TRANSLATIONS AND PARAPHRASES

There are many different versions of the Bible. The word "version" means a Bible written in a language different from those in which God's Word was originally written. There are two main types of versions of the Bible: Translations and paraphrases.

TRANSLATION:

A translation is an effort to express what the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic words actually say. It gives as nearly as possible a literal word by word translation. Extra words are inserted only when it is necessary in order for the reader to understand the meaning.

PARAPHRASE:

A paraphrase does not attempt to translate word for word. It translates thought by thought. A paraphrase is a restatement of the meaning of a passage. Paraphrase versions are easier to read and understand because they are written in modern vocabulary and grammar, but they are not an exact translation of God's Word.

The "For Further Study" section of this chapter provides examples from several English versions of the Bible for you to compare. These illustrate the differences in translation and paraphrase versions.

SELECTING A STUDY BIBLE

For purposes of this course and Bible study in general, we recommend use of the King James version of the Bible. There are several reasons for this:

FIRST:

The King James Bible is very accurate and a good translation for serious study. A paraphrase version does not contain the exact word-by-word translation of Scriptures.