Bible Translations: Old & New April 21, 2014 ISSUE

Amplified text can amplify understanding

Janell Fiarman

Different Bible translations are useful for different purposes. It can be interesting, for example, to know that sometimes Jesus was actually quoting from the prophets. The New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version, is one that provides that kind of information. It has great notes with historical background, which clarify the meaning or the context. And if you just want comfort or inspiration, you might consider The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition, by J. B. Phillips. It is clear and also speaks to the heart with warmth, affirmation, inspiration—and without scholarly details.

If you’ve ever tried to translate something, you already know that words can express several ideas at once, so it can be hard to find just the right word to say all those things in another language. This can also be true in translating Bible passages.

The Amplified Bible “amplifies” the text by offering some of those alternative possibilities. It’s also possible to get a lot of the different shades of meaning by looking up the roots of words in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, but the Amplified Bible does some of that work for you.

Here’s the Amplified Bible’s version of the first verse of Psalm 57 : “Be merciful and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed.”

And consider the second verse of that psalm: “I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]!” Wow, that last one gives me a wonderful new sense of God’s direction and support.

The updated language of the New King James is still familiar, but is more accessible to folks who may be intimidated by the language of the King James. There are no “haths” or “saiths,” for instance.

Why is this useful? Think of introducing the Bible to people who have never had contact with it: perhaps people from a non-Western culture or men like the inmates I visit at a local jail. They are interested in exploring spirituality, maybe for the first time in their lives. I want to share the Bible with them and help them dig into it for treasure, and to make it as clear as possible. One way is to remove any language that would be a barrier to understanding. That’s why I started packing my bag with more than one Bible translation!

About the author

Janell Fiarman lives in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

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From a shepherd to a student
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