The Bible-Why So Many? - New Translations Multiply

In the meantime, people continued to make other translations of the Bible-such as the famous Syriac Peshitta by about the fifth century C.E. But it was not until the 14th century that renewed efforts were made to give many ordinary people the Scriptures in the vernacular.

In England in the late 14th century, John Wycliffe  began the process of breaking free from the clutches of a dead language by producing the Bible in English, a language that people in his land could actually understand.  Soon after that, Johannes Gutenberg's printing methods opened the way for Bible scholars to produce and distribute new versions of the Bible in many different living languages throughout Europe.

When English translations multiplied, critics questioned the need to make different  versions of the same language. The 18th-century English cleric John Lewis wrote: "Language grows old and unintelligible, therefore its necessary to review old Translations to  make them speak the Language in use, and be understood by the living generation."

Today, Bible scholars are in a better position than ever to review older translations.  They have a much clearer understanding of ancient Bible languages , and they have valuable  ancient Bible manuscripts that have been found in recent times.  These help to establish more accurately the original text of the Bible.

So there is real value in Bible versions. Of course, there is a need for caution regarding some of them. But if the revisers have been moved by a genuine love of God in making a new Bible version, their work can be of great benefit to us.

Next time: The Bible-Why So Many? - God's Sacred Name in the Bible

From the jw.org publications