Subject: Endorsing the TNIV, how can this be? |
Bible Note: Greetings Justme! I honestly do not see how anyone could view the TNIV as an improvement over the text of the original NIV.. That completely baffles me! Perhaps some are just enamored with dynamic equivalence to any extent! It amazes me that there is even a market for Bible versions that are so "free"... But some hold it as their preference, I suppose, to have a translation that reads like a sports magazine rather than the Book of Books!! I, for one, am not willing to concede away any reverence at all for Bible translation, and in how it should be presented- in nothing short of Holiness and Authority. The greatest thing about reading the NASB is that you get the impression that you are delving deeply into God's Word, really studying it on a level that is much closer than could be achieved with dynamic equivalence. You come to believe that the words on the page are arranged as you would arrange them, and are placed in the way that would seem the best way in light of the original languages, or you get the impression that it is closer to those languages than any other translation. And that is the single trait of the NASB that draws me to it the most! Yes, the wording may be awkward here or there, or seem 'stilted,' even in passages that I love the most, like Isaiah 53:6. But, even so, there are reasons why the form is presented in those ways! There are reasons behind what seems as the awkward presentation of the text. And such presentation demands deeper study from its readers, causing you to come to an understanding of why the words were put there in that way. The NASB helps me in this way, being in my mind the single translation that has been able to further my study of the Word moreso than any Bible translation yet.. However, the "personality" of the NASB is not in majesty, like the King James, but moreso a humility that is not found in other translations. The KJV alone is such a majestic beauty of translation, that no other translation can come close to it, and all those that attempt to "improve" on its personality are mere copies, mere 'pretenders' to the one that simply is. Every translation is unique, having its own "personality" and way of carrying over the meaning of the text. For me, the NASB carries over a 'personality' that is very well suited to my tastes and demanding precision in study, moreso than any other translation. The original NIV, for me, is the translation of the "common".. :-) The KJV is the Majestic "royal highness" of all translations, flowing in blue and purple robes.. :-) The ESV is a like the ark made out of gopher wood and pitch (Gen. 6:14), carrying forth the gist (essential pieces) of a passage with vigor.. The Amplified Bible is just that- AMPLIFIED.. :-) The RSV is much like the ESV, but a shade colder- lacking in spirit and majesty. The HCSB (New Testament, anyway) is like a breath of fresh air that is warm to the spirit, but at the same time fleeting, difficult to dwell on for a great length of time.. The NKJV at times peaks the curiousity and brandishes the Truth in its eloquence; but yet, other times makes you question whether or not an English sentence should be chopped up in such ways! And then there is the NASB, that is not "flashy" or eloquent at times by any means (that clearly not being its goal), but trips you up when, perhaps you really should be tripped up to understand a particular passage, and is flowing where you have read so many other times before! :-) Blessings to you, Makarios |