“Moyggj skal vera við barn ... “: Nøkur orð um bíbliutýðingar og bíbliutulkingar

This article is exploring a controversial subject in the history of biblical translations in accordance with modern historical and philological research. In the article a specific subject, the Emmanuel prophecy in Isaiah 7:14, used by Mathew 1:23 as a prophecy about the miraculous birth of Jesus, will be examined in accordance with modern international research and modern bible translations, and compared with the Faroese bible translations from 1949 and 1961. The main question in the article is, limited to this specific and controversial subject, to explore the boundaries between Christology, historical context and philology in the Faroese bibles. The conclusion is 1) that the historical context of Isaiah 7:14 is related to historical conditions in the prophets own time in 734 BC, 2) that neither of the Faroese bible translations are consistent in their use of Faroese words to translate even the same Hebrew or Greek terms, and that 3) the reasons for the choice of Faroese words are Christological rather than philological, when philological demands, textual or historical context and historical research contradict important Christological interpretations. The comparison with other modern bible translations shows that this is not a specific Faroese problem or dilemma. These translations are, if not simply wrong, created to justify Christian interpretations of scripture.