Special Topic 2 The Accuracy of the Translation of the Recovery
Version Bible
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Main Content Introduction The Standard of the Accuracy in
Translating the Bible Case Studies Conclusion
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Introduction How do we know the RcV Bible provides an accurate
translation? What do we gain by reading such an accurate
translation?
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The Standard of the Accuracy in Translating the Bible Choosing
Hebrew & Greek text Textus Receptus (1707) Westcott/Hort (1881)
Eclectic Text (Most Authoritative As of Now) The Greek New
Testament(4 th Edition, 1994) The Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum
Graece (27 th Edition, 1993)
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Early Greek Manuscripts (Mss.) Vulgate (late 4 th Century)
Douai-Rheims(1593) Knox(1948) Other Medieval Mss. Textus Receptus
(1707) KJV (1611) KJII (1971) NKJV (1982) Other Ancient Mss.
Westcott/Hort (1881) English Revised Version(1885) American
Standard Version(1901) Living Bible (1971) UBS (United Bible
Societies) Phillipss New Testament (1958) Eclectic Revised Standard
Version(1952) New American Standard Version (1971) New Revised
Standard Version (1989) Jerusalem Bible(1966) New English
Bible(1970) New International Version(1978) Revised English
Bible(1989) The Message(1993) New Living Translation(1996) Recovery
Version (1999) Chinese Union Version(1919) Adapted from Paul
Wegner, The Journey From Texts to Translations: The Origin and
Development of the Bible, 393.
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The Standard of the Accuracy in Translating the Bible
Understanding the divine revelation in the holy Word Throughout the
centuries, the truths in the Bible were lost, misinterpreted, or
damaged. Since the Reformation, the truths were progressively
recovered.
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Translating the Bible depends not only on an adequate
comprehension of the original language but also on a proper
understanding of the divine revelation in the holy Word. Throughout
the centuries the understanding of the divine revelation possessed
by the saints has always been based upon the light they received,
and this understanding has progressed steadily. (RcV
introduction)
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The Standard of the Accuracy in Translating the Bible
Understanding the meaning of the original text Henry Alford, New
Testament Word Study Youngs Analytical Concordance to the Bible,
Strongs Concordance Kittel, Greek Word Study etc.
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Comparison Between KJV, NIV and RcV Ver.TextTranslation
Techniques Characteristics KJV (1611) OT: Complutensian Polyglot;
Antwerp Polyglot NT: Textus Receptus Revision of Bishops Bible
(1602 edition); Word-for-word translation Archaic English Sense
Paragraphs Marginal Notes (most were literal readings of the
Hebrew/Greek texts) NIV (1978) OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia
NT: eclectic Greek text (Nestle-Aland and UBS) Combination of
Literal/dynamic equivalence Modern English Sense paragraphs Poetic
structure Few emendations OT quotations enclosed in quotation marks
RcV (1999) OT: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (1990) NT: eclectic
Greek text (Nestle-Aland 26 th Edition) Combination of
Literal/dynamic equivalence, inclined to literal Modern English
Sense paragraphs Poetic structure Few emendations OT quotations
enclosed in quotation marks Footnotes, cross-references
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Case Study 1 Gen. 1:2 Hebrew : KJV: And the earth was without
form, and void NIV: Now the earth was formless and empty RcV: But
the earth became waste and emptiness Evaluation: The same verb
appeared in Gen. 19:26 and was translated to she became a pillar of
salt (KJV, NIV). God created the earth in good order (Job 38:4-7;
Isa. 45:18). But and became indicate that something happened to
cause Gods creation to become waste and emptiness.
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G. H. Pember The verb translated was is occasionally used with
a simple accusative in the sense of to be made, or to become. An
instance of this may be found in the history of Lots wife, of whom
we are told, that she became a pillar of salt. (Gen. xix. 26) Such
a meaning is by far the best for our context: we may therefore
adopt it and render, And the earth became desolate and void..
(Pember, Earths Earliest Ages, 1876. 32)
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Case Study 2 Matt 10:32 Greek: , [ ] KJV: Whosoever therefore
shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my
Father which is in heaven. NIV: Whoever acknowledges me before
others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. RcV:
Everyone therefore who will confess in Me before men, I will also
confess in him before My Father who is in the heavens. Evaluation:
KJV and NIV ignored the Greek preposition . RcV, however,
faithfully captures it and also brings out the organic union of
believers with the Lord.
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Case Study 3 Phil. 3:11 Greek: . KJV: If by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead. NIV: and so, somehow,
attaining to the resurrection from the dead. RcV: If perhaps I may
attain to the out-resurrection from the dead. Evaluation: All
believers who are dead in Christ will participate in the
resurrection from the dead at the Lords coming back (1 Thess. 4:16;
1 Cor. 15:52). But the overcoming saints will enjoy an extra,
outstanding portion of that resurrection as a reward.
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Conclusion The RcV Bible is based on the most current
authoritative Hebrew and Greek text, and is a crystallization of
the understanding of the divine revelation which the saints
everywhere have attained to in the past two-thousand years. The RcV
Bible is focused on faithfulness to the original text in order to
reveal the divine revelation. It is an excellent study bible that
helps Gods children to dig into the rich mines of Gods word.
