In this series we have looked at what versions are and what makes them different. We will finish by looking at translations, paraphrases, and answer the question which of these three is better.
Translations
A translation, like the Wuest or Phillips is the work of one person. They may be working from the original languages or they may be translating from a different language. The advantage of a translation is the consistency of one individual. That is also the disadvantage. That individual’s work is not checked by other scholars.
Paraphrases
Paraphrases are, according to my College Edition of the Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, “a rewording of the thought or meaning expressed in something that has been said or written before.” I cannot do better than that. Paraphrases work off the original languages or the English translation of those languages. Examples are The Living Bible and the Message. The advantage is ease of reading. The disadvantage is that it is much further away from the structure and language of the original.
Which is Better?
That depends on the purpose of the use. For study I would stay with literal translations. Further, I would use at least two to compare how the committees are handling the text. If they are similar, you can be confident in the translation. If, however, there are significant differences, that will alert you to the probability of either a difference in philosophy of translation or else some difficulty or obscurity in the original language. There are some interesting ways to dig through this, even if you do not know the original languages, however that is beyond the scope of these posts.
If you are in a reading project, say to read through the Bible in a year, any of the above would be fine. If during that reading a passage intrigues you and you want to go deeper, I would switch to a literal version.
Personally, I prefer literal translations. Through my Greek classes at WKU and Dallas Seminary, I have translated all the New Testament from Greek to English. I find that in most cases the NAS is closer to the Greek than other versions.
Let me know what questions you may have.
Translations
A translation, like the Wuest or Phillips is the work of one person. They may be working from the original languages or they may be translating from a different language. The advantage of a translation is the consistency of one individual. That is also the disadvantage. That individual’s work is not checked by other scholars.
Paraphrases
Paraphrases are, according to my College Edition of the Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language, “a rewording of the thought or meaning expressed in something that has been said or written before.” I cannot do better than that. Paraphrases work off the original languages or the English translation of those languages. Examples are The Living Bible and the Message. The advantage is ease of reading. The disadvantage is that it is much further away from the structure and language of the original.
Which is Better?
That depends on the purpose of the use. For study I would stay with literal translations. Further, I would use at least two to compare how the committees are handling the text. If they are similar, you can be confident in the translation. If, however, there are significant differences, that will alert you to the probability of either a difference in philosophy of translation or else some difficulty or obscurity in the original language. There are some interesting ways to dig through this, even if you do not know the original languages, however that is beyond the scope of these posts.
If you are in a reading project, say to read through the Bible in a year, any of the above would be fine. If during that reading a passage intrigues you and you want to go deeper, I would switch to a literal version.
Personally, I prefer literal translations. Through my Greek classes at WKU and Dallas Seminary, I have translated all the New Testament from Greek to English. I find that in most cases the NAS is closer to the Greek than other versions.
Let me know what questions you may have.
Some good analysis as usual, Mike. I love to compare translations (even some paraphrases by those who know the original translations well). And I am often surprised by what I find. It's a challenging process, however. (Thinking is hard work!)
ReplyDeleteThanks I had great mentors, including you.
DeleteDo any of the followers here want to share your discoveries? Upload files? Meet online to discuss? Looks like Mike is on board for that...
ReplyDeleteReaders and comments welcome at https://pcoaction.blogspot.com/
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