Whats up with all the different “versions” of the Bible?
Translation is a complicated subject. Scholars who translate ancient documents, like The Bible, often disagree on methods of translation.
When we discuss Biblical translation there are three main ways that scholars translate the Bible: by word, by phrase, and paraphrase. By word translation is generally the most inaccurate, as words used in the Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic the Bible was written in often do not exist in modern English. By phrase translation means that scholars look at a phrase in the Bible, break down it’s meaning, and then reconstruct the intended meaning in English. Most scholars agree that this is best way to translate the Bible, as it is the only way accurately portray the context, intent, and meaning of a given verse.
Paraphrasing is a newer form of writing different versions of the Bible. It has been embraced by certain liberal churches, but is generally looked down upon by more conservative Christians and serious Bible scholars. It involves the writer interpretting the meaning of a portion of scripture, and then then writing a paraphrase based on that interpretation. It certainly isn’t accurate, but it does help some people understand Biblical topics. Paraphrases are best used when utilized side-by-side with another translation.
Also of note is the fact that some Bibles are translated from the Greek and Hebrew manuscripts, while others are translated from Latin manuscripts that have been maintained by the Catholic Church. The Bible was not written in Latin, so scholars generaly do not like these Bible versions. Some examples of Bibles versions translated from Latin are the King James Bible, New King James Bible, and The Catholic Standard Bible.
If you want the most accurate Bible versions available, scholars recommend phrase-translated Bibles based on the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament. Some great examples include the English Standard Version (ESV), Revised Standard Version (RSV), and the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
The Bible wasn’t written in English or a modern spoken language, so there are some different interpretations. Don’t go thinking that the Bible has radically changed since the original writings, or that many of the Bibles out must be really messed up since they use different wording. The original text which we have copies of, including the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered this century (which were copies of the Old Testament made before Christ came) only vary by less than 1%, and they don’t vary in any doctrine (even in that, it is more true that we have 101% of the Bible than 99%). As for the Masoretic text (the traditional Hebrew Old Testament preserved by Jewish tradition), it is an exact match to the Dead Sea Scrolls save for spelling–this is proof that the Old Testament has not been tampered with in the last 2000 years. Some of the more accurate translations are the New Century Version, King James Version (KJV), NKJV, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation and some others.
