Evaluating Translation Accuracy And Trustworthiness

Evaluating the accuracy and trustworthiness of biblical translations involves understanding the methodologies employed by translators, the historical context of various versions, and the linguistic challenges inherent in rendering ancient texts into modern languages. Early Christian scholars recognized the importance of original languages and the nuances between different translations. Augustine, for instance, emphasized the necessity of knowing Hebrew and Greek to resolve doubts arising from the "endless diversity of the Latin translators" ^[12].

Augustine himself preferred the Itala among Latin translations, noting its fidelity to the original words without sacrificing clarity ^[9]. For the Old Testament, he considered the Septuagint (LXX) to be pre-eminent among Greek versions, stating that "the Church has received this Septuagint translation just as if it were the only one" ^[10]. He acknowledged other Greek translators like Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, but the Septuagint held a unique authority for the Greek-speaking church ^[10]. Augustine also observed that comparing multiple translations could illuminate obscure passages. He cited an example from Isaiah where one translator rendered a phrase as "And do not despise the domestics of thy seed," while another translated it as "And do not despise thine own flesh," noting that both interpretations could confirm each other ^[14]. This highlights an early recognition that diversity in translation, when carefully considered, could aid understanding rather than hinder it ^[14].

The process of translation often involves a balance between literal adherence to the source text and ensuring the target text is comprehensible and natural-sounding. Some translations aim for extreme literalness, even to the point of being "overliteral," as seen in one translation of the Diatessaron, where the goal was to preserve features of the original idiom ^[11]. However, such an approach can sometimes lead to awkward phrasing if the idioms of the source language are preserved without careful consideration for the target language ^[11].

John Calvin, in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, also reflected on the challenges of translation. His English translator aimed to follow the Latin text as closely as the English language would permit, striving for a translation that, despite being in English, would not exceed the Latin in quantity if printed similarly ^[7]. This suggests a desire for both accuracy and conciseness. Calvin's original work was crafted with precision, packing "great plenty of matter in small room of words," and ordered "circumspectly and precisely" to avoid misinterpretation by those hostile to its truth ^[8]. This underscores the idea that even the original author's careful wording can influence how a text is translated and the potential for misinterpretation if not handled with care.

The concept of cross-referencing is a practical tool for evaluating consistency and understanding within a biblical text. For example, in the Book of Revelation, the elders casting down their crowns before the throne in Revelation 4:10 is cross-referenced with Revelation 7:11, where angels, elders, and living creatures fall before the throne ^{[1, 3]}. Similarly, the lion from the tribe of Judah in Revelation 5:5 is linked to the twenty-four elders in Revelation 4:4 ^[2]. Such internal textual connections can be used to assess how well a translation maintains thematic and narrative coherence across different passages. Other cross-references, such as the exhortation to "hold fast what you have" in Revelation 3:11, are connected to the blessing for those who read and keep the words of prophecy in Revelation 1:3, and also to the elders casting down their crowns in Revelation 4:10 ^{[4, 6]}. The greeting to the seven churches in Asia in Revelation 1:4 is linked to the instruction to "wake up" in Revelation 3:1 ^[5]. These interconnections demonstrate how individual verses contribute to the broader message and how a consistent translation approach can preserve these relationships.

The process of translation is not merely a linguistic exercise but also a theological one, as the choices made by translators can impact the interpretation of doctrine. The need for footnotes that reproduce the original Latin text and comment on its exact import at difficult points in Calvin's Institutes illustrates the ongoing scholarly effort to ensure precision in theological communication ^[13]. This practice acknowledges that even the most careful translation may not fully capture every nuance of the original, and that providing access to the source language can be invaluable for deeper understanding ^[13].

Sources

OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Rev.4.10 → Rev.7.11 (confidence: 12 votes)”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Rev.5.5 → Rev.4.4 (confidence: 10 votes)”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Rev.4.10 → Rev.5.14 (confidence: 12 votes)”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Rev.3.11 → Rev.1.3 (confidence: 14 votes)”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Rev.3.1 → Rev.1.4 (confidence: 12 votes)”
OpenBible.info “Cross-reference: Rev.3.11 → Rev.4.10 (confidence: 13 votes)”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 4: to follow the words so near as the phrase of the English tongue would suffer me. Which purpose I so performed, that if the English book were printed in such paper and letter as the Latin is, it should not exceed the Latin in quantity. Whereby, beside all other commodities that a faithful translation of so good a work may bring, this one benefit is moreover provided for such as are desirous to attain some knowledge of the Latin tongue (which is, at this time, to be wished in many of those men for whose profession this book most fitly”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 4: an ancient zealous gospeller, as plain and true a friend as ever I knew living, and as desirous to do anything to common good, especially by the advancement of true religion. At my said first edition of this book, I considered how the author thereof had of long time purposely laboured to write the same most exactly, and to pack great plenty of matter in small room of words; yea, and those so circumspectly and precisely ordered, to avoid the cavillations of such as for enmity to the truth therein contained would gladly seek and abuse”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 15--AMONG VERSIONS A PREFERENCE IS GIVEN TO THE SEPTUAGINT AND THE ITALA. (part 1): 22. Now among translations themselves the Italian (Itala)(1) is to be preferred to the others, for it keeps closer to the words without prejudice to clearness of expression. And to correct the Latin we must use the Greek versions, among which the authority of the Septuagint is pre-eminent as far as the Old Testament is concerned; for it is reported through all the more learned churches that the seventy translators enjoyed so much of the presence a”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 43.--OF THE AUTHORITY OF THE SEPTUAGINT TRANSLATION, WHICH, SAVING THE HONOR OF THE HEBREW ORIGINAL, IS TO BE PREFERRED TO ALL TRANSLATIONS. (part 1): For while there were other interpreters who translated these sacred oracles out of the Hebrew tongue into Greek, as Aquila, Symmathus, and Theodotion, and also that translation which, as the name of the author is unknown, is quoted as the fifth edition, yet the ChUrch has received this Septuagint translation just as if it were the only one; and it has been used by the Greek Christi”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — INTRODUCTION (part 11): is not found in the Index, an equivalent passage from some of the other gospels should be looked for. On the margin to the left of the text are indicated the pages of the Arabic text and the sections and verses in HilI's version.(2) The aim has been to make a literal translation. As two freer translations already exist, it seemed best to incline to the side of being overliteral. If, however, features due simply to Arabic idiom have been preserved, this is an oversight. Uniformity could only have been secur”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 11.--KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGES, ESPECIALLY OF GREEK AND HEBREW, NECESSARY TO REMOVE IGNORANCE or SIGNS.: 16. The great remedy for ignorance of proper signs is knowledge of languages. And men who speak the Latin tongue, of whom 540 are those I have undertaken to instruct, need two other languages for the knowledge of Scripture, Hebrew and Greek, that they may have recourse to the original texts if the endless diversity of the Latin translators throw them into doubt. Although, indeed, we often find Hebrew words untranslated in the boo”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 2: translation of Calvin’s Institutes into English is a real desideratum . In fulfilling this need the translator or translators would perform the greatest service if the work of translation were supplemented by footnotes in which at crucial points, where translation is difficult or most accurate translation impossible, the Latin text would be reproduced and comment made on its more exact import. Furthermore, footnotes which would supply the reader with references to other places in Calvin’s writings where he deals with the same subjec”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 12.--A DIVERSITY OF INTERPRETATIONS IS USEFUL. ERRORS ARISING FROM AMBIGUOUS WORDS. (part 1): 17. And this circumstance would assist rather than hinder the understanding of Scripture, if only readers were not careless. For the examination of a number of texts has often thrown light upon some of the more obscure passages; for example, in that passage of the prophet Isaiah,(1) one translator reads: "And do not despise the domestics of thy seed;"(2) another reads: "And do not despise thine own flesh."(3) Each of these in turn confir”

Ask Your Own Question