Problem

One of the major hurdles to the translation of the Bible is the assumption that one cannot translate the Bible by paying attention to the language alone. This assumption, whether explicit or implicit, results in Bible translation progressing very slowly, while the translation of other texts can be accomplished in very little time. For example, secular texts are often translated quickly and efficiently because the focus is solely on linguistic accuracy.

Why do we assume that the translation of the Bible must be different from the translation of other texts? There are various reasons that come to mind:

1. The Bible is a sacred text with a unique status in many cultures.
2. The Bible is a complex text with a large number of theological concepts and allusions.
3. The Bible is a historical text with a large number of historical references.
4. The Bible is a literary text with a large number of literary devices and allusions.
5. Many Bible translation stakeholders justify their doctrinal claims by appealing to the language of the Bible, raising the stakes of translation to encompass the correct representation of a given group’s doctrinal claims, and not simply the linguistic accuracy of the text.

The result is that the translation of the Bible is often seen as a task that is separate from the translation of other texts, and that it requires a different approach. We are correspondingly slow to translate the Bible, while the translation of other texts can be accomplished in very little time.

Solution

The solution to this problem is to translate the Bible by paying attention to the language alone in its context of production. This task does require comprehension and knowledge of the source text cultural context. However, by restricting the scope of “accuracy” to the language alone, we can sidestep the myriad hurdles and impediments that have been built up around the translation of the Bible.

The main requirement for a Bible translation is not the supernatural, direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, or the direct justification of a given group’s doctrinal claims; the main requirement is to translate the language as accurately as possible. The source text is “theologically accurate,” and so a linguistically accurate translation of that text will also be theologically accurate. This means that by focusing on linguistic precision, translators can ensure that the theological integrity of the Bible is maintained.