Bible Question: Why have so many new Bibles come out 60s on up to present. The KJ Bible was written on a 6th grade read. |
Bible Answer: Gadrifter58, At first I hesitated to answer your question. Reason being that this question has so much potential to turn into an arguement over superiority of translations. This would neither be edifying nor could I imagine it in line with the purposes of this forum. However, there is a real question there and with real answers. So I'll attempt to do so. Here are some thoughts. 1. There are a variety of Bibles because there are a variety of goals in translations. There is an ongoing question of how literal of translation is best. When the literal words fail to capture the actual idea in English what does one do? When a Hebrew writers says that he feels something in his kidneys, intestines or bowels do we translate that exactly and leave english readers wondering what on earth he means? Or shall we go ahead and translate the word as "heart" in english? Which is really more of what that would have meant to a Hebrew. This is just the tip of the ice berg in a huge amount of questions when it comes to translations. 2. Language changes. Words continual change their meaning. Words used in the KJV no longer mean what they use to in the common usage of today. Study the change in the word "gay" for example. The KJV itself has gone through numerous revisions even. For this reason we will always need repeated translations if we wish the scriptures to be in the common speech. And we do want that. 3. We have continually made progress in understanding Koine Greek, which is what the new testament is written in. This increase in knowledge allows for better translations. Certain places in the king james scripture are translated with a vagueness due simply to this reason. 4. The one thing universal among almost, if not all, translators of scriptures is the conviction that we are to keep growing in understanding the original texts. No translator has ever finished their work on translating scripture and then said, "There, now this translation buisness is resolved. We can all just read this." Just about the ONLY thing all translators of all versions have in common is a recognition that having lots of translations is a very good thing. The translators of the KJV in a preface to their original work affirmed that having multiple translations of scriptures was desirable for getting the sense of a text. 5. I must make a remark with regards to asserting that the KJV is on a 6th grade level. I won't speak to harshly to that idea because you are the second person that I have heard that some. So the two of you must be getting that idea from some place. I have no idea where though. I will just say this. I have a college degree, and a graduate degree, and I routinely read works of the puritans. Yet I very often find places in the KJV where I can not begin to understand what they are saying until I consult another translation or even the greek. I may not be the smartest man, but I feel quite confident in saying that an average sixth grader is not up to the task. The source I have read says that the KJV is grade 12 and higher. All this said, the KJV is a valuable asset to a study library. But I hope this helps people believe that multiple translations are a good thing. In Christ, Beja |