The New Testament: An Expanded Translation

by Kenneth S. Wuest (Editor)

1991 printing: 624 pp;
this work is a part of "Word Studies in the Greek New Testament"
by Kenneth Wuest - 4 volumes - 3499 pages 1961
Eerdmans Publishing Co. ISBN: 0802822800
link:
http://philologos.org/guide/books/wue...
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Uses as many English words as necessary to bring out richness, force, and clarity of Greek text
Intended as a companion to or commentary on standard translations
Single-column
Paragraph form
5 1/4 x 8 1/4 % Font size: 9

Genres: Reference, Christian, New Testament, Christianity, Spirituality, Nonfiction

641 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great "translation", full of Greek meanings we often miss in our English language. I have read it cover to cover and refer to it often. It is a reference book, not good for your main Bible as it is very wordy due to it expanding on the Greek word meanings. It has often spurred me to dig deeper in a passage when I see the expanding meaning of a verse. It is very accurate.
Add it to your library, you'll be glad you did!

[Mark San · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most Accurate Word for Word interpretation of today’s times of Yeshua’s / the LORD’s Word ! Thank you Kennith !

[Peter Sprigg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kenneth S. Wuest's "expanded translation" of the New Testament was first published in 1961; I read a hardback reprint from William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. that came out in 1984. I mention this because one critique I had of this book was that it completely fell apart (that is, the pages separated from the binding) in the course of reading it over one year. The translation itself represents an effort to flesh out more accurately the meaning of the original Greek by, in some cases, translating individual words with entire phrases. It also maintains long run-on sentences structures as they may appear in the original, instead of breaking the ideas down into separate, shorter sentences. Both of these translation choices make it very awkward to read. I therefore agree with another reviewer who said this could be used as a reference, but should not be used as one's regular Bible for devotional reading. I think a good commentary would be just as effective as this wordy translation in conveying the nuances of the original Greek.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

I obviously love the ancient Greek language God chose to write His Word to all humankind we have as the New Testament, having majored in it in undergraduate and graduate studies. Of all the translations and expositions I have read, Kenneth Wuest, former head of Greek Language Studies at Moody Bible Institute, has exposed the beauty of the language and translation as no one else. It is an absolute must for ever student of the Bible, pastor, academic, lover of God's Word.

[Kevin Godinho · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this 3 stars not out of judgment upon the Scriptures, but out of a recognition of the bias of the translator. For example, Wuest translates the word for "baptism" as "immersion." The word more broadly means "washing" and we need the help of context to tell us what kind of washing. In most places, it is rather vague and safer to translate baptism as "baptism," rather than insert theological, or mode, bias. Other words like "peace" or "knowledge" were often translated as "tranquilizing peace" or "expetiential knowledge." There are clear baptist/dispensationalist biases throughout the translation. For example, overspritiualizing some passages that may actually have a more physical meaning (i.e. the laver of regeneration in Titus). We should always be aware of who is behind the translation of the text we're reading. To his credit, Wuest often puts his opinion in brackets when expounding upon the meaning of a word or phrase. However, you can't help but have the presence of said opinion shape the reading of the text.

Wuest provides some helpful insights, such as relating the asking for wisdom in James 1 directly to the trial being experienced in the previous section. That's good exegesis.

This translation can be profitably used as exposure to a different perspective or a challenge to another translator as to why they might make different translation decisions. Iron sharpens iron, after all.

I wouldn't use this as a main devotional read or put too much stock in the translation, but it can serve as a profitable reference from time to time.

[Ryan K · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those of us using Kindles regularly, having Wuest's translation available on Kindle is helpful. For those of us who also like a paper copy, Abebooks has two versions - a one-volume paperback, and three volumes in hardback. One may also profit from studying Wuest's translation along with those by Hart and Wayment, each of whom has a different view of translation, but each worked hard to get at the meaning of Greek when translated into modern English, eschewing promoting particular philosophies or points of view. Personally, one prefers seeing what a single inspired individual has to say rather than what a committee might produce.

Compared to the other two, Wuest's renderings of Greek into English are generally longer, but one often prefers his beautiful language because he felt free to expand his interpretations where Hart and Wayment strived for exactness and brevity. However, taking the view that Matthew's and Luke's gospels likely had Mark's gospel as a basis, Hart and Wayment likely had Wuest's work to inform theirs. Hence, a particular verse might be best understood by reviewing all three books.

[Laura Leilani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly wonderful translation that squeezes every bit of meaning from each word of the original Greek. So many Greek words have no direct translation. Wuest attempted to solve the problem by translating the meaning of each word. It’s brilliant to be able to understand certain verses, but would not recommend as a daily reading Bible. When it takes five or six words to translate a single word, the sentences tend to be very long.

A must have for looking up difficult to understand verses though.

[John Boccella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A peek at the Greek

I am able to get the occasional flash of insight with Wuest's expansion of the underlying Greek our English translations are based on. It's also useful to understand the tenses of Greek verbs.

[David Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best New Testament translation I've read!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enlightening reading.

[Ken Burkhalter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent translation that expands ancient thoughts in today's language.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, I read this cover to cover. It was a good translation, though not suitable for a primary one. The narrative passages were very rough — the reason for the three stars. The Pauline epistles are where this translation shines bright — deserving five stars. I gave it three stars because of its roughness in parts and its greatness and clarity in other parts.

It is definitely worth the time to delve into as a study companion alongside a more useful translation. But for those who dare to read it straight through, then beware: it may take quite a bit of time and hard to understand at points, especially in the Gospels and Acts.

[Dan Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome translation! Mr. Wuest goes the complete opposite of the Concordant Literal NT using as many words as needed to make sure we understand the authors intent. Great for study and simply reading. Makes it easy to understand.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice companion bible to your study times in the word.

[Jim Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to refer to this occasionally for making things more clear.