READING TIME: 2-4 MINUTES
April 23, 2020
What is your position on Bible versions?
First of all, I am saddened that there has been so much disagreement in Christianity about which Bible version/translation is the “best.” I agree with Dave Brunn that “the Bible makes it clear that every potential source of disunity among Christians can be dangerous (1 Cor 1-4). Unwarranted division harms the church and inevitably reduces its effectiveness in reaching out to a lost world” (chapter 1).
I think there is an advantage to using several different Bible versions, on both sides of the spectrum, from “formal equivalent” to “functional equivalent” (formerly called “dynamic equivalence”) translations. I regularly use several “formal equivalent” translations (NASB, KJV, NKJV, ESV, RSV). My favorite in this category is the NASB. I’m looking forward to seeing the update of this translation (will be called the “NASB 2020 and published by Zondervan) will arrive in spring 2021. Quite often when I read, I use translations in the “functional equivalent” category, like the NLT. I also sometimes read from translations that are in the middle of the two extremes, like the CSB, NIV, and the NET Bible.
There are advantages and disadvantages of each category of translation. It is not necessarily true that the most accurate translations are the ones that are the most literal, (that produce the form of the Hebrew and Greek as closely as possible). In many cases, a literal translation would result in a really poor, and possibly nonsensical translation. Especially when dealing with idioms, a translator needs to change the form to express the meaning. Here’s one example: The Greek text of Matthew 1:18, translated literally, says that before her marriage to Joseph, Mary was discovered to be “having in belly” (en gastri echousa). Of course, this wouldn’t make any sense in English. We would say “she was pregnant.” In French when they say “I have the cockroach,” they just mean “I’m depressed.” Also, in French, they say “it’s raining cords and wires,” but we would say “it’s raining hard” or “it’s raining cats and dogs.” In many cases (again, especially when dealing with idioms), translating literally obscures the meaning for most readers. Even the “formal equivalent” translations quite often resort to changing the form whenever necessary to retain the meaning (which is what “functional equivalent” translations do). One example is in John 2:4. During the wedding in Cana, Mary approached her son, Jesus, and made him aware of the problem of running out of wine. His response to her was “What to Me and to you, woman.” Even the most literal translations don’t translate that literally since it wouldn’t make any sense in English. I agree with the NET Bible note (footnote #8) that this Greek expression is Semitic in origin and it was used when someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his. In this case, he would say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13; Hos 14:8). This implies not hostility but disengagement.
I think it is very beneficial to use more than one version in personal study because not one version can capture all of the meaning, and different versions capture different facets of meaning. It’s helpful to use versions from across the translation spectrum: formal, functional, and mediating. I think the formal equivalent translations are helpful tools for detailed study and the functional equivalent translations are good for reading since they use natural English.
My favorite translation to preach from is the New American Standard. We all have our personal preferences regarding translations. The problem is when we demand that everybody else should share our personal preference.
Sources Used
Biblical Studies Press. The NET Bible Second Edition Notes. Biblical Studies Press, 2017.
Brunn, Dave. One Bible, Many Versions: Are All Translations Created Equal? InterVarsity Press.
Fee, Gordon D.; Strauss, Mark L.; Strauss. How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions. Zondervan, chapter 2.