Why are there so many Bible versions/translations?

If you go to the Bible bookstore you will find several different versions of the bible. You got the NIV, RSV, KJV, AMP, ESV, and the B.I.G. LOL just kidding. So the question is why are there so many versions? Well I’ll list three main reasons which we’ll discuss below.

1. Meaning and terms change over time and we longer speak Old English

In 1611, Shakespeare was very popular and Old English was the language of the day. Today, we don’t speak Old English and the meaning of some words has changed overtime. This makes the church responsible for producing an updated translation of the bible in order to help the reader and studier of the scriptures understand what the bible says. Let’s look at an example:

· Acts 28:12-13 KJV "And landing at Syracuse, we TARRIED there three days. And from thence WE FETCHED A COMPASS, and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli."

· Acts 28:12-13 NIV “We put in at Syracuse and STAYED there three days. 13 From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.”

2. The fact that we have more manuscript evidence now than we’ve ever had before.

Our King James Version (KJV) was translated in 1611, that’s over 400 years ago. Since then we’ve found way more copies of the bible and older manuscripts. In any translation, you hope to get your hands on multiple copies for comparison and the oldest material possible. The closer your material is to the time of the events, the less chance error has to creep in through reproduction. The more copies you have, the greater chance you have of getting back to the originals. The KJV was translated from material that dated from 500 – 1000AD. New material we’ve found dates from 200 – 400AD. That’s a difference of almost 800 years in some cases. Do you see why it would be so important to translate the bible from material which predates earlier copies by almost 800 years? Which copies would you rather read from, copies from 200AD or copies from 500AD?

· That 400 years also allowed scholars to grow more in their understanding of the ancient Greek language helping them to more accurately understand, interpret and translate the language.

· Despite certain words or phrases not being found in the earliest manuscripts, it did prove that the text had been accurately copied over the years with only a 2% difference in the manuscripts.

· Newer bibles highlight the differences noting when a word or sentence was not found in the earliest manuscript evidence. This doesn’t necessarily mean it was not supposed to be in the bible and the difference had or has no effect on any doctrine in the Bible. (John 7:53--8:11)

3. Different methods of translating “Word for Word” & “Thought for thought”

The two prior reasons can more appropriately considered reasons a new translation was necessary, but the different methods of translation make up the main reasons we have so many translations. Basically, there are two basic methods to translating the Bible, “Word for Word” or “Thought for thought”.

· Word for Word – Is when the translation is translated word for word. Exactly like it was in the original language. The problem is, sometimes a word of phrase doesn’t translate over well from another language. Example, What up dog? or Wassup? Think if you tried to translate this to Chinese. They’ll think you’re asking a dog what’s in the air or wassup, a short version of What’s up but how would you translate that? Like when you translate a rap song to Latin. This is why there’s also...

· Thought for Though – These translations translate the verse with the ideal of bring the meaning of the verse across. This is why you can have two bibles beside each other that say the same thing in a different way.

Proverbs 18:24

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

A man of many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family.

So depending on your preference, there are many different versions of the bible out there for you. Do you prefer more of a Word for Word translation? Do you prefer more of a Thought for Thought? The purpose is to get something that will clearly help you understand the word. It’s a good idea to get multiple versions so you can compare verses when you get into deep study.