(And other study tools)
Caveat: It occurred to me as I was writing this post that there are countless devout Christians who read paraphrased interpretations of the Bible, for example The New Living Translation. The information I am providing is in no way meant to offend those precious saints. My faith is such that God preserves His truth in spite of man’s feeble attempts to translate and paraphrase. If you want the truth, God will see to it that you get the truth.
Since I discussed in my previous post Bible Study versus Devotionals, it seems pertinent to discuss Bible translations and versions (and other study tools).
There are three types of translations. (I am no scholar. The following discussion is a very simple overview, not meant to be exhaustive).
Literal: word for word translation, striving for accuracy of the original meaning, even if the reading is awkward or difficult to read. Seeks to retain the syntax and structure of the original language.
Examples: King James, English Standard Version, New American Standard
Dynamic Equivalence: an endeavor to translate the original into modern, easy to read language and is a thought to thought rendering. More liberty is taken when choosing the word to translate to, which can result in a diluting of the original intent.
Examples: New International Version (The latest version from 2011 is gender neutral).
Paraphrase: an idea to idea retelling of the original into easy-to-read language. This type is subject to the translator’s opinion. In other words, it is an interpretation rather than a translation.
Examples: The Message Bible, The Good News Bible, The Living Bible
I’ve heard it said that the best translation/version is the one you will read! Well, that is true. However, as we mature as Christians we may need to dig a little deeper in our study. In that regard, the version we read matters.
I choose to read a literal word-for-word translation. The King James, or sometimes called the Authorized Version is what I have predominately studied, having grown accustomed to its language from childhood. However, if you have not grown up with that version and are just starting out in your Christian walk, the old English may prove difficult to read and understand. Yet, it has a great literary quality, preserves the poetic element and cadence of the original Hebrew thus making it easier to memorize. Also, many cross-references use the KJV.
The other bible that I read and highly recommend is the English Standard Version (ESV) which is also a word-for-word translation. It is MUCH easier to read than the KJV.
Finally, I often compare the two versions above with the New International Version (NIV), a thought to thought translation and in doing so get a clearer understanding of the context.
So, first, what a bible student needs is a good literal word-for-word translation of the Bible. It would be nice to be fluent in ancient Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, but most of us aren’t, so we rely on groups of scholars who have done the translations for us (and trust that the Holy Spirit guided them). Literal translations are an excellent resource for serious Bible study. Sometimes the meaning of a verse depends on subtle cues in the text; these cues are only preserved by literal translations. The disadvantage of dynamic translations is that they lose precision because they omit subtle cues to the meaning of a passage that only literal translations preserve. They also run a greater risk of reading the translators’ doctrinal views into the text because of the greater liberty in how to render it. https://www.catholic.com/tract/bible-translations-guide.
The next thing to look for in a Bible is one with cross-references (or chain references). These are notes placed in the margin (by the publisher) near a biblical text (or at the bottom of the page) that will direct the reader to a similar phase or passage somewhere else in the Bible. The reference with provide the book, chapter and verse. No comment is offered. Connecting similar verses will open up greater understanding.
CAUTION: Do not confuse The Scofield Reference Bible 1The Scofield Reference Bible is a widely circulated study Bible edited and annotated by the American Bible student Cyrus I. Scofield, which popularized dispensationalism at the beginning of the 20th century. Published by Oxford University Press. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scofield_Reference_Bible#:~:text=The%20Scofield%20Reference%20Bible%20promoted,the%20message%20of%20the%20Bible. for a good chain-reference, or cross reference bible! This Bible has notes in the margin that LOOK like cross-references but include notes by Scofield that promote his ideas about theology, especially the doctrine of dispensationalism. These notes can be mistaken for Biblical truth and can lead an unwary Christian astray.
Next, we need to know how to use a concordance and a Hebrew/Greek lexicon. (Some bibles include a simple concordance placed at the end of the book). I use Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. It contains every word of the text (in alphabetical order) of the common English Version of the Bible and lists each occurrence of each word . Furthermore, to the right of each word is a number which references the listing in the Hebrew or Greek dictionary. The listing that corresponds to the number will show the Hebrew or Greek root word and the various English words it could mean. (The translators will have chosen the word they felt best fit the context, but I have found that each rendering can add layers of meaning to the context. At the very least, knowing the different ways the original could have been translated adds light to the subject)
Example. John 1:4-5. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Take the word comprehended. In the Concordance it shows that the word was used three times in the entire Bible: Isaiah 40:12, John 1:5; Romans 13:9. Beside each reference is a number. For now we are only concerned with the one in John 1:5. Beside that listing is the number 2638 in italics (italics means it was translated from Greek—non-italics, Hebrew). Turn to the Greek dictionary and look for 2638. The KJV translates Strong’s G2638 in the following manner: take (3x), apprehend (3x), comprehend (2x), perceive (2x), come upon (1x), attain (1x), find (1x), overtake (1x), obtain (1x).
So you can see that John could have been saying, the darkness did not overtake the light; or that darkness did not perceive the light or attain the light, etc. The King James translators chose “comprehend”. I believe all the above may be correct. (Biblical concepts are rich and can have layers of meaning). However, each words spins a certain connotation.
Years ago, I actually had Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, that huge lexicon, always opened when I studied (usually on the coffee table). The print is very small and it was around that time that I first had to wear corrective eye glasses. Now, studying is so easy. I simply use my smart phone and go to blueletterbible.org and search for a word or passage. It comes up in the translation of my choice. Then all I have to do is click on “tools” to see ten or more translations, or the concordance, or the Hebrew or Greek dictionary, to name a few of the tools. I often compare KJV, ESV and NIV. Then I take the word that is translated differently in the various versions and go to the original root to discover the multiple meanings of the original word.
A person should also make use of a Bible Dictionary and Encyclopedia (Also available digitally). These resources will define entries about people, places, customs or doctrine. Thousands of words and terms are defined as they relate to Scripture.
Also a bible student may make use of bible commentaries, which are many. Commentaries are just that, “an expression of opinions or offering of explanations about an event” (Oxford Dictionary). While I respect and appreciate the scholarship of the authors, and while they can be a tremendous help in our understanding of the Bible, keep in mind that the authors are not infallible.
Many commentaries are accessible digitally on websites such as blueletterbible.org or biblegateway.com. However, my suggestion is to read the bible cover to cover (it doesn’t have to necessarily be in order) and become very familiar with the language of the bible before you start delving into commentaries.
I would like to add a couple of principals to remember while studying: the Bible interprets itself, and definitions are consistent throughout the Scriptures. As Augustine is purported as saying: “The new [Testament] is in the old [Testament] concealed; the old is in the new revealed.” In a future post I will give examples of word definitions in the Bible and their consistency.
Now, two words to know: Exegesis and Hermeneutics. Exegesis is the critical interpretation of the biblical text to discover its intended meaning. (Encyclopedia Britannica). Hermeneutics are the principles used in exegesis. This is a rather difficult concept to explain. All of the sciences have rules and methods that govern how that science operates properly. Biblical interpretation is no different; there are rules that we must follow in order to understand the Scriptures rightly. The science of interpreting the Bible is called “hermeneutics.” (https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/hermeneutics.) I’ll leave it right there.
Now for an example of Bible exegesis and hermeneutics using the tools mentioned above.
Let’s take the example of a phrase from the KJV that is found in three of the four Gospels—Mark 1:7, Luke 3:16, John 1:27 (It should be all the more significant that it is included in the Gospel of John since most of his Gospel is unique from the other three. Matthew also mentions the same incident but with slightly different wording). The phrase I am referring to is where John the Baptist says . . but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. The phrase also appears in Acts 13:25. . . whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
The fact that it is repeated four times in the New Testament should get our attention. Why is this phrase so important? Could there be a clue in the Old Testament? Why yes there is!
To those familiar with the Bible, it should sound reminiscent of another passage. Deut. 25:5-10—Law of the loosed shoe. If we are studying correctly, we will read about the law of the loosed shoe to see if it will add any light on the New Testament mention of “loosed shoe.”
Here is a good explanation:
The custom became law under Moses (Deut. 25:5-10). If a man died having no children, his brother was required to give his widow a son which was named for the dead man so “that his name not be put out of Israel” (v. 6). If there were no surviving brothers, the duty fell upon the next of kin.
There was an interesting proviso: if that man refused his duty toward the widow, she could take him before the elders of the city, spit in his face, and loose his shoe from off his foot, saying, “So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house” (v. 9). His name would henceforth be called “The house of him that hath his shoe loosed” (v. 10). The book of Ruth is just such a story. (From Leo Jordan’s book, THE VOICE OF MELODY).
For the purpose of this post, we will not explore this further. However, for an even more in-depth study that will greatly inspire you read an excerpt from my father’s book, The Voice of Melody. Here is a link to the “The Loosed Shoe, and the following chapter “Zions Husband.” Also Kay Arthur, the founder of Precept Ministries, I am pleased to say, has a Bible Study on the book of Ruth called Kinsmen/Redeemer, in which she teaches that Jesus was the near-kinsmen. https://shop.precept.org/pages/ruth-precept-upon-precept
But suffice it to say, no one was worthy to take off Jesus shoe because he was willing to redeem the woman Zion, to raise up children to His dead brother Adam. Jesus was not afraid to mar his own inheritance (that is, natural children). Didn’t John the Baptist, also say, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom . . .John 3:29?
We may have never discovered the richness of these Biblical truths without using the tools I have mentioned above. One thing I’d like to point out is that if you are using, say, the NIV the New Testament scriptures regarding the “loosed shoe” are translated:
. . . the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. (Mark 1:7, Luke 3:16, John 1:27)
Or this from the NLT . . . I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” (You get an entirely different connotation!).
Or the Old Testament scripture, Deut. 25:10 from NIV: That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.
Somehow that just doesn’t offer the clues as does the reading from KJV.
I know this essay is rather lengthy but I hope it will give the reader a desire and a better understanding on how to fathom the depths of the Bible You will be richly rewarded.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Proverbs 4:7
