Bible translation is an incredible ministry, essential to the purposes of God and for His church as it expands to the ends of the earth. Yet it is also a complex endeavor that is increasingly difficult to understand. For years, I struggled to understand why Bible translators translate the way they do. I used to talk about form and meaning, literal and …
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4 Kinds of Meaning in Your Bible Translation (And Why You Need to Know)
Translation is about meaning. But what kind of meaning? Bible translators generally agree that translation is a process of conveying the meaning of the biblical source texts into a new text in a new language. However, they disagree in the relative importance of different kinds of meaning. Few even discuss the different kinds of meaning that translators …
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What is Accuracy in Bible Translation?
Bible translations differ widely in many respects, but they all share in common the claim to be “accurate” and “faithful” to the source. How can every translation be accurate? Is accuracy a subjective quality? Is it in the eye of the beholder? Is it just a social fiction? Or could it still be the most important quality of a Bible translation? In this …
How 55 Verses Were Removed From the Bible and More
Over the last 60 years, Bible translators have removed words, phrases, and verses from their translations of the Bible. These deleted portions are regarded as repetitive and an impediment to readability. One case is the translation of Numbers 7:12-83. This passage has been handled in different ways, from literally following the Hebrew to removing 55 …
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The Concept of Authority in Scripture and Translation
The Scriptures are authoritative, but does their authority have any significance for their translation? Many Bible translators today affirm the authority of the Bible in their doctrinal statement, saying, for instance, that "they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life" or that they speak "with supreme authority in all matters of belief and …
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