Linguistic Gap Analysis

Dutch rarely lacks a word for a Romans concept outright, and in several cases (voorbede/voorspraak, covenant theology’s precise vocabulary) has more built-in precision than most languages in this batch. The real gaps are register selection among near-synonyms and modernization of archaic Statenvertaling phrasing.

Terms requiring register selection among near-synonyms

• Salvation (verlossing / behoud / zaligheid): three partially overlapping words, each associated with a different tradition and generation. This curriculum selects “behoud” as its primary term but documents all three, since a translator working from an English source text has no signal for which Dutch register fits a given audience without this Language Package’s guidance.
• Calling (roeping): the same word covers apostolic calling, calling to sainthood, effectual calling to salvation, and ordinary secular career vocation; context alone disambiguates, since Dutch (like German) has no separate word to protect the theological sense.

Terms requiring register modernization rather than word selection

• Seed of David: the Statenvertaling’s literal “uit het zaad Davids” is now archaic and clinically awkward; “nakomeling van David” is the required modern rendering, matching both the HSV and NBV.
• Kingdom of God: the Statenvertaling’s archaic genitive “Koninkrijk Gods” should be modernized to “Koninkrijk van God” for this curriculum’s reading-level target.

Terms with a built-in disambiguation advantage

• Intercession: Dutch distinguishes “voorbede” (general intercessory prayer, used across Protestant and Catholic worship) from “voorspraak” (specifically saints’/Mary’s advocacy in Catholic devotion) — a genuine linguistic asset that reduces the ambiguity French and Italian must manage through extra glossing alone.

Gap-filling strategy

Where Dutch has multiple valid near-synonyms (as with salvation), this Language Package documents the register trade-off explicitly rather than picking one word and hiding the reasoning, so translators and reviewers can make an informed, context-sensitive choice each time.