In Defense of an Individual Translation
In “In Defense of an Individual Translation,” Jefferson Vann explains why he is translating the Bible since so many good modern translations exist.
April 2024 report
Since my last report, I have completed the first draft of four translations.
36 - Zephaniah (JDV) 20240318
15 - Ezra (JDV) 20240328
64 - 3 John (JDV) 20240403
38 - Zechariah (JDV) 20240406
That leaves me with six books to translate. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
In Defense of an Individual Translation
Today, I want to explain why I started this project and answer some questions.
A few years ago, as I completed my first pass reading the ESV version and blogging a devotional based on each passage, I asked the LORD in prayer what He wanted me to do next. The answer was one word: translate. I had worked on translations of passages in Scripture before. I had even worked on translating the Gospel of Mark into Cebuano -- along with my friend and coworker -- Rev. Rustom Marquiño in the Philippines. But this was the first time it occurred to me to engage in the long-term project of translating the Bible as a whole.
My purpose was not to replace any of the excellent versions of the Bible in English that are already available. I am grateful for these tools and utilize them in my ministry. However, with a few rare exceptions, most of these modern translations are the work of a committee. I agree in principle that "a committee of translators is likely to produce a better translation than a single individual since individual biases will tend to be eliminated."[1]
But my goal in translating the whole Bible was not to eliminate my personal biases, but to investigate them. I come from a particular theological and ecclesiastical tradition. I wanted to see how the views expressed by those within my tradition hold up to an analysis of the whole Bible. I have been taught that certain words mean a specific thing in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Scriptures. I wanted to see that for myself.
What I have found—so far—is that the evangelical conditionalist view is reflected in the text of Scripture. This is true not just in a few carefully selected proof texts. The Bible screams the message of human mortality and the promise of life only in Christ.
Some have assumed that my goal was to produce another word-for-word translation. It was not. Word-for-word translation generally does not work because a culture rarely uses a particular word with only one meaning. Context, not the lexicon, explains the meaning of a word.
However, I have encountered a problem that is practically universal in all the ancient and modern translations. This problem is the tendency to use words packed with historical and theological connotations and denotations. I have attempted to remove these sanctified synonyms from my translation. I am not the first to try this. Tyndale attempted to remove the word "church" from his translations of ekklesia and substitute the word congregation. He felt the word "church" was unhelpful because it suggested ideas that would not be in the minds of the first-century audience. He was right. Unfortunately, the committees producing modern translations have not followed his pattern.
In the past few months, I have noted some other words packed with historical and theological meanings that tend to hide the meaning of the original words they translate. These words include soul, spirit, heaven, hell, and eternal. If translators continue to use such words, readers will have difficulty catching the biblical authors' intended meaning.
For my translation, I choose different words rather than the traditional ones. Even if my rendering requires some explanation, I still feel using it is appropriate. It forces readers to stop and think about what is being said in the text.
Besides using my translation to accompany my daily devotions, I have no other plans for it. Perhaps it will be helpful for future generations. Perhaps not. Maybe the journey will prove more valuable than the destination. I don't know. But I do recommend translation as a means of enhancing personal Bible study.
[1] https://bib.irr.org/faq-how-should-i-go-about-choosing-translation-of-bible.