Understanding and Using Bible Translations

Understanding and Using Bible Translations When we read the Bible in English, we are using translations. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. While some may have the ability and the time to become fluent in the original languages, most of us will rely on English translations of the Bible for the entirety of our lives. Although knowing the original languages provides enormous benefits, we can confidently and thankfully read our English translations. But in order to use the English translations as effectively as possible, we must understand the philosophy of the translations and how to leverage their differences to understand the Scriptures better. Four Qualities of an Excellent Translation 1 1. Accuracy a. The goal of translation is to communicate meaning accurately. Therefore, an excellent translation will communicate the meaning of the Bible accurately into the receptor language. b. Reaching this goal means that the form of the original language may change in translation to communicate meaning in the receptor language. No two languages have exactly parallel vocabulary, grammar, structure, or idioms. c. For example, John 3:16: (Greek) οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον. (Word-for-Word) So for loved the God the world, so that the son the unique he gave, in order that every one the one believing in him not he might perish but hem might have life eternal. While this word-for-word translation accurately preserves the form of the Greek text, it does not accurately communicate the meaning of the Greek text. d. Because an excellent translation seeks to communicate accurately, it will consider the genre and style of the original text (e.g. a story in Greek should read like a story English). 1 Gordon D. Fee and Mark L. Strauss, How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007). 1

2. Clarity a. Excellent English translations should be equally as clear (or unclear) to the modern English reader as the Greek text was to its original readers. b. Grammatical constructions should be equally as clear or as ambiguous to the modern reader as to the original reader. When the original hearers would have understood a phrase to be unclear, we should as well. 3. Natural a. Excellent English translations should use natural-sounding English. When the translation is unnatural, it miscommunicates meaning. b. Because the authors of the Greek New Testament wrote in Koine Greek, the common language of their own day, English translations should be written in the common language as well. c. Because language is always changing, there will always be a need to update English translations. d. For example, Matthew 6:9: (KJV) Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name (ESV) Our Father in heaven, Hallowed by your name. (CSB) Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Even from these few examples, and these qualities of an excellent translation, we can begin to see not only the difficulty involved in translation, but also the value of utilizing multiple translations in our Bible study. In order to better understand how to use multiple translations, and to offer support for the qualities listed above, we must dig deeper into understanding both the philosophy and the methodology of Bible translations. 2

Primary Approaches to Bible Translation 2 Each translation, or version, of the Bible has a translation philosophy behind it that falls, generally speaking, into one of three categories: a focus on form, a focus on meaning, or a blend of the two. All of these approaches have inherent strengths and weaknesses. 1. Formal Equivalence (Focus on Form) This approach is often referred to as word-for-word or literal because it prioritizes the form of the original language in English. The strengths of formal equivalence include: a. Better enabling English readers to see word patterns because it seeks to translate the same Greek words(s) with the same English word(s) as much as possible. b. Better enabling English readers to trace the logical arguments of a text by using logical connective words such as therefore, for and but, along with consistently translating participles instead of forming a new sentence. c. Tends to be less interpretive, which may guard against communicating a wrong meaning. 2. Functional/Dynamic Equivalence (Focus on Meaning) This approach prioritizes reproducing the meaning of the Greek in natural English. This necessarily involves more interpretation than formal equivalence. The strengths of functional equivalence include: a. A more accurate translation (if it is done well) because of its focus on meaning. b. A more clear translation because Greek syntax does not parallel the English syntax. c. A more natural translation because it does not seek to use the same form as the Greek, even if it would be understandable (understandable and natural are not equivalent). 3. Mediating This approach seeks to combine the strengths of formal and functional equivalence. In some places the translation will be more form based while in other places it will be more meaning based. 2 Andrew David Naselli, How to Understand and Apply the New Testament (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2017) 3

Regardless of the philosophy used in translation, something will always be lost. Additionally, regardless of the translation philosophy, interpretation is happening. Translators have to interpret as the translate. These losses and difficulties are especially noticeable as translators make determinations about figurative language and culturally-complex issues. Translating Figurative & Culturale Language 1. Idioms a. English Examples 1. Break a leg = good luck 2. Hold your horses = be patient 3. Tongue-in-cheek = with ironic humor b. Greek Examples 1. She was found in stomach having = she was found to be with child (ESV)/ to be pregnant (NIV) 2. girding up the loins of the mind of you = preparing your minds for action (ESV) 2. Metaphors and Similes a. Sometimes metaphors and similes do not transfer into another language or cultural context well at all. One example of this would be reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God. How should this be translated in a region of the world that does not have sheep? b. Sometimes metaphors should be replaced, other times, they should be kept and people must be taught what they mean. 3. Historical-Cultural Context a. Because the Bible uses every-day language, there are certain concepts or things that are completely foreign to every other culture. b. For example, most English speakers do not use the terms disciple, covenant, scribes, propitiation, or Sanhedrin. Translators must decide if they should translate these differently (disciple = follower, covenant = promise, scribes = experts in the law, etc.). 4. Money & Measurements a. There s much confusion in America in converting our measuring system to the metric system. There is even more confusion in understanding the meaning of terms referring to money, weight, and measurements used in the Bible. So how should these be translated in the Bible? Generally, there are three options: 4

1. Transliterate the term and give a modern equivalent in the footnote (e.g. Luke 19:13, ten minas ). 2. Translate a modern equivalent, and sometimes transliterate it in the footnote (e.g. Luke 19:13, about $12,000 ). 3. Specify the relative value, and give the historical term in the footnote (e.g. Luke 19:13, about three months wages. 5. Euphemisms a. Often, sensitive subjects are communicated indirectly with euphemisms to avoid being unpleasant or even offensive. However, euphemisms for the same thing differ widely in both culture and language. So, should euphemisms be translated in (1) a form based way, (2) directly without any euphemism, or (3) with a parallel euphemism in English. b. For example, 1 Corinthians 7:1: Extremely form-based: Now concerning the things you wrote, good for a man a woman not to touch. NASB: No concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. ESV: Now concerning the matters about which you wrote, It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. NLT: Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. c. Translating euphemisms is a major challenge, because one of the marks of an excellent translation is that it is audience appropriate, not only in readability, but also in content. The translation should be able to be read at a church gathering for people of all ages, including young children. 6. Gender-Accuracy a. Grammatical gender does not equate to biological gender. 1. God the Father and Jesus are masculine grammatically, but the Holy Spirit is neuter grammatically. Child is grammatically neuter. 2. E.g. ανθροπος (man = human being of either gender) and αδελφος = (brothers and sisters). 5

Footnotes in the Bible Most Bible translations have footnotes in them, but are often ignored or confused with crossreferences. If you scan the bottom of the page in your Bible, you will find that there are numerous footnotes included. The purpose of these footnotes is to: 1. Point out textual variants (e.g. 1 Corinthians 2:1) 2. Specify the Old Testament passage that the New Testament is quoting (The ESV using cross references for this, not footnotes). 3. Translate the text in an alternative way (e.g. 1 Corinthians 2:13, *some editions of the ESV) 4. Explain the Greek text (E.g. 1 Corinthians 2:5) 5. Give a more form-based alternative to the more meaning-based translation (e.g. 1 Corinthians 1:26). Modern English Translations More Form-Based Mediating More Meaning-Based Free KJV RSV NRSV NIV NLT LB NKJV CSB NASB ESV NET The Message 1. KJV and NKJV: KJV is the most famous Bible translation, but no longer the dominant English translation. Modern English translations are increasingly more common than the KJV (translators preface undermines the KJV position). NKJV fails to strengthen the KJV because (1) it doesn t translate the best texts, (2) it updates the KJV to more modern English, losing the aesthetic beauty that man readers associate with the KJV. I can t think of a compelling reason to use either the KJV or the NKJV as your primary translation for personal study or for preaching and teaching. 2. NASB: Wooden translation. Good for study use, but probably not as a main translation to preach and teach from. 3. RSV, NRSV, ESV: RSV (1952) was a revolutionary translation. It was rejected in many conservative circles because it translated Isaiah 7:14 as young woman instead of virgin and Romans 3:25 as expiation instead of propitiation. The NRSV (1990) updated the RSV, including consistent gender-inclusive language. The ESV (2001) updates the RSV by 6

becoming more theologically conservative and by not adding gender-inclusive language as consistently. This is a great translation to use as a primary translation. 4. NIV: First released in 1984, but updated in 2005 to be the TNIV. The 2011 major update is a more conservative, widely received edition. 5. The NET: Similar to the NIV, but with better footnotes. 6. Living Bible, New Living Translation: Essentially scholarly paraphrases of translations. There is a vast amount of work and scholarship behind each of these. 7. The Message: A paraphrase by one man. This should not be used as a text for primary Bible study, preaching, or teaching, but still provides helpful insights. Note: Although these versions generally fall on a form-based to meaning-based spectrum, all translations utilize both. In Dave Brunn s One Bible, Many Versions: Are All Translations Created Equal?, he demonstrates with hundreds of examples that some translations with a reputation for being literal (KJV, NASB, ESV) are often not literal at all, and sometimes the translations with a reputation for being mediating (NIV) are often more literal. The classifications characterize a version in general, not in every instance. Conclusion So, what should we do with the wealth of Bible translations available to us? 1. Regularly benefit from the strengths of multiple translations. It is probably a good practice to regularly read one main translation, provided it really is a good one. This will aid in memorization as well as give you consistency. Also, if you are using one of the better translations, it will have footnotes in the margin at many of the places where there are difficulties. However, for the study of the Bible, you should use several wellchosen translations. The best option is to use the translations that one knows in advance will tend to differ. This will highlight where many of the difficult problems of interpretation lie. 3 Instead of looking at Bible translations as a competition, in which you pick one and then deem the rest inferior, seek to leverage the strengths and weaknesses of multiple translations to help you better understand the text. 3 Gordon D. Fee and Mark L. Strauss, How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007). 7

2. Thank God for good Bible translators and translations. Good translators must become skilled in (1) the source language, (2) interpretive skills and a breadth of knowledge to avoid missing nuances, (3) a high aptitude for writing in the receptor language. 3. Be careful when you criticize a translation. Not every translation decision is easy to make or clear-cut. Often, it is a toss-up with both pros and cons. 4. Recognize your mono-lingual bias if you have one. 5. Recognize how similar English Bibles are, for example: a. Every version translates t hought for thought rather than word for word in many contexts. b. Every version gives priority to the meaning of idioms and figures of speech over the actual words c. Every version translates some Hebrew or Greek words many different ways d. Every version translates concepts in place of words in many contexts e. Every version leaves some Hebrew and Greek words untranslated f. Every version adds interpretation, even when it is not absolutely necessary g. Every version replaces some masculine forms with gender-neutral forms 8

h. Every version often sets aside the goal of reflecting each inspired word in order to better reflect the inspired naturalness and readability of the original 9