![]() ![]() Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Alternatively,.Depending on where the translation places the comma, you have a completely different outcome. One verse captures the seriousness of the modern translator, making the choice of punctuation, i.e., Luke 23:43. Punctuation marks started to be introduced by copyists and translators in accordance with their interpretation of context and their understanding of Bible doctrine. Generally, they select one for the translation, the other will be placed in a footnote as “or.” The Punctuation in Translationįor centuries, there was no punctuation in the earliest Greek manuscripts of the Bible. ![]() Here, “ epiousion” is defined in the lexicon as either “daily” bread or “bread for tomorrow.” The policy of almost all modern translations is to use both words if a given Hebrew or Greek word can be taken in two different ways. Matthew 6:11 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)ġ1Give us this day our daily bread, We can look at one example though from Jesus’ model prayer. The Greek New Testament does not face the same challenges, as there are a mere handful of words that does not appear outside of the New Testament literature. Radovan/ġ Samuel 13:21 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)Ģ1The charge was a pim for the plowshares and for the mattocks, for the three-pronged fork, for the axes, and for fixing the oxgoad. The translation, like the above King James Version, struggled in their translation of the word “pim.” Today, translators know that the pim was a weight measure of about 7.82 grams, or as the English Standard Version has it, “two-thirds of a shekel,” a common Hebrew unit of weight that the Philistines charged for sharpening the Israelites plowshares and mattocks. What was a pim? It would not be uncovered until 1907 when archaeology discovered the first pim weight stone at the ancient city of Gezer. Let us look at an example.Ģ1 Yet they had a file for the mattocks, and for the coulters, and for the forks, and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads. The Hebrew Old Testament has hundreds of words that have not been found outside of the Old Testament itself. Once it has been determined what the original language word is, its meaning must be established. Another basic reason that even literal translation will differ in minute ways is because of textual, literary, and grammatical problems that translators must make choices over.Īfter the translation committee has established, which critical text they are going to work from, they must still work the evidence of each word that has significant variants. Another reason is that other methods of translating have come on the scene in the 1950s, which has caused a plethora of new translations: the easy-to-read dynamic equivalents and paraphrases. We no longer speak the way of the King James Version or the American Standard Version. The primary reason is that the English language changes over time. The question that begs to be asked is, ‘why the need for so many English translations?’ There are several reasons, but as is true with many things in life, it can be taken to the extreme. If we are one of the fortunate ones who have a choice, we certainly want to choose the Bible that is literal, accurate, clear, natural, and easy to understand. In fact, the Bible has even been translated into Klingon, the made-up language of the television show Star Trek. (Wycliffe Translators) The English-speaking world has over 100 different translations, while others have just one. As of 2010, there are 6,900 languages spoken in the world today, with 2,100 still needing the Bible translated into their language. Those who wish to read the Bible likely only have access to translations, as it was originally written in ancient Hebrew, some Aramaic, and Greek. Our modern English translations begin with the 1901 American Standard Version. William Tyndale (1494–1536) produced the first printed edition of the New Testament from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek. ![]() Of course, this was a handwritten edition and produced from the Latin Vulgate and not the original language of Hebrew and Greek. He is credited with producing the first complete English Bible. John Wycliffe (1330?-84) was a Catholic priest and renowned Oxford theologian. Understanding how the Bible came down to us, how Bible translations are made, the different translation philosophies, and the textual issues that exist are essential for all serious students of the Bible. This is a brief introduction to Bible translation basics, with other articles readdressing some areas in greater detail. Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV). ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House.
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