Studying the Bible is fundamentally an act of faith. However, given the numerous translations and versions available, it also allows for a fascinating exploration of theology and linguistics.
Each version or translation can illuminate new shades of meaning, highlight certain theological aspects, and invoke new insights for the reader’s understanding of the scripture. While the core message remains the same, examining different translations of the Bible can be an interesting and revelatory experience.
Spreading the Good Word: Why Bible Translations Matter
The Bible is said to be the Word of God, which is final and immutable. So, how are there so many different versions of what should be a monolithic text?
Across the world, the Bible has been translated into 736 languages and counting. The English translation of the Bible, which most readers might be familiar with, is not the original text of the Bible. However, English translations of the Bible are the most numerous, with over 450 different versions of the Bible in English alone!
This diversity of Bible translations becomes even more impressive when you consider the number of partial translations available. When you include partial translations (which only translate a portion of the Bible), the number of languages the Bible can be read in goes as high as 3,658.
With translations existing in so many different languages, it’s not at all surprising that the Bible is the top best-selling book in the world.
The Reasons Why Bible Translations Exist
A person could read the Bible for guidance during prayer time and feel closer to God. Someone might also use the Bible as a reference to look up what the scriptures say on a particular topic. Group studies of the Bible are also popular, occurring during moments of theological study and debate, as well as during prayer services and church sermons.
The different versions and translations of the Bible exist to meet these diverse scenarios. Some translations are better suited for formal application, while others can be used in more informal settings.
For example, the various English translations of the Bible differ from each other in terms of the complexity of language and usage of idioms. Because there are so many different English versions of the Bible in circulation, it’s possible for any English-speaking person to access the holy scriptures in a way that is personally relevant to them.
Accessibility is also the most practical driver for translating the Bible. The original texts of the Bible would be impossible to read or understand for a majority of today’s population.
Without the many biblical translations, we would be dependent on Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek scholars to distill its wisdom for the larger public. We, therefore, owe a great deal of gratitude to the theologians and Bible scholars throughout the centuries who dedicated their time and efforts to translating the Bible and making its teachings accessible to all.
The Origins of the Bible
The Bible is one of the oldest books. In fact, it’s not a single text but a collection of manuscripts split into two sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Catholic Bible comprises 73 books, including seven deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament.
These seven books are not included in the Protestant Bible, which has 66 books. Even the text’s name, “The Bible,” is derived from the Koinē Greek word “ta biblia,” which can be translated to “the books.”
The original biblical manuscripts were written in three ancient languages that have fallen out of use in the modern world: Ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koinē Greek. The first two languages were used in the original manuscripts of the books that make up the Old Testament.
These books of the Old Testament were written centuries before the birth of Christ and the 1st Century AD. The New Testament was written entirely in Koinē Greek.
Even in ancient times, people were taking on the task of translating the Bible. Around the 3rd Century BC, a group of Jewish scholars translated their holy scriptures from Ancient Hebrew to the more commonly used (for that era) Koinē Greek.
This translation was known as the Septuagint, and it became the basis for the Old Testament for the earliest Christians. The rationale behind undertaking this translation effort back then was much the same as it is today—to make the Bible more accessible to a larger audience.
How the Bible Was Translated
All Bible translations are derived from the original manuscripts. Depending on which branch of Christianity is concerned, different manuscripts are picked up for translation. The Roman Catholic Bibles relied on the Koinē Greek Septuagint for translating the Old Testament, while Protestant Bibles reverted to the original Hebrew manuscripts for the same section.
Since the New Testament was originally written in Koinē Greek, both Catholics and Protestant Bibles use the same source for translations.
The methods for translating the Bible vary, which is another reason why so many different translations of the Bible exist. The final form of any translation depends heavily on the approach used by the translator. Broadly, there are four main approaches to translating the Bible.
1. Formal Equivalence
This approach takes a literal view of the translator’s mission. It aims to be a word-for-word recreation of the original text, with the only changes being the adjustments made to fit the grammar and syntax of the translator’s language.
2. Functional Equivalence
This approach is also known as dynamic equivalence. The goal of this approach is to create a thought-for-thought replication of the original author’s intent. For translators who are using the functional equivalence method, using literal translations of each word is not as important as faithfully reproducing the original message.
3. Optimal Equivalence
While formal equivalence and functional equivalence represent two diametrically opposed methods of translating a text, optimal equivalence seeks out a happy meeting point between the two. Wherever possible, formal equivalence is used to preserve the original flavor of the text, but functional equivalence is used whenever the language becomes too archaic or unclear. This is a balanced approach that can still result in faithful translations of the Bible.
4. Paraphrase
Some Bible translators have taken the thought-for-thought approach of functional equivalence even further. This goes beyond translation and enters the realm of paraphrasing. A paraphrased version of the Bible prizes accessibility over all other qualities, seeking to rephrase and restructure passages to provide a more convenient reading experience.
Every Bible translation that you will come across uses one of these four approaches, and you can often tell which one it was quite easily by simply reading the text.
Bible Translations Through the Ages: A Brief Timeline
Sharing the Word of God across the world would not have been possible without the Bible translations created over the years. For nearly as long as there have been people reading the Bible, there have been others hard at work on translating it. Here’s a brief timeline tracing the different translations of the Bible through the ages.
Earliest Translations
The first translations of the Bible were necessitated by the linguistic demographics of the time. Many of these early translations were created because there weren’t enough readers and speakers of the language used in the original manuscripts. Two of the most notable early translations of the Bible were:
- Septuagint (3rd Century BC): The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, which became the Old Testament for early Christians. Though it might be the first-ever translation of the Bible, the Septuagint persists to this day. The Eastern Orthodox Church still uses the Septuagint for public prayer services, even in modern times.
- Vulgate (4th to 5th Century AD): Written by Saint Jerome, the Vulgate was a Latin translation of the Bible that reflected the decline in the usage of Greek throughout the Western Roman Empire. Both the Old Testament and New Testament were translated into Latin. However, it’s notable that Saint Jerome used the original Hebrew Scriptures to translate the Old Testament, rather than relying on the Koinē Greek language Septuagint. The Latin Vulgate would go on to become the definitive Bible for Roman Catholics right up to the 20th Century, when the Catholic Church permitted the use of vernacular language Bibles.
Notable English Translations
English translations of the Bible are commonplace today. But until the Middle Ages, there wasn’t a single English-language Bible in existence. Some popular English Bible translations include:
- Wycliffe’s Bible (14th Century AD): Though this Bible is not widely used today, it is historically significant for being the first English translation of the Bible. It was based on the Vulgate Bible.
- Tyndale’s New Testament (1526 AD): This version was the first English Bible to be distributed on a wide scale, thanks to the adoption of the new printing press technology of the time. This was a popular translation of the Bible among the predominantly English-speaking, Protestant population of England at the time.
- King James’ Version (1611 AD): Under the direction of King James I of England, religious scholars were put to work in 1604 AD to create a translation of the Bible that would appeal to all English speakers. The King James Version proved extremely popular and remained in circulation until modern times when it was updated with the New King James Version in 1982 AD.
- New International Version (1978 AD): One of the most popular versions of the Bible, the New International Version is considered to be one of the finest blends of word-for-word and thought-for-thought translation methods.
- New Living Translation (1996 AD): This is a popular example of the functional equivalence approach to translating the Bible. The New Living Translation broadens the appeal of the Bible’s text, seeking to use simple language and modern analogs to the ancient terms used in more literal translations.
Choosing the Right Bible Translation
Readers who are seeking a Bible version that would suit them best should consider their intended purposes and personal preferences. A formal equivalence translation would work better for liturgical purposes or community study, while functional equivalence translations are more convenient for personal reading. Ultimately, there’s nothing stopping a faithful reader from reading multiple versions of the Bible and finding new learnings in each one!
