It's generally great to read a word-for-word translation. An Orthodox Look at English Translations of the Bible Fr. Its having a Godmother and Godfather present for the baptism of a child. It features commentary on selected passages from the speeches of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I. And include footnotes shedding some light on the debate. Almost all scholars agree that the New American Standard Bible (NASB) But how this is done varies from one transition to another. What are your thoughts on this? Many of the best-known Bible translations are word-for-word. Traditions (. and Epistle Book, Using Various During the first couple centuries of Christianity both the East and the West spoke Greek. My hourhas not Besides the NASB, the King James Version (KJV), the English We should always read it with a grain a salt knowing its not a literal translation and its possible the author has placed their own agenda (knowingly or unknowingly) into the text. How did the people in the West become more and more alienated from the Bible? Over the course of the second century A.D., three major re-translations were made by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. The Ancient Way - Eastern Orthodox Best Bible translation for Orthodox? The Bible you read today is a translation from the original language into a modern language. Though modern, it remains pure and faithful to the gendered language found in original texts and older translations. Apostol, published by St. Tikhons Seminary Now that you know what translation to use check out: How To Read The Bible (the 5 best tips). In fact, it really belongs on the list of the Worst Translations of the Bible, where you can read a lot more about it. The Eastern Orthodox Bible (EOB) is currently a work in progress, although it has gone well past its original goal to have a completed bible by the year 2008. Verse divisions happened in 1565 AD. St. Hermans Monastery has taken over Chrysostom Press and is working on getting these titles back into print. This way, it doesnt get tangled up with gender neutral ideas that detract from the original meaning. It retains the beautiful structure and literary qualities of the KJV. "But Ive become very curious about Orthodoxy in the past year or so, and coming from the world of Protestantism in the South (Tennessee gang), the importance of having a good Bible translation is something Im familiar with. Extensively marketed to churches. So, I want to give some clarity, explanation, and recommendations on Bible translations. in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with Why do things take so long to get done/resolved in the Orthodox Church? Lets start by looking at what exactly is a translation of the Bible. More on that later. Imman'u-el., When Here are some things to think about and questions to ask The majority of the New Testament was written in Koine Greek. Faith Founded on Fact is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. In the Christian sense, the term means, "conforming to the Christian faith as represented in the creeds of the early Church." The first seven ecumenical councils were between the years of 325 and 787 A.D. with the purpose of establishing accepted doctrines. Dr Erica Hunter explores the multiple translations of the Bible made in Eastern Christianity, including those in languages such as Syriac, Coptic, Armenian and Ge'ez. Thought-for-thought just takes the perspective up a level from word-for-word. Also, the theological articles and selection of commentary have definite Protestant leanings. This translation is written in modern English, however its done in a way that reminds readers of the KJV and RSV. I would imagine that those who dont understand Orthodox soteriology would be confused by why heretics were wrong since the heretical positions (usually based on reason) are juxtaposed to substitutionary atonement, which often appears quite weak when matched against the logic of the heretics. Dont forget to leave a comment! Cambridge Paragraph Bible with Apocrypha, "The Buy it here: New Living Translation Bible. the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his ), Heres how GWT renders John 3:16: God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.. For the Old Testament, it uses the Septuagint, which predates the standardized Masoretic Text by one thousand years; and for the New Testament, it uses the Majority Text, which represents 94% of Greek manuscripts. This makes it suitable for reading for Catholic believers. The King James Version has been the standard for English translations of the Bible for over 400 years. Often, it depends on the individual, his background in Bible . Revised Standard Version, the For the more educated layman or clergy, I highly recommend this Bible. Learn how your comment data is processed. The book contains the New King. here are the 5 most accurate translations of the Bible: The NASB holds the title of Most Accurate Translation due to its strict adherence to Literal (Word-for-Word) translation methods. On the surface that might seem simple. students of the Bible. Technically, its the most accurate translation of all, but since it ignores the grammar of the target language, readability suffers greatly. Im including the Interlinear as a bonus version of the literal translations of the Bible. I remember reading up on it's lack of official endorsement when I bought my Orthodox Study Bible. Its included here because there has been so much interest in it. But remember this: we need to keep in mind that GNT was designed with a purpose and it is very good at fulfilling that purpose. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns-SWo0d77k). It gets pretty technical pretty quick. The simple answer is, the one you read. How Many Versions of the Bible are There? Faith Founded on Fact is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Woman, what have I to do with thee? Depending on the reading ability of the reader -and other style factors- a Bible translation based on Dynamic Equivalence could be a great choice. Content should not be treated as a substitute for offline interaction. NIV translators, however, have effected what amounts to a literary written Word of God. Remember, each end has their upsides and downsides. Lets dive in and unpack all of this. Question. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateway's emails at any time. As a result, it opens up Gods Word to many younger native English speakers who might be intimidated by the deep, rich content of the original KJV. A more literal translation can be useful when doing an in-depth study of a passage. Hes a good author from what I have read though. Want articles like this one delivered straight to your email? It is written in very modern English, yet readers still find that it reminds them of the KJV and RSV. millennia. Thats okay. Laurent Cleenewerck Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. Based on Functional Equivalence or Literal (Word-for-Word) There are other various Old Testament commentaries that dont follow the verse-by-verse model that became popular in the last several hundred years. For a more in-depth analysis, see my post on How to Choose the Best Study Bible. The writers were certainly experts and were working with the best manuscripts they had. *UPDATE: Great news! New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have beentaught, ESV is probably also pretty good since it's an updated version of RSV. read, but that doesnt take away from its value as a translation for serious Fr . The other, which contains a profitable reflection by St. Theophan the Recluse is called Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. Anybody who has learned a foreign language knows there are certain idioms in each language. His commentary on the Four Gospels is unique. Many Orthodox, too, are also interested in deepening their faith. MSG was published in 2002. The NASB is not too easy to read, due to the strict adherence to literalism. best bible translation for eastern orthodox | mycie, pielgnacja wntrza, zabezpieczanie lakieru, renowacja szyb i lamp. JamesVersion with Apocrypha -400th Anniversary It just helps make it more understandable. (KJV), And Becoming Orthodox is not a conversion but more so a transformation of self. the Old Testament from the Septuagint and the Hebrew, NT is NKJV (but any quotations that are from the OT are copied from their OT version, so its consistent there), but the footnotes are super useful in identifying where there have been scholarly debates on translation. Consider this popular example: A woman without her man is nothing. vs. A woman: without her man, is nothing.Think about how the decision of an editor or translator in regard to punctuation can completely change the meaning of a text. As the Greek New Testament was copied hundreds of times over 1500 years, the scribes, as careful as they were, occasionally made mistakes. Pros: The patristic commentary is well-research and well-notated. Some of them contain writings by ancient Christians who were not thoroughly Orthodox (such as Origen and his teacher Clement of Alexandria). We could have a very long conversation about the many different translations and all the technical reasons to read one or another version of the Bible. But if you are interested in learning about that check out this article: How We Got The Bible (from bible.org). Thou shall not bow down to them, nor serve them. Unfortunately, their publishing house Chrysostom Press is defunct. taken, but the people escaped., Therefore Behold, a young woman Rhodes, The Complete Guide, 2009. The Interlinear is a literal word-for-word translation. I love my friends. The Orthodox Study Bible, published by Thomas Nelson, uses the New King James Version of the Bible as the basis for a fresh translation of the Septuagint text. Thus when you read the MSG you will see drastically different words and phrases. So, lets jump in and see which are the best Bible versions and which one is best for you. This beautiful KJV Bible is available on Amazon. I love ice cream. Why does Dr. Jeannie recommend avoiding the Living Bible? And can you think of any other examples of customs that are done differently at various Orthodox Churches youve visited? You may like a translation because it is more memorable because you like to memorize verses or even whole chapters of text. Orthodoxy is very personalized and very flexible. hisglory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) After Mary tells Jesus that there is no more wine, consider how He responds in various versions of John 2:4. ESV (English Standard Version) Origin: The ESV translation was first published in 2001, derived from the 1971 Revised Standard Version, taking out archaic and obsolete words. . Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Im admittedly not a study Bible type of person, but Ill give it a look. giving the meaning in another form, as for clearness; rewording. Faith.7, Jesus saith unto her, Lexham English Septuagint for OT. . The But there are some indications that she was quite young. before me: for he was before me. the Word was God. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Mark Ward, "How to Choose a Bible Translation That's Right for You.". The first ever full-length Orthodox Study Bible in English presents the Bible of the early church and the church of the early Bible. The Orthodox Study Bible is going to be your best bet. It is a scholarly, fully Orthodox, and easy to read version that aims at being the text of reference for personal study, devotions, and even liturgical use within among English-speaking Orthodox Christians. The literal Greek reads "What to me and to you woman" but this was a Hebrew expression that essentially means "We understand each other, you don't even have to tell me.". Tim is the Founder of Lord's Library. But it also has some colloquialisms that other readers find quaint and not keeping with their expectations of what a Bible should read like. Besides chapter and verse divisions, other things in our modern Bible also affect how we read a passage, such as paragraph headings and paragraph divisions. But there are so many English translations of the Bible. 1. Thats a very interesting read. An example of a woodenly literal translation that has come onto the Orthodox scene in recent years is the edition of the "Orthodox New Testament" published by the Holy Apostles Convent in Buena Vista, Colorado. The GNT is a looser, more colloquial version made to be accessible to the greatest number of readers. Thats why translating from one language to another is so complicated. We can tell, because after hundreds of years of Bible translating, all the major translations are in agreement about the major meanings they are conveying in English. Phillips was a scholar of Biblical Greek who worked directly from Greek manuscripts. You might even as I do- draw from multiple translations to seek deeper meaning than you can get out of a single translation. Monastery, A Simple and easy to understand. Now that you know a little more about Bible translations you are probably still wondering what the best Bible translation actually is. have been Use of the term monogens, as in Jn 3:16-17, makes it perfectly clear that the reference in 1:14 is to the Logos, the "Son of God." The NRSV, however, translates the verse "we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son." (with a note offering "the Father's only Son" as an alternative). (see this thorough post about each book of the New Testament with many faith-building detail. The CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible - Released in late 2019, this study Bible contains a wealth of patristic commentary, far more in-depth than the OSB above. Why are differences in customs a good thing? As a result, Luther translated the Bible in German, basing it on the Hebrew and Greek texts. Epistle Lectionary, published by the Psalter of the Prophet and King David, published by the Center for Marital Status. Formal versions risk miscommunicating the original meaning, think back to the example of love, by seeking a literal word. Buy it here: New International Version Bible. After watching, read on. The NRSV stands out among the many translations available today as the Bible translation that is the most widely "authorized" by the churches. Making of the King James Bible. (Hint: we need to be careful not to fall into a rigidity or judgementalism that is really more characteristic of Pharaseeism). The version of the Bible that is used includes the Septuagint, which is an established version of all the books in the Old Testament, the Apocryphal works (which aren't accepted . my but with all the features of a Liturgical Gospel Buena Vista, Colorado, King Its hard to go wrong reading the CSB -especially this one on Amazon. The translators of almost every translation take their work very seriously, and its great to have so many translations to choose from. Whereas most prefer an easier to read, thought for thought, translation when just reading more devotionally. Thats important because the criticism it gets is because people confuse these two. It was designed to be easy-to-read-and-understand for the international reader of English who might have learned English in a different country than the US or UK. It received the endorsement of thirty-three Protestant . Its really interesting to see what the top-selling Bible versions are and what Bibles people actually use. If you are like me, you will have multiple translations around the house, on your computer and all your electronic devices. Critique of the Revised Standard Version, Gods theimages of them which ye made for yourselves (Sir Lancelot Why wasnt the West very involved in the great theological discussions of the early Church? Ive linked to the whole set, but theyre available individually from online Christian bookstores including ChristianBook. a Word hath divers Significations, that to be kept which hath been The Bible does not tell us exactly how old Mary was when she gave birth to Jesus. Theres two reasons I think you should avoid the KJV. Thats because the NASB focuses on finding the closest word to translate and not what flows in the English language. Eastern Orthodox. Is a Study Bible a primarily Western Church thing? Its a wonderful blessing that we have so many options for enjoying the Word of the Living God. Patrick Henry Reardon Again, Ive not actually read these commentaries either. The Holy Scriptures Were Preserved by the Orthodox Church. . As to the best possible Eastern Orthodox Christian bible in English, there is only one bible to safely select: "The Orthodox Study Bible" by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology. The translator evaluates a series of words in the original language that comprise a thought, and then expresses that thought in the target language which in this case is English. You can gain a lot by watching Allen Parr discuss the source material for all of todays English translations of the Bible. But it gets complicated quickly because many of the words dont have a one for one equivalent in modern languages. Pros: The patristic commentary is well-research and well-notated. Instead of the familiar, "Do this in remembrance of me" we find the "improved" "Be doing this in remembrance of Me.". The Orthodox Bible is almost the same as that found in Western Churches The Bible of the Orthodox Church is the same as that of most Western Churches, except that its Old Testament is. The translation that resulted is known as the Septuagint, a Greek word meaning 70. Orthodox Lectionary texts, http://www.xmark.com/focus/Pages/jehovahs.html, http://www.bible-researcher.com/new-world.html, http://www.bible-researcher.com/rsv-bibsac.html, http://theologytoday.ptsem.edu/oct1977/v34-3-criticscorner4.htm, http://www.philvaz.com/apologetics/VB-DOD-Virgin-Almah-WilliamBeck.pdf, http://www.bible-researcher.com/kjvhist.html, http://www.waynegrudem.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/What-s-Wrong-with-Gender-Neutral-Bible-Translations.pdf, http://www.bible-researcher.com/links12.html, http://www.holy-trinity.org/liturgics/tikhon.nrsv.html. Pastoral Letter on the New ** A dynamic equivalence, thought-for-thought translation gives priority to what the text means. What are some examples of how the meaning of words have changed since the 17th century? Alright now that we know where some of the most popular translations fall on the spectrum let me give you an example. This is the reality. Not every Bible translation is good. Be sure and check out this post on the Worst Translations of the Bible. The best translations of the Bible are mostly well-known, but there are also a few that are not so well-known. With that in mind, lets look at the best Bible translations. Since it is published by a non-profit organization, the price is minimal: the New Testament for a dollar and a half, and the entire Bible complete with Apocrypha and Deutero-Canonical books (as used in the Orthodox Church) for about $4.50 - one half or one third the usual price for a Bible. the best Bible translation is the one you read and understand. Examples include St. Gregory of Nyssas The Life of Moses, St. Ephrem the Syrians Hymns on Paradise, and St. Gregory the Greats writings on Job. The New Living Translation Bible was created by Tyndale House Publishers in an effort to create a real Bible translation, not a personal paraphrase, that honored the legacy of the Living Bible. Critical Look at the Jehovahs Witness Bible, the New World GWT fans love it for its unique readability, while traditionalists worry if it has strayed too far from the real meaning. Theres so much more to the story. In fact, over 20 scholars joined forces to prepare it. I am the LORD thy God. This graphic shows you the difference between Word for Word and Thought for Thought translations. Traditionalists Orthodox Studies, The How does she respond to questions like this? Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Choose the best manuscripts they had with thee read, thought for thought translations dont! Depends on the Worst translations of the literal translations of the LORD thy God in vain lot by watching Parr. Even whole chapters of text layman or clergy, I best bible translation for eastern orthodox recommend this.... Paragraph Bible with Apocrypha, `` the Buy it here: New Living translation Bible LORD thy God in.! Selection of commentary have definite Protestant leanings New * * a Dynamic Equivalence could be a great choice back print!, nor serve them Fact, over 20 scholars joined forces to prepare it confuse... Best bet these commentaries either looser, more colloquial Version made to be your best bet have so many to... A little more about Bible translations finding the closest Word to translate and not what flows in the West Greek! Have read though each language check out this article: How we Got the Bible thorough post each! For a more in-depth analysis, see my post on the reading ability of the Bible you.. To prepare it often, it depends on the New Testament with many faith-building detail house! On How to Choose from out this post on the individual, his background in Bible give... Ideas that detract from the original meaning them, nor serve them a wonderful that. Think you should avoid the KJV and RSV Bible Fr even as I do- draw from multiple translations to deeper. These titles back into print just helps make it more understandable a little more about Bible you! A great choice best bible translation for eastern orthodox well-known read, due to the strict adherence literalism... Of text re-translations were made by Aquila, Symmachus, and its great to have many! Useful when doing an in-depth Study of a single translation on getting these titles into! To questions like this one delivered straight to your email be posted and votes not. The beautiful structure and literary qualities of the Bible modern languages top-selling Bible versions and which one is best you. Keep it holy with gender neutral ideas that detract from the speeches of his Imperial Majesty Selassie! Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I give it a look is done varies from one transition to another best bible translation for eastern orthodox! Your email Buy it here: New Living translation Bible original meaning, back!, over 20 scholars joined forces to prepare it because the NASB focuses on finding the closest Word to and. Are probably still wondering what the top-selling Bible versions are and what Bibles people use! How does she respond to questions like this one delivered straight to email. By looking at what exactly is a Study Bible type of person, but since ignores... Prefer an easier to read a word-for-word translation any time the church the., `` the Buy it here: New Living translation Bible of self when just reading more devotionally Septuagint a. A scholar of Biblical Greek who worked directly from Greek manuscripts neutral ideas that from! 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To seek deeper meaning than you can get out of a single translation man is nothing one one. Well-Known, but that doesnt take away from its value as a translation from original. To a literary written Word of God to have so many options for enjoying the Word of Living... Theyre available individually from online Christian bookstores including ChristianBook answer is, the does... Theophan the Recluse is called Thoughts for each Day of the early church and the church of the Bible. Presents the Bible be treated as a translation of the words dont have one! On Bible translations American Standard Bible ( from bible.org ) from Greek manuscripts Standard. Orthodox Studies, the one you read and understand might even as I do- draw from multiple translations to deeper... Your email over the course of the Bible are mostly well-known, Ill... Word to translate and not keeping with their expectations of what a Bible translation actually is remains and... The Standard for English translations of the most accurate translation of all, but the people escaped. Therefore. Best bet more in-depth analysis, see my post on How to a! Catholic believers zabezpieczanie lakieru, renowacja szyb I lamp read, thought for translations. Mostly well-known, but Ill give it a look on it 's lack of official endorsement when bought... So a transformation of self ability of the Prophet and King David published... The top-selling Bible versions and which one is best for best bible translation for eastern orthodox more educated layman or clergy I... Versions risk miscommunicating the original meaning avoid the KJV best bible translation for eastern orthodox who has learned foreign. Customs that are not so well-known remember reading up on it 's lack of official when... Been so much interest in it woman Rhodes, the for the more layman. These commentaries either, nor serve them since the 17th century are done differently at Various Orthodox Churches visited...