Random Thoughts on Translations.

I'm no expert in hebrew or greek, but having this Blue Letter Bible sure is helpful. It certainly favors the AV/KJV, but with the tools provided therein, you can see that even the AV/KJV isn't always the best translation.

But first the NIV. I really like the readability however, a lot of biases do come out.

The other day I was reading Hebrews 13:17

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." ESV

I was curious to the phrase "keeping watch over your souls". How does the NIV translate it? "Keep watch over you." Really that's it? In English "you" can mean anything about you - spiritual or not. "You" can mean your pinky finger. It seems to me that the NIV is a little skiddish about the care of souls. Now, I'm not going to go crazy and say this doesn't convey that. Of course it can, because the word psyche can be translated as soul, lives, heart, mind - however the NIV skips over this word altogether, and turns "your" into "you" which I find curious. If they wanted to convey "you" as your "whole being" why didn't they go the extra mile that they already took? Lastly, looking at this letter you see it is written for a Church not an individual, if you say "watch over you" you could then think in terms of controlling institutions, programs and orderly worship rather than caring for souls.

The ministry that Christ left behind for pastors is caring for our souls. This is how every other translation translates "psyche"; the NLT, RSV, ASV, KJV, NKJV, ESV. If you know your translations you can tell that this is no textual variant, it's the same text in the textus receptus and the morphological texts.

However, I love a few things about the NIV:

Hebrews 12:2-3
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I love the word "fix" rather than "keep." It seems much more compelling and well, fixating.

Here's another great translation from the NIV:

Galatians 3:27 "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

And if you look up the concordance "endyo" often does mean "clothe." Yet all the other translations go with "put on Christ" which seems a bit vague and bland (yet also accurate). However, being clothed is such a rich theme in Scripture - from the garden of Eden to Jacob receiving his brother's blessing, and from David putting on Saul's uniform failing to fit him to putting on the armor of God. This verse has such a strong connection to this theme in baptism. As corny as I may sound, this translation is dear to my heart. It's a love/hate relationship