BIBLE TRANSLATIONS TO ENGLISH
There are two primary reasons for the different English Bible versions.
- Over time, the English language changes/develops, making updates to an English version necessary.
If a modern reader were to pick up a 1611 King James Version of the Bible, he would find it to be virtually unreadable. Everything from the spelling, to syntax, to grammar, to phraseology is very different. Linguists state that the English language has changed more in the past 400 years than the Greek language has changed in the past 2,000 years. Several times in church history, believers have gotten “used” to a particular Bible version and become fiercely loyal to it, resisting any attempts to update/revise it. This occurred with the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, and more recently, the King James Version. Fierce loyalty to a particular version of the Bible is illogical and counterproductive. When the Bible was written, it was written in the common language of the people at that time. When the Bible is translated, it should be translated into how a people/language group speaks/reads at that time, not how it spoke hundreds of years ago.
(2) There are different translation methodologies for how to best render the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into English.
Some Bible versions translate as literally (word-for-word) as possible, commonly known as formal equivalence. Some Bible versions translate less literally, in more of a thought-for-thought method, commonly known as dynamic equivalence. All of the different English Bible versions are at different points of the formal equivalence vs. dynamic equivalence spectrum.
The New American Standard Bible and the King James Version would be to the far end of the formal equivalence side, while paraphrases such as The Living Bible and The Message would be to the far end of the dynamic equivalence side.
The advantage of formal equivalence is that it minimizes the translator inserting his/her own interpretations into the passages.
The disadvantage of formal equivalence is that it often produces a translation so woodenly literal that it is not easily readable/understandable.
The advantage of dynamic equivalence is that it usually produces a more readable/understandable Bible version.
The disadvantage of dynamic equivalence is that it sometimes results in “this is what I think it means” instead of “this is what it says.
” Neither method is right or wrong. The best Bible version is likely produced through a balance of the two methodologies.
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE IN ENGLISH?
Of course, since the KJV dates from 1611, it contains some archaic language, but the message of the KJV in this verse is also very difficult to decipher. In the NIV in this case the thought comes through with more clarity.
Translations also differ as to the reading level of the reader. They vary from a third grade to a twelfth grade reading level. The lower reading level translations have shorter sentences, draw from a smaller English word pool, and avoid all uncommon words. Some employ a vocabulary limited to 1000 words.
Let’s review several of the best-known translations. We cited two translations in the passage just quoted, and they are the two most widely used of all English translations:
- The King James Version is loved for the majesty of its language and for the way God has used it in ministering to millions down through the centuries. Some Christians feel that no other translation can possibly replace it.
- The New International Version is today the most widely distributed and utilized translation in the world. It is a thought-for-thought translation, but employs a moderately traditional tone that makes it appropriate for both public worship and personal reading.
- A recent translation that is gaining widespread acceptance and uses contemporary terminology is the New Living Translation. It is both accurate and very readable.
- Another widely used translation is the New American Standard Bible, which is a more literal re-edition.
- The New Revised Standard Version, is a contemporary thought-for-thought translation.
- Many Roman Catholic readers prefer the New Jerusalem Bible.
SO WHICH IS THE BEST TRANSLATION?
As you can see, there are many audiences and many different kinds of readers. You should decide what kind of reader you are and estimate your reading level. Are you seeking a literal translation or one that provides a thought-for-thought presentation? Do you prefer the historic dignity of the King James Version, the widely accepted and respected New International Version, or the very readable and contemporary New Living Translation? Consult a knowledgeable Christian and then immerse yourself in God’s Word!
Each translation has the power to transform your life. Though the cadence and the terminology may differ, the voice of God can speak to you through each one. Then the question remains: how will you respond to God’s voice as He speaks to you from the pages of this life-changing book?
KING JAMES VERSION
The noise thereof showeth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapor.Job 36:33
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.Job 36:33
Would you believe that there are literally hundreds of different translations of the Bible into English? For many people this huge variety is totally confusing and they just don’t know which Bible to choose. How did we get into this situation anyway?
At the heart of the problem are two views as to what a translation should be. On one side are those who feel a translation should stick just as closely as possible to every word of the original Hebrew and Greek. They want the translation to be a literal transfer, word for word, of the original words into English. They feel this will provide the greatest accuracy possible and, after all, this is the aim, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, that approach encounters real problems. Some words simply don’t have an exact equivalent in English. The word order and the entire sentence structure just don’t match from one language to another. So these word-for-word translations are wooden and unnatural. They may be used for close study, but they often fail in terms of comprehension and readability.
On the other side are those who feel a translation should transfer the message, that is, the exact thought and emotion of the original text. To do this, it should use as many words as are necessary to reproduce the idea precisely in English. You don’t really obtain accuracy, they contend, by a word-for-word translation, but you do when you convey the concept, the message, of the original, so that the reader understands it. In the end, they say, a thought-for-thought translation is actually more accurate as well as more understandable. They invite us to compare Job 36:33 in a literal translation (the venerable King James Version) and a thought-for-thought translation (the New International Version):
KING JAMES VERSION
The noise thereof showeth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapor.Job 36:33
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach.Job 36:33
http://www.biblica.com/bible/bible-faqs/why-are-there-so-many-versions-of-the-bible-in-english/
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