Commentary² - Genesis 6 - Translation Ledger
Translation philosophy and constraints
commentary² / bible² without apology or explanation.
Genesis 6 - Translation Ledger
(ANCHOR · commentary² / bible²)
Legend
TDL = Translation Decision Ledger
(judgment required; no assumed baseline)DTL = Departure from Tradition Ledger
(diverges from inherited Bible-English expectation)BOTH = Appears in both ledgers
If a verse or phrase is not listed, its rendering was mechanically straightforward.
BOTH · Translation Decision + Departure from Tradition
These are the high-pressure points where translation required judgment and where tradition strongly pulls in other directions.
BOTH-1 · Genesis 6:1–2, 6:4
“sons of God / daughters of humans”
TDL:
Decision required whether to resolve identity or preserve ambiguity.
The Hebrew text provides no internal explanation.DTL:
Inherited traditions routinely resolve this as angels, rulers, or Sethites.ANCHOR handling:
Preserve the relational phrasing and ambiguity without interpretive gloss.
BOTH-2 · Genesis 6:4
Sexual-act idiom (בּוֹא אֶל־)
TDL:
Required a choice of English sexual idiom class.DTL:
Traditional English often preserves “went in to,” a literalized spatial idiom.ANCHOR handling:
Render as “knew”, reflecting a conventional, non-graphic relational idiom rather than spatial imagery.
BOTH-3 · Genesis 6:4
Nephilim
TDL:
Decision required whether to translate, explain, or leave opaque.DTL:
Tradition frequently equates Nephilim with “giants” or mythic beings.ANCHOR handling:
Leave the term untranslated and unexplained.
TDL · Translation Decision Only
Judgment was required, but these choices do not primarily function as departures from tradition.
TDL-1 · Genesis 6:3
“My spirit will not remain with humans forever”
Rare verb with multiple semantic possibilities.
Chosen to preserve relational presence rather than juridical or combative framing.
TDL-2 · Genesis 6:3
“since they are flesh”
Interpreted ontologically (limitation), not morally (condemnation).
TDL-3 · Genesis 6:5
Stacked cognition language (“inclination / thoughts / heart”)
Decision to preserve accumulation and weight rather than smooth for style.
TDL-4 · Genesis 6:11–13
Repetition of “corrupt” and “violence”
Decision to retain repetition without emotional intensification.
TDL-5 · Genesis 6:14–21
Ark construction instructions
Decision to prioritize functional clarity without modernization or technical embellishment.
DTL · Departure from Tradition Only
These are reader-visible differences, but the translation decisions themselves are straightforward.
DTL-1 · Genesis 6:8
“favor” instead of “grace”
Hebrew ḥen rendered without ecclesial or doctrinal loading.
DTL-2 · Genesis 6:9
“whole in his generation” instead of “blameless”
Hebrew tamim rendered as integrity/wholeness rather than moral perfection.
DTL-3 · Genesis 6:6–7
“The Lord regretted”
Retains anthropopathic language rather than smoothing for doctrinal comfort.
Ledger closure statement
This ledger records where Genesis 6 required translation judgment, where those judgments diverge from inherited Bible-English tradition, and where both occur simultaneously.
It is descriptive, not argumentative, and exists to make the translation process visible for interested readers.