How
to Study the Bible, Lesson 6
Choosing an English Translation
Introduction
Six hundred years ago English speaking people had a problem. No translation of the whole Bible had been made into English. Only those who could use Hebrew or Greek or one of the languages which already had Bible translations, such as Latin, could the the Word of God for themselves. Lewis Foster, Choosing a Translation of the Bible.
The times have changed! In the last 50 years there have been over 50 new translations. Five new versions appeared in 1982 alone and the total number of English versions is over 500!
The rest of the world is not so fortunate. According to the Wycliffe Bible translators, there are about 5,000 languages in the world today. Of those, more than 250 have complete Bibles, more than 500 have complete New Testaments, and more that 1000 have only portions of the Bible in their native language. Linguistic and translation work is in progress in more than 1300 languages. There is a definite need for translators in over 600 languages and a possible need in another 2,500 to 3,000 other languages. This was in 1986 and little progress has been made since then.
You can see then that it is rather embarrassing to discuss which English version to choose from. However, with such a bewildering array, students must ask, "Are all translations good? Are some better than others? How can I know which version I should use?"
Why make a translation?
The primary purpose of any translation should be to make the Word of God understandable (Nehemiah 8:8). Since languages are living and the meanings of words change over time, then translations ought change as well if they are to convey the message to a contemporary audience.
Who is qualified to translate the Bible?
Of course the first qualification must be an understanding of both the original languages and the language that it is to be translated into:
The one who does the work of translating must be a master of the language in which the original is written and also an equal master of the language into which he is making a translation....A computer cannot be programmed to assure a good translation. In an experiment cited by the New York Bible Society, one computer was given the task of translating into modern English the well-known statement,"The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." The result was: " The liquor is great, but the meat is lousy." The translator cannot be replaced by a computer. Lewis Foster, Choosing a Translation of the Bible.
It is also important for the translator to know the Bible and believe its message. This criteria is important because of the seriousness of the task.
Finally, the translator must be a gifted communicator. A good translation should "live."
The first task of the translator is to begin with the best text. He will study and compare the ancient manuscripts and using solid, scholarly principles, attempt to derive the text which has the best claim for stating what the original authors wrote. This science is called, "textual criticism."
Having determined that, the second task is to thoroughly understand the passage. The translator must decide between multiple meanings, and so, through applying good exegetical principles, he will choose a meaning that the original meant to covey or make his best effort.
Finally, he will choose English words and grammar to faithfully express the emotion and intensity of the original text.
A Selective History of the English Bible
Lecture Outline
A. Early English Versions
1. The Paraphrases of Caedmon, 670 A.D.
2. Bede's John, 735, A.D.
3. The Lindisfarne Gospels, 950 A.D.
4. Wycliffe's Bible, 1382
5. Tyndale's Bible, 1524
6. Coverdale (1535); The Geneva Bible (1557-60); The Bishops Bible (1568)
B. Between the Past and the Present
1. Alexander Campbell's Living Oracles, 1826
2. English Revised, 1881-85
3. American Standard Version, 1901
C. A Selective list of Modern Versions
1. Liberal Versions: Moffat (1913); Goodspeed (1923)
2. Williams, In the Language of the People, 1937
3. Gerrit Verkuyl, The Berkley Version of the New Testament.
4. Revised Standard Version, 1946
5. Phillip's Translation, 1947, 1972
6. The Amplified Bible, 1965
7. Today's English Version, 1966
8. The New English Bible, 1970
9. New American Standard Bible, 1971
10. Jerusalem Bible, 1966
11. New International Version, 1973
12. Living Bible Paraphrased, 1971
13. Beck's Version, In the Language of Today
14. New King James Version
15. New Revised Standard Version
16. International Children's Version
17. McCord's Translation
Some Questions to Ask About a Version
1. Is it a translation or a paraphrase?
2. Who was (were) the translator(s)?
3. What is the bias? Here are some key passages that should reveal a theological biases:
a. Deity of Christ: John 1:1; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13
b. Atonement: Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:17; 1st John 2:2;4:10
c. Justification: Romans 3:25; 5:1
d. Repentance: Matthew 3:2
e. Baptism: Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21
f. Eternal Punishment: Matthew 25:46
g. Church Government: Acts 14:23; 20:17,28: James 5:14
h. Inspiration of Scripture: 2nd Timothy 3:16
4. Why was the translation written? For example, is it a Bible study or was it designed for devotional reading?