Which Bible is best?
I often see this question and others like it tossed around, from new believers and old alike. Which Bible translation should I read? How do I know I’m doing Bible study right? And what about the groups who claim the absolute superiority of one translation over and above all others?
As with many things, I tend to be pretty laissez faire when it comes to Biblical translations. I have personal preferences for my own study purposes, but beyond that I tend to believe that the best Bible translation is the one you’ll actually read. Plus, technology like the Bible app, Logos Bible Software, and others have made dozens of translations accessible to basically anyone at any time; though I may decry the prevalence of tech at times, it’s hard to deny the evangelical impact of such advancements.
But, my personal attitudes don’t necessarily answer those earlier questions. So, why are there so many translations, and how do you choose between them?
What’s the difference?
The 66 books that comprise the Bible are ancient documents originally written in Biblical (or Classical) Hebrew, Biblical Aramaic, and Koine Greek—three languages that have modern iterations but are not spoken or used in the same way today as they were thousands of years ago.
To understand why this may pose a problem to modern readers, a quick example: I love to read Jane Austen’s books; her writing is incisive and witty, and the characters are so real that I sometimes wish I could pluck them off the page and hang out with them in real life. Yet, I still find that there’s a bit of a language barrier between Jane and me anytime I read her works. They were all written in English, but not the English that a 28-year-old in North Alabama speaks day-to-day; I still rely on Schmoop and Sparknotes (my old high school friends) to help me understand whether Caroline Bingley was being sarcastic or friendly in that one interaction.
The English language hasn’t changed dramatically over the last 200 years, but it’s different enough that I need a bit of help in understanding the subtext of my favorite stories. One can only imagine how this challenge multiplies when ancient manuscripts are being translated.1
I want to note, too, that this doesn’t mean there’s simply no way to know what biblical writers may have intended to say about any one thing in their writings; no need for a collapse into nihilistic postmodernism, at least not yet. It just means that there’s, at times, an extra hurdle for translators to clear when they’re making decisions about how to best render an ancient word or phrase into more modern vernacular.
Common methodologies
As illustrated above, there are three primary schools that biblical translations tend to fall into:
“Word-for-word,” “formal equivalence,” or “essentially literal” translation:
As indicated, these translations aim to be as direct and literal as possible. Though the accuracy of these translations is, in theory, higher, the phrasing can come across awkwardly at times.
Examples include the New American Standard Bible, the English Standard Version, the Lexham English Bible, and the New King James Version
“Thought-for-thought,” or “dynamic equivalence:”
These translations focus less on specific words and more on the meanings of phrases, or thoughts. They tend to be a bit more readable than word-for-word translations, but may sometimes sacrifice accuracy for readability.
Examples include the New International Version, the Christian Standard Bible, and the New Living Translation
Paraphrases:
These are the most extreme versions of thought-for-thought translations, often rewording large sections of scripture. Many warn against using these translations as a primary source of study because of the creative license the methodology permits.
Examples include The Message, the Good News Translation, and the Contemporary English Version
For a practical example of what these differences might look like, consider three different renderings of Romans 8:28:2
ESV: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
NIV: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
The Message: “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”
Making a choice + my recommendation
Before we get into recommendations, please remember to take everything I say from here on out with a grain of salt; I am not a biblical scholar or ancient languages expert, just a fellow believer who loves the Bible and wants you to love it too! Far be it from me to be the arbiter of your study of scripture, or to indicate that there’s any reason to be ashamed of the way you’re engaging with God’s word.
The fact that we can have this conversation is, in my opinion, an unprecedented gift. Popular translations of scripture haven’t been the norm throughout history; in the days before the printing press, owning a personal copy of the Bible was all but impossible for the common man.
But, each age has its challenges, and the paradox of choice is a modern ill that needs assuaging.
In my personal study, I prefer to lean on the English Standard Version and Lexham English Bible (exclusive to the Logos Bible Software, but free to access with an account). Both are word-for-word translations, but the Lexham has some unique features (like putting odd phrases in brackets) that give a little insight into the thought process of the translators. I find this really helpful as I try to understand the Bible as literature, though the brackets and other add-ins like italicized words may be distracting if you’re reading large sections of scripture at once.
These are my “home base” translations, but they don’t have to be yours; they just represent two choices among dozens of viable options. And, all translations have problems; while all scripture is inspired by God, specific translations are works of humans, and humans make mistakes.
For these reasons and others, Bible teachers across the board recommend using a variety of translations. This doesn’t mean that you need 10 Bibles open during your morning quiet time each day; it does mean that you might consider having a Bible app or website at the ready to assist you in exegeting tough passages.
And, if you have further questions or concerns about the way a specific translation came about, the answers are typically easy to find. Most translations will have a preface that describes the methodology and addresses issues like textual basis (or, what manuscripts were consulted) and how they made decisions regarding translating specific words.
I don’t see the question of biblical translation as one with hard-and-fast “right” and “wrong” answers; maybe just “better” and “worse,” depending on your situation and circumstances. The best Bible is the one you are digging into daily as your faith deepens and grows; the finer details will be worked out along the way.
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.Psalm 1:1-3
From the archives:
Remember the gospel
This week, I’m excited to share a guest post I put together for my Substack friend, Andy Fuqua at Kingdom Glimpses. The post is about the creed that Paul quotes in 1 Corinthians 15 and how it continues to encourage and guide Christians 2,000 years later.
This also helps explain why “new” translations pop up every so often; our translations should be reflective of our changing language.
See https://bibleproject.com/articles/does-a-most-accurate-bible-translation-exist/ for more examples of differences across translations.