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The Bible in Translation: Ancient and English Versions
The Bible has been translated more than any other piece of literature and is currently available in over two thousand languages, with several languages having numerous versions. Outlined here is the development of biblical translation, including a careful analysis of more than fifty versions of the Bible.
One of the most respected living biblical scholars, Bruce Metzger begins this engaging survey with the earliest translations of the Old and New Testaments before proceeding to English versions dating from the eleventh century to the present. Metzger explores the circumstances under which each translation was produced and offers insight into its underlying objectives, characteristics, and strengths. Having served on a number of modern translation committees, his insights into the evolution of Bible translation flow not only from careful research, but also from personal experience.
Students, pastors, and interested readers will discover the history of the written Word and gain useful insight into which modern translations best serve their own needs.
One of the most respected living biblical scholars, Bruce Metzger begins this engaging survey with the earliest translations of the Old and New Testaments before proceeding to English versions dating from the eleventh century to the present. Metzger explores the circumstances under which each translation was produced and offers insight into its underlying objectives, characteristics, and strengths. Having served on a number of modern translation committees, his insights into the evolution of Bible translation flow not only from careful research, but also from personal experience.
Students, pastors, and interested readers will discover the history of the written Word and gain useful insight into which modern translations best serve their own needs.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2001
26 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
About the author
Bruce M. Metzger
165 books75 followersBruce Manning Metzger (February 9, 1914 – February 13, 2007) was an American biblical scholar and textual critic who was a longtime professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and Bible editor who served on the board of the American Bible Society and United Bible Societies. He was a scholar of Greek, New Testament, and New Testament textual criticism, and wrote prolifically on these subjects. Metzger is widely considered one of the most influential New Testament scholars of the 20th century.[1][2]
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 14, 2021
This is probably the best single volume work that discusses the origins of the translations of The Bible. Bruce Metzger begins with the various ancient documents which are the foundations of the English Bible. He then examines the various translations into English beginning with the Wycliffe through to the King James Bible and on to later versions—including analyses of the different approaches and the merits and weaknesses of each.
The only disappointment for me was his failure to even mention the Catholic Knox Bible which Ronald Knox offered aa a new translation of the Latin Vulgate with an eye to the Hebrew and Greek sources. It was praised for its literary merit and regarded as a replacement for the old Rheims-Douay Bible which Metzger does discuss. In the end, despite the high praise it received by many Catholics in the last half of the twentieth century, it was eclipsed by the New American Bible and the Jerusalem Bible. Still, if such oddities as Julia E. Smith’s Bible (1876) deserved mention, the Knox Bible, which still has admirers, certainly did too.
My hope would be that if Metzger decides to update his work he will include the Knox version as well as the remarkable New Testament translated recently by David Bentley Hart.
The only disappointment for me was his failure to even mention the Catholic Knox Bible which Ronald Knox offered aa a new translation of the Latin Vulgate with an eye to the Hebrew and Greek sources. It was praised for its literary merit and regarded as a replacement for the old Rheims-Douay Bible which Metzger does discuss. In the end, despite the high praise it received by many Catholics in the last half of the twentieth century, it was eclipsed by the New American Bible and the Jerusalem Bible. Still, if such oddities as Julia E. Smith’s Bible (1876) deserved mention, the Knox Bible, which still has admirers, certainly did too.
My hope would be that if Metzger decides to update his work he will include the Knox version as well as the remarkable New Testament translated recently by David Bentley Hart.
May 20, 2016
This is a great survey of Bible translations through history. I found the material on English translations to be the most helpful. Metzger provides a brief synopsis for every major English translation from Wycliffe to present day. (Since the book was published in 2001, more recent developments like the ESV, TNIV, HCSB, and NET Bible are absent.) He covers details including the circumstances under which these translations were undertaken, their aims, base texts, translation philosophies, idiosyncrasies, and critical and popular reception.
I found this book to be an easy but very informative read. It filled in many holes in my knowledge of English versions, and gave me an appreciation for their history. Occasionally, Metzger provided biographical sketches of individuals who took on a translation of their own, and some of these were utterly fascinating. One of my favorites was that of Julia E. Smith, the first woman to translate the Bible into English. A well-educated Adventist, she believed the world would end in 1843. When this failed to happen, she suspected that deficiencies in the King James Version resulted in erroneous calculations. Purely out of personal interest, she set out to produce her own translation of the Bible in order to uncover the “literal meaning” of the text. Meanwhile, a scandal emerged at her family farm because of an increase in property taxes. She fought this with the help of the women’s rights movement that was just beginning. To prove the point that women can do anything men can do, she published her Bible, which otherwise may never have seen the light of day.
As I read, the relationships between many of the English versions became very evident. Many were revisions or were influenced or inspired in some way by previous efforts. Some general observations I made while reading this book include:
1) The many English translations that were made in the 1500s were very interdependent on one another.
2) The King James Version emerged from a crowded Bible market. It was not a purely original translation, but one that sought to bring unity out of the varying works that preceded it. Clearly its aims were successful, as the King James Version ruled as the standard Bible for the next 250 years with very little competition.
3) Around the onset of the twentieth century, English Bible translation utterly exploded. While many of the newer translations are purely original creations, the legacy of the older versions still continues today. For example, the ESV stands within a tradition that can be traced all the way back to Tyndale and King James.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a fuller picture of the history and legacy underlying today's English translations.
I found this book to be an easy but very informative read. It filled in many holes in my knowledge of English versions, and gave me an appreciation for their history. Occasionally, Metzger provided biographical sketches of individuals who took on a translation of their own, and some of these were utterly fascinating. One of my favorites was that of Julia E. Smith, the first woman to translate the Bible into English. A well-educated Adventist, she believed the world would end in 1843. When this failed to happen, she suspected that deficiencies in the King James Version resulted in erroneous calculations. Purely out of personal interest, she set out to produce her own translation of the Bible in order to uncover the “literal meaning” of the text. Meanwhile, a scandal emerged at her family farm because of an increase in property taxes. She fought this with the help of the women’s rights movement that was just beginning. To prove the point that women can do anything men can do, she published her Bible, which otherwise may never have seen the light of day.
As I read, the relationships between many of the English versions became very evident. Many were revisions or were influenced or inspired in some way by previous efforts. Some general observations I made while reading this book include:
1) The many English translations that were made in the 1500s were very interdependent on one another.
2) The King James Version emerged from a crowded Bible market. It was not a purely original translation, but one that sought to bring unity out of the varying works that preceded it. Clearly its aims were successful, as the King James Version ruled as the standard Bible for the next 250 years with very little competition.
3) Around the onset of the twentieth century, English Bible translation utterly exploded. While many of the newer translations are purely original creations, the legacy of the older versions still continues today. For example, the ESV stands within a tradition that can be traced all the way back to Tyndale and King James.
I would recommend this book for anyone who wants a fuller picture of the history and legacy underlying today's English translations.
September 14, 2018
Metzger’s bible translation book is very different from H. Freedman’s (who credits Metzger as being one of the greatest scholars of the history of Judeo/christian writings). This is a much more academic work which expects the reader to already know the relevant technical jargon (e.g., higher-criticism, pericope, deuterocanonical), as well as having a basic grasp of the history of christianity. That being said, I learned a lot by reading this short, but information-packed work. This (as well as the Freedman book) should probably be read before any serious attempt is made to read and understand the religious writings both authors are discussing (whatever your personal views on religion and belief).
December 30, 2022
A useful overview of the history of ancient and English Bible translations from Bruce Metzger of Princeton. The author was overly harsh on the NIV while suspiciously too favourable to the NRSV. He was also too dismissive of the Byzantine manuscript tradition and too biased toward modern critical texts. For this reason, he is much less complimentary of the NKJV than he should be.
I am not a "Received Text" purist by any stretch of the imagination, but some balance would not go amiss. For one thing, the Byzantine manuscripts should not be equated with the Received Text. If you were to only read this book, you would think that the only options were the Westcott and Hort/NA texts or the Received Text. Hence, Dr Metzger oversimplifies the discussion on this point.
The book is also a bit dated (I purchased it on 1 November 2004, while it was published in 2001), so translations such as the ESV, HCSB, and CSB are not considered. Still, it is full of useful information about various translations and may be read fairly easily by the average layman.
I am not a "Received Text" purist by any stretch of the imagination, but some balance would not go amiss. For one thing, the Byzantine manuscripts should not be equated with the Received Text. If you were to only read this book, you would think that the only options were the Westcott and Hort/NA texts or the Received Text. Hence, Dr Metzger oversimplifies the discussion on this point.
The book is also a bit dated (I purchased it on 1 November 2004, while it was published in 2001), so translations such as the ESV, HCSB, and CSB are not considered. Still, it is full of useful information about various translations and may be read fairly easily by the average layman.
April 6, 2023
A very plain and open analysis of different English translations of the Bible. Metzger begins with the early Old Testament and New Testament translations in various languages. Then he proceeds with the English History.
I found the book to be for the most part Neutral in its presentation, and thus it was very informative. Though I disagree with certain presuppositions and conclusions, Metzger does well at presenting the information (Especially for the timeframe between the 1611 and 1881).
I found the book to be for the most part Neutral in its presentation, and thus it was very informative. Though I disagree with certain presuppositions and conclusions, Metzger does well at presenting the information (Especially for the timeframe between the 1611 and 1881).
September 7, 2020
The Bible in Translation is a good introduction to the realm of English Bible translations. The first part of the book describes early translations of the Bible into several languages, which paved the way to the English translations. There's a section about the English translations done before the King James Version in1611, a chapter on the KJV, and several chapters about the Bibles which made the most important contributions to our modern English versions.
The book is written for the level of a lay reader. For the most part, it avoids technical language and has few footnotes. The writing style is easy to follow, but presents a fairly dry topic with enough information that I found it engaging.
The book is written for the level of a lay reader. For the most part, it avoids technical language and has few footnotes. The writing style is easy to follow, but presents a fairly dry topic with enough information that I found it engaging.
March 11, 2024
While I doubt this will have wide appeal outside its utility as a reference, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about centuries of translating the Bible (mostly into English) from this well-organized and clear book. I also discovered an awesome new historic figure: Julia Evelina Smith, the first woman to translate the entire Bible into English. I appreciated Metzger’s validation of my distaste for The Message version.
December 5, 2020
Very straight forward recitation of the history (and progression) of the Bible in English, current through about 2000. Avoids polemic and gives some insight into translation theory, though that his not the focus of the book. Also contains a short history of other, early translations of the Bible. Covers much of the same material that is found in General Introduction to the Bible. For a quick view of the Bible in English, this is a recommended read.
January 10, 2018
OMG this book was so boring. Not for the casual reader. Excellent reference book if you need a long list of Bible translations with synopses. For a more interesting read, The Murderous History of Bible Translation has much of the same information and is much easier on the brain.
June 2, 2023
Good introduction to early translations of the Bible and an overview of the history of English Bible translation. It is by nature selective, and is now a bit dates, but it will take you through the end of the 20th century and help contextualize our current state of affairs.
June 14, 2025
Clear survey of ancient and English versions. Gives an appreciation of how English has not always had a Bible.
There were a few places I would have liked to see more of what sources he was drawing upon but the popular level of the text did not require that levels of notes unfortunately.
There were a few places I would have liked to see more of what sources he was drawing upon but the popular level of the text did not require that levels of notes unfortunately.
May 31, 2022
Based on 1992 lectures at Dallas Theological Seminary, this is a concise overview of ancient and English translations of the Bible by the pre-eminent 20th century scholar of the New Testament.
September 18, 2022
A must read for anyone interested in biblical studies or translation tradition.
July 30, 2014
I'm not sure this is a book you need to sit down and read straight through, but I was intrigued enough to do so. The first half deals with ancient manuscripts that modern translators and textual critics use in attempts to ascertain the original text. This would include the LXX, Targums, Syriac, Latin, Coptic, Armenian, etc. etc. etc. This is more or less pure history.
The second half deals with English translations from the 14th century on. Here there is more subjectivity involved, as Metzger evaluates the quality of the various translations. It should be noted that Metzger served on the NRSV translation committee, so his biases run in that direction. Unfortunately the book was written in 2001, so it missed the ESV. The ESV and NRSV are the two translations that vie for the mantle of the RSV, so it would have been interesting to read Metzger's thoughts. I found it interesting that the NIV, another big NRSV competitor, received quite short shrift.
All in all, a solid read. Good to keep around for reference.
The second half deals with English translations from the 14th century on. Here there is more subjectivity involved, as Metzger evaluates the quality of the various translations. It should be noted that Metzger served on the NRSV translation committee, so his biases run in that direction. Unfortunately the book was written in 2001, so it missed the ESV. The ESV and NRSV are the two translations that vie for the mantle of the RSV, so it would have been interesting to read Metzger's thoughts. I found it interesting that the NIV, another big NRSV competitor, received quite short shrift.
All in all, a solid read. Good to keep around for reference.
November 8, 2015
I skimmed this. I was hoping for more about the history of manuscripts and translation methods, but they’re only briefly mentioned. It describes the origin and features of several ancient Bible versions, then moves on to many English versions. There is some interesting info. It seems the author is biased, as he was involved in the translation of the NRSV, Reader’s Digest Bible, and others. He’s no fan of the KJV, as he makes plain in several places.
Notes
Codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus are from 4th century AD. Codex Alexandrinus is of 5th century AD, and is incomplete in Matthew.
The KJV “was based upon a Greek text that contained the accumulated errors of fifteen centuries of manuscript copying. It was essentially the Greek text as edited by Bexa, who closely followed the text issued by Erasmus, which had been based on a mere handful of late medieval manuscripts.”
Westcott and Hort used Codices Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and other finds to create a Greek NT in 28 years.
Notes
Codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus are from 4th century AD. Codex Alexandrinus is of 5th century AD, and is incomplete in Matthew.
The KJV “was based upon a Greek text that contained the accumulated errors of fifteen centuries of manuscript copying. It was essentially the Greek text as edited by Bexa, who closely followed the text issued by Erasmus, which had been based on a mere handful of late medieval manuscripts.”
Westcott and Hort used Codices Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and other finds to create a Greek NT in 28 years.
June 16, 2011
Not much needs to be said about Metzger's book other than to acknowledge that it is an excellent survey of translation history. He focuses mainly on the highlights of biblical translation relevant for the English-speaking world, beginning with the first ancient translations (Jewish and Christian), then following the path of modern biblical translations up to the present. In his overview of English translations, he demonstrates the evolution of the English Bible up to through, and beyond the King James Version, deftly weaving details and analyses of these texts as he does. Such insights come from Metzger's own deep study of the Bible in various respects, as well as his long experience in translation projects, both of which show through in this study. The result of his work, therefore, is a wonderful introduction and an enjoyable read. He makes the subject accessible, interesting, and even (often) humorous--all commendable traits in a book.
May 21, 2008
Another favorite of mine. This book tracks the history regarding the translation of the Bible. This book is very good for those unaware of some of the ancient versions, like the Syriac Peshitta used by christians in the East and other early versions of the NT, like the Vulgate.
February 9, 2016
I'm surprised how much I enjoyed this book. Metzger gives just a very brief overview about different translations and sometimes some information about the translator. I was intrigued by all the different issues that arise and cause problems for translators.
January 9, 2016
Great overview.
June 13, 2016
Excellent survey of the history of translations of the Bible. Very informatative, yet written in a way that's easy to understand.
April 4, 2017
Not a page turner but it does serve as a useful survey of the many different English translations available today.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews