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ANY Reputable Version produced By JUST a Single Scholar?

Discussion in 'Bible Versions & Translations' started by JesusFan, Oct 19, 2011.

  1. JesusFan

    JesusFan Well-Known Member

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    Or is it just impossible to be able to be done without involing a largee commitee of scholars?
     
  2. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

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    William Tyndale.
     
  3. Ruiz

    Ruiz New Member

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    There are several Bibles produced by individuals, many linguists take it as a challenge. Most are not marketed or done for profit, but for personal growth.
     
  4. JesusFan

    JesusFan Well-Known Member

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    Any available on the "open market?"
     
  5. Ruiz

    Ruiz New Member

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    I am not certain. I know a member of my church years ago was a linguist and he collected these individual works and had dozens in his basement. Yet, I am not certain where he obtained them.
     
  6. Deacon

    Deacon Well-Known Member
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  7. Van

    Van Well-Known Member
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    As this is a Baptist forum, rather than a Presbyterian forum, I am not sure why anyone would want to use a Bible translation that was translated by one person rather than a team effort. Does not the NT say we should be led by a group of Elders? Just saying.

    Now if a person was just reading the Bible, to generate thoughts about how to apply God's word to their life, it might be fine. But if a person was keen on studying the text and discerning to the best of their ability what the Bible actually said, I would start with a CT and modern group generated translations like the HCSB, NASB, ESV and NKJV. Then I would start with say Romans, and compare verse by verse the various versions. If they say the same thing, then I would copy and paste the one that said it most clearly into "my translation." When I came to a verse where they say different things, that is when Bible study really begins.
     
  8. franklinmonroe

    franklinmonroe Active Member

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    Great answer, Amy!
     
  9. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    J.B. Phillips had an absolute knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, but he translated to modern English....I love it.

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  10. franklinmonroe

    franklinmonroe Active Member

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    I don't think it is impossible. The benefit of having large committee is that every individual's weaknesses may be compensated for by another member; the difficulty of a large committee is that some verses may suffer from homogeneous compromises. Renderings by individuals can be fresh and exciting.

    I'll mention just a few good translations by individuals (which I have read, and in my opinion): Gary Zeolla's Analytical-Literal Translation (from the Majority Text); Olaf Norlie's A New Translation in Modern English for Today's Reader (NT); and John Nelson Darby's A New Translation from the Original Languages (he also translated the Bible into French and into German, if I recall).

    I am about to begin Charles B. William's A Translations in the Language of the People (which I believe was on a SBC list of 'accepted' NTs); also on my short-list to-read is Ken Wuest's Expanded Translation (he was a reputable NT Greek scholar at Moody).
     
    #10 franklinmonroe, Oct 19, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 19, 2011
  11. JesusFan

    JesusFan Well-Known Member

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    Think that the main advantage one has in a Commitee translation way is resources that can be brough to the task, and also with more eyes.minds involved, better to keep unattention bias out of the translation process!
     
  12. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    An American Translation by William Beck
     
  13. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    I was just going to mention him. His translation was the basis of the modern "God's Word" translation. I wish they wouldn't have used that particular title.
     
  14. Rippon

    Rippon Well-Known Member
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    A bunch of good ones have been mentioned: Among them,Tyndale in first place,Phillips,Beck,Williams,Darby and a personal favorite -- Norlie.

    Gerrit Verkuyl had his The Berkeley Version of the New Testament released around 1949 long before the MLB was put togther with other scholars.

    Then there are the Ronald Knox,Edgar Goodspeed and James Moffatt translations. But I have no physical copies of those. And especially the last two men were considered to be rather liberal.

    I wish I owned the original Weymouth translation of 1903. But I do own a revised text by James a. Robertson from 1936.

    F.F.Bruce did a translation of the Epistles. I have looked at it --but it was too expensive. It's a paraphrase. But by today's standards might be considered close to the NLTse's method of translation if not more form-oriented.

    There is a new one --New Testament Into Simple Everyday American English by Julian G. Anderson. But I can't vouch for its orthodoxy.
     
  15. John of Japan

    John of Japan Well-Known Member
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    In Japanese the Nagai Translation by a Japanese pastor (named Nagai) before WW2 is an excellent translation of the TR into classical Japanese. It was good enough that it was reprinted about 10 years ago and sold out almost immediately.
     
  16. new

    new New Member
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    There is a New Testament translation coming out on October 25th by N.T. Wright called The Kingdom New Testament: A Contemporary Translation. It is based on the work he did for his New Testament for Everyone commentary series.
     
  17. MichaelBuckingham

    MichaelBuckingham New Member

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    I don't count myself to be a scholar of Greek, but yet I can translate the New Testament. It is not such a hard think to do. But the fear in making your own translation is that you will miss translate something and thus lead someone astray, and your translation would do more harm than good.
    If someone is to translate the Scriptures, much prayer and guidance is needed, and it would be prudent to have a team of scholars looking over you work.
    So in a way, I would be wary of a lot of the translation by one single person.
    Just my 2 cents!
     
  18. Logos1560

    Logos1560 Well-Known Member
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    Tyndale's Bible by William Tyndale.

    1535 Coverdale's Bible by Miles Coverdale

    1537 Matthew's Bible by John Rogers

    1539 Taverner's Bible by Richard Taverner

    1557 English New Testament by William Whittingham

    1657 English translation of 1637 Dutch Bible by Theodore Haak

    1755 English New Testament by John Wesley

    1773 Bate's Bible by Julius Bate [unfinished--Genesis to 2 Kings]

    1798 English New Testament by Nathaniel Scarlett

    1808 Thomson's Bible by Charles Thomson

    1851 English translation of Syriac Peshitta New Testament by James Murdock

    1853 English translation of old Testament by Isaac Leeser, a Jew

    1885 English translation by John Nelson Darby

    1897 The Emphasized Bible by Joseph Bryant Rotherdam

    1916 English Old Testament by Alexandar Harkavy, a Jew

    1933 English translation of Syriac Peshitta by George Lamsa

    1961 Expanded New Testament by Kenneth Wuest

    1971 King James II Bible by Jay Green

    1977 Christian Counselor's New Testament by Jay Adams

    1998 Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern
     
  19. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

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    Really? A bit arrogant don't you think? Your English grammar is so bad, I certainly wouldn't trust you to translate Greek to English. :laugh:
     
  20. JesusFan

    JesusFan Well-Known Member

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    Just curious, would you hold jay Green as being a reputable translater?

    As I have ben curious to see about getting hold on one of those Bibles of his!
     
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