Working for the Word - a Bible translation podcast

Why does every single English version ignore the best solution to translating Exodus 6:3? We're going to take out the magnifying glass and try to get to the bottom of this. A big thanks to Michael Fenske for his contribution to my thinking on this, and for pointing out the following verse examples without the interrogative ה: Jonah 4:11, Lam 3:38, and 1 Sam 20:9. Correction: It was brought to my attention after releasing this episode that there is one English version (although not mainstream) that translates Ex 6:3 as a rhetorical question: the TS2009 version, which is a Hebrew Roots/Sacred Name translation. Duane Garrett's commentary on Exodus The Sentence in Biblical Hebrew by Andersen my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

What does Catholicism in Latin America have to do with Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the great fish? And what kind of derogatory language doesn’t really come through in English translations of his poetic prayer? Translation is always an artistic endeavor to capture all the flavor and nuance of the original that we can. We’re going to take a little stroll into the translation of just one verse in Jonah, and see what we can learn. Watch the video from the National Museum of Scotland here. my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

A while back, while I was checking Deuteronomy in the Mixteco language of Mexico, we came to chapter 32 which is a whole lot of difficult poetry. Verse 8 stood out as one of the most complex verses to navigate and explain, mainly because of a textual variant. The big debate is whether to read the original text as saying “sons of God” or “sons of Israel,” and getting to a solid answer isn’t simple. English translations still don’t agree on it, but we’re going to do our best to tackle it in this episode and see where the Mixteco translation landed. my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

“This lightly written and frequently amusing book gently hides the competent scholarship that underlies it. For those who are convinced of the superiority of the KJV, whether for stylistic, cultural, pedagogical, theological, or traditional reasons, this is the book to read. Mercifully, Dr. Ward does not pummel his readers or sneer at those who take another position. Patiently, chapter by chapter, example by example, he makes his case-all of his work geared toward fostering more and better Bible reading. Highly recommended." Those are the words of D.A. Carson about our guest’s book, entitled Authorized. As we continue our conversation with Dr. Mark Ward, we’re going to hear yet another false friend example, talk about what the KJV translators themselves would have thought about KJV-onlyism, and more. Make sure to get your own copy of his book Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible. Also don't miss his excellent YouTube channel. my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

The King James Bible remains the most recognizable piece of literature in the English-speaking world. It stands as a masterful example of translation for its day, involving some of history’s most remarkable scholars. For over three centuries it served as the standard English Bible and has had unparalleled influence on English and American culture in nearly every sphere—including education, law, literature, government, art, science, and religion. Even though English has changed a lot over the last 400 years, there are thousands of people who believe the KJV to be the only trustworthy translation in English, and strongly discourage or even forbid the use of modern versions. This has come to be called “KJV-onlyism,” and I’ve met a handful of them over the years. In the next two episodes Dr. Mark Ward is going to help us understand this mentality, and graciously and lovingly argue why it’s unhelpful. Make sure to get your own copy of his book Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible. Also don't miss his excellent YouTube channel. my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

As we continue our interview with Dave Brunn, translation consultant and author of One Bible, Many Versions, we’re going to put the final nail in the coffin of the idea that translations can be literally word-for-word. We’re also going to hear how translating into languages that aren’t Indoeuropean shatters the notion of word-for-word equivalence even further, which we’ll see is something not even Jesus himself seemed to see as the ideal. Finally, Dave will share a way forward for all of us in the English-speaking world, away from the arguments over translation, towards unity, and into a deeper experience of God’s Word. my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

You’re in for a treat in this episode. Author and translator Dave Brunn joins us to talk about many translation issues that you’ve probably never thought about. His book One Bible, Many Versions is now my favorite book to point people to in order to understand the true issues behind our English Bible versions. He helps cut through the marketing rhetoric and provide a view of the objective reality of translation. This will be the first of two parts and you’re not going to want to miss it. Get ready to be surprised, learn a lot, and be reminded of some important things. Dave Brunn's book One Bible, Many Versions.  my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

As we continue our whirlwind journey through the history of the Bible in China, we’re going to see how missionary translation efforts culminated in a successful Union Version that achieved unprecedented and unimagined impact, and lasting acceptance and use. We’re going to see more intimate descriptions of what went on behind the scenes, the good, the bad, and the ugly, and see how God made possible what was impossible with man. There’s a lot of interesting stuff in this episode, and you may even want to divide it into two parts because it’s a bit longer.  You can check out Dr. Zetzsche's book The Bible in China here. my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

In the history of Chinese Bible translation the name of one extraordinary man stands out: Joseph Schereschewsky. In this episode we're going to take a look at his life and hopefully learn from him and be inspired by his example of perseverance and sacrifice. Most evangelicals know about the genius of Tyndale, but Schereschewsky has been all but forgotten even though he was at least as brilliant as Tyndale. He could speak 13 languages and read 20. And no man of that day equaled him in idiomatic mastery of spoken Mandarin. He had a command of nearly 10,000 Chinese characters, while the average Chinese at the time could use around 700. He was a master of Hebrew, having studied it since childhood. John Hykes of the American Bible Society called him “The Prince of Bible translators.” You can check out Dr. Zetzsche's book The Bible in China here. Muller's biography of Schereschewsky. my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook

As early missionaries sought to create a Chinese translation that would suit everyone from every denomination, they needed to decide on the right language style to use, as well as overcome obstacles to getting the translation done in a reasonable amount of time. We’re going to look through some interesting windows into the work and its details, and see how the Baptists were still not happy until they created their own version. We’ll also see how haste can hurt a translation’s quality, as well as how messy translation can be when trying to make different denominations cooperate and agree on a committee. Book mentioned: Spectacular Sins by John Piper (free download available) You can check out Dr. Zetzsche's book The Bible in China here. my books | twitter | music | Hebrew | academic articles | facebook