How to Translate the Bible: Problems and Pitfalls

Episode Outline:
0:00 Why Bible translation is harder than most people realize
0:30 Bart introduces Jennifer Knust and the topic of Bible translation
2:53 Why do people keep translating the Bible?
5:15 Isaiah, “virgin” vs. “young woman,” and why translation sparks outrage
9:12 Why translation committees matter
14:01 How committees handle disagreement and reach decisions
16:12 The problem of translating doulos: slave or servant?
21:26 Inclusive language, “brothers and sisters,” and Greek grammar
29:34 How translators decide which Greek text to translate
37:35 Grammar, ambiguity, and places where the Greek itself is uncertain
45:02 What do translators do with words that appear only once?
53:30 Why some readers resist less harsh or less traditional translations
54:05 Is there still value in the King James Bible?
57:43 Why every Bible translation is human, situated, and imperfect

Episode Description

There are hundreds of Bible translations available – but why so many and why are they different? When a biblical scholar decides to do a translation, which manuscripts do they choose to use, how to they know what the ancient words meant, and do religious considerations get in the way of accurate translations. Are there places where no one can agree on what the original text says? Jennifer Knust is a prominent New Testament scholar who helped lead the committee that recently produced an updated edition of the New Revised Standard Version. Here she discusses with Bart the problems and pitfalls of biblical translation.


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