Translation

Having been on the ESV and now on the NIV translation committee, I have met some amazing translators, men and women who love the Lord and his word.

My dad is working on a new translation of the gospel of Mark for the Discipleship:Foundation Track on BiblicalTraining.org. I thought you might enjoy looking in on the types of conversations we often have.

There is no substitute for common sense in translation. Sometimes when you read the Greek, it is so obvious that it can’t mean what it says. The question is, what is a translator to do?

There are some times in which there simply is no good way to translate a verse. No matter how hard you try, there will always be some ambiguity.

When we are speaking our native language, we have such an intuitive feel for it that we often leave out words. This certainly is true in English, in Greek, and I would assume in most languages.

Came across a great illustration in church today about the nuances and complexities of translation.

In church today we sang the song, “the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are saved.” I checked the updated NIV text, and it has been changed from “strong tower” to “fortified tower.” (The change is in the TNIV as well).

I can still remember when I first came across Rom 2:28-29 (RSV) and wondered what a “real” Jew is, and is there such a thing as a “fake” Jew.

I had a fascinating experience this summer. I spent my first three weeks on the NIV translation committee, the CBT. We were locked away in Whistler, Canada, discussing, agreeing, and sometimes disagreeing on the nuances of the meaning of words and the meaning of biblical passages.

I am just back from three weeks locked away in Whistler, Canada, with the rest of the CBT (Committee on Bible Translation). Three weeks of discussing, agreeing, and sometimes disagreeing on the nuances of the meaning of words and the meaning of biblical passages.