Bible Quote by Chaim Bentorah
““some many differences in each translation of the Bible. The answer to that can be anything from a translator reading his own theological persuasion, bias or prejudice into his translations to the purpose and/or intention behind the translation. By this I mean is the translator going for a literal word of word translation, attempting to put his translation into modern thought, trying to put his translation into a cultural context, trying to present a paraphrase, a commentary or any number of different purposes and/or intentions for working on a new translation. Ultimately, the answer as to why there are so many different translations lies in something that happened almost two thousand and five hundred years ago. From 597 BC to 538 BC the Jewish nation was taken into captivity. During this captivity time the language of Jewish people, which was Hebrew, assimilated into the Babylonian culture and Hebrew became a dead language, preserved only for ceremonial purposes. A dead language means that it is no longer a language used for””
About This Quote
Source Book: The History of Biblical Translation, unknown author, unknown date
Translations vary because translators bring personal, cultural, and theological biases, and because Hebrew became a dead language after the Babylonian exile, leading to diverse interpretive goals.
In simple terms: Different translations stem from bias and a dead source language.
Key Takeaway
Recognize bias and seek multiple versions.
Themes
translation
bias
language death
interpretation
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
analytical
educational
When to use this quote
- academic study
- personal study
- faith teaching
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
theology
linguistics
history
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your own worldview affect your reading?
- What purpose guides your preferred translation?
A Different Perspective
A single translation can never capture all nuances.
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