Why So Many Translations?

Why Are There So Many Bible Translations?

For someone trying to buy a Bible for the first time, it can be overwhelming. Many simply go with whatever translation their church or friends use. Some people pick one, seemingly at random. Still others display a near-fanatic loyalty to their translation of choice.

So, why are there so many Bible translations? There is no direct, exact, perfect way to bring the words and ideas from one language into another. It’s the job of biblical translation teams to choose the “best” way to convert the original texts into our modern language. Their best attempts have given us a number of great choices to choose from. The translational philosophies of the translator(s) influence the way they translate from the original languages into new languages. This results in many different translations that communicate the same basic ideas in different words.

But, what do we mean by “best?” Let’s look a little closer at some of the issues that play a role in translating the Bible.

As you’re asking important questions about the Bible, you might also find this article interesting: What Do Christians Believe About the Bible?

What is the Bible?

As we start, let’s understand that the Bible is a collection of ancient documents consisting of sixty-six books, written by at least forty authors over a timespan of more than 1,500 years. The majority of the Old Testament was recorded in ancient Hebrew, with a few chapters written in Aramaic. All of the New Testament was recorded in Koine Greek.

None of the original manuscripts (what we call, autographs) are still around. However, archeologists have been able to provide thousands of copies – from entire scrolls to tiny fragments – that have been discovered all over the world. Based on the overwhelming volume of evidence, scholars (and the average Christian) can be confident we have an accurate record of the original documents.

As already stated, at least forty human authors took part in writing the Bible. However, at the same time, Christians believe that these individuals were directly inspired by the Holy Spirit. This means that, while we don’t deny human authorship, we attribute every word of it to God.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17, bold added)

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20–21, bold added).

So, the Bible is primarily a written communication from God for all people. It accurately reveals who God is, our sinfulness and rebellion against Him, how He has provided forgiveness for those sins in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and how we are to live in a right relationship with Him after placing our faith in Jesus.

Since that’s the case, it’s important that every last man, woman, and child have the opportunity to read and understand what God has said.

Words and Their Meanings

First, we should understand that nearly every word (regardless of the language) has a range of meaning. Since words carry a range of meanings, they only actually mean anything when they are put in context.

Take the word “ball” for example. Depending on the context, “ball” could mean a round object that you can throw, bounce, or play with. Or, it could mean a fancy dance. Perhaps you can think of other uses of the word “ball” completely separate from either of those. We call this, “semantic range.” (Feel free to casually drop this fancy term at your next get together if you want to watch your friend’s eyes glaze over.)

Nearly every word has a semantic range; that is, it has more than one distinct meaning, all depending on the context. While this is shared among languages (that is, every language has words that range in meanings based on their context), vocabulary from one language to the next does not share the exact same ranges of meanings.

The fact that languages have different semantic ranges is the reason it is difficult to translate a joke from one language to another. Often, jokes rely on ambiguity that is contained in the semantic range of various words that often do not have suitable substitutes in a different language, thus making the joke fall flat.

The old, “A horse walks into a bar and the bartender asks, ‘Why the long face?’” joke may pose difficulty in translating. The new language may not have a similar word that carries both the meaning of “sad” and “length” simultaneously.

Some words have a narrower range than other words. The more meanings, the broader the range. If “ball” had only two meanings, that would be relatively narrow. The word “charge” has a very broad semantic range. However, there’s something else to consider.

For the most part, while “ball” can be used a number of different ways, its many uses are fairly discrete. By discrete we mean that there is very little overlap between a ball you bounce in the driveway and a ball you wear a ballgown to. The ideas don’t overlap at all. They are discrete.

However, there are other words which have meanings whose distinctiveness is a bit fuzzy. The meanings aren’t separate, distinct ideas. They overlap and share some commonality without being perfectly synonymous.

Consider the word “justice.” Justice is a word that can have an expansive range of meaning, but those meanings probably have quite a bit of overlap. What a person means by “justice” (especially in our day and age) is entirely dependent upon a number of factors: context, who’s using it, etc. However, most of those meanings will intersect like a complicated Venn diagram.

So, as Bible translators are going about their work, they must decide how a particular author intended each word of the original language (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) to be understood. Then, they have to choose the appropriate word in the receptor language (English, Spanish, German, etc.). All while taking into account the semantic range and potential meanings in both languages.

When you stop to consider the difficulties in that, you shouldn’t be at all surprised to find that different translation teams have produced various results which gift us with multiple translations.

The Historical Realities

History has proven that the last 2000 years has been a time of acquisition, education, and change.

We noted above that we currently have thousands of copies of the autographs available to provide the best possible translations. That wasn’t always the case, and that effects our translations.

For example, when the venerable King James Version (KJV) was translated, we had considerably fewer manuscripts to work from. Additionally, the translators of the KJV weren’t primarily working with the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. They were working with a Latin translation (the Textus Receptus) of those languages.

In terms of education, we’ve also made remarkable progress in our understanding of certain Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words. Again, take the KJV as an example. The 400 years since its publication has allowed us to make leaps and bounds in our knowledge of the original languages.

A final historical consideration is that words in any language change meaning over time. This is not to say that what the authors meant changes, but how we understand them can and does change. Again, the KJV is a great example. There are many words in that translation that have died out or changed meaning since its publication. Unless we are to constantly reinterpret it in our minds, we need a refreshed version (translation) of that translation.

Historical events have allowed us to make striking improvements to our translations over the centuries. As the experts apply the new data, improved translations are produced.

Translations and Their Goals

The Bible was not originally written in modern English (or any other modern language). So, unless every Christian were to learn ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, we must have translations.

The goal of any good translation is to accurately communicate the original message. Hopefully, that’s obvious. And, you might think that would be an easy task. It’s not. If you have any experience with a second language, maybe you’re familiar with some of the difficulties.

Because there is no simple way to convert from one (ancient) language to another (modern), translators have to operate on a “theory of translation.” That’s a fancy way of saying they have to have philosophy steering their translational efforts. There are three basic categories that biblical translators use.

First is “formal equivalence.” Some call this a “word-for-word” approach. Translation teams that use this technique seek to match – as much as possible – the exact words and grammatical structure of the original language. This produces a highly accurate translation that is great for showing what, exactly, was written. However, the results of this strategy are often critiqued for being clunky or hard to read. Of course, that’s a matter of opinion but it’s a reasonable criticism. Formal equivalence translations aren’t concerned with producing the “easiest” English translations. Their goal is to be faithful in transmitting the original words into the new language as accurately as possible with as little change as possible. This is especially difficult when the receptor language doesn’t work exactly the same way as the original language. A popular example of this style is the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

A second approach is what’s known as “functional equivalence.” This is also called “thought-for-thought” translation. This technique prioritizes readability over technical accuracy. Experts using this methodology aren’t as concerned with reporting what the original authors said exactly, but with what they meant. Thought-for-thought translations will often use phrases and ways of speaking that are more familiar to the modern reader, helping them understand the “thought” the author was trying to get across in the original. The New International Version (NIV) is the most popular example of functional equivalency.

The final method is called “free translation,” or the “paraphrase” approach. This style is epitomized by the Message Bible or the Passion translation. As the term “paraphrase” suggests, this method isn’t concerned with maintaining grammar, structure, or exact wording. Instead, it focuses on retelling the “story” in an engaging and approachable way.

Of course, we shouldn’t think of these three translational methods as rigid and exclusive. The truth is, what we’re describing is a spectrum. On one end is the paraphrase. On the other end is an interlinear Bible that presents both the ancient language in its original order alongside the modern language. Every Bible translation falls somewhere on that scale.

Which method is best? Well, we all have our preferences. And arguments are made for the importance of each. This is one reason why we have some many translations. People who are engaged in serious, rigorous study have little to no use for a paraphrase. Younger readers may not have the acumen to be able to understand a more elaborate word-for-word translation. In other words, different situations may call for different solutions. Different needs necessitate different remedies.

However, it should be clear why translators have given us so many choices.

Which Translation is Best?

If you carefully examine our other articles, you’ll find that we rely heavily on the NASB. We have our reasons for doing so, and would happily recommend that translation to you.

However, when it comes to which is “best,” it’s our position that nothing gets better than reading the Bible in the original languages. Since most people are unlikely to dedicate the years needed to learn those, we recommend that everyone have multiple translations available to them.

Of course, you’re likely to find a version that works best for you. That’s great. But regularly comparing how translation teams have rendered passages of Scripture will be a great benefit to you. It’s safe to say that you’ll always be better served by using formal (word-for-word) or functional equivalents (thought-for-thought) as opposed to paraphrases. But, comparing two or more will help you get the fuller sense of what the original text said.

Why it Matters

Maybe you’ve gotten to this point in the article and you’re asking yourself, “Why does the translation matter?” That’s a fair question.

As stated above, the Bible is the written communication from God for all people. It accurately reveals who God is, our sinfulness and rebellion against Him, how He has provided forgiveness for those sins in the person and work of Jesus, and how we are to live in a right relationship with Him after placing our faith in Christ.

Your Creator has a message for you. It’s a beautiful message of who He is, what He’s done for you, and how He’d like to have a relationship with you. It’s a message that reveals how to properly know, worship, and love Him.

There may not be a perfect translation. But there is a perfect message. It’s found in the pages of your Bible. Please, read it.