基督教小小羊園地

啟示錄二十二章19節，各聖經版本之經文如下：


這書上的預言，若有人刪去甚麼，上帝必從這書上所寫的生命樹和聖城刪去他的分。（新標點和合本）

And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the TREE OF LIFE and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (NIV)

and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the TREE OF LIFE and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (RSV)

19and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the TREE OF LIFE, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. (ASV)

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the BOOK OF LIFE, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (KJV)


在新約希臘文聖經中，啟示錄二十二章19節之中的生命「樹」，希臘原文是「ξύλου」，字義如下：


G3586 ξύλον

原文音譯：xu'lon
對等譯字：WOOD
文法分類：名詞
出現次數：20
最先出現：太 26:47
最後出現：啟 22:19

和合本譯字及次數
樹 6, 木頭 6, 棒 5, 木 3

字義及字源追溯
;[xuo=刮木]
timber*, a stick, club or tree or other wooden article or substance ;[xuo=to scrape] xulon xoo'-lon

from another form of the base of 3582; TDNT - 5:37,665; n n

AV - tree 10, staff 5, wood 3, stocks 1; 19

1) wood
1a) that which is made of wood
1a1) as a beam from which any one is suspended, a gibbet, a cross
1a2) a log or timber with holes in which the feet, hands, neck
of prisoners were inserted and fastened with thongs
1a3) a fetter, or shackle for the feet
1a4) a cudgel, stick, staff
2) a tree

看起來似乎翻譯成生命「樹」(tree of life)比較合適；
至於KJV為何翻譯成book of life，
就有待其他兄姊來幫忙釋疑了。

這個涉及到所參考的希臘文新約抄本。

抄本的選擇，一般分為早期晚期，東方西方，量少量多。但是一般而言，晚期的量多，因為技術進步，需要增加(國教化)。另外，學術上也漸漸否定東方版與西方版的分別。

從啟示錄或整本聖經來說，「生命樹」比較合適。

那麼可否延伸的發問一下，
聖經中分別提到生命樹和生命冊的部份，
當中的意思是什麼呢？
尤其是新舊約都有以「樹」作喻詞或作象徵的地方。
謝謝~^_^a