Summary: A “literal” or “word for word” method seems like the most logical and straightforward philosophy of Bible translation, but it is a bit more complicated than that. Let’s look at the strengths and weaknesses of formal equivalency.
They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. – Nehemiah 8:8 (ESV)
Strengths of Formal Equivalency
Bible translation can seem simple at first glance. Take a Hebrew or Greek word and put an English word in its place, right? Well, most of the time it’s not that simple. Bible translation from one language to another is actually a very complicated process.
We have talked about the two main philosophies of Bible translation in a previous thinker article, “formal” versus “functional equivalency.” Formal “word for word” translation seeks to make as little change to the text as possible, leaving some things ambiguous. Readers may need to do some additional research to understand the text because explanations are not given. On the other hand, functional equivalency is focused on translating the meaning of the text over form. There are strengths and weaknesses with both philosophies.
Let’s take a look at the formal approach. English Bible translations which follow a formal method of translation include the KJV, NASB, and ESV.
One of the most obvious strengths of formal equivalency is keeping the grammatical structure of the original text identifiable. For example, in the NASB, the word “flesh” in the New Testament will almost always be the translation of the Greek word sarx. In the same way, in the Old Testament the Hebrew word basar is usually translated as “flesh.”
The benefit of translating each Hebrew or Greek word into the same English word most of the time allows the reader to trace repeated words, even if the word has a slightly different meaning depending on the context. This is especially useful when doing Bible study. Additionally, maintaining the same wording can help connect thoughts to other places of the Bible where that same wording is used – connections that may have been intentional by the authors but would be missed if worded in different ways.
A good example of translating a word consistently is the Greek adverb euthys which is used 42 times in the Gospel of Mark, giving the book a fast-paced feel. The NKJV translates it as “immediately” most of the time. It actually is so repetitive it begins to sound awkward as you read it in English. While euthys usually does mean “immediately” it can also be used to indicate a new scene, similar to “then” or “next.”
The CEB (Common English Bible) version is a functional equivalence (meaning for meaning) translation which uses various words for euthys which sounds more like natural English, but by doing so it changes the actual repetitive use of the Greek word in Mark.
Below is a comparison of the more formal NKJV (New King James Version) and the more functional CEB version of the word euthys, which is used an astounding 11 times in just the first chapter of Mark.
1:10
- NKJV And immediately, coming up from the water…
- CEB While he was coming up out of the water…
1:12
- NKJV Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.
- CEB At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness.
1:18
- NKJV They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
- CEB Right away, they left their nets and followed him.
1:20
- NKJV And immediately he called them…
- CEB At that very moment he called them…
1:21
- NKJV …immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue…
- CEB Immediately on the Sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue…
1:23
- NKJV Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,
- CEB Suddenly, there in the synagogue, a person with an evil spirit screamed,
1:.28
- NKJV And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.
- CEB Right away the news about him spread throughout the entire region of Galilee.
1:29
- NKJV Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
- CEB After leaving the synagogue, Jesus, James, and John went home with Simon and Andrew.
1:30
- NKJV But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.
- CEB Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed, sick with a fever, and they told Jesus about her at once.
1:42
- NKJV As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
- CEB Instantly, the skin disease left him, and he was clean.
1:43
- NKJV And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,
- CEB Sternly, Jesus sent him away, (skipped)
Interestingly, even the NKJV doesn’t stay strictly literal or word for word. Four out of the 11 times a different word than “immediately” is used for euthys. “Now” is used in verse 23, “as soon” in verse 29 and “at once” in verses 30 and 43. So even formal versions don’t translate the same Greek word for the same English word every time.
The KJV uses a mixture of “immediately” (3 times), “straightway” (4 times), “forthwith” (2 times), “anon” (1 time) and in verse 23 the word euthys is not found in the Textus Receptus, which the KJV was translated from.
A reader may choose one version or another depending on the reason for reading the Bible at a particular time. One day a person may read to study and another day they may read for devotions. The version may change if you are reading to children or reading aloud for a congregation.
Knowing how and why different methods are used helps us to understand that there is no “right” translation. The best is to read from various good translations and compare them to get a full understanding. Hearing a verse worded in a different and unfamiliar way can help produce deeper contemplations as the new wording is considered.
Retaining Ambiguity
Another strength of formal equivalency (word for word) is that it is less interpretive and therefore retains a greater degree of ambiguity. Translators who go too far down the thought-for-thought route can sometimes translate a verse in a way that offers only their own personal conclusion of what the verse is driving at when there are other valid alternatives that may be subtly or considerably different. By leaving the text as it is, it allows the reader to see where there are different interpretational options instead of making that choice for the reader.
An example of this is in the beginning of the book of Revelation. The Apostle John writes, “The revelation of Jesus Christ” (Apokalypsis Iesou Christou, 1:1), which is a Greek genitive phrase that can be translated a couple of different ways: as a subjective genitive, “the revelation from Jesus Christ” or as an objective genitive, “the revelation about Jesus Christ.” The more formal versions, NKJV, ESV, NASB, keep the ambiguity and translate it as “of Jesus Christ.”
Another example of intentional ambiguity left in a verse comes from the NASB (formal) version of 1 Thess. 4:3-4.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
The challenge comes in verse 4 from the words “possess” and “vessel.”
The NASB provides footnotes that say that “possess” could mean “acquire” and “vessel” could mean “body” or “wife” therefore leaving the interpretation up to the reader.
“Vessel” is the Greek word skeuos, which can have various meanings: object, thing, possession, pottery piece, jar, dish, instrument or utensil, and even sometimes is used metaphorically of a person being used as an instrument of God (2 Tim. 2:20-21) or as a man’s wife (1 Peter 3:7).
The verb translated as “possess” also has a variety of meanings: get, gain, acquire, control, or gain mastery over. Most versions use the latter two options to mean self-control of one’s own body. A few versions translate “vessel” as “wife” meaning faithfulness in marriage.
The formal NASB version leaves both words ambiguous and open for interpretation. This can be helpful for readers to see that there are multiple options for translation but on the other hand, ambiguity can cause confusion and lead to incorrect interpretations.
Cultural Features Preserved
Another benefit from formal translation is that it retains the Hebrew and Greek metaphors and idioms from the source culture. For example, Genesis 35:29a says in the ESV:
And Isaac breathed his last, and he died and was gathered to his people, old and full of days.
This Hebrew idiom in bolded letters means that he joined his ancestors in death and most likely reflects the practice of burying family members in a common tomb or cave. Meaning-based versions explain this idiom and translate it as “he was buried with his ancestors” or “he joined his ancestors in death.” Some versions skip the idiom altogether.
Conclusion
The benefits for functional equivalence (word-for-word translation as much as feasible) in Bible translation are retaining ambiguity, preserving cultural idioms and metaphors, and keeping the original form of the source text which enables readers to trace recurrent words. There are some weaknesses with this method as well, such as possible obscurity, unnatural language, and even confused or incorrect interpretations by the reader. Because of this, it is a good idea to read the Bible in several versions, both formal and functional.
Keep Thinking!
TOP PHOTO: Hebrew Bible. (credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)
