An article with the title Translating Kōl: When “All” Does Not Mean “All” was published in: The Bible Translator (Vol. 71, Iss. 2) (2020). – See here.
Abstract
Hebrew kōl means “every,” “the whole,” “all.” However, a literal translation does not always make sense. I investigated cases where kōl does not express totality in the sense of “one hundred percent.” I present a collection of examples that show that kōl can also be used (1) to express variety, (2) as hyperbole, (3) in a way defined by the context, and (4) for stylistic reasons. I argue that kōl sometimes needs to be translated with expressions such as “all kinds of,” “all other,” “in unity,” or in other context-sensitive ways; where it is perceived as redundant or misleading, it may remain untranslated.
Besides the above article, I examine the phrase כָּל־הַיּוֹם kōl-hayyôm in the file that is offered above for download. Kōl-hayyôm is often translated “all day / the whole day”, where it should be “all days / all the time”.
Download:
