Today we had some of our house measured to have carpet installed. The fellow that came out to do it was of the opinion that the King James translation of the scripture was the only accurate translation. He had beliefs about some of the ways that America itself has pushed God into turning His back on us. Some of the things he said were certainly true and others I was baffled by.
Why do we prefer one translation over another? For the word-for-word accuracy, for the accuracy of meaning, or just for the readability? Is one style of preference better than another? For those of us who aren’t able to read Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek, should we just always have several versions that we compare? Does it cause further confusion to unbelievers or some division among believers for us to use different translations? Are new English translations of the bible just part of the capitalist movement of our world or are they valuable in other ways as well?
Language is constantly changing and translation is as much a science as it is an art. A translation must be written for the receiver, to match their cultural and social background so they can understand the original meaning… which also depends on the translator’s understanding of the content.
Very complex, many variables, many translations. Your carpetter is a nutcase.
Comment by The Dude
— May 31, 2007 @ 9:07 am