Semantic Anachronism in the Book of Job: A Diachronic Linguistic Study of Hebrew Lexemes in Biblical Translation

Abstract

The Book of Job is a cornerstone of biblical wisdom literature, yet its interpretation is shaped by ancient Hebrew lexemes whose meanings have shifted over time and across translations. As the text moved from Biblical Hebrew to Early Modern English in the King James Version (1611) and into contemporary English translations, key terms have undergone semantic reconfiguration. This study investigates semantic anachronism, defined as the retroactive imposition of later lexical senses onto earlier textual contexts, resulting in interpretive distortion. Using a qualitative, diachronic lexical-semantic approach, the study traces the semantic trajectories of seven Hebrew lexemes (tsedeq, raʿ, sheʾol, tam, yirʾah, mashal, and ʿetsah) across three interpretive strata: the Hebrew source text, the King James Version, and representative modern English translations. Observed shifts are classified using established typologies of semantic change, including narrowing, broadening, pejoration, and metaphorical extension. Findings reveal a patterned semantic drift with theological consequences, particularly when translation choices shaped by Early Modern doctrinal vocabulary or contemporary translation norms introduce later theological frames that are not transparent in the Hebrew semantic field. The analysis highlights the role of translator ideology and the risk of unconscious doctrinal projection. The study concludes that diachronic lexical-semantic analysis is essential for reducing anachronistic readings in sacred-text translation and contributes to applied linguistics by offering a replicable framework for translation analysis, translator training, and pedagogical instruction in historical semantics.