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 Post subject: Verses 2:83-86
PostPosted: 07 Jun 2009, 08:30 
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Suggested translation1,2:


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1This translation may have been updated from the original suggested translation as a result of the discussions that follow.
2Click on the {verse number} of a translation to see other good translations of the verse.

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 Post subject: Re: Verses 2:83-86
PostPosted: 16 Aug 2009, 18:21 
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{2:83} And [recall] when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel, [enjoining upon them], "Do not worship except God; and to parents do good and to relatives, orphans, and the needy. And speak to people good [words] and establish prayer and give zakah." Then you turned away, except a few of you, and you were refusing.

We discussed the word "Zakah" before. I think we should translate it "alms", which is perfect for this verse.

معرضون does not quite mean refusing. The Arabic word is derived from a word that means "width" or "display" and the Arabic dictionary states that the Arabs have always used it to indicate boasting or exaggerating about something. The word is often used in the Quran to mean deliberate neglect, e.g.,

I'm not clear of the connection between this semantic, deliberate neglect, and the origin of the word. Can anybody enlighten me on this?

Would a better translation of the last sentence be, "Then you turned away, except for a few of you, boasting [about it]."?

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 Post subject: Re: Verses 2:83-86
PostPosted: 16 Aug 2009, 19:19 
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Linguistic wrote:
معرضون does not quite mean refusing. The Arabic word is derived from a word that means "width" or "display" and the Arabic dictionary states that the Arabs have always used it to indicate boasting or exaggerating about something. The word is often used in the Quran to mean deliberate neglect, e.g.,

I'm not clear of the connection between this semantic, deliberate neglect, and the origin of the word. Can anybody enlighten me on this?

I think the two meanings are unrelated, which is not unusual (for a word to be used in two different capacities that are unrelated, that is). Now, this is pure speculation on my part, but this is how I always understood it: I take the "deliberate neglect" or "avoid" meaning to come from the "lateral" aspect (as if you are avoiding someone by moving laterally rather than going forward). This also has the connotation that you are avoiding the person without trying to make a point of avoiding them (as you would be doing if you moved backward). Again, this is pure speculation on my part.

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 Post subject: Re: Verses 2:83-86
PostPosted: 16 Aug 2009, 20:19 
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Pragmatic wrote:
I think the two meanings are unrelated, which is not unusual (for a word to be used in two different capacities that are unrelated, that is). Now, this is pure speculation on my part, but this is how I always understood it: I take the "deliberate neglect" or "avoid" meaning to come from the "lateral" aspect (as if you are avoiding someone by moving laterally rather than going forward). This also has the connotation that you are avoiding the person without trying to make a point of avoiding them (as you would be doing if you moved backward). Again, this is pure speculation on my part.

I think you just proved the two semantics are related! The relationship is the lateral aspect as in the example you gave. Another example is

I disagree, however, about the connotation that the person is not trying to make a big deal out of his lateral move. That's actually the opposite of what the Arabic word means, according to the dictionary. The Arabic word is used to indicate that when the person is dissenting, he makes a federal case out of it :)

With that established, how do we translate معرضون? Can you think of a better word than "boasting?"

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 Post subject: Re: Verses 2:83-86
PostPosted: 18 Aug 2009, 02:28 
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Linguistic wrote:
how do we translate معرضون? Can you think of a better word than "boasting?"

I don't have a translation that I am happy with. Avoiding and Evading are two weak candidates.

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 Post subject: Suggested translation
PostPosted: 03 Feb 2014, 20:31 
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I suggest,

{2:83} And [recall] when We took the covenant from the Children of Israel: To not worship except God; and to parents benevolence and to relations of kinship, orphans, and the needy; and say to people [words of] loveliness and establish prayer and give alms. Then you turned away, except a few of you, while you are rebuffing.

{2:84} And [recall] when We took your covenant: To not shed your blood nor evict yourselves from your homes. Then you acknowledged [this] while you were witnessing.

{2:85} Then, you are those [same ones who] kill yourselves and evict a segment of you from their homes, backing each other against them in sin and aggression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although was forbidden to you their eviction. So do you believe in some of the Book and disbelieve in some? Then the recompense for those who do that among you is not but disgrace in [this] the nearest life; and on the Day of Resurrection they are relegated to the severest of torment. And God is not in the slightest unaware of what you do.

{2:86} Those are the ones who have purchased the nearest life with the Hereafter, so the torment is not lightened for them, nor are they helped.

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