Building the Book Lesson #13 Date: 08/31/2003 Teacher: C.R. Gaines

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New International Version

Background

• 1965 the Committee on Bible Translation was formed to plan the project.
• 15 original scholars of various backgrounds.
• 1968 the New York Bible Society International agreed to sponsor and finance the translation.
• Edwin Palmer was selected as executive secretary.
• The NT was published in 1973.
• Original name was supposed to be ìA Contemporary Translationî.
• A paperback edition was issued by the Bible Society under the name ìThe Great Newsî
• The complete Bible was first published on October 27, 1978.
• The reported cost of the translation was $2.5 Million.
• It's first printing was the largest ever done for an English Bible.
• More than 110 scholars participated on the project.
• Divided into 20 teams with a translator, co-translator, two consultants, and an English stylist assigned to each team.
• Teams prepared trial translations of respective books.
• These translations were screened and edited by two editorial committees.
• Then they were finally examined and approved by the Committee on Bible Translation.

Updates

• New Testament, 1973. Edwin H. Palmer et al., The Holy Bible: New International Version. The New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973. Revised 1978 and 1984.
• Bible, 1978. Edwin H. Palmer et al., The Holy Bible, New International Version: Containing the Old Testament and the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978. Revised 1984.
• Children's Bible, 1995. Ronald Youngblood, ed., Holy Bible: NIrV: New International Reader's Version: New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.
• Inclusive Language Edition, 1996. The Holy Bible: New International Version. Inclusive Language Edition. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1996.
• Today's New International Version, 2002. The New Testament: Today's New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.

Format

• Direct quotations are enclosed in quotation marks.
• The words of each speaker in a conversation are printed in separate paragraphs.
• Parentheses are used for matter the translators deemed parenthetical. (Rev. 20:5)
• More obvious words or phrases, not represented in the original text but supplied by the translators for clarification are enclosed in half brackets. (Galations 4:17)
• Generous use of capitalization has resulted in making proper names of what had been common nouns.
  • ìDesert of Sinî(Ex. 16:1); ìDesert of Shurî (Ex. 15:22); ìYear of Jubileeî (Lev. 25:13); Kidron Valley (I Kings 15:13)
• All terms (but not pronouns) referring to divinity, Spirit, or to the Messiah are capitalized.
  • Shepherd ñ Genesis 48:15
  • Creator ñ Deut. 32:6
  • Anointed One ñ Ps. 2:2
  • Holy One ñ Ps. 16:10
  • Glory ñ Jer. 2:11
  • Redeemer ñ Isa. 44:24

Notes

• Call attention to alternate textual variants from manuscripts and ancient versions.
• Explain the meaning of personal names. (Ex. 2:10, 18:2-4) ìMosesî
• Reflects the divergent views represented in the translation committee, minority opinion, showing conciliation for opposing views.
• At times the notes take on the role of commentary.
  • Persons are identified
  • A family relationship may be clarified
  • Ancient place names are sometimes identified with modern geographical terms
• Concepts are elaborated
  • ìunclean foodî means ìceremonially uncleanî
  • ìsinî may be ìsin offeringî

Renderings

• Divine Name
  • ìLordî has been chosen to render Yahweh
  • Adonai elohim is translated ìSovereign Lordî
• Terms
  • ìpeace offeringî becomes ìfellowship offeringî (Ex. 20:24)
  • ìcereal offeringî becomes ìgrain offeringî (Lev. 2:1)
• Miscellaneous words
  • ìoakî becomes ìgreat treesî (Gen 12:6;13:18)
  • ìgopherî wood becomes ìcypressî wood (Gen. 6:14)
  • ìscribeî becomes ìteacherî (Ezra 7:6) and ìsecretaryî (Isa. 36:22; 37:2)
  • ìgird your loinsî is ìtuck your cloak into your beltî (II Kings 9:1)

Literalness

• The NIV has steered a middle coarse between extreme literalness and extreme paraphrasing.
  • Nouns have been supplied for pronouns to gain clarity in the English sentence.
• ìhis brothersî for ìtheyî makes it explicit who pulled Joseph out of the pit (Gen. 37:28)
• Recurring Greek phrases are rendered alike each time.
• NIV attempted to avoid anachronism
  • ìcloaksî instead of ìcoatsî
  • ìsandalsî instead of ìshoesî
  • ìmatî instead of ìbedî

Variety of Rendering

• Kelim (Ex. 31:8-9) is rendered ìarticles,î ìaccessories,î ìutensils.î
• Zera is ìoffspringî in Gen. 12:7, ìdescendantî in Neh. 9:8, and ìseedî in the margin.
• Shekar is ìbeerî (I Sam. 1:15) ìother fermented drinkî (Lev. 10:9) and ìdrinksî (Isa. 5:11)

Conclusion

• Based on a good text.
• Strong adhesion to the original text and readable in current English sentence structure.
• Some issues with consistent renderings of the same Greek word.
• Overall a good translation.

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