Translating God’s Word – Paraphrase “Translations”

The final translation theory we will consider is what is known as a paraphrase. This time I put the word “translation” in quotation marks because this theory is not even really a traditional translation as much as it is an attempt to render the main ideas of the original document in a fresh, but extremely loose way. Thus some would not even consider these translations, while others refer to them as “free translations”.

A paraphrase or free translation is a loose rendering, sometimes from the same language, which intends to convey the meaning of the original document in an easier-to-understand version. Notice that some paraphrases do not even consult the document in its original language. This was the case for the original Living Translation – it was simply a paraphrase of the King James Version into more modern English. However, some more modern paraphrases do go back to the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic – but their translations are very loose, preferring new vibrant language over technical translation accuracy. The key thing to note is that paraphrases or free translations are most concerned with a fresh way to express the meaning of the passage, and are generally not concerned to translate each underlying word or even phrase from the original language.

Among English Bibles, there are two main well-known paraphrases – the original Living Bible, and the Message. The Living Bible, as noted above, was simply a paraphrase based on the King James Version; the Message Bible by Eugene Peterson, however, was translated from the original languages.

The main advantage of this translation theory is its originality. Because they are trying to present the Scripture in a fresh way, they may help you to slow down and notice the verse in a new way. The Message Bible in particular can offer fresh, arresting language for Biblical texts that can capture your attention in a fresh way.

However, there are two major disadvantages to this translation theory. First, these “translations” are of necessity highly interpretive. The translator is telling you what he or she thinks the text is saying rather than simply trying to translate each word or thought. Thus, they are almost more like reading a teaching or commentary than the original text itself.

Second, these translations have no concern for translating each underlying word or phrase and thus are not good for study purposes. While they may be useful to sit and read a passage to get a fresh perspective, they absolutely should not be used for serious Bible study or to teach the Bible.

Again, let me state that these strengths and weaknesses are not meant to say this is the “wrong” translation method. While these types of “translations” should not be used as one’s main or only Bible version, they can be a helpful supplement if used carefully.

Next time we will look at a few verses from Bible versions of each translation theory.

In Christ,

Bret