Janet M. Magiera's Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation: Messianic Version

I have to say that the Magiera translation of the Aramaic New Testament is one of the best and most reliable out there. Most translations of the Peshitta have some theological bias in them (such as Lamsa, Roth, and Bauscher), while still being fantastic translations. Janet Magiera's Aramaic Peshitta New Testament translation ranks up with John Wesley Etheridge and James Murdock's translations in terms of faithfulness to the source text.

I bought the Messianic version instead of the original version because of it transliterating the Aramaic names and terminology into English letters. Jesus Christ is Yeshue Meshikha, God is Alaha, LORD/Yahweh/Jehovah/YHWH is Marya, and the Holy Spirit is the Rukha d'Qudsha. I find it interesting that it isn't just a version for Messianics, but only termed such because of the transliterations. The Law is not referred to as the Torah like it is in most Messianic translations, but as "the Namusa".

Magiera's translation is less in line with the Eastern Peshitta and more in line with the Western Peshitto. Compare Acts 20:28 in Magiera's translation with the translation by Lamsa for an example of a textual variant:

"Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feedd the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood."- Acts 20:28, The Holy Bible From the Ancient Eastern Text.

"Watch, therefore, over yourselves and over all the flock over which the Rukha d'Qudsha has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Alaha that he purchased with his blood."- Acts 20:28, Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation (Messianic Version)

Another advantage to Magiera's work in this New Testament translation from the Syriac text is the fact that both versions of her translation bring out the distinction between "Mar" (lord, human or divine) and "MarYah" (refers to YHWH alone). As stated before, the Messianic version transliterates the Syriac version of the Tetragrammaton as Marya (in the original version it is translated more traditionally as "LORD"). MarYah is a key Aramaic religious word that is not only applied to the Father of our Lord Jesus, but to Jesus Himself:

"For today the deliverer, who is Marya Meshikha, is born to you in the city of Dawid."- Luke 2:11, Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation (Messianic Version)

"The first man [was] dust from the earth. The second man [was] Marya from heaven."- I Corinthians 15:47, Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation (Messianic Version)

"Because of this Alaha also elevated him highly and gave him a name that is greater than all names, that at the name of Yeshue every knee should bow that is in heaven and on earth and that is under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Yeshue-Meshikha is marya, to the glory of Alaha his Father."- Philippians 2:9-11, Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation (Messianic Version)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysn6MSR05Ig - A link to a Youtube video I made on the translation.

http://www.lightofword.org - The ministry that Janet Magiera is affiliated with.

http://www.bible-geeks.com/