Translations

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I. Translation Philosophy: From Word-for-Word to Thought-for-Thought

Translators generally follow one of two major philosophies (or a balance of both) when moving from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek into English.

  • Formal Equivalence (Literal):

    • Goal: To translate the Bible word-for-word, preserving the original sentence structure, grammar, and idioms as closely as possible.

    • Pros: precise and excellent for in-depth study; allows the reader to see the underlying structure of the original text.

    • Cons: Can be "wooden" or difficult to read in English; idioms like "gird up your loins" might require explanation.

    • Examples: KJV, NASB, ESV, LSB.

  • Dynamic Equivalence (Functional):

    • Goal: To translate thought-for-thought. The translator asks, "How would the original author say this idea if he were speaking modern English?"

    • Pros: Highly readable and easier to understand for devotional reading; captures the impact of the original message.

    • Cons: Involves more interpretive decisions by the translator, moving the reader slightly further from the original words.

    • Examples: NIV, NLT.

  • Paraphrase (Free Translation):

    • Goal: To restate the "big picture" meaning of the text using contemporary language, modern idioms, and conversational phrasing. Rather than translating strictly from the original languages, it often rewords existing English translations to maximize accessibility and emotional impact.

    • Pros: Extremely easy to read; makes ancient concepts instantly relatable to modern life; excellent for casual reading, daily devotions, or introducing the Bible to children and new readers.

    • Cons: Highly subjective; involves the highest degree of interpretation by the author, which can introduce personal theological bias; unsuitable for deep textual study, exegesis, or establishing doctrine.

    • Examples: The Message (MSG), The Living Bible (TLB), The Passion Translation (TPT).

II. The Struggle for the Vernacular: Breaking the Chains

For centuries, the Latin Vulgate was the only official Bible of the Western church. Because few commoners spoke Latin, the Bible was effectively "locked" away. While physical Bibles were sometimes chained to pulpits in medieval churches to prevent theft, the theological "chaining" was more severe: the Church maintained that only the clergy could correctly interpret Scripture, binding the conscience of the laity to the institution rather than the text and the Holy Spirit.

Brave reformers risked—and often lost—their lives to break this monopoly.

  • John Wycliffe (c. 1320s–1384) – "The Morning Star of the Reformation"

    • The Act: Wycliffe produced the first complete manuscript translation of the Bible into English (from the Latin Vulgate) in the 1380s.

    • The Risk: He argued that Englishmen should know God's law in their own tongue. Though he died of natural causes, the Church declared him a heretic posthumously. In 1428, his bones were dug up, burned, and thrown into the River Swift to symbolize his "damnation."

  • Martin Luther (1483–1546) – The German Pioneer

    • The Act: While hiding at Wartburg Castle under a fake identity ("Junker Jörg") after being declared an outlaw by the Emperor for not recanting his 95 thesis and books, Luther translated the New Testament into German in just 11 weeks (1522). He used Erasmus's Greek text rather than the Latin.

    • The Impact: Luther’s German Bible unified the German dialects and shattered the barrier between the clergy and the laity. He famously stated, "The woman in the home, the child at play, the man in the street... must be asked how they speak, and the translation made accordingly."

  • William Tyndale (c. 1494–1536) – The Father of the English Bible

    • The Act: Tyndale is critical as he created the first printed English Bible translated directly from the Hebrew and Greek.

    • The Risk: Tyndale was hunted across Europe by English agents. He famously told a clergyman: "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou doest."

    • The Cost: He was eventually betrayed, strangled, and burned at the stake. His final words were, "Lord, open the King of England's eyes."

III. Modern English Translations

Below is a timeline of major English translations, ranging from the historic standard to the newest literal options.

1. King James Version (KJV) – 1611

  • Type: Formal Equivalence (Literal).

  • Description: Commissioned by King James I, it is the most influential book in the history of the English language. It relied heavily on Tyndale’s work (some scholars say up to 80-90%).

  • Distinction: It uses the Textus Receptus (Received Text) for the New Testament. Its majestic, Shakespearean language ("Thee," "Thou") is beautiful but archaic for modern readers.

2. New American Standard Bible (NASB) – 1971 (Updated 1995, 2020)

  • Type: Strict Formal Equivalence.

  • Description: Often called the "most literal" of the modern translations. It prioritizes word-for-word accuracy over literary flow.

  • Distinction: It is the preferred Bible for many seminarians and serious students who do not know the original languages but want to get as close as possible to the syntax.

3. New International Version (NIV) – 1978

  • Type: Dynamic Equivalence (Thought-for-Thought).

  • Description: The best-selling modern English Bible. It seeks a balance between accuracy and readability.

  • Distinction: It is less literal than the NASB or ESV but much more readable. It sometimes smooths over difficult grammatical structures to make the meaning clear in English.

4. English Standard Version (ESV) – 2001

  • Type: "Essentially Literal" (Formal Equivalence).

  • Description: Created to fill the gap between the archaic KJV and the less literal NIV. It is a revision of the earlier Revised Standard Version (RSV).

  • Distinction: It has become the standard pulpit Bible for many evangelical and Reformed churches. It retains some of the theological terms and cadence of the KJV tradition but in modern English.

5. Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) – 2021

  • Type: Strict Formal Equivalence.

  • Description: The newest major entry in the "literal" category. It is a direct update of the NASB 1995, undertaken by The Master’s Seminary and John MacArthur.

  • Distinction: It is even more precise and consistent than the NASB.

    • Divine Name: It translates the tetragrammaton (YHWH) as "Yahweh" rather than "LORD" throughout the Old Testament.

    • Slave: It translates the Greek word doulos consistently as "slave" rather than "servant" or "bond-servant," emphasizing the believer's total submission to Christ.