Translating the Bible isn't as easy as you might think it would be. In fact, it is quite complex. That's why we are so grateful that Collin Hanson, the editorial director for The Gospel Coalition and editor at large for Christianity today, will be hosting a new online forum called "Perspectives in Translation." Describing the blog, Hanson writes:
"Bible Gateway and The Gospel Coalition have teamed up to host a discussion of English Bible translation. Acting as moderator for Perspectives in Translation, I have convened a team of world-class scholars who have reviewed, translated, and studied several different English Bible versions, such as the HCSB, NIV, ESV, NET, and NLT. They will address specific passages from the Old and New Testaments and answer questions about the translation process."
How important is a discussion of this kind? Hanson writes:
"Translation is a vital and therefore controversial task. We give it little thought until we perceive a potential problem. Even then, we do not understand the complex process, conducted largely behind closed doors by learned scholars and linguists who have devoted their lives to studying ancient languages. So how do we know what we’re reading is truly God’s Word? How do translators make the tough calls? What principles guide their decision making?"
We are also pleased to announce that Ray Clendenon, associate general editor for the HCSB, will be contributing to the forum. You can find one of his recent posts here. To give you a feel for the kinds of issues Perspectives in Translation are tackling, here is a small excerpt from Dr. Clendendon's recent post on the issue of Chesed in biblical Hebrew:
"Modern study in particular has revealed that the word has a strong semantic element describing covenant behavior and the kind of behavior expected of friends and relatives. We should be aware, however, that 75 percent of its uses apply to divine behavior. When God acts with chesed, he is coming to the aid of those to whom he has committed himself: for example, to deliver, to forgive, and to enable us to worship him. And his people are to act with chesed toward one another."
If you are excited about digging deep into biblical exegesis, you are going to love Perspectives in Translation. We hope you will come by and join in the discussion in the comments forum.
"Perspectives in Translation" is live at BibleGateway.com