Jumala, jumalat ja kuulija suhteessa tilaan ja toisiinsa. Katekismuksen ensimmäinen käsky eriaikaisissa käännöksissä [The spatial relationships between God, other gods and man in old and new translations of the first commandment in Lutheran catechisms]

Abstract

The first commandment of the Bible is a central text in many religions. Still the Finnish and Estonian translations of the original Hebrew spatial expression lo jihje lecha elohim acherim ‘al-panaj (literally not shall-be toyou gods others before-me) “thou shalt have no other gods before me” in Lutheran catechisms have produced diff erent meanings and presuppositions of the existence of other gods and of their spatial and metaphorical relationship to Speaker-God. The translations refl ect the development of theological thinking, from the archaic, concrete conceptions of personifi ed evil forces to the modern conceptions of the abstract and impersonal wickedness of the world. It seems, however, that even the modern translations may need reformulation and perhaps the intention “there is only one God” should be made explicit.

Keywords

first commandment, translations of Bible, language of religion, metaphoricalness.