Appendix 3:
WHY USE SO MANY
TRANSLATIONS?This book contains nearly a thousand quotations from Scripture. I
have intentionally varied the Bible translations used for two important
reasons. First, no matter how wonderful a translation is, it has
limitations. The Bible was originally written using 11,280 Hebrew,
Aramaic, and Greek words, but the typical English translation uses only
around 6,000 words. Obviously, nuances and shades of meaning can be
missed, so it is always helpful to compare translations.
Second, and even more important, is the fact that we often miss the
full impact of familiar Bible verses, not because of poor translating, but
simply because they have become so familiar! We thinkwe know what a
verse says because we have read it or heard it so many times. Then when
we find it quoted in a book, we skim over it and miss the full meaning.
Therefore I have deliberately used paraphrases in order to help you see
God’s truth in new, fresh ways. English-speaking people should thank
God that we have so many different versions to use for devotional
reading.
Also, since the verse divisions and number were not included in the
Bible until 1560 A.D., I haven’t always quoted the entire verse, but
rather focused on the phrase that was appropriate. My model for this is
Jesus and how he and the apostles quoted the Old Testament. They
often just quoted a phrase to make a point.
AMP The Amplified Bible
Grand Rapids: Zondervan (1965)
CEV Contemporary English Version
New York: American Bible Society (1995)
GWT God’s Word Translation
Grand Rapids: World Publishing, Inc. (1995)
KJV King James VersionAppendix 3: Why Use So Many Translations? 325