There are two primary reasons for the different english bible versions. A tablestyle view of how our lord is addressed in different bible versions. From genesis to revelations, abraham to paul, this book covers the various theories on the origins of the bible, compares the different editions, and describes in detail the bibles culture and times. With these, you can compare between different versions nearly instantaneously.
If thats true, how did we end up with so many different versions of the bible. The thing is, the oldest copies of the gospel of john dont have that story. One reason that the bible is different from other books is its unity. Versions of the bible five books expert recommendations. You can find bible editions with the deuterocanonical books in ceb, cev, esv, gnt, kjv, nabre, njb, nrsv, reb, and rsv translations, among others.
Partial bible translations into languages of the english people can be traced back to the late 7th century, including translations into old and middle english. The good news bible came out notably better than either of the more traditional versions. Ive compared the king james version with other modern translations and come up with a long. Different religious groups include different books in their biblical canons, in varying orders, and. In the niv in this case the thought comes through with more clarity. The wordforword versions most accurately follow the hebrew, aramaic and greek texts. Answers the common objections, like what about the different editions of the king james bible. Of course, since the kjv dates from 1611, it contains some archaic language, but the message of the kjv in this verse is also very difficult to decipher. The books of kings form only one book in the hebrew mss. Indeed, researchers found the rsv and kjv in key respects to resemble the instructions for federal income. Bible versions and translations online bible study tools.
These are divided between the old testament and the new testament. Why are there so many different bible translations, and. Books of the bible explained scripture by scripture. One of the fundamental deceptions being promoted by modern bible publishers is that the new bibles are merely in different styles of writing. Bible version verse comparison charts bible study tools.
Jones clearly explains the problems and answers with complete documentation. The protestant bibles have 66 books, 7 less than the catholic bibles. Ive started my spiritual reading collection and on my shelf, excluding the catholic bible, ive noticed that many different versions of the christian bible exist, and certain denominations focus on different chapters. The bible is one of the most influential books of all time, but it can seem overwhelming to know how to understand it and what to do with it. When a chapter or section is finished, you will see at the bottom of the page. Biblenotes the entire holy bible is summarized with easy. The word of god is precious and far beyond human wisdom isa. If a modern reader were to pick up a 1611 king james version of the bible, he would find it to be virtually unreadable. The king james biblewhich has been called the most influential version of the most influential book in the. The blue letter bible ministry and the blb institute hold to the historical, conservative christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of scripture. English bible translations also have a rich and varied history of more than a millennium. It is highly respected as the most literal english translation of the bible.
Whats the difference between various bible versions. Constable over a 25year period, these notes provide commentary on all 66 books. Books on bible versions, king james bibles, and more. I want to get a sense of the complexities of the passage and what translators have wrestled with to create their translations. Note that the interlinear masoretic texts and even the literal wordforword king james translations are often difficult to understand today.
The second part is the greek new testament, containing 27 books. Quick comparison of bible versions it is often said that all bible versions are basically the same, that their differences are just minor wording changes. Many bible versions are now available as part of bible software packages or for free viewing on various internet sites. Through 66 separate books, 1,189 chapters, and hundreds of thousands of words, the bible shares one extraordinary. A paraphrased translation of most of the new testament books, translated by former baptist minister john henson. This 7day bible study will help break down what the bible is, why it matters, and how you can understand it today. Tom robinson, has translated seven books of the bible in their entirety. They vary from a third grade to a twelfth grade reading level. A philosophical exploration of the meaning of lifewith a surprisingly. All 66 books of the bible in easy, onesentence summaries. A summary of each bible book study resources blue letter bible. The word bible itself comes from the ancient greek for book, paper, scroll. The term books of the bible comes from the fact that the bible, sacred scriptures in christianity and judaism, is an anthology of many different books.
Since then, the bible has been translated into many more languages. Protestant bible this bible is widely spread in the united states and is the one most americans are familiar with, because of the popularity of protestantism within the nation. Which christian denominations use which bibles, and is. The first section has 39 books containing sacred pronouncements of god. The bible has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of hebrew, aramaic and greek. How its exactly written varies between different versions.
And not all editions of all translations include these books. A biblical canon or canon of scripture is a set of texts or books which a particular religious community regards as authoritative scripture. The book of mormon, while jehovahs witnesses have the new world translation of the holy. But he has promised the holy spirit to help us understand john 16. Compare bible verses in all translations bible study tools. Comparing bible translations is a good way to try different bible versions and identify the bible that speaks most clearly to you. The life of christ, giving important discourses not related by the other evangelists.
It includes the seven deuterocanonical books also known as the apocrypha. Why are there so many different versions of the bible. Many people find that they need more than one bible and use different ones for different occasions. The bible consists of two parts, the old testament and new testament. The mere fact that the bible claims to be the word of god does not prove that it is such, for there are other books that make similar claims.
All of the different english bible versions are at different points of the formal equivalence vs. A quick overview of bible translations learn religions. How is the hebrew bible different from the christian old. It is the intention of our compare bible verses by translation pages to allow users to study bible verses using more than one translation and version. In fact, the word bible comes from the latin and greek words for book biblia and biblos, respectively.
When people hear there are over 50 different versions of the bible in english alone, they often think to themselves, no wonder there are many denominations each teaching different things, there are many different versions of the bible. The new testament is made up of the remaining 27 books protestant. On another note, some like the church of latter day saints has a specific one. This highly accessible book also includes information on. Bible versions and translations focus on the family. Which of the many bible versions is best for reading and studying the bible 1. The great thing about these types of books is that you can redo them every year or every few years, and they will have new meaning each time. Thats because the bible is a collection of writings from different authors writing at.
Free bible cds, encyclopedias, religious clip art, and more. A really good look at the whole issue from top to bottom. So, whenever you open the sacred word, also open your heart to god in prayer, allowing the words of this commentary to direct your thoughts to the scriptures and to the one they tell us about. Many study bibles will try and explain away the contradiction. The new king james version was published in 1982 by thomas nelson, and was intended to be a more modern. The living bible tyndale house publishers, wheaton, illinois. A summary of the contents of each bible book contains summaries for the old and new testament.
Why are there so many versions of the bible in english. The new revised standard version is the version most commonly preferred by biblical scholars. Books on bible versions, king james bibles, and more av1611. Examples of different translations and changes over time below, ive reprinted six sections of scripture as they appear in several different versions of the bible. Most online versions of jfb are abridged and include only a fraction of what the authors said. Greek was like english in those days, so it made sense to write letters to gentiles in the greek lan. Given the wealth of english translations of the bible available today, how can anyone. And, ultimately, explains why jesus would have to preach from a king james bible if he visited your church today. This study tool can help people see how different translations and versions have interpreted the original greek and hebrew languages. When comparing translations for a bible verse, users can read the wellknown translations including new international version, king james bible, the message, revised standard version. This discrepancy is due to the fact that the protestant bibles.
Part of the new testament was written in greek, part in hebrewaramaic and later translated to greek. Discussions over different bible versions can become very heated. The difference is that the scriptures contain convincing evidence as being the word of god. There are a lot of bibles out there to choose from there are over 50 english bibles on bible gateway, for example. Generally speaking, the king james version and its modern counterpart, the new king james version, are wordforword translations. The nas is written in a formal style, but is more readable than the king james version. God inspired faithful men to write these books over a long period of time about 1,100 years from 15 b. This book will explain how and why the different translations were written, and.
In the third year of the reign of jehoiakim king of judah, nebuchadnezzar king of babylon came to jerusalem and besieged it. Since the text and audio content provided by blb represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not. They are readily found in most bookstores or on the internet. Christians became the first to use the term in reference to scripture, but eugene ulrich regards the idea as jewish. When comparing translations for a bible verse, users can read. Types of bible translations there are three main types of bible translations. The bible version controversy explained and resolved. In the catholic religion the holy bible is composed of 73 books. The first thing to note about this book is that it is levelheaded. This translation represents the goldstandard for many people, and it certainly is the oldest of the major versions. Never at any time in history have we had such an overabundance of bible versions to choose from. Go to the bottom of that page to see the index chapters, which are hot links. Many word changes that affect the doctrine are found in many versions. More than 450 translations into english have been written.
The latin vulgate translation was dominant in western christianity through the middle ages. Click on a book listed below which will take you to its introduction page. Hendrickson puts out the parallel bible which has 4 different versions on its pages. The total collection of 66 books in the christian tradition emerged over an estimated period of 1,400 years by 40 different authors originally writing in hebrew.
Even more frightening, some are completely lacking in. Overview bible commentaries read and study from over. What does it mean that the bible is composed of different books. The english word canon comes from the greek, meaning rule or measuring stick. There are approximately 900 english translations and paraphrases of the bible. One example of such corruption though not from the septuigent is called the. Translations also differ as to the reading level of the reader. That means if you want to know the bible better, youll need to get acquainted with the 66 documents it comprises. The holy bible is an anthology of writings that includes 66 books in english editions.
Why are there so many different translations of the bible. How many different versions of the bible are there, and why are there so many. The author never falls into namecalling or hurling unsubstantiated accusations or questioning the motives of authorstranslators. Understanding the different types of bibles will help you find a bible that best suits your needs and personal beliefs. Read and search over 30 different bible translations and versions online using. A translation that focuses on formal equivalence will be most helpful. Read the following comparison between the king james version and the bestselling modern bible translation, the new international version, and then decide for yourself whether or not this is true. The new american standard bible and the king james version would be to the far end of the formal equivalence side, while paraphrases such as the living bible and the message would be to the far end of the dynamic equivalence side. Among popular bible translations, the csb, nasb, niv, nlt, and the message do not include the apocrypha. One of the reasons we see different versions of the bible is because of the number of manuscripts available. Ethey wrote mostly in hebrew, so we call this section the hebrew scriptures, also known as the old testament.
1032 422 194 44 144 1133 1010 492 380 255 1060 354 1132 1413 986 1511 278 888 892 1328 606 695 270 695 878 122 652 564 1084 620 1496 125 678 776 1301 224 232 181 327 1417 335 634 119 1275 34 1327 204 34 593 243