Tuesday, June 24, 2008
In the first part of this series, I talked about the problem of translation in general and how the NLT handles it. In this post, let’s look at a few examples from the NLT and the NLT Study Bible.
Genesis 3:14. Where the NLT says “grovel in the dust,” the Hebrew “literally” says, “eat dirt.” So someone might say that the NLT is not translating accurately, because it doesn’t use the words “eat dirt” for what the snake would do. This statement assumes that the Hebrew means that snakes are condemned to eat dirt. Is that what it means? Do snakes in fact eat dirt? As I understand, they eat all kinds of things, depending on the species of snake, but I’m not aware of any that eat dirt. Was Moses uneducated about snakes when he wrote this, or God when he said it? (To quote Paul, “I am speaking like a fool.”) No, of course they weren’t. Instead, it’s much more likely that “eat dirt” is being used idiomatically or metaphorically to mean “grovel in the dust.” The NLT is translating the meaning of the sentence. If it said “eat dirt,” the meaning might not be communicated. We can’t assume that the Hebrew idiom will communicate the same meaning in English. The NLT Study Bible makes the meaning, and its rich theological implications, even clearer by adding the following note: “Groveling in the dust is a posture of humiliation and defeat (Ps 72:9; Mic 7:17)” [N.B. See especially the cross-references in context.]
Acts 16:34. The NLT follows the text of Codex Beza (D), which includes the phrase “and his entire household.” Yes, this decision has theological implications. It would be good if the NLT included a textual note on this verse. It would also be good if the NLT Study Bible included a study note on this point – unfortunately, we did not do so.
Romans 16:1. Some readers object to the NLT's use of the word “deacon” for Phoebe out of a concern that the NLT is promoting the doctrine that women can be deacons. (Note, however, that the NLT text does not say “Deacon,” it says “deacon.”) As it turns out, it is the exact same Greek word (gender and all) that is elsewhere translated “deacon.” What does this word mean in this context? The problem is, we have to translate, the choices are generally "deacon" or "servant," and either choice can be taken to imply a decision about the doctrinal issue. The NLT Study Bible helps with this quandary by clarifying that there are two potential meanings of this word. Here is the study note:
A deacon (Greek diakonos, “servant”) refers both to a Christian who is recognized as a servant of Christ and specifically to someone who holds the office of deacon in a particular church (see Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:8-12; cp. Acts 6:1-6).
In other words, Phoebe is either being described as a recognized “servant” of Christ, or as holding the office of deacon. (Yes, we left it to the reader to decide which meaning applies to Phoebe. Let’s not fight that battle here, folks.)
The NLT Study Bible supplements the text of the NLT by giving readers a greater understanding of what is going on in the translation and in the original text in its original context.
Genesis 3:14. Where the NLT says “grovel in the dust,” the Hebrew “literally” says, “eat dirt.” So someone might say that the NLT is not translating accurately, because it doesn’t use the words “eat dirt” for what the snake would do. This statement assumes that the Hebrew means that snakes are condemned to eat dirt. Is that what it means? Do snakes in fact eat dirt? As I understand, they eat all kinds of things, depending on the species of snake, but I’m not aware of any that eat dirt. Was Moses uneducated about snakes when he wrote this, or God when he said it? (To quote Paul, “I am speaking like a fool.”) No, of course they weren’t. Instead, it’s much more likely that “eat dirt” is being used idiomatically or metaphorically to mean “grovel in the dust.” The NLT is translating the meaning of the sentence. If it said “eat dirt,” the meaning might not be communicated. We can’t assume that the Hebrew idiom will communicate the same meaning in English. The NLT Study Bible makes the meaning, and its rich theological implications, even clearer by adding the following note: “Groveling in the dust is a posture of humiliation and defeat (Ps 72:9; Mic 7:17)” [N.B. See especially the cross-references in context.]
Acts 16:34. The NLT follows the text of Codex Beza (D), which includes the phrase “and his entire household.” Yes, this decision has theological implications. It would be good if the NLT included a textual note on this verse. It would also be good if the NLT Study Bible included a study note on this point – unfortunately, we did not do so.
Romans 16:1. Some readers object to the NLT's use of the word “deacon” for Phoebe out of a concern that the NLT is promoting the doctrine that women can be deacons. (Note, however, that the NLT text does not say “Deacon,” it says “deacon.”) As it turns out, it is the exact same Greek word (gender and all) that is elsewhere translated “deacon.” What does this word mean in this context? The problem is, we have to translate, the choices are generally "deacon" or "servant," and either choice can be taken to imply a decision about the doctrinal issue. The NLT Study Bible helps with this quandary by clarifying that there are two potential meanings of this word. Here is the study note:
In other words, Phoebe is either being described as a recognized “servant” of Christ, or as holding the office of deacon. (Yes, we left it to the reader to decide which meaning applies to Phoebe. Let’s not fight that battle here, folks.)
The NLT Study Bible supplements the text of the NLT by giving readers a greater understanding of what is going on in the translation and in the original text in its original context.
posted by Sean Harrison at 2:58 PM
Good stuff.
I think it's valuable to use a variety of translations. For in-depth study of a particular book or passage, a "literal" translation such as the NASB or ESV is probably best, assuming that supplementary materials are available to clarify the meaning of difficult verses.
But when I want to read through entire books of the Bible with relative speed, I prefer an easier-to-read translation such as the NLT. But even with the NLT, it's impossible to fully understand the context of a passage from the text alone. That's why I'm really looking forward to the NLT Study Bible.
As a Christian, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never read the entire Bible straight through. I hope to remedy that shortcoming using the NLT Study Bible.
k-funk,
I still use the NASB when studying the Bible along with a commentary. This is primarily due to the fact that I had already started taking notes in the margins before acquiring my last several Bibles (NLTse, REB, TNIV, NAB).
When I say I use the NASB, I don't mean that it's my primary Bible for study but that I use it to take notes in. When studying now, I look at the text in all of my translations and look for any "differences". I have found the non-NASBs to not only read much smoother, but also to be extratordinarily close in meaning. Some verses I prefer in one translation, other verses I prefer a different translation.
In short, I have several excellent translations.
k-funk, You might try using the reading plan at the back of the NLT Study Bible to help you read through it. It's designed for a five-year reading plan, which is about a chapter a day, five days per week, including all of the study materials. But you can do it faster than that.
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