The Challenge of Bible Translation: Communicating God’s Word to the World by Zondervan, (PDF)

Description

An In-Depth Look at Bible Translation ·The concerns, issues, and approaches ·The history ·The ins and outs of the translation task With a reach that covers the entire globe, the Bible is the best-selling, most earnestly studied book of all time. It has been translated into well over 1,000 languages, from those of global reach such as English, French, and Arabic, to a myriad of isolated tribal tongues. Yet while most readers of the English Bible have a favorite version, few understand how the different translations came about, or why there are so many, or what determines whether a particular translation is trustworthy. Written in tribute to one of today’s true translation luminaries, Dr. Ronald Youngblood, The Challenge of Bible Translation will open your eyes to the principles, the methods, the processes, and the intricacies of translating the Bible into language that communicates clearly, accurately, and powerfully to readers of many countries and cultures. This remarkable volume marshals the contributions of foremost translators and linguists. Never before has a single book shed so much light on Bible translation in so accessible a fashion. In three parts, this compendium gives scholars, students, and interested Bible readers an unprecedented grasp of: 1. The Theory of Bible Translation 2. The History of Bible Translation 3. The Practice of Bible Translation The Challenge of Bible Translation will give you a new respect for the diligence, knowledge, and care required to produce a good translation. It will awaken you to the enormous cost some have paid to bring the Bible to the world. And it will deepen your understanding of and appreciation for the priceless gift of God’s written Word. Contributors Kenneth L. Barker D. A. Carson Charles H. Cosgrove Kent A. Eaton Dick France David Noel Freedman Andreas J. Köstenberger David Miano Douglas J. Moo Glen G. Scorgie Moisés Silva James D. Smith III John H. Stek Mark L. Strauss Ronald A. Veenker Steven M. Voth Larry Lee Walker Bruce K. Waltke Walter W. Wessel Herbert M. Wolf

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I have been one of numerous people influenced by the teaching ministry of Dr. Ronald Youngblood, a man whom I call both a gentleman and a scholar. This book is comprised of 21 essays that were dedicated to Dr. Youngblood’s honor. Personally I have been taught by several of the contributors(James Smith, Mark Strauss, Walter Wessel). Thus, for me, reading through this compilation was a delight because of my familiarity with these people during my time in the mid-1980s/early 1990s at Bethel Seminary San Diego. Dr. Youngblood’s mastery in the classroom as well as his style (nobody has a more dry sense of humor, as any student of his can attest) and scholarship are duly noted in these pages.As far as this book’s collection of essays goes, most of the topics are only going to interest the biblical scholars. If you’re not familiar with the ancient languages and other technical writing, the vast majority of this book will have little impact. Personally, I did not bother reading a quarter of the essays from their beginning to end because the individual content of these particular chapters just did not interest me.However, this is not to say that there are not some jewels here. In fact, let me briefly mention four of my favorite essays. First, chapter 3 by D.A. Carson (“The limits of functional equivalence in Bible translation–and other limits, too”) gives a good history of the gender-neutral debate, especially as the Today’s New International Version (TNIV) is concerned. This is an informative chapter for those not very familiar with the background of the TNIV controversy, and thus I recommend it.A second essay was the book’s next chapter by Mark Strauss (“Current issues in the gender-language debate: A response to Vern Plythress and Wayne Grudem”). I liked it because: a) it was cutting edge and not just a rehash of previous work, which a number of these essays were; b) it deals with the current TNIV controversy from the perspective of Dr. Strauss, who does a good job answering his (and the TNIV) critics. Even if you disagree with Dr. Strauss, one must admit that his points are worthy of consideration.Third, I liked Dick France’s chapter 7 (“The Bible in English: An Overview”). Of course, general overviews of the translation of the Bible are a dime a dozen, and some may criticize its inclusion. However, I think that this was one of the most interesting and informative overviews on Bible translation I have ever read.Finally, I appreciated John Stek’s chapter 10 (“The New International Version: How it Came to Be”). This is one of the most detailed histories of the NIV in a short-order format. Based on the faithfulness of God and those (including Dr. Youngblood) who responded to His calling, I believe the process of the NIV translation was quite ethical and completed in a godly fashion. Perhaps this is why God has blessed its use throughout the world.Each person is different and may find other chapters to be of more interest, but for me, these four essays made the purchase of this book worthwhile. May God continue to bless the work of Dr. Youngblood, and may we continue to work through the texts of scripture provided to us by God Himself.

⭐This is a very useful source for understanding the opinions and methods of modern Bible translators steeped in the inherited tradition of German Higher Criticism of the Bible and how and why they hold the viewpoints they do. I certainly recommend it for any serious student of Bible translation and Bible versions.

⭐Great buy!

⭐One reviewer here wrote that this book is intended for biblical scholars. Honestly, I do not think that that is a fair statement. Really the book is about the basics of translation. Thus, it should be required reading for all Christians. Written by those who actually are producing (translating) the Bibles we read everyday, this book explains to the Christian why their Bible is the way it is.Another reviewer referred to this as a reference volume. I would agree with that, even if you do not turn to it that often; it it still serves as a token of remembrance for why you (personally) think about translation the way you do. Even though I didn’t underline that much in the book, I remember being fixated to nearly every page and being blow away from every chapter with at least one formative and influential “Aha” moment. {There were only a very few essays that were not worth reading all the way through, but could be scanned in their introduction and conclusions}In the end, I would actually recommend this book before another one of Mark Strauss’ books titled “How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth.”Admittedly, this book is about the “CHALLENGE” of Bible translation. So if you are coming to this book hoping to be lifted higher than the stars in encouragement as to why you can trust your Bible, then you will definitely be surprised and disappointed. BUT, if you are serious about UNDERSTANDING your Bible (as opposed to presupposing what your Bible SHOULD be), then you will be encouraged in a different way. You will thank God for those men and women who have put in blood, sweat, and tears (okay, maybe not blood) into the translation you are reading and seeking God with today. You will be thankful to our Lord for giving you understanding as to why so much division/ differences exist within the body of Christ (one main reason being – differing translations), and you will be better equipped to go forth in your Christian life with grace and patience with others around (though you will be tempted to think you know more than them – which you will – but don’t let it become pride! – we are family in Christ).So in the end, the reason why I say that this is must reading for *Christians* is for personal and practical purposes. Differing translations is actually what sent me down the road of biblical scholarship – because they rocked my world. One night at a Bible study, just in simple trust and surrender to Jesus, we were reading the Psalms together and taking turns. One man had the NIV. I had the NKJV. Suffice it to say that the words were not the same in any way or even close most of the time! I was assured that he was reading a different book! So talk about confusion and discomfort when you are seeking to walk by faith and trusting that you book you are reading is God’s very Word, when all of a sudden you learn that you don’t even have the same book! So what do you do (when bred in my camp)? Condemn the NIV. That “Nearly Inspired Version.” Look for articles on the internet. All written by non-experts. So how do you get the answers you need? You go to the source – the ones who actually produced your translations.My question: why go through all of that heartache and questioning years after choosing to follow Christ, when you could learn about it at the beginning? The latter is surely the better route. So this book ought to be a book read in a “New Believer’s Class.” This ought to be the so-called “Milk” that Christians consume at the beginning of their walk. The benefits are two-fold. You weed out non-Christians as they conclude that the Bible is unreliable and simply the result of humans and allow them to go on in their marry way of sin and unbelief (instead of allowing them to poison the church and influence it from within). Second, you provide a sure foundation for the Christian as they go forward in their walk – not stumbling over the basics, but pressing forward into what really matters – Jesus Christ and his saving gospel.So I warn the Christian, you may be discouraged at first if you choose to press into this book. But the benefits far outweigh that discomfort. You may be changed, but it will be for the better. God bless

⭐This is a fabulous book. Most of the essays are well worth your time. It is divided into 3 sections:The Theory of Bible TranslationThe History of Bible TranslationThe Practice of Bible TranslationI particularly appreciated the articles by Don Carson and Mark Strauss, in which they interact with criticism of the TNIV, the updated version of the NIV. I like the way that both authors discuss the gender language debate and provide us with useful updates to what they had to say in their helpful books on the subject.Silva’s article “Are Translators Traitors?” explains the difficulty of transmitting the nuances of one language into another, even when you are bilingual.Those who are dismissive of the NIV and the later TNIV need to absorb what these writers tell us. They show how all versions interpret, including so-called literal versions. They also help us to step back from our immersion in the language of the KJV and think about how God’s Word should be communicated in the 21st century.

⭐When buying a book comprising papers by different authors it is almost inevitable that some will be better than others. I write this as a lay person not a biblical scholar, although naturally with an interst in it. I was disappointed in many respect by it – firstly the overall 3 part structure made sense, but the papers themselves frequently didn’t seem to fit into it. Secondly there were too many individual papers which I found weak – to disagree with the above reviewer I found the one on gender language poor because it was written almost entirely as a response to one book, and didn’t cover the subject other than by reference to that. Some positions I thought needed to be explained more, not the least how translators cope with change in common use of language, for example in English the generic term ‘man’ for mankind which now seems to be invalid so what guidance for such changes do they follow. Other papers made references to what may be considered contentious views, for example that Exodus 15 was based on a per-Biblical one, with no further comment or reference to other sources to back them up. Sadly I didn’t find any of the papers outstanding, and although mildly interesting I wouldn’t recommend it.

⭐

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