Jul 21 2009
The task of interpretation, part 2
Every week in my women’s bible study there are at least 3 different translations being used. Most of the time one of us reads a passage and then we all simply discuss. There are times, however, that we struggle with the passage and then I suggest we read it in another translation. When we do this, oftentimes there is the question as to the validity of using different translations. So today, the focus will be on why there are so many choices and which one should be used.
Anytime you are translating something from one language to another, whether it be spoken or written, there is never a one-to-one translation. Each language has its own rules and nuances that can never be fully translated. So it is with translating the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek manuscripts.
History
The Old Testament was written largely in Hebrew, with a few smatterings of Aramaic (most of Daniel was written in Aramaic). As Hebrew people started moving across the Near Eastern world and acclimated themselves to other cultures, they would translate their Scriptures into the new language – or at least sections of their Scriptures. The largest undertaking would be the translation into Greek between 300-200 BC also called the Septuagint, or the LXX.
All (that I know of) the New Testament manuscripts were written in Greek. The next major undertaking was the translation into Latin, called the Vulgate, by Jerome in the late 4th century AD. Jerome used both Hebrew and Greek manuscripts for translation. For hundreds of years afterward, at least in the Roman Catholic Church, the Vulgate was the only authorized version.
The first known translation of the Bible into English was by John Wycliff in the 14th century (c1380’s). Because the only authorized version available was the Vulgate, that is what Wycliff used. The problem with this should be obvious: Wycliff translated a translation of the original texts – meaning that the true nuances and rules of the original language are now once removed. The King James version followed suit and used the Vulgate as its base. (There were several translations into English between Wycliff and King James but those translations are not used today.) If you would like more history then check out this website: Greatsite.
Our Current Situation
As I walk through the Bible section at my local Family Christian Store, I feel completely inundated by the selection of Bibles. There are almost too many to choose from. Here are some guidelines to help you choose.
Word-for-Word Translations
Some translations committees go the route of thinking that only a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts is the way to go. While I applaud this idea, the English is often very awkward and is not easy to read. This type of translation is also called a Literal Translation. Versions that fall into this category: King James, New King James, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), Amplified Bible (AMP), Revised Standard Version (RSV).
Meaning-for-Meaning Translations
This is also known as a Dynamic Equivalence methodology. This method attempts to take the true meaning of a text and translate it in a way that it produces a more readable text for us while conveying the true meaning behind the text. There are degrees to which this can be done. Versions in this category: New International Version (NIV), Today’s New International Version (TNIV), New American Bible (NAB), New Jerusalem Bible (NJB), New Century Version (NCV).
Paraphrase
This last, broad category, is the taking the original text and putting it into your own words, or paraphrasing it. This method probably produces the easiest text to read, but meaning and accuracy of original intent get lost. Versions using this method include: The Message, New Living Translation (NLT), Contemporary English Version (CEV), Living bible.
The ultimate question you should ask is: which one should I use? That is a question that I cannot answer for you, but I can offer some thoughts. The most important thing is that YOU ULTIMATELY NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS WRITTEN DOWN. If you can’t understand the language, style or thoughts, then you’ll never have the opportunity to be transformed because you’ll be struggling with what the text says. Keeping that in mind, I would probably start with a New International Version as it has the most readability for its accuracy level. I would then probably progress to something like the English Standard Version, which is more word-for-word (i.e. more accurate) and read them side-by-side. Then if you find that you still need a little bit of help, I would reach for a New Living Translation. Working with three bibles open will provide for you a broad range of readability, accuracy and conveyance of meaning that you would never get from using one translation exclusively. I actually use the ESV as my standard version, followed by the NIV and TNIV, the RSV and on rare occasions I’ll pick up a King James. I’ve toyed with getting the new NLT Study Bible, but haven’t justified owning another bible (I actually use 8 different study bibles, each with its own purpose. I’ll talk more about that next time.
Questions? If you ever have any questions about this blog, my theology, my data or general thoughts, please feel free to comment. I will answer all questions (if I can) on the blog.
Hooray, you tackled the translation issue! Of course it always ultimately comes down to “use the translation that works for you” because, as you said, the main point is that you understand what’s being said. But when you’re a newbie looking at the racks and racks of Bibles in the bookstores, how on earth do you choose? I started out with the NIV because that was what was on the pew racks at church, so it seemed reasonable. The first Bible I actually bought for myself was a “daily” Bible which merges the different books into a chronological text – I got it because I wanted to read right through the Bible in a format that would help me understand the big picture.
The next purchase was a study version with lots of useful notes, references, maps and all that. Very handy for Bible study classes! Then I got one for my office when I was working out of the house, it was inexpensive and pretty and I got my name blocked on the front (I’m good at losing books.)
Eventually I was ready to branch out, so I got a small Bible to put in my bag, and this time it was ESV. That, incidentally, earned me nods of approval from Trinity students!
So the moral of the story is, if you get into Bible study you’ll have more than one eventually anyway, and the translation becomes less important to you. I still like the KJV for its poetry, and the Message for its contemporary application. Oh, and our house also contains various old Bibles acquired under various circumstances, a kids’ Bible, a middle school Bible, and a teen Bible. It happens.