Tag Archives: Bible Translations

Which Bible Translation Do I Use?

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Continually, people ask me what Bible translation I personally use when preaching and when writing. I wish there were a good answer to this question, but there isn’t. I’ve been asked this question many times over the years. The short answer is all of them and none of them. Let me explain what I mean.

The Word of Elohim is something I take very seriously. It is something to be trembled before with a contrite heart (Isa 66:2). Sadly, there are numerous designer Messianic Bibles out there being peddled by money-grubbing charlatans or self-proclaimed experts who have just enough knowledge of the original languages to be dangerous, but not enough to competently translate a Bible. These individuals are duping those who know less than they do, and preying unsuspecting and naive people who are hungry for truth. They are proving the old adage that says “an ‘expert’ is simply someone who knows more than the next guy.” Most of these “translators” have little or no academic training or linguistic expertise in ancient biblical languages, yet this doesn’t stop them producing a constant stream of “new and improved” Bible translations. I actually have some academic background in foreign and biblical languages and have done translating work in both French and Koine Greek at the academic level, so I speak with some understanding on the subject. Yet, I am not an expert, and am not qualified to translate anything.

There is not a single Bible translation on the market today that I can unreservedly recommend. Some of the more popular ones have been translated by questionable individuals who have little or no linguistic training, yet they (dishonestly) refuse to disclose publicly what their qualifications are for translating the Bible. I find this to be a huge red flag to me. If you have linguistic qualifications, why not state them? If you don’t, it’s probably because you have none. I suspect that most of these self-proclaimed Bible translators simply sat down with a copyright free English version (e.g. the KJV) and along with the help of a concordance and a few other lexical aids, made a translation, which they now peddle for big bucks. This is dishonest and unrighteous. 

Which Bible version do I personally use? I still use the KJV and NKJV, since at least they were translated by competent linguists. Because I’ve been studying Greek and Hebrew for more than 45 years, I know where all the translation biases are, and I know the Hebrew and Greek words behind many of the English words in our Bibles. As I’m reading the Bible (when preaching) or quoting (when writing), I start with the base of the NKJV, and as I am going along, I “clean” up the English. For example, I insert Hebrew words for the names of deity (i.e., God becomes Elohim, LORD become Yehovah, Jesus becomes Yeshuah, Christ becomes Messiah, Holy Spirit become Ruach HaKodesh, and so on). In cases where there are Hebrew or Greek words that the translators have translated into English using misleading words, based on the lexical meanings of the words I make changes. For example, in Romans 10:4, I change “end” to “final aim, goal.” This is totally consistent not only with the meaning of the Greek word telos but also consistent with biblical truth. Another example would be Matthew 5:17 where fulfill (Gr. pleroo) means “to fill up, to make full, to complete, to fill to the top.” In any place in both the Tanakh (Old Testament) or the Testimony of Yeshua (New Testament) where the word law occurs in referring to “the law of Moses”, I replace it with the Hebrew word Torah meaning “instructions, teachings and precepts [in righteousness of YHVH Elohim].” I could give many other examples, but hopefully the reader gets the point. I don’t carelessly or haphazardly substitute words, but do so full well recognizing the meanings of the words in the original languages, and how the biblical authors use them in the full context of the whole Bible. Again, I tremble before YHVH and his Word, I cringe at the thought of being labeled a false teacher, or bringing  curses upon myself for adding or subtracting from the Word of Elohim.

 

Which Bible Translation Do I Use?

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Which is the best Bible translation to use? Though I’ve been asked this question many times over the years, I still don’t have a good answer. Let me explain why, and what my best recommendations are about which Bible translation to use.

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The Word of Elohim is something I take very seriously. It is something to be trembled before with a contrite heart (Isa 66:2). Sadly, there are numerous designer Bible translations out there that claim to cater to the needs of the Messianic or Hebrew roots community. Often these Bible translations are being peddled by money-grubbing charlatans who are duping many who are unsuspecting and naive. Most of these “translators” have little or no academic training in the ancient biblical languages, yet this doesn’t stop them from peddling their wares. I have some academic background in foreign and biblical languages, so the subject is dear to my heart, although I’m no expert.

There is not a single Bible I can unreservedly recommend. David Stern’s Complete Jewish Bible is probably the best, since he’s forthright about his academic background—and he has an earned degree in Koine Greek from a recognized academic institution (he discloses this information in the introduction to his Bible translation). Furthermore, he has been living in Israel for a long time, and so has a good knowledge of, at least, modern Hebrew, which is, basically, an expanded version of biblical Hebrew. His New Testament translation takes some liberties with the Greek, but in his New Testament commentary (The Jewish New Testament Commentary), he explains why he translates things as he does. I usually agree with his interpretations, but how he translates the Greek at times is a bit libertine—some might even say, unscholarly. That’s a matter of opinion.

Beyond that, there is no translation I can recommend with the possible exception of Jay P. Green’s The Interlinear Bible, but you’ll need your reading glasses when viewing this Bible, since the print is so small. Some of the more popular designer Hebrew roots Bibles have been translated by questionable individuals who have little or no academic training, and they refuse to tell you what their qualifications are for translating the Bible. I find this to be a huge red flag. If you have qualifications, why not state them? If you don’t, then it’s probably because you have none. I suspect that most of the translators of these fad-Bibles sat down with a copyright-free English version of the Bible (e.g., the KJV) and along with the help of a concordance and a few other lexical aids, came up with a new translation by making a few changes to the copyright-free translation. Voila, they have their own “Bible translation,” which they now peddle for big bucks. To me this is unrighteousness, and total dishonesty. It certainly will not pass muster in the linguistic and academic community! One of the more absurd examples of this is one author (who has little or no linguistic background) who apparently sat down with the English Bible and prayed over each verse and claims the Holy Spirit gave him the translation. He translated each verse how he “felt led” to do so by the Holy Spirit. He’s probably sold thousands of his “Bible translation” by now. Now the Holy Spirit is to blame for his faulty translation. This is totally disgusting unacceptable, to say the least!

Which Bible version do I personally use, one may ask? Honestly I still use the King James Version and New King James Version, since at least they were translated by competent linguists. Because I’ve been studying Greek and Hebrew for  more than 40 years, I know where a lot of the poor translations are, and I know the Greek and Hebrew words behind many of the English words. For example, as I’m reading from the KJV (when teaching publicly) or quoting it (in the articles I write), I correct the faulty translations (based on what expert linguists have to say about it) by inserting Hebrew words in place of some of the English ones. It takes some practice, but it can be done. For example, in the Old Testament (or Tanakh),  the word law becomes Torah, God become Elohim or El, and LORD becomes Yehovah or Yehowah. Likewise in the New Testament (or the Testimony of Yeshua), Jesus becomes Yeshua, Christ becomes Messiah, and so on.

Obviously, much more could be said on this subject, but I’ll leave you with this. Stick to a major Bible version that was translated by a team of linguistic experts (this helps to avoid translation bias, more or less), and that is not promoted by a publishing house that has tampered with the text for profit motive purposes (this is another discussion in itself!).

Again, consider Isaiah 66:2 when choosing a Bible translation.

For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith YHVH: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (emphasis added)