Two questions I get asked a lot by my students are, “which Bible translation is word-for-word?” and “which Bible translation is the most literal?” These questions come from a proper desire to read a Bible that accurately translates the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek biblical texts into English. Unfortunately, these questions are also born out of ignorance regarding translation.
There is no word-for-word or literal Bible translation because words in the biblical languages carry different denotations and connotations, meaning is found in sentences and paragraphs, not in individual words, and the biblical languages have forms and functions that English does not.
Many monolinguists (those who speak only one language), which includes most native English speakers, too often believe that X word in one language can be translated with Y word in another language. With regards to the Bible, many believe that X in Greek or Hebrew can be translated with Y in English and the exact meaning will be the same. Thus, many Christians seek a ‘word-for-word’ translation, thinking it is possible and, thus, more accurate. Below I briefly summarise four reasons that word-for-word or ‘literal’ translations do not exist and cannot exist.
Denotation and Semantic Range are Rarely the Same
Most words in other languages have a different denotation and semantic range that does not transfer exactly into another language. For example, in John 3:3, Jesus says, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (ESV). The adverb translated “again” is the Greek ἄνωθεν, which has a fairly large semantic range, including referring to a source that is above with a translation of “from above.” Thus, Jesus could be saying “unless one is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This latter translation is most likely correct. Nicodemus wrongly thinks Jesus is speaking about being born again (3:4). However, Jesus corrects him in John 3:5–8 when he explains that he actually meant Nicodemus to be born from above:
“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, “You must be born again [ἄνωθεν].” The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’”
JOHN 3:5–8, emphasis added
When Jesus says “unless one is born of water and the Spirit” in John 3:5, he is making it clear to Nicodemus that one must be born from above, meaning born from God. When Jesus says for a second time, “You must be born again [ἄνωθεν]” in John 3:7, it should be translated, “You must be born from above.” Jesus then goes on and tells Nicodemus how to be born from above: believe in Jesus (John 3:10–18).
Connotations Cannot Easily Be Included in a Single-Word Translation
Most words in other languages carry some kind of connotation that is nearly impossible to bring out in a word-for-word translation. A good English example of this is the word “boy.” If I go up to my dog and say “come here boy,” the word “boy” has an affectionate connotation. However, if I am in the deep south in the USA and I (a white man) go up to a black man and say “come here boy,” the word “boy” has a derogatory connotation and the black man would be insulted to say the least.
Words in the biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek also carry connotations that are difficult, if not impossible, to bring out in a single English word. For example, the denotation of the Greek verb ἀκούω is “to hear” or “to listen.” However, ἀκούω frequently carries the connotation of acting upon what one hears. Thus, when Jesus tells the disciples to “Hear then the parable of the sower” (Matt 13:18), he isn’t just telling the disciples to “listen up!”; he is telling them to respond appropriately to the parable. Jesus is telling the disciples to ensure they are the good soil and to bear fruit!
Meaning is Found in Sentences and Paragraphs
Meaning is found in clauses, sentences, paragraph, and discourses, not in individual words. What this means is that the relationship between all words is of paramount importance. For example, in 1 Thessalonians 2:17, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy write, περισσοτέρως ἐσπουδάσαμεν τὸ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν ἰδεῖν ἐν πολλῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ, which can be translated “we eagerly made every effort to see your face with great desire.” The Greek πρόσωπον frequently refers to one’s physical face. Is it the Thessalonians’ faces that Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy wanted to see? No, the sentence and broader context make it clear that they wanted to visit the Thessalonians. Thus, one could legitimately translate 1 Thess 2:17 as “we made every effort to visit you with great eagerness and desire.” The point I am making is that meaning is not found in individual words, but the combination of and relationship between words in clauses, sentences, paragraph, and discourses.
The Biblical Languages Have Foreign Forms and Functions
Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek have forms and functions that English does not, making it impossible to translate word for word. Allow me to give one example, although I could give many more. Biblical Greek has a third person imperative, which is something the English language does not have at all. All imperatives in English are in the second person. So, how do translators convey imperatival force, such as a command, in the third person when there is literally no analogy to it in the English language? The answer is to use multiple words.
Throughout the seven letters in the book of Revelation to the seven churches, Jesus says, “let him hear what the Spirit says . . .” (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). The phrase “let him hear” is one word in Greek and is a third person imperative: ἀκουσάτω. Most translations (even the KJV!) opt to use three English words for the one Greek command.
The problem with the English “let him hear” is that it can connote permission in English (i.e., “please let the person hear”). When I want my three-year old daughter to share her toy with my two-year old son, I say, “let Lucas play with it as well.” This is a form of petition to my daughter. However, petition is not the connotation of ἀκουσάτω in Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22. Ἀκουσάτω is a command that is better translated, “listen!” Further, the Greek ἀκουσάτω has the connotation of listen and obey what you hear. Thus, a legitimate translation of ἀκουσάτω into English would be “listen and obey!” Look at that, I just used three words to more accurately translate ἀκουσάτω, which was already being translated with three words by the most popular Bible translations (including the KJV). Yet, my translation is more precise in rendering the meaning of ἀκουσάτω in Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22.
Concluding Thoughts
Translation is not a mathematical equation where X in one language equals Y in another language. Languages and translation simply do not do that. A good Bible translation needs focus on two things: (1) what does this text mean and (2) how do I render the meaning accurately for my target audience so that they understand the correct meaning. The reality for every Bible translation is that they are all attempting to do this, which is why no Bible version is word-for-word or ‘literal.’ If you want to see how an understanding of translation affects an assessment of the different Bible versions, then click HERE for my assessment.
If this topic of translation interests you, there is a great 14 page introduction to the topic by Doug Moo in his 2014 presentation entitled “We Still Don’t Get It: Evangelicals and Bible Translation Fifty Years after James Barr” found HERE.