Bible Bridges: Part 13

One of the most important and stimulating methods in Bible study that I've found is comparing translations. Many of us have a favorite translation, and that is okay. Translations have a flavor to them like chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry ice cream. 

On the surface, we tend to prefer one flavor over another. For chocolate lovers out there (you know who you are), the deep and dark flavor just takes you to another realm! There are subtle nuances of taste—complexities and interactions that a truly discerning palate can appreciate. If I were to dish out chocolate viz. Bible translations (I bet you didn't know that was possible), I would say more formal translations such as ESV, NASB, and KJV are on the menu. 

I won't press the metaphor too far, but you get the idea. Vanilla is easily swallowed, as are some idiomatic Bible translations such as the NLT or NIV. And if you're curious, I'd put the NET Bible as strawberry, since there are some complex interactions with the berries and ice cream. Hmm, I'm getting peckish!

Now, occasionally I like to mix all three together. In the ice cream cosmos, that's Neapolitan. There's really nothing like it! The three flavors cooperate to create a uniquely palatable perspective. Can't you just imagine the first spoonful as it approaches your salivating mouth? Oh that we would be so famished for God's word! Perhaps if we take a variety of Bible translations, place them side-by-side, and take a few bites into a study of comparing and contrasting, our appetite for savoring Scripture will bring us to the table much more frequently.

Now I admit that having Bible software to do this seamlessly is nice. In continuing to examine 1 Peter, notice below the first two verses and how the differences quickly emerge:

Using the English Standard Version as the starting point, Logos Bible Software calculates the differences and identifies each place that is rendered by different word choices. Translators face decisions for selecting the most appropriate word when moving from an ancient language to modern English. Often that has to do with the goals of the type of translation. Some endeavor for easy reading, and as such will select words sometimes less "technical" or perhaps "accurate" (let's be careful about saying that). Other translations have a goal for study, or for public reading.

No matter the purpose, it takes hard work. Unlike the original manuscripts, translations are human efforts using linguistic tools and skills. Sometimes there is room for improvement. As translation work is an academic endeavor, it is subject to difficulties. How does anyone know for sure that a word in an author's language will be conveyed precisely in the receptor, modern word selection?

Aside from concerns of translation accuracy, we get a wonderful side benefit: we get a peek behind the curtain to see how language works. So if you take a moment to see which words differ above, ask yourself what a translator might be thinking when trying to find the correct English word. For instance, notice how 1 Peter 1:1 is rendered by the ESV and NASB:

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," (ESV) 

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen" (NASB)

I color-coded the word choices in question just to see how this works. Which translation do you think better communicates in English? Does the word exile seem to help you envision what the author intends better or worse than aliens? Did you think of extraterrestrials when you first saw aliens (not the movie, silly), or did your mind see people perhaps disconnected from their homelands against their will? How might the word scattered depict the state of the recipients differently than the Dispersion?

Now it's important to realize that fundamentally the doctrines of the Bible are not vulnerable because of these differences. Again, I feel that we are blessed in our day to have so many choices. Lest we take that for granted, let us be reminded that the vast majority of people in the world do not have this luxury. We who use English as our native language have a responsibility to steward the gift of God's word to us. I submit that comparing translations as a means to prompting good questions is an excellent return on investment. Thus, I encourage you to use this process as a means for deepening your walk with God through a penetrating study of Scripture.