Could someone tell me the necessity in changing Gen. 3:16 in the ESV?

Genesis 3:16 (NASB 2020)
Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.”

Genesis 3:16 (AV 1873)
and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Genesis 3:16b (ESV 2016)
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

Genesis 3:16 (BHS)
אֶֽל־הָאִשָּׁ֣ה אָמַ֗ר הַרְבָּ֤ה אַרְבֶּה֙ עִצְּבֹונֵ֣ךְ וְהֵֽרֹנֵ֔ךְ בְּעֶ֖צֶב תֵּֽלְדִ֣י בָנִ֑ים וְאֶל־אִישֵׁךְ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָתֵ֔ךְ וְה֖וּא יִמְשָׁל־בָּֽךְ׃

It's a rather recent (and perhaps disturbing) translational shift.

The first problem revolves around the word תְּשׁ֣וּקָתֵ֔ךְ (teshuqah)
It's not a common word; used only 3 times in Scripture (Genesis 3:16, Genesis 4:7 and Song of Songs 7:10),
It's typically translated "your desire".

The BDB Lexicon comments on the word, "but how explain the unusual and striking word in MT?"

I believe the impetus for the change was first initiated by an article from the Westminster Theological Seminary titled, WHAT IS A WOMAN'S DESIRE by Susan T. Foh [LINK]

Although it's short, rather technical article, difficult to get through if you are intimidated by the Hebrew text.

My exceedingly concise summary:
In the past, translators believed the word was related to an Arabic word, meaning "desire, excite desire."

1) The author however suggests that the word is related to another Arabic word سَاقَ (saqa) meaning "to urge, drive on, or impel." (B1)

2) The NT seems to imply that the subjugation of woman to man was the original creation order (in contrast to the consequences of the curse/disobedience),
(ref. 1 Corinthians 11:3; 14:34; Ephesians 5:22-24; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:11-12; Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1,5,6). (B2)

3) The author questions if this is really a punishment for sin if the woman willingly submits herself to the subjugation. (B3)​

So that's the foundation of the problem translating Genesis 3:16.

The second problem concerns the translation of the Hebrew preposition el.

The Hebrew Lexicon, HALOT lists 9 different possibilities (greatly and quickly abbreviated below)

אֶל: ...basic meaning towards;
—1. used with actions and events directed towards something, like to go, to come, to throw Lv 1:16, to bring Gn 2:19, to look Is 8:22, to hear Gn 16:11; ...
—2. of direction towards something: Nu 12:8; Jr 15:1, 2C 16:9;
—3. אֶל often stands for → עַל and vice versa, esp. in Jr Ezk .... עַל, but also indicates movement towards something Gn 4:8 Is 2:4 3:8 Jos 10:6 Ju 20:30
—4. up to, against Jr 51:9 Jb 40:23; → אֶל אַמָּה up to a cubit in height Gn 6:16;
—5. in, into: אֶל־הַיָּם into the sea Jon 1:5, אֶל־מְעָרַת inside the cave Gn 23:19, אֶל־קוֹצִים in thorns Jr 4:3, אֶל־הַכֵּלִים among the baggage 1S 10:22;
—6. concisely for rest at the end of an action 1K 13:20, Jr 41:12, Gn 24:11 1S 17:3 Ezk 7:18;
—7. with verbs of accumulation 1K 10:7 (MSS עַל) and connection Da 11:23; so אֶל in addition to: Lv 18:18, La 3:41 Ezk 19:11 45:2;
—8. in consideration of: 1K 19:3 2K 7:7; Gn 20:2, 1S 4:19;Jos 15:13 17:4;
—9. compounded with other preps: behind 2K 9:18, under 1K 8:6, inside 2K 11:15, outside Lv 4:12; —Jr 10:2 and Hos 12:5 ; Ps 7:7 rd. אֵלִי; Jb 5:5 ...
Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 50–51.


So IMHO, the issue becomes — Masculine domination over women as a result of sin vs. feminine submission due to creational position.

How do the differing translations affect your answer to the question?

Rob

 

NLT - Genesis 3:16, Then he said to the woman,
“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,
and in pain you will give birth.
And you will desire to control your husband,
but he will rule over you.

I have not found an explanation for this Hebrew grammar interpretation.

 

In Genesis 3:16 אִישֵׁךְ֙
The Hebrew word it's grammar and vowel points are only used once here.

KJV '[shall be] to thy husband'
NLT 'to control your husband'

 

Hebrew is so hard to read on the BaptistBoard.
It needs to be sized up a few times to get any definition to the lettering, even then the vowel points are generally illegible.
Reading Hebrew is for young eyes.

The root of most Semitic words generally have three consonants.
That's the word translated as "your husband" in Ge 3:16, (אִישׁ - ish - man).


In the NLT the word “control” is translated from the word "desire" for the reasons mentioned above;
the desire is a control issue.
The NLT did a very good job translating that verse.

Rob

 

אִישֵׁךְ֙

 

NET, Genesis 3:16, To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your labor pains; with pain you will give birth to children. You will want to control your husband, but he will dominate you."

The NET note explains this to be over the word context interpretation.

 

Yep, that's the word translated as "your husband" in Ge 3:16, (אִישׁ - ish - man).

Genesis 3:16. אִישֵׁךְ֙
Numbers 5:20 (2x) אִישֵֽׁךְ ...you are under your husband’s authority...
Judges 14:15. אִישֵׁ֗ךְ ...Entice your husband to tell us...
Ruth 2:11. אִישֵׁ֑ךְ. ...the death of your husband has been fully told to me.
2 Kings 4:26 לְאִישֵׁ֖ךְ Is all well with your husband? (starting with a lamed)

The difference being the notation above the final kaph, ךְ֙ which is an accent mark.
The accents (or cantillation marks), are used in synagogues today to help cantors chant the Hebrew Bible.

Rob

 

וְאֶל־אִישֵׁךְ

An Hebrew interlinear I was using seems to have this wrong.

Blue Letter Bible seems to have this correct.

 

.

H413 is the word that is being translated differently

to, for, against.

 

Excellent posts by Deacon.

Believe it or not, there are fads in English Bible translation. (Not so much in missionary translation.) What happens is that some scholar comes up with an untested theory about the semantics of a Greek or Hebrew word, and translators jump on the bandwagon. This looks like a new one. I had not heard it before, but it fits the pattern.

One such fad is the Hebrew chesed (חסד), a very common word usually translated "mercy" in the more traditional translations. Various modern translations have gone with "unfailing love" or "steadfast love," pretty much by concordance (every rendering the same), but the context often points to "mercy."

Another example is in 1 Corinthians 7:1, where many modern versions (NIV, ESV, etc.) translate "touch" (Greek hapto, ἁπτω) as "have sexual relations." Frankly, I've read up on this and done my own research. The historical usages of this word are never unambiguously "have sexual relations," and there is no other place in the Greek NT where the word is clearly "have sexual relations." The KJV, NKJV, NASB, etc., have it right. Brief exegesis: in many cases, a man touching a woman is not wise, but the passage doesn't call it a sin, just says not touching a woman is generally good. So sure, hug your Mom or aunt--but not that attractive single lady at church!

In the NET Bible notes on "dung" in Philippians 3:8, it is claimed that the Greek word (skubalon, σκύβαλον) was a vulgar word. It's a hapax legomenon in the Greek NT, only occurring here, but in the extra-biblical documents it is a technical term used by medical doctors. That completely rules out the idea it was a vulgar word (like we have several of in English).

 

Here is some translation work for you to experience the variability of the preposition אֶל and why there might be some disagreement in Genesis 3:16.

CONTEXT determines correct usage... and in Genesis 3:16 there is debate about the context.

Choosing the correct use of a word is not a matter of picking from among the choices to better fit your doctrine.
אֶל (ʾel) is usually glossed simply as “to” but as noted in the Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT) there is quite a bit of variability.
In most cases the correct meaning of the preposition is usually determined by the context in which it is used.

1. Basic meaning: “to”

Genesis 18:7 Abraham also ran אֶל the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it אֶל the servant, and he hurried to prepare it.​

2. Direction “towards”

Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them אֶל the man to see what he would call them…
Isaiah 8:22 Then they will look אֶל the earth, and behold, distress and darkness…
1 Kings 8:29 so that Your eyes may be open אֶל this house night and day, אֶל the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen אֶל the prayer which Your servant will pray אֶל this place.​

3. Location

1 Samuel 17:3 The Philistines were standing אֶל the mountain on one side, while Israel was standing אֶל the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them.
Jeremiah 41:12 So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and they found him אֶל the large pool that is in Gibeon.
1 Kings 13:20 Now it came about, as they were sitting down אֶל the table, that the word of the Lord came אֶל the prophet who had brought him back;​

4. Terminal Goal

Genesis 7:1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter אֶל the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this generation.​

5. Disadvantage: Against, up to

Genesis 6:16 You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it אֶל a cubit from the top; and put the door of the ark on the side; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks.
Numbers 32:14 Now behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, born of sinful men, to add still more to the burning anger of the Lord אֶל Israel.
Judges 20:30 And the sons of Israel went אֶל the sons of Benjamin on the third day and lined up against Gibeah as at other times.
Ecclesiastes 9:14 there was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came אֶל it, surrounded it, and constructed large siegeworks against (עַל) it.​

6. Advantage/Agreement: for, according to

1 Kings 19:3 And he was afraid, and got up and ran אֶל his life and came to Beersheba, …
Joshua 15:13 Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, אֶל the command of the Lord to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron).​

7. In, Into

Job 40:23 If a river rages, he is not alarmed; He is confident, though the Jordan rushes אֶל his mouth.​

8. Accompaniment: with

1 Samuel 14:34 …do not sin against the Lord by eating it אֶל the blood.’ ...​

Rob