Comments on: The Politics of Bible Translations

By: Jim Swindle

Jim Swindle — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:50:40 +0000

Thank you for saying what needed to be said. The translations you mention are basically honest translations from different perspectives. Any one of them is sufficient to tell a person how to know God through Jesus.

I’m very uneasy, though, about paraphrases that are looser than the NLT and God’s Word translation. I think it’s dangerous to read a paraphrase as if it’s God’s pure word. If we read it carefully, it’s more–not less–work. I find such “Bibles” too hard to read (harder than the NASB or ESV), because I feel duty-bound to mentally compare every verse to memories of a more reliable translation, so I can see whether the paraphrase is right on that particular passage. Doing that is too much work, so I avoid those paraphrases.

Having said that, we can and should be thankful for the excellent translations, including those that “our kind of Christians” generally don’t like.

By: Claudio

Claudio — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:58:06 +0000

Brent, I understand were you are coming from. Personally, if I could only use just one Bible translation for the rest of my life, it would probably be the KJV. I trust it, and it is a formal translation. However…..since I can use as many translations as I want to, I have to say that I like the NLT, NIV, etc. Why? Because these are written in the way I generally speak and am spoken to. The problem with a translation like the KJV, for example, is not the fact that many words are difficult and archaic. The context defines most of those words. What makes the KJV, NKJV, etc, more difficult to undertand is the grammar and syntax of the Hebrew and Greek. These version, albiet formal and well translated, follow non english grammar. This makes for unusual and ackward sentences that have to be read a few times to make sense of what the text says. This is were a more dynamic version has an advantage. I speak two languages and am often called by my boss to translate for him (I work in a school district with a very large hispanic population.) When I translate, I don’t do it word by word…this would be impossible. I rephrase, omit, add, and basically do what I have to in order to communicate the original message. In my mind, this is what the easier version are for and why I like to use them.

By: Terry Thomas

Terry Thomas — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:07:38 +0000

Amen!
I agree wholeheartedly. Though I am not much of an ESV fan ( I would use the NASBu instead) I must agree. Personally, I use the HCSB as my main translation though I refer to many translations.
On my shelf I can see NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT, NET and the GNT. All have their place and use from the most dynamic/paraphrase (NLT/GNT) to the most formal (ESV/NASB). In all cases good and godly men worked to put God’s words into English for us all to read, study and hear from our Sovereign Lord.
It is time for the “translation wars” to cease. Though I would not teach or preach from the NLT, GNT or the NET for that matter, I still consult them, read from them and recommend them for specific purposes. The HCSB as I said is my main choice, again a personal preference, not a test of godliness.
I hope I never become part of an HCSB-only crowd like some are beginning to do with the ESV and I fear many did with the NIV, thus the overabundance of fighting when the TNIV arrived and I think we are destined to see again with the NIV 2011.
Just my thoughts though.
Blessings,
Terry Thomas

By: Keith

Keith — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:59:23 +0000

I think it is crazy when people label each other based on what translation they prefer. Currently my two favorite translations I use for study are the ESV and TNIV. But I’m not apposed to looking at any of the other translations that I own or have access.

By: Robert Jimenez

Robert Jimenez — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:31:12 +0000

Brent, I understand where you are coming from. Much of our preferences are personal and we should not condemn other translations. I am not a big fan of the ESV as my primary bible, but I like it, use it, compare it, and study with it as well. That goes for the HCSB, and NLT, and all the other translations that I own. They all server a purpose. I feel the same way you do about the HCSB. The 2nd edition is better but still can be better.

By: Gary Zimmerli

Gary Zimmerli — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:16:52 +0000

Good rant, Brent!