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Bible Translation Sources and Theory

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Bible Translation Sources and Theory Bible Translation Sources and Theory By Sean Finnegan Presented on July 31, 2020 Published on Restitutio.org 29th Theological Conference May 9, 2020 Sponsored by Restoration Fellowship Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 2 2 The Text of the Old Testament .................................................................................................................. 3 2.1 Hebrew Manuscripts ........................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Hebrew Critical Text ............................................................................................................................ 5 2.3 Redactions ........................................................................................................................................... 6 3 The Text of the New Testament................................................................................................................. 8 3.1 Greek Manuscripts .............................................................................................................................. 8 3.2 Greek Critical Text ............................................................................................................................. 11 4 Translation Approaches ........................................................................................................................... 14 4.1 Formal Equivalence (Word for Word) ............................................................................................... 14 4.2 Dynamic Equivalence (Thought for Thought) ................................................................................... 15 4.3 Formal and Dynamic Equivalence Styles Illustrated ......................................................................... 16 5 Translation Decisions ............................................................................................................................... 18 5.1 Units of Measurement ...................................................................................................................... 18 5.2 Idioms ................................................................................................................................................ 19 5.3 Gender Inclusiveness ........................................................................................................................ 19 5.4 Editorial Helps ................................................................................................................................... 19 5.5 Lexicography ..................................................................................................................................... 20 5.6 English Vocabulary ............................................................................................................................ 21 5.7 God’s Name ....................................................................................................................................... 21 6 Two Enduring Corruptions ....................................................................................................................... 22 6.1 The Ending of Mark (Mark 16.9-20) .................................................................................................. 22 6.2 The Adulteress Woman (John 7.53-8.11) ......................................................................................... 24 7 The King James Version ............................................................................................................................ 26 7.1 Flawed Manuscripts and Archaic English .......................................................................................... 28 7.2 Who Was Manifested? (1 Timothy 3.16) .......................................................................................... 30 7.3 Three that Testify (1 John 5.7-8) ....................................................................................................... 31 7.4 A Final Word about the King James Version ..................................................................................... 33 8 The Message Bible ................................................................................................................................... 34 8.1 Old Testament Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 35 1 8.2 New Testament Analysis ................................................................................................................... 37 8.3 A Final Word about the Message Bible ............................................................................................. 38 8.4 Evaluating the Passion Translation ................................................................................................... 39 9 Bias in Committee Translations ............................................................................................................... 40 9.1 Reasons for Bias in Popular Translations .......................................................................................... 41 9.2 God’s Form or God’s Nature? (Philippians 2.6-7) ............................................................................. 43 9.3 Bow or Worship? (Proskuneo) .......................................................................................................... 44 9.4 Firstborn of or Firstborn over? (Colossians 1.15) ............................................................................. 45 9.5 Did Jesus Claim To Be “I AM?” (John 8.58) ....................................................................................... 46 9.6 Spirit Who or Spirit Which?............................................................................................................... 50 10 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 52 Appendix 1: Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................... 57 Appendix 2: A Case against Majority Text Priority...................................................................................... 59 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................ 61 1 Introduction In preparation for this research project, I visited my local Barnes & Noble and perused their well- endowed Bible section. While gazing at the potpourri of marketing gimmicks enticing customers to buy this or that Bible, my eye fell upon a little pamphlet designed to guide purchasers. This shiny brochure self-identified as “A comprehensive guide to the most popular Bible translations & how to find the right Bible for your needs.”1 In light of the many hours of research I have poured into understanding manuscript traditions, critical editions, translation philosophies, and hidden biases, I was rather impressed by the claims this little document boasted. It presented ten popular English versions, mentioning the translation philosophy for each, and citing 1 Corinthians 13.4-5 from each for comparison. Though three of the translations employed vastly inferior source texts, they stood shoulder to shoulder with the others. Others injected so much bias and interpretation, that they are of little use beyond providing readers a window into the publisher’s doctrinal commitments. Sadly, this guide reduced choosing a Bible to personal taste, as if picking ingredients for a burrito. We need the facts behind Bible translations so we can prioritize manuscript fidelity over wide margins, translation accuracy over a nifty cover design, and honest transparency over the endorsement of pastor-celebrities. It’s a travesty that well-intentioned Bible purchasers end up buying what’s well-marketed rather than what is truly best. In what follows, I intend to briefly overview the most significant issues and decisions translators make when producing English versions of the Bible. We’ll begin with the original source documents for the Old and New Testaments to gain an appreciation for the starting place of translation work. We’ll encounter several corruptions absent from the oldest manuscripts and see how our English Bibles handle them. Then we’ll explore translation methodologies and decisions made at the outset. This will put us in a good place to examine two popular versions: the King James Version (KJV) and the Message Bible (MSG), each of which illustrates important aspects of translation. Lastly, we’ll consider a few examples where doctrinal bias shapes translation. My aim in this work is to equip readers with the 1 Ominously, the bifold brochure specified neither author nor publisher. 2 knowledge to understand what’s going on behind the scenes of English Bible translation so that they can not only spot and avoid problematic versions, but also read quality translations with a trained eye. In what follows I have endeavored to remain objective and factual, though like most Christians, I have strong views on many of these issues. Sometimes I will condemn or extol a particular methodology and point out how well a translation prioritizes accuracy over sales, emotional impact, or tradition. (For the record, I am not
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