Galatians 1:2 --- Does "AND" = " TO " ? Does "TO" = "IN" ?

THE APOSTLE PAUL
Writer of the Letter to the Galatians
49 to 55 AD
Rembrandt ( 1606-1669)
Courtesy of  commons.wikimedia.org

Galatians 1:2 - ܘܟ݂ܽܠܗܽܘܢ  ܐܰܚܶܐ  ܕ݁ܥܰܡܝ  ܠܥܺܕ݂ܳܬ݂ܳܐ  ܕ݁ܺܐܝܬ݂ ܒ݁ܓ݂ܰܠܰܛܺܝܰܐ ܀

Today, we will try to ascertain WHEN the Aramaic Text uses 3 simple words, which are prepositions or conjunctions, in the above Text of Galatians 1:2.  

Then, looking at that "golden, best, and historic" ( via Amazon Reviews) Netzarim New Covenant Aramaic-English translation, we will see HOW that highly-favored "G,B, and H" version has translated those 3 little words in quite a strange way --- similar to offering strange fire on the altar, perhaps ?  

   

The literal translation of those six words from the Aramaic Text of the Peshitta in Galatians 1:2 into standard English:

" And all the brothers who (are )* with me

to the congregations who are in Galatia "

*  are is "understood" in this grammatical usage

" And all =  ܘܟ݂ܽܠܗܽܘܢ 

the brothers  =  ܐܰܚܶܐ 

 who (are )* with me =  ܕ݁ܥܰܡܝ 

 to the congregations =  ܠܥܺܕ݂ܳܬ݂ܳܐ 

who are =  ܕ݁ܺܐܝܬ݂ 

in Galatia " = ܒ݁ܓ݂ܰܠܰܛܺܝܰܐ

In contrast, the Netzarim Publishing House's version,  Aramaic-English interlinear  printed on page 560, mis-pg. edition: 

"To all the brothers who with me are 

in the congregations that are in Galatia "

"To all = - ܘܟ݂ܽܠܗܽܘܢ

  

the brothers = ܐܰܚܶܐ 

who with me are = ܕ݁ܥܰܡܝ 

in the congregations = ܠܥܺܕ݂ܳܬ݂ܳܐ 

that are =  ܕ݁ܺܐܝܬ݂

in Galatia " = ܒ݁ܓ݂ܰܠܰܛܺܝܰܐ

The preposition "TO" is translated by the Netzarim version, in this verse from the little letter Vaw or Waw, ܘ affixed to the word "all" in the Aramaic text. 

This is NOT a common grammatical usage. Vaw is not used as "to" , according to several Aramaic lexicons.  Here is the explanation from one of them found on-line, the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon ,  about ܘ.

   "AND"  from the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon ~ ~ ~  ܘ 

w_   (wǝ_)   conj.  and, also   = ܘ 1  and, also  Com. (a) w. a preterite pre-formative verb:  when  OA. (b)  clause  Com. (c) weak adversative, but  Com. (d)  without a preliminary coordinated nominal: even, too  Syr. GregOr 41 20.1.8 ܡܥܕܥܝܕܼ ܘܝܗܘܕܝܐ܂ ܐܠܐܼ ܐܝܟ ܟܬܒܐ܂  the Jew celebrates too, but only according to the letter (of the law). JS_Elisha 119:213 ܪܚܡܬ ܟܣܦܐ ܕܒܙܒܢ ܚܢܩܐ ܘܠܩܕ̈ܫܐ  the love of money that sometimes strangles even saints

 And yet again, Courtesy of  CAL ~ ~ ~   ܠ

Here is the normal way to indicate "TO" or "towards", actually a preposition which is prefixed to words in Aramaic and Hebrew, also from CAL as well as other standard  lexicons. 

l_ prep. to, for Common,

ܠ

 

1 : general relative (nominal) Com. --(a) non-animate genitive Com. --(b) of interest or disinterest Com. 
  2 : general relative (verbal) Com. --(a) + inf. : purpose Com. --(b) + inf. : it is necessary to Syr. 
  3 : dative Com. --(a) with transitive verbs Com. --(b) with intransitive verbs Com. --(c) ethical dative Com. 
  4 : direction Com. --(a) addressee of letters Com. --(b) כל + direction name : in the direction of Qum. 
  5 : possession Com. 
  6 : marking the definite direct object Com. 
  7 : subject of the passive in a perfective construction Com. 
  8 + number : after X Syr. 
  9 in fixed expressions . --(a) to give or take lˀntw. lˀnth : as wife Com.

Here is a word SOMETIMES-USED-as-"TO"  , actually a preposition which is prefixed to words in Aramaic and Hebrew, also from CAL as well as other standard  lexicons. 

 ܒ݁  

b_ p02  

b_ prep. in

ܒ݁

  1 in Com. --(a) a place Com. --(b) within a structure or other enclosing object Com. --(c) during a time period Com. 
  2 with (instrumentative) Com. --(a) using, according to Com. (a.1) w. ymˀ, etc., : to swear by Com. 
  3 among Com. --(a) adjective + b_ = superlative Com. --(b) with a number: multiplicative Syr. --(c) w. transitive verbs: to do some (damage, building, fixing, etc.) to something Qum, JLAtg, PTA, LJLA. 
  4 at Com. --(a) a certain time Com. 
  5 to, into Com. 
  6 with regard to (i.e., as a general adverbializing particle w. various verbs and nouns) . --(a) (w. to give:) for, in exchange for Com. --(b) specialized meanings with various verbs: see s.vv. šlṭ, ḥzy, ḥwy Com. --(c) idiomatic usages with various nouns: see s.vv. ryš, šm, . --(d) see also under various complete collocations as adverbs and preps, e.g. bˀnpy, byd p., etc. .

Now, to return to Galatians 1:2, we see the inaccuracies in the Netzarim translation of these little words, little preposition prefixes.  

Firstly, "to all the brothers"  is not written in the Aramaic text. Anyone checking any lexicon will find that VAW or waw,  ܘ , does not mean "to," not even sometimes, and there is not one citation listed from those 30 Aramaic dialects indicating that  VAW or waw is ever used as "to."

Secondly, "in the congregations" also does not exist in the Aramaic Text. The Text has the Lamed, or ܠ  , prefixed to the Aramaic word for congregations. Therefore, it should read "TO the congregations." Lamed does not equal "IN" , according to the Aramaic lexicons.

The little common prefix Beyt, or Bet,ܒ݁  which means "in" and is quite frequently used in both Aramaic and Hebrew Holy Scriptures, we see in this particular verse is ONLY  affixed to the last  word in the verse, Galatia, in the Aramaic Text.  

How do these errors

change the meaning of the verse ? 

The subtle nuance of the Netzarim version seems to be this: 

The Apostle Paul is writing TO the brothers who are standing with him in the congregations of Galatia. 

( one group )

The accurate communication  of Galatians 1:2 is this:

The Apostle Paul ( who was chosen by YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ and The FATHER ) , plus the brethren with him, are sending greetings to the congregations in Galatia. 

( two separate groups).

The BIG QUESTION

The big question is WHY: Why are such rudimentary rules of grammar and translation side-stepped in this Netzarim version of the Holy Scriptures? 

Why 

would ANYONE who is a serious-minded Follower of YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+ , including those in the Netzarim camp,   tolerate this aberration ? 

If the Netzarim doctrines are valid, then changing the translation  only weakens the stand that "truth" can be found in the Netzarim camp. 

Does It Matter ?

Honesty always matters, as pertaining to the trust of the unsuspecting public readers of this "scholarly" volume. 

Accuracy always matters, as pertaining to the accountability before YESHUA+ HA MASHIYACH+  ( or  Y'shu+ Mashicha , Aramaic instead of Hebrew.)

Integrity always matters. 

TO THE READER: A NOTE ABOUT   CAL   ABBREVIATIONS: 

FYI , to help readers understand the above citations. 

The scholars who work on the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon work with documents from ancient Aramaic dialects, spending hours delving into the 30 dialectical differences listed here. They are conscientious scholars who make note of the differences found for the edification of students and others scholars alike. 

Dr. Steve Kaufman said there were thousands of such ancient documents available. Here is a list of the 30 Aramaic dialects referenced above with the abbreviations such as SYR or COM , of note in the above citations. 

  

Dialect abbreviations:

BA-Da	Biblical Aramaic Daniel
BA-Ez	Biblical Aramaic Ezra
BA	Biblical Aramaic
CPA	Christian Palestinian Aramaic
Com	Common Aramaic
Gal	Galilean
Hat	Hatran (and Assur)
JBA	Jewish Babylonian
JBAg	Jewish Babylonian Gaonic period
JLAtg	Jewish Literary Aramaic, Targumic
Jud	Judean archival texts
LJLA	Late Jewish Literary Aramaic
Man	Mandaic
Nab	Nabataean
OA-East	Old Aramaic: Eastern
OA-Mesop	Old Aramaic of Mesopotamia
OA	Old Aramaic
OfA-Egypt	Official Aramaic, Egyptian
OfA-Iran	Official Aramaic, found in Iran and East
OfA-Mes	Official Aramaic, Mesopotamian
OfA-Pers	Official Aramaic Persian origin but from Egypt
OfA-Sam	Official Aramaic from Samaria
OfA-West	Official Aramaic from other Western sites
OfA	Official(i.e., Imperial) Aramaic
OfAGen	Official Aramaic in general
PTA	Palestinian Targumic Aramaic
Palm	Palmyrene
Qum	Qumran
Sam	Samaritan
Syr	Syriac