Comparing Bible Translations

Today I share an old but good article snippet on Comparing Bible Translations from John R. Kohlenberger III taken from Navpress 1988.

"The most important book in your biblical reference library is the Bible itself. And the best way to study your Bible is to read it, read it, and read it! But unless your Bible uses words that you are familiar with, you will find yourself as exasperated as the Ethiopian. What can you do when you do not understand the language in your Bible?

 

The translators of the King James Version (KJV ) said, “Variety of translation is profitable for finding out the sense of the scripture.” Ironically, this principle is especially important when you read the translation they produced nearly four centuries ago!

 

Genesis 25:29 in the KJV begins, “And Jacob sod pottage.” We all know “and.” Most of us know “Jacob.” But who knows what it means to “sod pottage”? By consulting a modern translation, such as the New International Version (NIV ) or the New American Standard Bible (NASB), we discover that to “sod pottage” means to “cook stew.” Other difficult words in this chapter also become more clear in comparative study. In verse 27 , Esau is described as a “cunning hunter” and Jacob as “plain.” We normally use “cunning” to describe someone who is sneaky and underhanded, and “plain” to describe someone who is ordinary or homely. But modern translations tell us that Esau was a “skillful hunter” and that Jacob was a “quiet” or “peaceful” man.

 

Even if you are strongly attached to one translation of the Bible for reading, study, and memorization, “variety of translation is profitable for finding out the sense of the scripture.” I strongly recommend that you regularly consult three or four modern versions to aid your understanding and to deepen your insight. (Parallel Bibles, which offer several translations of the same text side by side, can be very helpful.)"

 

Many of us are attached to one or two Bibles that we used regularly on for scripture memory. But for more in-depth Bible Study, it would be good to consult like what he says above 2-3 different genre type of Bible to get a comprehensive understanding of the word meanings. My favourite selection would be ESV, NASB and The Message/NET, plus occasionally the Amplified Bible for a different understanding.

 

 

 

Choosing a Bible Translation

Here is a simple guide that is easy to use in choosing a Bible translation (See photo below).

Generally there are two kinds: Word-for-Word, i.e. its very accurate translation but can be a bit wooden and difficult to read. The other kind, Though-for-Thought, where the editors/scholars captured the original idea and translated it into a language that the modern day lay person can understand. Which is better depends on you and your needs. My suggestion is to start with a Thought-for-Thought version and then move to a Word-for-Word kind of Bible later on.

Bible Study Methods

Over the years, I have compiled a list of the various Bible Study (BS) Methods. These are listed below for all to refer and try.

1.      Q & A BS – e.g. from Studies in Christian Living, Design for Discipleship by Navigators.

2.      Verse Analysis – Choose a verse; ask what is it about; determine the context; ask questions about it; draw applications for yourself.

3.      ABC BS – Choose a passage/verses; A title; Best Verse; Challenge – truth of challenge & application of challenge; Difficulties of passage; Essence – i.e. outline of passage.

4.      Search the Scriptures – Choose a passage; Point of passage; Parallel passages – look up the cross references; Problems of Passages; Profit of Passage – application.

5.      Advanced ABC BS – Choose a passage; give the passage a title; Application; Basic Passage – i.e. key verse; Cross-Reference; Difficulties; Eminent Truth; Final Study – do a passage (psg) outline.

6.      Comprehensive Book study – Choose a Bible book;

A)    Major Headings in Book Survey:

v  Principal Personalities;

v  Historical Setting;

v  Purpose of book;

v  Themes;

v  Style;

v  Key Words;

v  Geography;

v  Overview/Outline;

B)    Chapter Analysis:

v  Passage Description

v  Observations

v  Q & A

v  Cross Reference

v  Notes and Comments

v  Title

v  Theme

v  Conclusion

v  Applications

C)    Book Summary:

v  Book Title

v  Final Outline

v  Main Theme

v  Main Conclusions

v  Final Applications

7.      Topical BS: Choose a topic (e.g. stewardship, fruits…); scripture passage studied; summary or outline; key verse/favourite verses; illustrations; problems; applications

8.      Bible Character: Choose a character; scriptures used; biographical sketch; key verse; leading lesson – lesson from his life; problems; applications.

9.      Doctrine study: what is the doctrine about, what are the supporting verses for it, what are the debates on it, how can I apply this doctrine in life. A Systematic Theology Book will be helpful for this BS.

10.  God’s character: study the various aspects of God's character.

How to Study the Bible?

There are many ways to study the Bible and this blog does not attempt to suggest the best way to go about doing it. A simple search on google will reveal many answers coming from Navigators, Christianity Today and even from eHow and About.com.

The Bible can also be studied at many levels. From the beginner's level to the seminary level of doing a complete book survey complete with word study in its original language.

I would like to suggest a simple beginner level for a start and then in the later blogs show other ways and more advanced approaches to the Bible.

Most Bible Study practitioners would start with a simple question, i.e. which book of the Bible do you want to start off? For beginners, it would be good to start with an epistle from the New Testament. Something short like the book of James or Titus.

You would need a Bible and a note book to record down your thoughts. For the Bible, if you can afford it, a study Bible would be good as its gives you more background material on the book. Choose a simple to read translation like ESV or NIV, though many would insist on NASV for accuracy.

Before doing the study, ask God in prayer for wisdom to see truths in the text and courage to apply them in your daily life. It is the Holy Spirit who illumines the Word to us and gives us understanding, not our intellect.

A simple framework approach to Bible Study is to use the acronymn OIA. O for Observation, which is, "what do I observe from the text?" I for Interpretation. What is the text saying? A for Application, what can I applied into my daily life from what I have learnt today. This OIA approach is taken from Howard Hendricks Living by the Book. (click link to read book at Google Books)

After your study, share it with others. As you share, you are learning it twice.