Memorable Verses
Attributes that make Luther's translation of the Bible certainly characteristic are, on the one hand, a poetic, embellishing style, and on the other hand, his connection and closeness to the German people and their language.
These passages are exemplary:
| Verse | Luther Bible | English translation (literal) | English meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 2:23 | " Man wird sie Männin heißen, darum daß sie vom Manne genommen ist." | "One will call her she-man, therefore that she was taken out of the man." | " She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." | Here Luther tried to preserve the resemblance of Hebrew ish (man) and ishah (woman) by adding the female German suffix -in to the masculine word Mann, because the correct word (at that time), Weib, does not resemble it. (As neither does the modern Frau.) As like as adding she- to man in English, adding -in to Mann in German is to be considered grammatically awkward. |
| Matthew 12:34 | " Wes das Herz voll ist, des geht der Mund über." | "Of what the heart is full, of that the mouth overflows." | " For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." | Luther used this as an example of how he would translate something for the people to understand it correctly. |
| John 11:35 | "Und Jesus gingen die Augen über." | "And Jesus' eyes overflowed." | "Jesus wept." | Poetic. |
| John 19:5 | " Sehet, welch ein Mensch!" | "Behold what a man (this is)!" | " Behold the man!" | Luther emphasizes Jesus' glory despite this ignoble situation, though it is to be considered an incorrect translation. See also: Ecce Homo. |
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Famous quotes containing the words memorable and/or verses:
“There are no days in life so memorable as those which vibrated to some stroke of the imagination.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“It is a fact often observed, that men have written good verses under the inspiration of passion, who cannot write well under other circumstances.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)