Bible Versions A. Overview of 'Literal Translations' 1. In this case 'Literal' is a relative word a. Using the KJV as a 'bench mark' 1) versions will be viewed as 'more literal' than the KJV 2) versions will be viewed as 'less literal' than the KJV b. Literal or 'formal' equivalence 2. Using a Grid Reference a. the 'y' axis = the degree of 'literal-ness' 1) from 0% to 100'% 2) 'word for word'-ness b. the 'x' axis 1) from Majority Text (MT) to Western Text (WT) c. Bob Oakley and Ron Bailey both convinced that 1) 'the winning post' is somewhere towards the top right-hand corner of this grid 2) except that this 'winning post' is not achievable. a) "in this way, for, loved, the God, the world that the Son, His, the RB Lit John 3:16 only-begotten-one, He gave so that whoever the believing-one, in Him, should not perish but have age-enduring life" 3) nearest to the winning post would be Youngs Literal Transation 1862 a) for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. Yg Lit John 3:16 b) position PINK "Youngs Translation" c) "medicine cured the illness but killed the patient" B. The King James Version 1611 KJV a. 1611 b. revised 1769 1) standardisation of spelling, and minor corrections 2. The Intention of the Translators a. a committee of 54 scholars, only 47 actually worked on it. b. The Project -scoped. 1) The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the Bishops' Bible, to be followed, and as little altered as the original will permit. 2) The names of the prophets and the holy writers, with the other names in the text, to be retained, as near as may be, accordingly as they are vulgarly used. 3) The old ecclesiastical words to be kept, as the word church, not to be translated congregation. 4) When any word hath divers significations, that to be kept which hath been most commonly used by the most eminent fathers, being agreeable to the propriety of the place and the analogies of faith. 5) The division of chapters to be altered either not at all, or as little as may be, if necessity so require. 6) No marginal notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek words, which cannot, without some circumlocution, so briefly and fitly be expressed, in the text. 7) Such quotations of places to be marginally set down as shall serve for the fit reference of one Scripture to another. 8) Every particular man of each company to take the same chapter or chapters; and, having translated or amended them severally by himself where he thinks good, all to meet together to confirm what they have done, and agree for their part what shall stand. 9) As any one company hath dispatched any one book in this manner, they shall send it to the rest, to be considered of seriously and judiciously; for his Majesty is very careful on this point. www.biblebase.com 2007
10) If any company, upon the review of the book so sent, shall doubt or differ upon any places, to send them word thereof, to note the places, and therewithal to send their reasons; to which if they consent not, the difference to be compounded at the general meeting, which is to be of the chief persons of each company, at the end of the work. 11) When any place of special obscurity is doubted of, letters to be directed by authority to send to any learned man in the land for his judgment of such a place. 12) Letters to be sent from every bishop to the rest of his clergy, admonishing them of this translation in hand, and to move and charge as many as, being skillful in the tongues, have taken pains in that kind, to send their particular observations to the company, either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford, according as it was directed before in the king's letter to the archbishop. 13) The directors in each company to be the Deans of Westminster and Chester, for Westminster, and the king's professors in Hebrew and Greek in the two universities. 14) These translations to be used, when they agree better with the text than the Bishops' Bible: Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's [Rogers'], Whitchurch's [Cranmer's], Geneva." 15) By a later rule, "three or four of the most ancient and grave divines, in either of the universities, not employed in translating, to be assigned to be overseers of the translation, for the better observation of the fourth rule." c. Truly, good Christian Reader, we never thought from the beginning, that we should need to make a new Translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one... but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against; that hath been our endeavor, that our mark. 3. Principles of Translation a. broadly speaking 'formal equivalence' although somewhat inconsistent in this. b. many of those inconsistencies may be traced back to Tyndale 1) Tyndale's version was less 'word for word' translation than the KJV a) "studied variety" eg i. Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. ii. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 2) The KJV has followed this pattern a) "Our translators say, in their noble preface, that they have not been studious of an 'identity of phrasing ;' that is to say, they acknowledge that they have not been careful to render a Hebrew or Greek word by the same English phrase in the different places where the Hebrew or Greek word occurs. Yet an identity of phrasing is often necessary as a clue to the meaning." 4. Strengths a. word for word translation: 1) Strongs Exhaustive Concordance a) gave a unique number to every Hebrew and Greek word b) provided a Hebrew and Greek dictionary to define the words c) principle carried through to Computer Bible programmes 2) The KJV and the NASV can be number coded in this way a) behind every English word there is likely to be a Hebrew or Greek word. b) it ought to be possible to do the same for the NKJV b. based on a subset of the Majority Text manuscripts c. it is the Bible of the Wesleys, their hymns are based on this version d. uses second person singulars and plurals ie,thou, thee, thy 5. WEaknesses KJV 1 John 2:14 NKJV 2 of 5 www.biblebase.com
a. Very old fashioned English 1) already old-fashioned when it was first printed 2) now archaic b. tenses are not as accurate as modern versions c. prepositions are not as accurate as moderns versions. d. An Anglican version 1) it has built in an Anglican hierarchy which is not in the original a) chain of command i. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, whereof the Holy ghost hath made you overseers, to rule the congregation of God, which he purchased with his blood. ii. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. iii. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 2) preoccupation with 'office' and 'title' a) "the office of" i. ʻofficeʼ used 8 times in NT and 37 in OT of the KJV none of which are in the original language texts 3) used words like 'church' 'charity' 'confession' which had Catholic connotations C. The Revised Version 1881 (RV) a. 1881 b. 1901 an American Standard Version (ASV) 1) a more conservative version of the RV 2) more radical version of the RV a. ʻto introduce as few alterations as possible, consistently with faithfulness.ʼ Our task was revision, not re-translation. (from the preface of the RV) b. From the outset the object sought by the revisers has been "to adapt King James' version to the present state of the English language without changing the idiom and vocabulary,'' and further, to adapt it to "the present standard of Biblical scholarship." Since 1611 this latter has made great advances, especially during the last quarter century. c. adopted a different basic Greek text 1) the OT is an excellent translation in the RV 2) and even better in the ASV d. tried to correct the 'studied variety' kind of inconsistency a. more 'literal' 'word for word' that the KJV b. more consistent in its choice of words 1) As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. c. continued to use 'thee' and 'thou' a. adopted a Greek text which has many differences from the Greek text behind the KJV D. The Revised Standard Version 1952 (RSV) a. intended as a revision of the American Standard Version b. The American Standard Version excelled in literal accuracy, but the RSV tended to be more free in its renderings. a. easy to read a. the translators often deliberately rendered Old Testament passages in such a way that they were contrary to the interpretations given in the New Testament. This was Tyn Acts 20:28 KJV Acts 20:28 NKJV Acts 20:28 ASV 1 John 2:24 3 of 5 www.biblebase.com
done on the principle that the Old Testament ought to be interpreted only in reference to its own historical (Jewish) context. Christian interpretations, including those of the New Testament writers, are therefore deliberately excluded as "anachronistic." But this, as conservative critics perceived, practically amounted to a denial of the truth of the New Testament. b. E. The New American Standard Version 1971 NASV a. As its name implies, the New American Standard Bible is a revision of the American Standard Version (1901). It was produced by a company of conservative scholars who wished to provide a literal and conservative revision of the ASV, as an alternative to the Revised Standard Version (1952), which had proven to be unacceptable to conservative churches. b. In 1992 the Lockman Foundation commissioned a limited revision of the NASB which was intended to improve its English style by allowing a somewhat less literal approach. The revision was published as the "NASB Updated Edition" in 1995. a. much more literal than the RSV b. the NASB deliberately interprets the Old Testament from a Christian standpoint, in harmony with the New Testament. c. "...Ultimately, what separates the New American Standard Bible from the various available versions is that the NASB is a literal word-for-word translation from the original languages. In contrast, the others stress either a loose, personalized paraphrase, or a free-style, thought-for-thought translation known as a dynamic equivalent. Both of these place the highest priority on ease of reading and a lower priority on word-for-word preciseness. While such versions may produce smooth English, the literalness of the Word of God is sacrificed. This has never been an option for the New American Standard Bible." d. it rejected some of the more extreme principles of Westcott and Hort. e. accurate translation of tenses. f. the 1992 version has made it more easily readable than the 1971 version a. awkward and unnatural English 1) less so with the 1992 version b. heavy reliance on the Western Text Greek manuscripts, F. The New King James Version 1982 NKJV a. based on the same text underlying the KJV 1) the Textus Receptus b. marginal notes will show more Majority Text information c. preserves Greek and Hebrew idioms more accurately than the NASV d. examples 1) NASB: Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices. 2) NKJV: Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds a. section headings 1) equivalent of interpretive comments inserted into the text 2) a major change in Bible printing 3) not even the Geneva Bible put its interpretations into the text G. The English Standard Version 2001 ESV a. well presented 1) good 'font' for reading b. easy to read c. excellent cross references a. section headings b. based on RSV: it is an evangelical RSV c. claims to be both "word for word" and "based on the RSV" Col 3:9 Col 3:9 4 of 5 www.biblebase.com
1) you can't have both! d. As a revision of the RSV, it is much better than the NRSV in several ways. However, there are some weaknesses in it. For close study it is less suitable than the NASB or NKJV. These latter versions, despite their difficulties and obscurities, continue to be the most useful for detailed and careful study. 5 of 5 www.biblebase.com