Introduction to Bible Translation

"Avulify" in the name of the Lord Jesus, we thank you. Thank you for such a time as this as we look into your words. Like to visit on Revelation, post-World on In-Dark, Christ is seen. The believers are edified as Jesus is glorified. We thank you for all trans-gifts, revelations, gifts and power, gifts and abundance. Give praise on glory, seek bodies are healed, those needing a miracle, they receive one now, speedily by our power and by our grace in Jesus' mighty name of praise. Amen and amen. All right, so getting those jumping streets into what we said in our last class, in summary we said that the Bible opens up in Genesis with the beginning of God's purpose, the Bible opens up in Genesis. You know, the book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. We are still looking at Bible interpretations, basic Bible interpretations, rules, how to start with the Bible, how to make sense of the text and all that. So we just thank God, we just thank God that because it's a very crucial thing that we are doing. What is the goal of the Bible? What is the aim of the Bible? We saw that there was a promise, a promise of life, so God pitched life to Adam to Eve, but he did not do it, Eve was received, Adam willfully disobeyed. All right, so the book of Genesis is a book of beginnings. It's beginning of God's purpose, it's a beginning of how that same unbelief, disobedience, entering to God's Word. And then throughout the Bible it builds on that part. And it reflects God's plans and purposes in the different eras it finds itself. So in the timeline of Moses, in the timeline of Joshua, in the timeline of Noah, in the timeline of Inok, there are things God communicated to them about the promise of life. All right, about the promise of life not that very, very, very, very important. All right, so we'll just take a very slight detail and then we'll come back shortly to this. So we'll be looking at Bible translations, Bible translations. So I'll just give it to you in brief about what we make sure we hit the important points. And so this is very important. The Bible you use affects how you study. So this is not to say a particular translation is better than another. Right, does not focus for today. There's not the focus for any time. Although there's some Bible translation that I will not recommend for Bible study. All right, I will not recommend that for Bible study. You can as well kiss your Bible study goodbye if you use those Bible translations. But one of the most important thing to know about Bible translations is that every translation, or techno of this, this will help you a lot. Every translation is in a way an interpretation which should not be. Every translation to some degree, big or small, in and of itself, most times, not all the time. But most times, it's an interpretation. And there are three types, three popular types of Bible translations. We have what we call the formal equivalence. Also known as the word for word, right, the formal equivalence. So the formal equivalence, the ambition in life, right, the ambition in life is to strive to closely, closely, much the original languages Hebrew, Arabic, Greek. So they are translating word for word as directly as possible. Yeah, they are translating it directly as possible. This is in the context of translation in the words. So in the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. So it is giving you the literal word for word. They are not trying to supine pause the meaning. They are not trying to tell you the meaning of what happened, right? But the difficulty with word for word, classic word for word, or classic formal equivalence, is that sometimes it's not good when it comes to reading. And I'm not talking about James or those douchans, cows and moths, no. This one is just poor English, poor English, 16, 11 English, right? Yeah, where the word for word or the formal equivalence gets an issue is in the order of word. So the way the words we are ordered in their writings back then, yeah, in the Hebrew language, the Greek language, the Arabic language, it's not the same order we have. So in some way, there's a little bit of, okay, this word, I have a Bible up and I will send you the up later on. Yeah, where you can see the exact order. So let me, let me just quickly open something and let me, let me show you John chapter one, John chapter one, make it this, this follows on. Okay, John chapter one, let me read from NKGV, yeah, classic NKGV, because that's what I'm using. When I mean classic, I'm just meaning like, it's a classic, not that there's a classic of NKGV, like the amplified, NKGV has a classic and a normal amplified translation, but that is not in the sense of what I'm using it. So John chapter one, this one, NKGV says, in the beginning was the word and the word was with God, all right, and the word was God, the proper order of this, the proper order of this is in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the word. Let me take a look, it's a slight difference in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was with God. And the word was God, that is the normal thing, that is the one most basic new. The order when it comes to format equivalence is in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and God was the word. That word, so you can see the weight of the emphasis, is not telling that there was another word or there was a word that is also God. He's saying that that very word in and of itself not God be that. So he's just a little bit of switch, now the formal equivalence, like I said earlier, is tries to closely match the original language by translating each word as directly as possible. All right, so examples of what forward we have ESV, we have an ESB, we have the King James, we have the new King James, we have the revised standard version. Yeah, we have a lot of orders about logistics with this fight for now. If you are looking for a Bible translation, that is closer in in translation, what forward, to the original use formal equivalence. Then there's another one called dynamic equivalent or taught for taught. All right, dynamic equivalent or taught for taught. Now, this one, they end to convey the meaning of the original text rather than translating it word for word. So their focus is not to give you what forward, their focus is to give you a meaning. So basically you are at the mercy of the translator. It translate or gives you wrong meaning, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 'Bot it is very readable, very, very readable, very readable, very easy to understand.' For example, if we say 'Chinidu has kicked the bucket' and we know that figure of speech, we know that in the American expression, right? 'Chinidu has kicked the bucket.' So, what for what translation? If you are translating that to Spanish or Italian or German or whatever language, it will be 'Chinidu has kicked the bucket.' If you are using what I mean 'pot for thought' or the dynamic equivalence, it will be 'Chinidu died.' Because what is the meaning of someone kicking the bucket? What is the meaning of someone kicking the bucket? Let me show you another example. Okay, I will use other applications in my phone to find out not that fast, because I don't want to put people on the spot and tell them to reach from their own translation. Although that will be faster, right? Yes, yes, please. I'm looking for. There's a place I'm looking for. Give me a minute. I'm coming. Okay, Joshua 23, I was in Joshua 24. All right, so let me just get all the translations ready. So, for the 'pot for thought' we have NIV, we have NLT, we have the good news translation, we have the NET new English translations, we have the C E B, the common English Bible. All right, let me read something out to you. And then, let me read something out. And then, so I'm opening all the translations. Just be with me please. Joshua 23, Joshua 23. And I'll be reading from the NKJV which falls under the word 'for words'. What you are doing now is very, very important. It will ship how you understand the Bible. So, let me use the common one, NIV. I like using NLT, but let me also use the NIV. All right, so Joshua 23 verse 14. Joshua is speaking, he said, 'Behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth.' And you know in your hearts and in your souls that not one thing has failed of the good things with the Lord your God spoke for signing you. All right, so my focus is going the way of all the things that God has done. All the earth, going the way of all the earth. That is a classic word for word translation. Look at 2nd Kings chapter 2 verse 1. It says, 'Now, the days of David Jr. that he should die and he charged Solomon his own thing, I go the way of all the earth.' What does it mean? NIV, in Joshua 23 verse 14, he says, 'Now, I am about to go to the way of all the earth.' All right, so this closer in this context, yeah, if we use NLT, if we use other dynamic translations, what you see clearly is, 'I am going to die soon.' I am going the way of all the earth, you see, he bright expression of Agusun die. 'One is word for word, one is taught for taught, so one is giving you the central meaning of what those words mean.' All right? Another clue on, now another taught translation that we have is the paraphrase, yeah, is the paraphrase. This paraphrase is basically rephrasing the Bible into a simple and conversational language, particularly with an intent of making the text accessible to broader audience. Let me take it again. So the paraphrase is basically rephrasing the Bible into a very simple and conversational language. The sole intent of it is to make the text that is being paraphrased, accessible into broader audience. Look at Mark or Matthew chapter 4. Let us do that quickly. Please, if you want to study, indirectly, don't use paraphrase for the first time. And this is first and I am saying this publicly. Use paraphrase after you have gotten the meaning of the word, after you have gotten what is that verse, chapter, book, intent for you to know. Extremely important. So because of this, it may seem as if I am bashing some translations but I am really not doing that. Let us read and you see why I am saying this. Matthew chapter 4 and I will start from verse 3. I am using the word for word translation now. So the word for word remember, NESB, I particularly love the NESB. I would encourage you to use NESB. Use other ones too but I just prefer. So I am giving it out there is my preference. But so far I have been using antigens to be to teach for over many years now. So when I teach I like using what everyone understands and easily agrees with about my study, I use NESB majorly. So for those who wanted to know what translations I use, there you have it. Alright. So, Matthew chapter 4 verse 3. Now when the tentacle came to him he said, if you had a son of God, command that these stones become bread but he answered and said, who is that he? We don't know if we are looking at up front now, right? Unless we read in context. So but he answered and said it is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by every world that proceeds from the mouth of God. The dynamic translations we see in the three, during that time the devil came and said to him, if you had a son of God tell these stones to become loofs of bread. Can you see that they have added in meaning? Tell these stones. Literally command these stones, command that these stones become bread. That loofs is not in the original. Now, does this point the meaning no? But there are some cases where in some way it will shift the meaning that if you don't know what is the original, there might be an issue. So while it is encouraged to use as many translations as possible, it's also encouraged to know what it meant. First, remember observation, interpretation, application. What should not wever is interpretation and observation. I just said that over and over again. So now look at this four. Jesus told him so you can see that the pronoun is not removed. That in the NKJV is it but he answered and said, dynamic you see, but Jesus told him, no. You see that no. In no deal, I'm using the NLT for the dynamic and NKJV for the former. Yeah, dynamic equivalence, former equivalence. Right? That no, that NLT is putting is not the end. But does it make the meaning have more punch? Yeah. It says no. The scripture says people do not live by bread alone, but by every way. "Water comes from the mouth of God." Now look at what the paraphrase said if you look at the message in verse 3. It says, "The devil." Oh my God. This translation always makes me laugh. I don't know where. Where? Where I cut. The message, the message of the four, where it's one or four, it says next. Jesus was taken to the wild by the Spirit for the test. The devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the test by fasting 40 days and 40 nights. Now, who told you Jesus used fasting to prepare for the test? For my equivalence, we say, "And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward, he was hungry. We do not see any reason that Jesus is preparing for Satan's temptation with 40 days fasting." If you are using formal equivalence from that one, you see, then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Why did Jesus go to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil? And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward, he was hungry. Not that he used 40 days fasting to prepare for the test. Now, let me read from the amplified. I have the amplified. So I have the amplified. Read the insonant verse one. Then, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After he had gone without food for 40 days and 40 nights, he became hungry. The tentac came and said to him, "If you are the son of God, command that these tombs become bread." Now, look at how clean this one is. Clean this. Now, the amplified is not a formal equivalence. It is not a dynamic equivalence. It is not a paraphrase translation. It is actually a hybrid of dynamic and formal. It is what we categorize as optimal equivalence. So, another translation that is in the optimal equivalence will be your assignment. So, one of your assignments will be find those translations that are categorized as optimal equivalence. And what is optimal equivalence? All right? Now, still reading from the message, if you know you are back with the message, it is the devil was ready to give it. It is also prepared for the test by fasting 40 days and 40 nights. That left him, of course, in a state of a stream hunger. Can you see that they have a dead meaning that was not being original? And if you only notice, it has shifted how you understood fasting, how you understood triads and temptations. It has shifted it like well. It is that left him, of course, in a state of a stream hunger, which the devil took advantage of in the first test. Since you have got some, speak the word that retorns the stones into the loofs of bread. Therefore, Jesus answered by quoting the trunony. It is a lie. When the scriptures were written or when given reference, it was used as it is written as the scriptures said, as one testifies in the place, not explicitly said that it is a particular most tense, most so in this chapter 4 or Matthew 4. That Jesus answered by quoting the trunony. Yes, we know it is giving it a full meaning. It is giving it this. It is giving it that it is good. You know what is their first. Before you seek to find what is in the full meaning. Look at what they say, they say, the trunony. It says, it takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of God's word from God's mouth. Wow. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth. That has shifted the thing. Let me show you another one. I normally use these examples because I think when we did this teaching earlier this year, we used a lot of examples. We checked the Greek, we checked the Hebrew, we checked a lot of things. You can always find those teachers in the podcast. This is just introduction. Remember everything we have done in this discipleship is the introduction to the introduction. This is just a scratch. Look at Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10 and I'll read from verse 17 in the formal equivalence. Then the 17 returned with joy saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. Luke chapter 10, 17, the dynamic equivalence. It says, when the 72 disciples returned, the joyfully reported to him, I hope you are noticing these small, small differences. It's important to do all these things. Matter, Bible study is labeled hard work. We are not even doing contextual meaning now. We are not even doing anything. We are just finding the right place to start. The Bible translation you use will determine how well you are able to grasp its subject. It will determine it so much. So the 72 disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, Lord, even the demons who bear us when we use your name. The demons who bear us when we use your name. Formal equivalence, Lord, the demons are subject. The demons are subject to us in your name, in your authority. It is not when we use it that they are submitted to it. On account of your authority, because in just already giving them power, charge them to go and preach. So in that commissioning that they are to go and preach, on that account, the demons subject themselves. The formal equivalence still passes the mark, but reduces the width of that verse. Look at the paraphries using the message, look 10, 17. It says, "The 70 came back trying all the fans and said, "Lord, "But just with the boss my head." "Who ever translated this thing like this? "I don't know if he should be floored or high." "I don't know. Which one is master? "The demons dance to your tune." Like, was Jesus playing a flute? Was there a pre-section? What cross their minds for them to do in verse like this? Oh my God. Which one is the demon dance to your tune? Like, the first day I saw this thing, that was 2017, because I had a message by my Bible. I like using a copy by my Bible, yeah, pardon me, I'm in millennia. I'm still not used to online. generality was the same thing. Sometime I just closed the bucket and I have said that, I was told to look through some emphasis or something, let me show you another one. I like using this example every time because it's also spotter. It will just expose the intent or the nature of a translation. I'm using the formal equivalence. My husband's desire to go for Israel is that they may be saved for I fear them weakness. That they have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge. 4D "Ai, bing ignorantogot's righteousness, a sikking to establish your unrighteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." All right? For Christ is the end of the law. For everyone who does what? For everyone who believes. All right? Now, let's look at the dynamic equivalence and let's see something. The dynamic equivalence, so look, sorry, Romans chapter 10, book of Romans chapter 10, let's give a minute, let me pull it up. All right? So this is "Jé Brothers and Sista's Meeeee." No, brother and sisters. It's no brother and sisters. It's the word "breadren." Breadren is the Greek word "adelfo" to shoot at you came from the same sauce. It does look what the meaning. It is not biology. And my brother, this, my sister, with this "Ee Brothers and sisters make me talk now. No, what breadren, "adelfo" is telegraphing is guy. We call from the same place. This is the sauce. So there is a place we sprint from. It says "Jé Brothers and sisters, the dynamic equivalence." It says, "The longing of my heart." All right? The formal equivalence you see, my heart's desire and prayer. The longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected in guy. For they do not understand God's way of making people right with himself. Do you see what they call God's righteousness? Yeah? That in the formal equivalence they will say, "For they have been ignorant of God's righteousness." Dynamic equivalence we call it, "For they do not understand God's way of making people right with him." Refusing to accept God's way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. All right? So Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all will believe in Him, I made right with God. The formal equivalence we say for Christ is the end, the completion of the law for righteousness. Yeah? For righteousness. To everyone will believe. So Christ is the end of the law. There is no more business with the law. Christ brought it to an end. Christ brought it to a finality. Christ brought it to his intended target. Christ completed it. He completed it for righteousness for those that believe. Right? I was almost tempted to open RumaShat.it which is like a TSK to this, but not now. All right. Let's look at the message. All right? Now, fastening your seat belt. It says, believe me, friends, that's dropped it down. Bread, bread, brothers and sisters, friends. Remember the aim of the paraphrase, all right? It says, believe me, friends, all I want for Israel is what's best for Israel. Salvation, not in less. I want it with all my heart. I'm pretty good for it all the time. I readily admit that the Jews are impressively energetic regarding God, but they are doing everything exactly backwards. They don't seem to realize that this comprehensive setting things right, that salvation is God's business. And a most flourishing business it is, my God, like, bro, what is going on here? Right across the street, they set up their own salvation shops and noisily pedo their knockoffs. So that means this kind of translation if you know something or not, then they are noisily pedaling their knockoffs. It says, after all these years of refusing to really deal with God on his terms, insisting instead of making their own deeds, they have nothing to show for it. The earlier revolution was intensively to get all ready for the Messiah. Wooden puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Parafresh, yeah. Parafresh, most times, the parah. All right, all right, all right. So let me give you another one. Let me give you another one. Just give me minutes. Let me pull it up. I trust you on the standing sofa. What is going on? I will translate that you use. It is easy for you to get the meaning. No, that's not what we use a translation. We use a translation for study purposes, cross-referencing purposes. We use a translation to find out the different expressions, not because of the interpretation of the verse, but the expression is in the verb age. All right, you know, if I say, "Let's share all talk about," that's a good one. I've seen a very good assignment to give about contextual Bible reading. Wood is the rules of share. If you look at it in context, who is the leader of the values? All right, a very good assignment to give. So, all the supervisors are ignored. All right. So, if I say, "Sharron should explain the concept of immortality," for example, "the words and tenses she will use to express the meaning or the concept of immortality will differ from jc, Mary, Abyssalah, David, Uche, Josephine, M.C. Like, it would differ from even myself. Because translation is done with the strength of the translitors' intelligence. So, one translitor is more exposed than the other. One translitor is better equipped with monologue who has a better team. That is vast understanding and comprehension and a lot of things. So, obviously, is or the expression of a verse or the meaning of verse will differ. That is why we use or that is one of the reasons why we use translations. To get the meaning of what was said, to see how it was interpreted, to cross-reference, to see the different expressions of a particular team. All right. Not that it is easy for me to understand. It is what I'm using so that I grow most of the errors we are following into. Like, when you do this rules of Sharan and Liliod of values, just let me just give you a heads-up. Raise yourself, because what you think it means may not really be what it is. Yeah, we know that the book of the songs of Solomon, that you see it in because songs of Solomon, is majorly a book that deals with human affection, deals with love, to show that God is not against love, is not against romance, is not against sex, for crying out that the devil did not do or mix sex, it was God, the homun's, the organs and everything was not designed by the devil. The devil cannot create even a fly, talk less of neuroparts and homun's and all those things. All right. So there is this, this functional knowledge we have, especially among church folks, once you talk about marriage, sex, and all these, "Ah, he, no, measure this thing, it's too bad, ah, ah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, the devil didn't do that, it was God." So, songs of Solomon talks about affection, shit, between people and also in a way telegraphs or points to two teams. "God's love for the convenient people of Israel, notice my words, convenient people of Israel because, porce not all that are in Israel are the Israel of God. The Israel of God are those who believe by faith. Nobody will come to God's temple on a matter of national, of natural birth. It has to be by faith and belief. You are born naturally, you are not born naturally, both depends on faith. Do you believe in the promises of God? What has God told you that you have held on to, that you have believed? That is what counts. All right? So, porce not all that are in the book of Solomon, it's called the songs of song, just like the King of Kings, right? Because the Hebrew did not have words to classify superlatives, to classify good, better, best, that kind of thing. So, when you see something is better than everything, do just call it the song of songs, or the keyboard of keyboards, or the laptop of laptops, or just like some song, the full of forms. All right? If you don't like it, forget about it. I must banter that compilment. All right? What's seriousness now? Okay? So, if you read that song, so song, there's the man, there's the woman. The man telegraphs or points to God. So, the man takes up as it were the rule of God, where that's not a really bad thought way to put it. Let me use the telegraphing or pointing to God. Then the woman pointing to Israel as a nation, or the church. So we have God's law for the covenant nation of Israel, or Christ's law for his church. The man is an archetype or typifies or by typology is viewed or seen or his words conduct manner expresses that which symbolizes Christ. I'm really particular of my words. All right? It's one of the things you will come to know about me. And as the teacher goes, your words actually count. The tense is actually count. So that's what I'm really slowing down to say that. And then the same thing for the woman, Israel, or the church. When in our redatting context, who is being referred to as the Lili of the valleys, as a ruse of Sharon, when in really the context, brace yourself. Depending on the translation you will use, it will show up. What am I saying? I'm saying you cannot over emphasize the rule of a good Bible translations or a good set of Bible translations. So as we close, yeah, I was actually going to talk about Bible translations in passing. So as we close, the formal equivalence tries to preserve the original in the context of word for word, word for word. The formal equivalence does that. Maybe in our next class, I'll give you other things. I didn't want you to distract me from the accent at a seven point. So that's what I'm just mindful of what I'm saying now. All right? So the dynamic equivalence or the thought for thought as the naming lies. The thought for thought is giving you the meaning, the meaning, trust the meaning. The paraphrase is like the naming place paraphrasing it to fit a broader audience in a conversation of style. All right? So is it total paraphrase of the Bible? Then we have the optimal equivalence, which I'm giving as your research work. The formal equivalence, I know two Bible translations that are there at the top of my head. Maybe if I think more, I mean, I mean get. All right? So the Bible translations you use are very, very, very important. Very, very important is not something you will want to to ignore in your study of God's word. So what for what the style aims to stay as possible to the original text, the NESB, the KJV or NKJV, the ESV, the revised standard version, the thought for thought, the style focus is on translating the meaning of the text into a more understandable and natural language. You have the NIV, the NLT, the NET, the good news. The paraphrase talks about paraphrasing the text in a more than a conversational language. We have the message Bible, we have the new century version, we have the TPC, the passion translation, and we have the living Bible. All right? So does that for now? And then we'll take some questions, we'll take some contributions. When do you use what, when are you going to use what? So let's take those questions, those contributions, and watch how your Bible study improves, ticks a leap. All right? Even the amplified Bible, why do you use parentheses and brackets in some places? There's a reason. There's something the bracket represents. There's something the parentheses represents. All the things will fall in your research work so that you can begin to appreciate the voting and liberal behind the Bible study. And this one means Bible study phone, one means Bible study interested. All right? Praise God forever more.