Interpretation of the bible has always been considered a prerequisite for jewish and christian theological doctrine, since both faiths claim to be based upon the sacred history that makes up a major portion of the bible. These discrepancies ultimately derived from differences in outlook, but not all details are clear. If the bible is the word of god and gods revelation to man, then surely god would give us a way to discern accurately what he meant. This is the meaning god intended when he breathed his word into the human authors, and the passage was written. Some reformation controversies and their background. Berkhof, principles of biblical interpretation 19 history of interpretation poythress, godcentered biblical interpretation foundations optional. Jan 15, 2020 translation problems are more than just language problems even with these language skills, theres no guarantee that todays scholars will accurately interpret the meaning of sacred texts, because they are still missing a key element. They believe that god has spoken to us clearly, and that there is only one correct interpretation of any bible passage. Included are the nature of the bible, theories of biblical translation, descriptions of the major biblical genres, principles of hermeneutics and exegesis, and a focus on applying the biblical text today. Exegesis, the critical interpretation of the biblical text to discover its intended meaning. The new king james version nkjv is a wordforword literal translation based on the greek. The vast majority of people who read the bible do not understand the original languages and therefore must rely on a translation. General principles of biblical interpretation principle 1.
Scripture translation principles are a matter of great importance to us all, for only as sound principles of translation are followed can an accurate translation be made. Just as a football player must understand the rules of. Theodore of mopsuestia and theodoret of cyrus 76 9. Bible translation models are available from bibles international in english, french, and spanish. Translation principles and skills ubs translations. Travis, lecturer in biblical studies, st johns college, nottingham 153 tradition history 165 david r. Both jews and christians have used various exegetical methods throughout their history. The bible rates health right near the top of the list in importance 3 john 1. Apr 06, 2009 here are the lights to the word of god. Scripture translation principles concordant publishing concern. Grosheide, the new dutch translation of the bible, bible translator 1. Berkhof, principles 4060 inspiration van til, an introduction to systematic theology 62158, especially 110145.
The commission does not aim to adopt a position on all the questions which arise with respect to the bible such as, for example, the theology of inspiration. Notes for discussion sessions on planning and organizing a bible translation project. It has often been charged that the bible cant be trusted because people can make it say anything they want it to say. Those who are hardy enough to put their hands to the fascinating but elusive task of bible translation soon become aware of a host of problems which must be read more. Applications of translation principles the wartburg. Contributions of the institute for biblical text research to bible translation and proposals for its future hyung won lee 1. The work involved in making a translation of the bible is both exhilarating and exhausting. Just as a football player must understand the rules of football in. Figurative, literal, and christian meanings from scripture. Virkler the fulfillment of this requirement due by end of sessions as listed in the class calendar will be demonstrated by a reading report consisting of. Cultists in particular consistently read their deviant theologies into. If the bible were really the work of a perfect, allpowerful, and loving god, one would reasonably expect it to be superlative in every respectaccurate, clear, concise, and consistent throughoutas compared to anything that could possibly be conceived by human intellect alone. A given text may yield a number of very different interpretations according to the exegetical techniques applied to it.
Basic principles and procedures for bible translation forum of bible agencies. A description and explanation of the principles of how to understand and interpret the bible truly and accurately. What principles should guide how the bible is translated, and how did these. The pontifical biblical commission desires to indicate the paths most appropriate for arriving at an interpretation of the bible as faithful as possible to its character both human and divine. Principles and processes of biblical interpretation, 2nd ed.
One basic problem inherent in bible translation is that we do not have the. All scripture, unless noted otherwise, will be quoted from kenneth wuests, the new testament, an expanded greek translation. The role of the audience in the interpretation of pauls. Although the volume is old most of its content could be useful to its readers. Basic principles and procedures for bible translation. Why are there problems choosing bible translations. Principles of biblical interpretation ought to be determined before developing ones theology, but in practice the reverse is often true. Cultural difficulties in translations from english into arabic roxana s mares. The original english title of this book used the word directory rather than dictionary, partly to appeal to readers who may not want a book that sounds academic, and partly because the book does not. But the problem with this dismissive view is that not everyone who highly esteems scripture and who struggles to embrace established principles of bible.
Principles of bible translation from hebrew and greek. Interpretation must be based on the authors intention of meaning and not the reader. Persistent problems confronting bible translators gordon college. These essays by ubs translation officers discuss african biblical scholarship, the bible in social contexts, and issues in bible translation in africa. Today it is available in whole or in part in over 3,000 languages. Apr 01, 2003 principles of biblical interpretation covers the history of hermeneutical principles, the proper conception of the bible, grammatical interpretation, and historical and theological interpretation, offering guidance to all who study scripture. With more than 450 million copies distributed worldwide, the niv is the most widely read contemporary english translation of the bible. This is the meaning god intended when he breathed his word.
Tov textual criticism and biblical interpretation 1 the patriarchs ages at which their first. Contributions of the institute for biblical text research. The why of bible translation the question of why biblical translation seems so selfevident that one might legitimately ask why talk about why. Pdf on approaches to translating the bible into english. Catchpole, senior lecturer in religious studies, university of lancaster redaction criticism 181 stephen s. Principles of bible translation watchtower online library. Pdf the challenge of bible translation ernst wendland. However, some churches emphatically teach that works such as baptism is necessary for salvation. A thorough check by a bible translation consultant who is pro. Some result from the presence of variant readings among the manuscripts of the old and new testa. This charge would be true if the bible were not the objective word of god, if it were simply a wax nose, able to be shaped. Oct 20, 2006 the problem with bible translations by william if you think the real issue in biblical translation is linguistic, i.
The problem with bible translations by william if you think the real issue in biblical translation is linguistic, i. A third stage in understanding is concerned with background. Louis berkhof 18731957 was an americandutch reformed theologian who served as a pastor in michigan and taught at calvin theological seminary for almost four decades. The bible translation is the base of all kinds of ministry and each church must assume not only their responsibility in the evangelization but also in the translation of gods word, that would be the tool use to help the new church grow in each country. Nida, new help on old problems, bible translator 1. Literal interpretation, illumination by the holy spirit, grammatical principles, historical context, teaching ministry, scriptural harmony. Mans mind, spiritual nature, and body are all interrelated and interdependent. The rules by which we play hermeneutics determines the methods, techniques, rules and principles which best help us determine the intended meaning of the biblical text.
Principles of biblical interpretation christian research. Problems in bible translations biblical research institute. God has both mandated and empowered the church for translating his word. Berkhof wrote twentytwo books during his career, including systematic theology and history of christian doctrines. For god not to give us a way to interpret the bible is to leave the interpretation of scripture to human wisdom that is at best faulty. Thats because by itself, the bible is not a history book. Most believers, however, give little attention to such matters. For example, most biblical churches teach that salvation is by ones faith through gods grace apart from works. Ubs translations translation principles and skills. He served as president of the seminary from 19311944. Part one deals with basic principles of bible translation, common problems met in. Aalders 18801961, notes on some difficulties of old testament translation, bible translator 1. The main difference between the traditions reflected in the three texts is that the lxx and sam.
The first part presents the problem of the original languages of the bible. It may be useful to know something about the geography of the scene, the historical state of jewishsamaritan relationships and matters of this kind. These laws, however, are not limited in application to the bible any more than to any other production, nor even confined to written speech. It is exhilarating when translators consider the benefits, both spiritual and liter ary, that the rendering will provide to their readers. Irenaeus, modernity, and vatican ii 1 robert barron 2 mundelein seminary there is a growing consensus that a onesidedly historicalcritical approach to the interpretation of sacred scriptures is inadequate. The bible was originally written in ancient hebrew, aramaic, and greek. These principles are embedded in the scripture itself. Rosemary guillebaud, problems of related dialects, a study from. Mainstream english translations of the bible such as kjv, nrsv and niv. God gave health rules because he knows what is best for the body deuteronomy 6.
Beginning with the translation of the hebrew old testament into greek in the second and third centuries. It is to be feared that many of us start from the english text, and, to be sure. This study guide commentary is designed to help the student do that by comparing the paragraphing of modern english transla tions. Scripture translation principles concordant publishing. It can be used as a textbook for formal courses or for training individuals. Experts in biblical history will be quick to point out that no bible translation should ever be regarded as definitive for historical study. The necessity of the study of hermeneutics follows from several considerations.
Principles and processes of biblical interpretation by henry a. So, before we look at principles of bible translation we need to take note that for someone to properly translate scripture from one language to another, he needs to have the gift of interpretation from the holy spirit. This means we must get into the authors context, historically, grammatically, culturally and the literary forms and conventions the author was working in. Both may claim the bible as the source of their belief. Translation, therefore, is important both for the meaning and for the feel of the incident. Pdf the present paper analyzes the various approaches to translating the bible. It examines some problems of translation and biblical exegesis as it attempts to clarify why some passages are translated in different ways in various bible versions. The problem with bible translations beyond the rim. Smalley, lecturer in new testament studies, university of.
This is a manual for biblical studies, dealing with the principles and problems in the translation of the ot and the nt. It is in the fourth stagethe translation of hermeneutical theory into the practical steps needed to interpret a biblical passagethat we hope to make a contribution. Its a book of faith, written over four centuries by people with very different viewpoints and agendas. Included are the nature of the bible, theories of biblical translation, descriptions of the major biblical genres, principles of hermeneutics and exegesis. It also looks at the canon, archeology, and geography of the bible. Approaches to new testament exegesis providence in conveying his word to men not in fragmented or situationless dicta, but in the total context of the historical milieu of an ancient people israel, the early church and through the medium of a set of languages which make use of nonprescriptive modes of expression. Translation is an activity of enormous importance in the modern world and has become an established area in language studies, being the main criterion for achieving. The original english title of this book used the word directory rather than dictionary, partly to appeal to readers who may not want a book that. It is quite obvious that translating from one language to another poses many problems. Introduction to bible interpretation christians agree that the bible is the word of god. A 53page ebook on the philosophy of biblical grammar.
These translations have been selected because they employ different translation theories. The 10 principles of biblical interpretation there are certain principles that will help us to accurately handle the word of truth. Union biblical seminary, yavatmal, india 9 form criticism stephen h. There is no more basic literary principle than that meaning is communicated. Aims and principles of translation for the bsl bible. Principles of interpretation as recognized generally by biblical scholars, treated as a science, derived inductively from an exegesis of many passages of scripture.
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