Look! A feminist work

A Spanish translation ofGospel according to Saint Matthew From the original Koine Greek. The translation is by Roser Homar, the first woman to translate it into this language. And I emphasize this because the female perspective is very, very relevant in the text. When we've read, in other versions, that "the disciples" follow Jesus, we've imagined only male disciples. Right? But Roser Homar tells us that there were older women and young children who also followed him. Therefore, to make this visible, she has used generic terms that indicate this. "Humanity" and not "man." "People" and not "men."

The book, from Blackie Books, is an essential gem, and Homar's translation is so audacious, subtle, erudite, brilliant, and intelligent that it leaves you breathless. Oh, yes. Matthew appears in the text. A dry, unfussy "character," who often seems too lazy to explain certain things, but who at other times pulls magical rhetorical figures out of thin air (like "giving pearls to swine") and shows us a Jesus angry with the disciples (a bit dull and scared stiff) and annoyed. Often in the text, Matthew tells us: "Look!" The translator has left it like that because that's how it was written. This colloquialism is overwhelmingly modern.

Don't make the mistake of putting this book on the "Religion" shelf. It should go on the "New Releases" shelf. Roser Homar is among the world's leading specialists in Greek, and we have her right here. As a teacher and passionate Greek enthusiast, it's a pleasure to listen to her (I say this for the program hosts: invite her to explain why she did it this way or that, and her modesty and wisdom will captivate you). As an impromptu manager, I only ask that this perfect work also be published in Catalan. Don't miss it.