‘희생’의 전근대적 함의와 근·현대인의 성경 이해

Abstract

This research explains the meaning and usage of the word ‘sacrifice’ used in the Bible in the pre-modern era, and explains how it is linked with the understanding of the Bible. The Korean word for sacrifice is composed of two letters ― one meaning ‘untainted pure color’ and the other meaning ‘livestock’. The sacrifice was an essential step to complete the ancestral ritual. There was so much emphasis on the blood and life of the sacrifice that the alternative word for the ancestral ritual was ‘flesh feasting’ because they believed that the sacrifice served to connect human beings and god. The class of the ritual was determined by the type and the scale of the sacrifice. In the late Joseon Dynasty, when Confucianism was firmly established in the society, the general public thought that it was necessary to offer at least ‘grilled meats’ in place of sacrifice in an ancestral ritual. The Korean Bible was translated at a time when there remained a general acceptance of such perception of sacrifice, and this word ‘sacrifice’ was used to explain the gospel. The word was useful in explaining how Jesus became the sacrifice and reconciled the connection between God and human beings who were sinners. Such concept of sacrifice also helps understand how Jesus as the sacrifice is pure, complete, and righteous. In the current version of the translated Bible in 1998, however, the words that were translated into “sacrifice” in the older versions have often been revised to “offering” or “ancestral ritual”. This not only makes the context awkward but also limit the meaning of ‘sacrifice’ mentioned above. It calls for special attention when trying to replace Chinese-based words (Chinese loanwords) that are not in frequent use with ones in wider use. When a word happens to convey the core ‘concept’ for the understanding of the Bible with no alternative, the word should not be changed and its meaning has to be appreciated. The word ‘sacrifice’ is a very good example of such.