In a previous post I had mentioned a version of the Holy Bible called the Awful Scroll.  I hope I was able to explain how from an understanding of the ‘older’ English (as most all languages change over time) that for an earlier time “Awful Scroll” seems to be an accurate translation of “Holy Bible”, as well as “Awful Breath” to be of “Holy Spirit”.  I don’t know that anyone will read this post, but if anyone might be interested in peeking into this “Awful Scroll” version, I will post a little here.  This is not to encourage study of that version unless one has time and resources to study an older English vocabulary, and some Hebraic language resources, and another version (I would prefer the RSV or NASB) for comparison.

(RSV) Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.  2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves." (Revised Standard Version)

(AS) 12:1 Sustains To Become was to say to Extolled-father, "Be coming out of the solid grounds of your kindred, and your father's house, to the solid grounds I was to show you.  2 (")I was to make you a great nation, even was I to well consider you, and was to make great your name, and was to greatly give you favor.  3 (")I was to approve of those approving you, and was to curse those making light of you. In you, the families of the lands, are to have been approved of." (Awful Scroll)

LORD (notice all uppercase letters as opposed to ‘lord’, which could refer to anyone in an authority position) is translated from Yahweh.  An nearly accurate translation would be ‘One Who Is Existence and causes Existence’, or as is put in the Awful Scroll, “Sustains To Become”.  Abram’s name means extolled father.

(RSV) Genesis 12:9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.  10 Now there was a famine in the land.  So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. (RSV)

(AS) 12:9 Extolled-father was to pull up, to go and to pull up, towards the south parts of Canaan.  10 A famine is on those solid grounds, Extolled-father was to go down to Doubly-besieged, to stay there, for the famine is heavy on those solid grounds. (AS)

Those who know a little of the geography of Canaan should already be aware that the southern parts (as in the AS) were referred to as the Negeb (RSV) also spelled Negev.  Egypt is also called ‘Mitsrayim’ which is a transliteration of its Hebraic form, and also of ‘Mizraim’ a son of Ham.  It has been difficult to translate and has been translated as ‘troubles’.  Strong’s Lexicon refers to it as a double for mâtsôr with a definition for mâtsôr here, “…besieged places, defence, fortified.”  The AS version seems to emphasize the ‘besieged places’ definition by calling it ‘Doubly-besieged).

(AS) Genesis 17:5 (")Was your name to be called Extolled-father? - Your name is Father-of-populousness, for a father of a great number of nations, I am to have given you to be. (AS)

This is the verse where Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, or from ‘Highly honored (or Extolled) Father to Father of Many (or multitude or as the AS puts it ‘Father of populousness).

Though I hadn’t gotten that far yet in the OT, my NT reading reminded me of something.  How many remember when Jacob’s name was changed to Israel?

(AS) Matthew 2:19 Moreover, Herod coming to his end, be yourselves looking, an angelic messenger of the lord exposes himself, accordingly to a dream to Joseph, from-within Egypt, 20 instructing, "You being roused, be taking-near the child and his mother, even be yourself proceeding to the land of Contends-with-he-mighty for they have died who are seeking the child's breath."

21 Surely being roused, he took-near the child and his mother, and himself comes into the land of Contends-with-he-mighty.  22 What is more, hearing certainly-of-which Archelaus reigns over Judaea, instead of his father Herod, he becomes afraid to go-out to there, furthermore being counseled accordingly to a dream, he retires-among to the parts of Galilee.  23 Even himself coming, he dwells-along in a city being named Nazareth, how-that it may be fulfilling, that being expressed through the exposers-to-light-beforehand, certainly-of-which he will be called a Nazarene. (AS)

(RSV) Genesis 32:28 Then he said, "Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." (RSV)

(AS) 32:28 He was to say: was your name to be spoken as Jacob, it is to be Isra-el? - For you is to have contended with he of mighty ones and men, even was to overcome! (AS)

Israel may be translated as ‘one who has overcame (or at least wrestled with) a mighty one’.

Later in the same Matthew passage the AS refers to the prophets as ‘the exposers-to-light-beforehand’.  I tried to look into the Greek and Hebrew words for prophet.  I can’t see that this is an inaccurate description, but a source for the specific translation eludes me.  The oldest Hebrew I could find would be the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible which refers (not an exact quote) to ‘the fruit which proceeds from within a man which contains knowledge that didn’t come from his natural senses’.  Still I can’t help but like the way this translator says it: “the exposers-to-light-beforehand”.