Review

This is an outline of material on the Comparing Translations Resource Pages. To find out more about any part of the outline, follow the links to pages in this section.

Why are There so Many Translations?

Translations and Editions

Translation | This is a version of the Bible, such as the NRSV, NIV, NET, etc.

Edition | This is a published book containing a certain translation. Maybe you have The Concordia Study Bible (NIV) or The Life Application Bible (NIV). These are different editions of the same translation.

Three Ts

Three Ts answer the question of why there are so many translations: (1) text problems, (2) translation problems and (3) type of translation.

Text Problems happen when the Greek manuscripts we have do not agree with each other.

Translation Problems happen when the Greek manuscripts agree but the translators disagree over word choice.

The Type of Translation leads to choices on the part of the translators that make each translation different from others with different goals. The three types of translations we discussed were:

Verbal Equivalence | The translators try to maintain the closest possible connection to original languages while still writing understandable English syntax.

Dynamic Equivalence | The translators try to communicate the meaning of the original without aiming for word-for-word correspondence.

Paraphrase | This is not a translation per se since it may not be based on the original languages and since it aims to capture the spirit of the original in a new vernacular rather than actually translating the text from one language to another.

Noticing Translation Differences

How do you notice differences in translations? Compare:

Footnotes in the Translation | These are "above the line" that separates the translation from the notes in a study Bible.

Word Choice | Have the translations you're comparing used different words for the same thing? Note this.

Verb Forms | Some imperative and indicative forms in Greek are spelled the same way. English translations have to make a choice for which word is being used in Greek.

Noun Forms | Is one of your translations making some nouns plural to avoid gender exclusive language? If so, you will notice different forms for nouns in the translations.

Word Order or Sentence Structure | You will find shorter sentences or clearer syntax in translations that are aimed at a more elementary reading level.

Accounting for Translation Differences

After you find translation differences, how do you account for them? How can you learn what led to the difference? These resources can help you:

Footnotes in the Translation | These will often tell you if the Greek manuscripts disagree or if the Greek can mean more than one thing.

Footnotes in a Study Bible | These may tell you about a word that is hard to translate or about vocabulary that has a specific meaning to the author of the text you are reading.

The Translation Preface | This is in the front of your Bible and explains the values of the translation committee, including a statement about their intended audience.

Your Greek New Testament & Its Notes | The Greek New Testament will mark where manuscripts disagree and looking at the Greek, if you read Greek, will allow you to see what translators were trying to capture with their various translations.

A Lexicon | This is a dictionary of Greek with the range of meanings for each word in English outlined.

A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament | Either a print or online commentary will have notes on the manuscript differences and explain why one reading is judged to be the "oldest and best."

Judging Translation Differences

You have gathered a lot of data. The last steps in Comparing Translations are to:

Decide What Matters | Of all the differences you have noticed, which ones have the most potential impact on things like (1) the theology implied by the passage, (2) the aesthetics of the passage and (3) the meaning of the passage? You use these critieria (or others that you choose) to decide what differences between translations matter.

Decide on a Translation | You may not have to choose one translation over all others if you are just studying a text privately, but if you are using the text in a public setting and you want to read it to people, you will need to choose a translation to read from and choose whether you will supplement that translation with others or with your own observations. You make this decision based on (1) what your translation comparison has turned up and (2) what you know about your audience.

What's Next: Self Test

Follow the link here to take a review quiz over this material.

Next: Quiz