“Ancient Words, Ever True” – 12

 

 

                                                    TRANSLATING THE BIBLE

 

1.                  The translation of the Bible is necessary if we are to read it for ourselves and be accountable to what it says.

 

a.                   The Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and we do not commonly speak those languages.

 

b.                  If our aim is scholarly study, it will be helpful to be familiar with the original languages.  But if our aim is to know God and to live according to his will, we can learn what we need to know by reading a translation.

 

c.                   It must be done well precisely because it is necessary.

 

2.                  The translation of the Bible is scriptural, for it is both used within Scripture and implied by what Scripture instructs us to do.

 

a.                   There have been fears: it may be tampering with the word of God; common people don’t have the training and ability to handle it properly; it will cause confusion.

 

b.                  The Word itself suggests that the translation of the Bible is a work which God approves.

i.                    Scripture itself sometimes translates (Neh. 8:8; Mk. 15:34).

ii.                  The Septuagint (Greek version of the O.T.) is quoted in the New Testament.

iii.                The New Testament is written in “koine” Greek, the everyday language of people at the time.

 

c.                   The Lord reveals himself to all people through his word (2 Pet. 1:3; 2 Tim. 3:16).  He wants it to be understood.

 

3.                  Because it is the Lord’s word, the translation of the Bible must be done responsibly.

 

a.                   He inspired words, and it is these words which are to be conveyed from one language into another.

 

b.                  His words surely deserve at least the same protection from alteration that authors ordinarily receive, which would include principles like these:

i.                    The author’s own words matter.

ii.                  Publishers and editors are not ordinarily allowed to change the words of literary text.

iii.                Readers expect to receive the actual words of an author.

iv.                As changes in language make texts from bygone ages difficult, archaic, and even obsolete, readers are educated into the meanings of the words.

v.                  Figurative language is not changed into direct statement but is preserved, with explanation and interpretation left to notes or commentary beyond the text.

vi.                Authors expect their words to remain unaltered by publishers.  (Ryken, The Word of God in English, 30)

 

c.                   The process of translation must not be used to do things with the Bible we would never tolerate with literary documents as they exist in their original language.

 

4.                  That means there are several fallacies about the translation of the Bible of which we should beware.

 

a.                   Translation cannot make the Bible a uniformly simple book.  (Cf. Matt. 13:11f; Isa. 38:12-13)

 

b.                  That the Bible may be translated does not make it a book of ideas rather than a book of concrete particulars.

 

c.                   Translation cannot ignore ancient customs and idioms and make the Bible a modern book.

 

d.                  Translation may not be done to correct the Bible.

 

e.                   A translation cannot make the Bible into a book devoid of mystery and ambiguity.  (Cf. Deut. 29:29)

 

f.                   Mere readability cannot be the ultimate goal of a translation of the Bible.

 

5.                  But this also means that translation of the Bible is difficult, which is apparent in the points of stress these efforts have always brought to the surface.

 

a.                   Word for word, or meaning for meaning?

 

b.                  Formality of expression and literary polish, or colloquial language and simple syntax?

 

c.                   Continuity and tradition, or innovation and originality?  (Cf. Deut. 30:12-14)

 

6.                  All this prepares us to be informed and realistic about the choices which are made in translating the Bible.

 

a.                   A translator chooses his text.

i.                    There are thousands of existing manuscripts, fragments, versions and quotations.

ii.                  These must be compared and, where differences exist, the evidence has to be weighed carefully: how old is the manuscript in which the variation occurs?  Are there older manuscripts which have it another way?  How many manuscripts have the reading?  What do ancient versions and quotations say?

 

b.                  A translator chooses his approach to translating.

i.                    There are three main theories about this task.

(1)               “Dynamic equivalence” is based on the premise that whenever the original phraseology says something that is foreign or obscure to a contemporary reader, the text should be replaced with terms that convey the equivalent meaning or function in the new language.

(2)               “Formal equivalence” favors reproducing the form of the original text, including the syntax and word order of the original.

(3)               “Essentially literal” strives to translate the exact words of the original-language text in a translation, but not in such a rigid way as to violate the normal rules of language and syntax in the receptor language.

ii.                  You can see the peril of a translator: a completely literal translation would be unreadable, but when one takes the liberty to make it smoother, he runs the risk of introducing his own opinions.

 

c.                   A translator chooses his wording.

i.                    This requires expertise in the original language, as well as the language into which it is being translated.

ii.                  In English, at least, it is not a situation where just one word exists for one Greek or Hebrew word.

iii.                The translator decides the best word to express each term, how to put them together in a sentence, and whether to use that same word in each other case where that term occurs in the original text.

 

7.                  What factors produce the best translation of the Bible?  These criteria for excellence are suggested by Leland Ryken in The Word of God in English, 288f, and they are worth considering.

 

a.                   Accuracy.

 

b.                  Fidelity to the words of the original.

 

c.                   Effective diction: clarity, vividness, connotation.

 

d.                  Theological orthodoxy.  (That is, no doctrinal slant in some direction unique to that translation.)

 

e.                   Preserving multiple meanings.  (Ambiguity where the original text is ambiguous.)

 

f.                   The full interpretive potential of the original text.

 

g.                  Expecting the best from the readers.

 

h.                  Transparency to the original world of the Bible.

 

i.                    “What you see is what you get.”  (A translation which reliably does what it claims to do.)

 

j.                    Respect for the principles of poetry.

 

k.                  Excellence of rhythm.  (Especially when read out loud.)

 

l.                    Dignity and beauty.  (Memorable.  Moving.  Meaningful.)