is also Old French, and French is sometimes jokingly referred to as "mispronounced Latin"?

"... The influence of the French language from the Normans formed the Middle English of Wyclifs time. Tyndale remodeled the Middle English and formed the English language that is the most spoken language in the world today."

http://logosresourcepages.org/idx_Pages/idx_geneva.htm

[Guest shiloh357]

Does it matter?   Does it change anything about the text doctrinally.   We use "pastoral"   to describe gentle valley scenes.  The authors of he Geneva Bible were Calvinists and french is considered, even today, along with German Latin, to be a "theological"  language because so many Christian authors wrote and spoke  French, German and Latin.

 

"Pastor" comes from a french word from which we also get the word "pasture."   So a pastoral scene is one with a shepherd guiding his sheep.    So using pastor or shepherd is really a nonissue.

[another_poster]

I think the simplest reason is they thought that was the most accurate. I think it really is that simple. With every translation they really do try to be as faithful as possible. Fact is people don't go out there to deceive. We are only human and we are not perfect and make mistakes. What are the best documents to use when translating? Well once again that is matter of opinion and I would go as far to say it is sinning if we condemn those who have done their best as being ungodly or inspired by demons or anything like that. Unless we can judge their motives we really need to assume they have done what they think is right.

[Guest shiloh357]

 

Why did the Geneva Bible begin using the word "Pastors"?  

 

There is no logical, linguistic, scriptural, or other reason to justify this rendering. 

 

 

And you're basing this on your 30 years of linguistic,etymological research and your advanced degree in biblical translation and linguistics and extensive expertise in the thousands of biblical manuscripts from Greek and Latin?

[Littlelambseativy]

In many of the European languages pastor or some variation of the word means shepherd.....only English uses shepherd. Eg. Shepherd - Pastier. Or a variation eg. Pasteur.

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

ποιμήν pŏimēn, poy-mane´; of uncert. affin.; a shepherd (lit. or fig.):—shepherd, pastor.

Seems to me they are interchangeable. Jesus uses the imagagery shepards throughout the gospels. Perhaps the switch had something to do with the reformers moving away from the priesthood and move towards pastors.

If during the time of the reformation the Priesthood was viewed as the shepards of the Church than the reformers might have wanted to make that separation and distinction. I don't know, this is just speculation. I did check the RSVCE and Eph 4:11 says pastor as well so who knows.

[Omegaman 3.0]

a flower by any other name . . . . 

 

I like the word. It is synonymous with shepherd. One who takes care of and leads the sheep, a great picture that is. I am not sure why this would be at all significant. I have no problems with choosing different words that mean exactly the name thing.

 

It is tantamount to asking why someone would chose to use the word car, instead of the word automobile. Does it matter, if it means the same thing?

 

If I were a pastor, or a shepherd, I would accept that title as a reminder of the great responsibility it implies. I would not accept the title 'reverend', that seems a bit inflationary, as though I deserved some special reverence. The word priest, I could never accept as distinguishing me from other believers, since we all have direct access to God, though we can be priests between unbelievers and God, until they come to faith. I also would not accept the term vicar, as it almost implies that it was I who died vicariously on the cross, that title seem to me, to be belonging to Jesus. Just random, scarcely related thoughts.

[missmuffet]

Question: "What is the Geneva Bible?"

Answer:The Geneva Bible is an early English translation of the Bible. Its name comes from the fact it was first published in Geneva in 1560. The work of Protestant exiles from England and Scotland, the Geneva Bible is well respected and was an important Bible in Scotland and England before and even after theKing James Versionwas published in 1611. For some forty years after the King James Version was published, the Geneva Bible remained the most popular English translation of the Bible.

In 1553 Mary Tudor became Queen of England. As Queen she was committed to eliminating Protestant influences in England and restoring Roman Catholicism as the official religion. Under her rule there was a time of intense persecution of Protestants known as the Marian Persecutions, which earned her the nickname “Bloody Mary.” She had over 300 Protestant believers burned at the stake, and many others fled to other countries rather than face certain death for not supporting Roman Catholicism.

During this time period, several key English Protestant leaders fled to Geneva, Switzerland, to avoid the persecution in England. Among them were Miles Coverdale, John Foxe, Thomas Sampson, and William Whittingham. With the support of John Calvin and the Scottish Reformer John Knox, these English Reformers decided to publish an English Bible that was not dependent upon the approval of English royalty. Building upon earlier English translations such as those done by William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale, the Geneva Bible was the first English translation in which all of the Old Testament was translated directly from Hebrew manuscripts. Much of the translation work was done by William Whittingham, the brother-in-law of John Calvin.

In 1557 they published an English New Testament. A few years later, in 1560, the first edition of the Geneva Bible was published in Geneva, Switzerland, containing both the New and Old Testaments along with significant translation notes. This new English Bible was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, who had been crowned Queen of England in 1558 after the death of Queen Mary I. Under Queen Elizabeth, the persecution of Protestants stopped, and she began leading England back toward Protestantism. This led to later editions of the Geneva Bible being published in England beginning in 1576. In all, over 150 editions were published, with the 1644 version being the last.

Pre-dating the King James Version by 51 years, the Geneva Bible was one of the earliest mass-produced English Bibles commonly available to the public. It was the primary English Bible used by 16th-century English Protestant Reformers and was the Bible used by such people as William Shakespeare, John Milton, John Knox, and John Bunyan.

Often considered one of the earliest examples of a study Bible, the Geneva Bible contained detailed notes, verse citations that allowed cross-referencing of passages, and also study aids such as book introductions, maps, and woodcut illustrations. It was printed in at least three different sizes and was reasonably affordable, costing less than a week’s wages even for the lowest paid workers.

The annotations or notes in the Geneva Bible were distinctly Calvinist and Puritan in character, which made the translation unpopular with some of the pro-government Church of England leaders as well as King James I. This led King James I to commission the new translation that would become known as the Authorized Version or the King James Bible. Surprisingly, though, some of the Geneva notes were found in a few editions of the King James Bible up to the 1715 version. The Geneva Bible was also seen as a threat to Roman Catholicism, as some of its notes, written by Protestant Reformers during a time of intense persecution by the Roman Catholic Church, are distinctly anti-Roman Catholic.

Eventually, the King James Version would replace the Geneva Bible as the most popular English translation. The Geneva Bible is a very important English translation and was the primary Bible used by many early settlers in America. In recent years it has gained popularity again, both because it is an excellent translation and because of its well-written study notes.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/Geneva-Bible.html#ixzz3eBjk7Mub