1. Original Manuscripts
a. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew.
b. The New Testament was originally written in Greek.
c. None of the original manuscripts are in existence today.
d. The older the manuscript, the less errors.
e. The oldest manuscripts known are the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947. These are believed to be dated to 200 BC.
f. Prior to the Dead Sea Scrolls, oldest was the Massoretic text dated 900 AD.
2. Septuagint
a. Seventy Jewish scholars translated the OT into Greek in 200 BC.
b. Also known as LXX, roman numeral for 70.
c. Later, the LXX was combined with the Greek NT into what are called codices. Three preserved copies are the Sinaitic, Vatican, and Alexandrian. The Sinaitic is the most complete.
3. Vulgate
a. Translated by Jerome from the original languages into Latin in 400 AD
b. Last translation before the Dark Ages where fewer people learned to read.
c. Copies preserved by monks who made ornate and colorful copies by hand in monasteries.
4. John Wycliffe
a. John Wycliffe translated the Latin Vulgate into English in 1382.
b. The Pope opposed his work and he was excommunicated. After his death, his bones were burned and cast into the river.
5. William Tyndale
a. John Gutenberg's invention of moveable type printing press in 1440 made Bibles available to the public. The first Bible printed was in Latin in 1456.
b. William Tyndale printed the first English NT in 1525.
c. They were printed in France and smuggled into England in bales of merchandise.
d. Tyndale translated the NT and began the OT from the original languages.
e. He was captured in 1535 and burned at the stake.
6. Miles Coverdale
a. Coverdale completed Tyndale's work and produced the first printed English Bible in 1535. His translation of the OT was from the Vulgate, not Hebrew as Tyndale began.
b. A revised copy of Coverdale's Bible was printed in 1539 and called the 'Great Bible' because of its large 15x9 inches size. A copy was to be placed in every parish in England. Reprinted six times.
7. Geneva Bible
a. Translated by scholars exiled from England, published in Geneva in 1560.
b. First Bible to break up text into numbered sentences for easy reference.
c. First English Bible to be published using Roman letters instead of the ornate Old English lettering.
8. Bishop's Bible
a. Authorized by Church of England, published in 1568. First English Bible printed in England.
b. First translation by committee.
9. Authorized Version (King James)
a. Authorized by King James, translated by 47 scholars.
b. Published in 1611, standard for Protestant English Bible for over 300 years.
c. Maintains beauty of language while accurate and faithful to original.
10. English Revised
a. Translated by group of 51 English and 32 American scholars.
b. NT published in 1881, OT in 1885
c. Generally updated the King James English were meanings of words have changed
i. ex. 2 Thess 2:7, "to let" then meant to hinder, now means to permit.
ii. Ex. Matt 17:25; "to prevent" then meant to proceed, now means to stop or hinder.
d. Accurate but stiff translation
11. American Standard
a. Incorporated changes advocated by the American members of the English Revised committee.
b. Published in 1901, also very accurate and still considered stiff.
12. Revised Standard Version
a. NT published in 1946, OT in 1952.
b. Translators considered theologically liberal, not holding to verbally inspired Bible
c. Although technically accurate, not faithful to doctrine of deity of Christ where choice of meaning was possible.
i. ex. Isa 7:14; NASB "virgin", RSV "young woman". Technically either is correct, one emphasizes the deity of Christ, the other the humanity.
13. New English Bible
a. NT published in 1961, OT in 1970.
b. Reads smooth due to some paraphrasing.
c. Paraphrasing means to translate by phrase or ideas rather than word-by-word as in a literal translation. This makes it more readable but includes many of the translator's own interpretation. Not reliable for serious Bible study.
14. New American Standard
a. NT published in 1963, OT in 1971
b. Readable, accurate, and faithful to fundamental Christian doctrines.
c. Popular modern translation.
15. Modern paraphrased versions
a. New International Version
b. Modern Language Bible
c. Today's English Bible
d. Phillip's Paraphrase
e. Living Bible
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