Following is a list of qualities (parameters, factors) I can think of by which Bible translations can be evaluated. This list is not exhaustive and there may be some overlap of categories.
- exegetical accuracy
- communicative accuracy
- clarity
- naturalness
- acceptability
- audience
- comtemporary vocabulary
- contemporary syntax
- individual vs. committee
- interconfessional
- ideological bias
- theological bias
- denominational affiliation
- elegance
- genre sensitivity
- reading level
- field testing
- idiomatic
- grammatical
- rhetorical equivalence
- comprehension
- coherent
- cohesive
- literary vs. spoken language
- referent tracking (proper pronoun usage, etc.)
- gender accuracy
- degree of formal equivalence
- presentation medium (print, oral, video, etc.)
- endorsements
- translation alternatives and footnotes
- translators’ training
- stylistics
- impact
- register
- translating Hebrew Bible passages according to N.T. interp. of them
ADDITIONS, from Comments:
- liturgical
- explicatures (amount of implicit meaning made explicit)
What are other factors you can think of? Feel free to question or otherwise interact in the comments about any of the categories.
6 Comments
I think of a some things that have nothing to do with the translation itself, but much to do with its usability: The packaging (font, cross-references, study notes, bindings, etc.) and the price.
The packaging and the marketing are tied in together. If your first edition is bound in pink with sequins and includes beauty tips for tween girls, it’s unlikely that scholars will ever take the translation seriously. On the other hand, if your first editions are all in dark leather with all-black type, good cross-references and a few maps and nothing more, the scholars may take the translation seriously, but the tween girls may not read it.
Good points, Jim. Thanks.
Liturgical use
Ah, yes, thanks, Rich. I should have checked with you first! We from “low church” traditions tend to forget that we have liturgies also, so we don’t even notice liturgy until we enter worship under pastors like you. And I have grown to appreciate the kind of liturgy are referring to. It has depth.
its good to me
The amount of implicit meaning made explicit.
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