{"id":34121,"date":"2016-03-31T10:59:28","date_gmt":"2016-03-31T17:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/?p=34121"},"modified":"2019-04-22T12:29:24","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T19:29:24","slug":"bible-translation-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/bible-translation-comparison\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Best Bible Translation?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I\u2019ll be upfront with you. I\u2019m not actually going to tell you what Bible translation I think is the best. I won\u2019t even tell you which one I prefer. It may or may not have colorful illustrations that make Jesus look like a California surfer. Kidding<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tend to agree with Pastor Rick Warren when he said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best Bible translation is one that is translated into your life.\u201d<\/em> <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

But to help you make the choice, you should know what makes each translation different. That will help you decide what to use for study, what you recommend to new believers, and even what you read to your kids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DECIDING ON THE BEST BIBLE TRANSLATION FOR YOU<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Centuries of scholarship have gone into the English translations we have today.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

There are two methods translators use when putting together English Bibles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Produce a translation to prioritize the original, literal word (word for word).<\/li>
  2. Produce a translations to prioritize the original idea being communicated (thought for thought).<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The more technical terms are usually put into three categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Formal Equivalent<\/strong><\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    These translations attempt to reproduce the Greek and Hebrew as exactly as possible into the English language. Words, figures of speech, and sentence structure of the original languages are reproduced in a much more literal way in this type of Bible. These produce a word-for-word translation. Sometimes, this can result in awkward, less-familiar language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dynamic Equivalent<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    These Bibles land between a formal equivalent translation and a paraphrase. They are thought-for-thought, but only to an extent. Greek and Hebrew figures of speech are replaced with modern rough equivalents. They are typically easier to read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paraphrase<\/strong>
    <\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    These versions are not usually considered translations<\/em>. Instead, they are seen as rewordings of Scripture. So they have the freedom to use very familiar, modern language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paraphrase-advocates note that the New Testament was written in the common language of the people\u2014not by scholars or philosophers. The results can be the clearest expression of Scripture on par with the original. However, theological lenses can more easily influence the interpretation. Some paraphrases are based on the original Hebrew\/Greek and some are based on more formal equivalent English translations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The centuries old challenge for scholars is accurately translating the original manuscripts in a way that also makes them understandable.<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    For example, imagine you’re speaking to an audience in China through a translator. You say, \u201cHong Kong is the coolest city I\u2019ve ever been to<\/em>\u201d. Then the translator literally interprets your statement. She turns to the audience and says, “Hong Kong is the coldest city I\u2019d ever been to<\/em>“. Your audience probably thinks you grew up in the middle of the Gobi desert (Hong Kong never really gets cold). We want our translators to understand our culture and slang enough to translate my thought, as opposed to my literal words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And so, for centuries the challenge has been to translate an accurate, understandable Scripture into thousands of languages worldwide. So, unless you can read the Hebrew and Greek yourself, every translation you’ve read went through this process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Where does your favorite translation rank in terms of being word-for-word and thought-for-thought? Check out the graphic* below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    You\u2019ll notice this chart doesn\u2019t say one translation is better than another. However, it can help you understand how the different translations interpret the original manuscripts. If you want to dig deeper, most Bibles have an introduction that explains their translation philosophy. You can also check out the links below for more in-depth thoughts on the differences between translations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Helpful Resources:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n