Comparing two translations of the same verse: what one version brings to light
If you have ever read the same verse in two Bibles, you may have been surprised to find it slightly different. It is not that one of them is wrong: translating is a matter of choices. This quest invites you to experience it, and to see what the comparison brings to light.
What it looks like in your day
Take a verse from today's reading and read it in two different translations: the one you know, then another. The app gives you access to several versions of the Bible. Observe three things:
- The words that change. A stronger verb? A more everyday word? A different word order?
- The overall tone. One sounds more solemn, the other more conversational.
- What each one makes you notice. Does the second show you something the first hid?
A specific example. In the prologue of the Gospel of John, a famous verse says, in the King James Version:
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
In other versions, you read that the darkness has not "overcome" it or "understood" it. The Greek verb can mean "welcome," "grasp" and "understand" all at once (even "extinguish"). Each translation keeps one nuance. By comparing them, you see that the verse says several things at once: the light was not welcomed, it was not understood, and it could not be put out.
If you are in a hurry, compare a two-line verse. If you are a beginner, don't try to analyze: simply spot a difference and ask yourself what it teaches you. If you read in several languages, this is a chance to set them side by side.
What the Bible says
In the book of Proverbs, the search for wisdom is compared to the search for treasure:
“My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”
Seeking "as silver," searching "as for hid treasures": wisdom takes effort. Comparing translations is part of that: you don't settle for the first reading. And in Nehemiah's day, those who read the law to the people did similar work:
“So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”
"Gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading": the public reading of the Word came with an explanation. Translations play a bit of that role: each offers a sense, and comparing them enriches understanding.
Pitfalls to avoid
Looking for "the" perfect translation. None is. Some are closer to the letter, others are easier to read. Each has its function.
Slipping into scholarship. You don't need to know Hebrew or Greek to compare. Don't feel obliged to do linguistics: simply spotting nuances is enough.
Building a doctrine on a nuance. A difference between two versions isn't enough to found a strong idea. Check other passages before concluding.
Choosing the version that reassures you. You are tempted to favor the one that confirms what you think. Compare with a version that bothers you a little, too.
Getting discouraged by the complexity. There are really difficult translation questions. Don't worry: the essential message of the Bible is clear, whatever the version.
Today, take a verse from your reading. Read it in two translations and note one difference.