Bible Question:
Would anyone suggest, or advise someone to purchase a NIV bible, what are some of your thoughts on it? Realible, accurate, devotional?. Love in Christ Jackson Gal.6:14 |
Bible Answer: jak -- NIV's approach to Bible translation involves what its translators call 'dynamic equivalency,' a fancy term meaning nothing more or less than paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is an effort to capture the thought and meaning of the original without using a formal, word-for-word method of translation. Some compilers of paraphrased versions take far greater liberty with the biblical text than others, so not all paraphrases are alike by any means. The NIV is more conservative in its use of paraphrasing than the Living Bible or the Message, for example. The burden placed upon biblical translators is enormous no matter which philosophy of translation they attempt to follow, whether word-for-word or paraphrase. But the greater burden falls on the paraphraser, because he is expected to tell his readers what the Bible means by what it says. He becomes, in effect, more than a translator. He becomes an interpreter and commentator. He may get it right or he may get it wrong. If, therefore, a Bible reader is content to accept someone else's interpretation of Scripture instead of reading what it actually says and making up his own mind, then a paraphrase is the way to go. The overriding emphasis of the paraphrased versions is on smooth and easy reading..... They remind me of the work of a brother and sister team named Charles and Mary Lamb that was undertaken some decades ago. They published a book called "Tales from Shakespeare" for the stated purpose of introducing young readers to some of Shakespeare's better-known plays. In this book they presented in loosely pararphrased form a prose version of the great Bard's plays. One who reads "Tales from Shakespeare" will come away with a general knowledge of what the plays are all about, but he will never have a first-hand experience with Shakespeare's writings unless he reads the words that Shakespeare actually wrote. The Bible itself places heavy emphasis on the actual WORD of God. The prophets heralded the "WORD of the Lord." The psalmist affirmed, "Your WORD is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Ps. 119:105). John began his Gospel by declaring "In the beginning was the WORD..." It is clear that the WORD of God is what is stressed by Scripture. By contrast the paraphrasers stress the thoughts. And it is well to bear in mind that if the paraphrased versions are unwilling to give us the actual words of Scripture, we are to a large degree at their mercy when we read these versions and can only hope that they got the thoughts right. ..... The question of whether to rely on a paraphrased or a word-for-word translation is not a negotiable issue with me. I simply refuse to accept any paraphrased, "thought-for-thought" interpreted commentary as the word of God. That leaves only a very small number of viable choices in the crowded marketplace. Besides the KJV, there are the NKJV, NASB, and ESV. There will likely be more new translations and revisions of the older ones as time goes by. But for now these I've named are the only ones that I use or would recommend. At one time I looked with some guarded favor on the NIV and NLT, but I believe for reasons that I have stated that it is better to stay with the formal translations and away from the paraphrased versions. And in spite of what the publishers of paraphrased versions would have you believe, I don't buy the hype that a paraphrased version is necessarily clearer or easier to read than a formal translation...... Certain word choices in some of the modern paraphrased versions are absurd to the point being downright laughable. In Psalm 23:4 the KJV, NKJV, NASB and ESV all use the phrase "Your (or Thy) rod and Your (or Thy) staff, they comfort me." But according to the New Century version, God uses a walking stick. Read this "improvement" on the old way of saying things: "Your rod and your walking stick comfort me." --Hank |