Bible Translations: Old & New October 28, 2013 ISSUE

Fresh views on light

Marilyn McPherson

I own multiple Bible translations. When I read a citation from a translation other than the King James Version, or read a review of a new one, I often purchase a copy and start reading. When I get a Bible reading assignment, I read it in more than one translation.

Recently, I have been reading from the New Living Translation, the Common English Bible, The Message, and the New Revised Standard Version. This passage from John 1:5 in the KJV reads: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”

In the three versions I’ve just mentioned, there are interesting differences although they convey the same message.

The Common English Bible translates that passage: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.”

In The Message, it is translated: “The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.”

In the New Revised Standard Version, it reads: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

I find the use of translations other than the KJV helpful in expanding my understanding of the Bible’s meaning, and thus increasing my grasp of passages from the KJV and making obscure parts of the KJV more accessible. The language is often more inclusive and gender-neutral in newer versions and I appreciate that as well.

About the author

Marilyn McPherson lives in Berkeley, California.

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