14 πολλοὶ γάρ εἰσιν κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. [1]
馬太22:14,因為被召的人多,選上的人少。
KJV: For many are called, but few are chosen.
ESV: For many are called, but few are chosen.
NIV: For many are invited, but few are chosen.
BARBY: For many are called ones, but few chosen ones. [2]
彼前1:9:惟有你們是被揀選的族類,
9 Ὑμεῖς δὲ γένος ἐκλεκτόν, · [3]
KJV: But ye are a chosen generation,
ESV: But you are a chosen race,
NIV: But you are a chosen people,
彼前1:9中的ἐκλεκτόν作為adjective 修飾γένος,中文譯作“被揀選的族類”,無論是中文翻譯,還是英文翻譯都很難講ἐκλεκτόν揀選這個字誤認為是動詞。
但是馬太22:14這節經文的英文譯本,諸如KJV、ESV、NIV則容易將“揀選”這個字誤認為是動詞,尤其是不少華人信徒看英文版是比中文版更可靠的版本,就說那裡是“揀選”的作為,但和合本本身翻譯得非常好“被召的人”和“選上的人”,這個紫色部分的“人”非常重要,跟英文版BARBY後面所加的ones 是高度一致的。因為這裡的kλητοί and ἐκλεκτοί are predicate adjective.[4]而不是動詞的被動式。
[1] Barbara Aland, Kurt Aland, et al., eds., The Greek New Testament, Fifth Revised Edition. (Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2014), Mt 22:14.
[2] John Nelson Darby, The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation from the Original Languages (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, 1996), Mt 22:14.
[3] Barbara Aland, Kurt Aland, et al., eds., The Greek New Testament, Fifth Revised Edition. (Stuttgart, Germany: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2014), 1 Pe 2:9.
[4] Charles L. Quarles, Matthew, ed. Andreas J. Köstenberger and Robert W. Yarbrough, Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament (B&H Academic, 2017), 259.