............................................................................................................
The Right Bible Translation
How Do I Know Which Bible Translation Is
Right for Me?
Dr. Roger Barrier
Preach
It, Teach It
Editor's
Note: Pastor Roger Barrier's "Ask Roger"
column regularly appears at Preach It, Teach
It. Every week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40 years of
experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine or practice
for laypeople, or giving advice on church leadership issues. Email him your
questions at roger@preachitteachit.org.
Dear Roger,
So many different Bibles are
available today. I am overwhelmed! How do I study the Bible most effectively?
How do I know which one is the right translation for me?
Sincerely, Kate
Dear Kate,
A little old lady once said that if
the King James Bible was good enough for Paul, then it was good enough for her.
Of
course, we know that Paul didn’t write the King James Bible. He wrote in Greek.
He’d never heard of English!
The name 'Bible' comes from the city
of Byblos.
Papyrus
was the paper of choice for the biblical writers. It was made from the pithy
stem of a water plant grown in both Byblos (near modern-day Lebanon) and Egypt.
There are more than fifty English
Bible translations in circulation in the world today. I’ve used a number of
different ones. Each is profitable and insightful in its own way.
Let
me share some basic principles of Bible translation, and then I’ll provide a
quick summary of the most commonly used English Bibles.
I hope this helps you find the translation or translations that are most
helpful to you.
Is the Original Bible Still
in Existence?
The answer is both no and yes. In the
strictest sense, the answer is no: the actual original documents (called the
“autographs”) are not in anyone’s possession.
However,
in a very real way the answer is yes, we do have the actual words that make up the word of God.
Textual scholars are able to access more than 5,000 extant Greek texts dating
back to the second century, to compare and compile over 99.9% of what the
original authors wrote.
· Before the advent of the printing
press in the 1600s, the cost for translating was incredibly high. Each copy had
to be handwritten by a qualified scribe. For this reason and many others, the
Roman Catholic Church wanted to keep the Bible away from the average person.
· In the 1300s, John Wycliffe was the
first to translate the New Testament into English. He was then burned at the
stake as a heretic. John Wycliffe left quite an impression on the
Roman Catholic Church. Forty years after his death, Catholic Church
officials dug up his body, burned his remains, and threw the ashes into the
river.
· In the 1500s, William Tyndale was the
first to translate the entire Bible into English. His translation served as the
foundation for subsequent English translations. The Roman Catholic Church
murdered him by strangulation.
Over 20 Bibles existed in English
before the King James Bible was first printed: Great Bible, Geneva Bible,
Matthew’s Bible, and Bishop’s Bible to name a few.
Then there’s the “Wicked Bible,” that
left out the word 'not' in the seventh commandment so it read, “Thou shalt
commit adultery.” It was quickly recalled.
There’s the Murderer’s Bible where Mark 7:27 reads,
“Let the children first be killed,” instead of 'filled.' It also was
quickly recalled.
Do you think that these printers made
these changes purposely?
Some Observations to Keep in
Mind When Comparing and Understanding Translations
1. There is no such
thing as a completely accurate translation.
This
is why it is best is to know the original languages. Since most of us
don’t, we must depend on the translations of others (Hebrew for the Old
Testament, Greek and Aramaic for the New Testament).
2. In English, the
structure and sense of a sentence depends largely on word order.
“The
rat ate the cheese,” does not have the same meaning as, “The cheese ate the
rat.”
The
English word order in Galatians 2:20 is, “I am crucified with Christ and it is no longer I
who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
On
the other hand, the Greek text of Galatians 2:20 is
written like this: “Christ I
have been crucified with, I live yet, no longer I, lives but Christ in me.”
Greek
writers used word order to emphasize that which is most important. The most
correct, significant rendering is to use the first part of a sentence or the
last part for emphasis.
3. It can be a
challenge to find words in English that closely match the same Greek or Hebrew
words.
Just
like an English word can have many meanings, so can a Greek word.
For
example, the word “fast” in English has several different meanings:
·
A door shut fast
·
A fast friend
·
A fast car
·
Colorfast cloth
or cloth that will not fade
In
Greek, the word 'luo' can mean “liberate” or “destroy.” Both are correct. Which
one to use depends upon the context. Who cares? The slaves care. It’s one thing
to be liberated, it’s quite another to be destroyed.
4. The culture-gap
between our times and biblical times must be considered.
1 Corinthians
11:14-15 says, “Does not
the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a
disgrace to him, but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long
hair is given to her as a covering.”
Hair
styles are more of a cultural issue
than a biblical one.
Incidentally,
the translator must deal with the word 'covering' which is considered to be a
theological issue in other passages.
5. Consider the
difficulty in making ancient customs understandable to modern readers.
“Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16) becomes in Phillip’s paraphrase, “Shake hands all around.”
One
Wycliffe translator working with indigenous Eskimos in the Arctic described
Christ as “The keeper of the huskies.”
They’d never seen a lamb.
6. There are three distinct approaches for handling
translations.
· The literal approach prioritizes a word-for-word translation that gives
priority to the original language.
· The dynamic approach gives priority to what the text means. It is
still a rather literal approach which aims to make the text as readable as
possible. It endeavors to find equivalent concepts in English to match the
concepts in the language being translated.
· A paraphrase focuses
on simplicity and clarity over precision. It seeks to bring maximum
clarity by using additional words as needed to get the meaning right.
For
example, Matthew 8:20:
Literal: “The Son of man has nowhere to lay his
head.”
Dynamic: “The God who put on a body and became
man declared, ‘I don’t have a place to sleep.’”
Paraphrase: “Christ, the holy dude rapped, ‘Yo,
the God-man has no crib to chill and catch some z’s.”’
Which
translation is best for me?
1. Literal Approach
· American Bible Society Greek Text
· King James Version (KJV) - This
Bible is basically literal. It stays close to the original sentence structure
but changes it where meaning is compromised.
It is based on the best Hebrew and
Greek texts available in the 16th century.
Some words used in the KJV now have different meanings.
For example, the word 'suffer' in the King James is
dramatically different today: “Suffer
the little children to come in to me.”
Today, the word 'suffer' means “approach.”
The New King James Version (NKJV) is
often used (Let the little children come to
me...) instead of the King James Version today.
· English Standard Version (ESV) - The ESV seeks, as
far as possible, to capture the precise wording of the original text and the
personal style of each Bible writer.
· New American Standard Bible (NASB) - This Bible is
considered by many to be the most literal English translation of all the
Bibles. It is conservative, evangelical, and protestant.
Conservative theology affects
translational decisions. It is often very difficult to understand in English.
However, it is a great tool for those who don’t know Greek and Hebrew.
2. Dynamic Approach
· The Amplified Bible (AMP) takes a
single word and adds many descriptive words to amplify its meaning.
For example, “Jesus, the Savior, the Redeemer, the hypostatic union of flesh and
spirit has no dwelling, no refuge, no home, no place of safety to recline his
cranium, to rest his muscles, to relax and refresh his body after ministry”
(Matthew 8:20)
· The Douay Bible is the foundation on
which nearly all English Catholic versions are based. It owes its
existence to the religious controversies of the 16th century.
It’s very readable and easy to understand and is mostly close to the text.
(Roger: “This is the version I used the
first time I read through the entire Bible.”)
· Today’s English Version (TEV) Bible
is almost a paraphrase. The translation is often very colloquial and renders
the original language loosely.
· The Jerusalem Bible (JB) is a Roman
Catholic translation that does not try to follow the original sentence
structure. Instead it focuses on what the text means. This Catholic Bible
contains the extra seven books of the Catholic canon (The Apocrypha).
· The New International Version (NIV)
tries to balance a literal translation with an emphasis on meaning. It is clear
and easy to read. It seeks to balance between word-for-word and
thought-for-thought. (Roger: “This
is my favorite translation. It is my everyday Bible.)
3. Paraphrase
· Living Bible (LB) attempts to say as
exactly as possible what the writers of the Scriptures meant and to say it
simply. It expands as necessary for a clear understanding by the modern reader.
· J. B. Phillips New Testament
(Phillips) is an English translation of the New Testament by Anglican clergyman
J. B. Phillips. While the translation is not well known, it has many ardent
fans including Os Guinness, Chuck Swindoll, and Ray Stedman. (Roger: “This is my favorite paraphrase.”)
· The Message (MSG) is easy to read
and understand. Created by Pastor Eugene Peterson, it tends to translate
thought for thought. While it still may be identified as close to the text, it
renders the original language loosely.
· Interlinear Greek New Testament: this
translation has the English text next to the Greek text. It is especially
helpful for those who know a little Greek.
Other Bibles You Might Consider
· The Children’s Bible is a comic book
paraphrase with great pictures and simple words (Roger: “I raised my children on this Bible.”)
· The Names of God Bible
· New Testament for Everyone
· The Prophecy Bible
· Young’s Literal Translation
· The Kingston Bible is a large
three-volume graphic novel Bible which sticks closely to the original text.
Once you start reading it, it’s hard to put it down!
· The Layman’s Parallel New Testament
places two or more translations side-by-side on the same page.
I also recommend that you invest in a
study Bible. This tool provides a running commentary on each passage placed
next to the English text for easy access.
Many
people find that they need more than one Bible translation and use different
ones for different occasions.
A Bible handbook and Bible dictionary
will be of great help.
Of course, the YouVersion app, Bible
Gateway, Daily Audio Bible, and Bible.is are just a few Scripture resources
available on your phones and devices. It's great to be able to read multiple
translations, to hear the Scriptures, and to study a plethora of resources
online.
The
test of a true Bible student is not how much we learn — but how much we live.
Luke 24:32 teaches, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked
with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
The proof that we are learning from
the Bible is not a big head but a burning heart.
Well, Kate, I hope that I’ve given
you the information you need to make a good choice.
Let me know how it works out.
Love,
Roger
Dr. Roger Barrier retired as senior
teaching pastor from Casas
Churchin Tucson, Arizona. In addition to being an author and sought-after
conference speaker, Roger has mentored or taught thousands of pastors,
missionaries, and Christian leaders worldwide. Casas Church, where Roger
served throughout his thirty-five-year career, is a megachurch known for a
well-integrated, multi-generational ministry. The value of including new
generations is deeply ingrained throughout Casas to help the church move
strongly right through the twenty-first century and beyond. Dr. Barrier
holds degrees from Baylor University, Southwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary, and Golden Gate Seminary in Greek, religion, theology, and pastoral
care. His popular book, Listening to the Voice of God, published by
Bethany House, is in its second printing and is available in Thai and
Portuguese. His latest work is, Got Guts? Get Godly! Pray the Prayer God Guarantees to Answer, from
Xulon Press. Roger can be found blogging at Preach It, Teach It,
the pastoral teaching site founded with his wife, Dr. Julie
Barrier.
No comments:
Post a Comment