The Bible

by James Moffatt (translator)

Once called "the original modern-language Bible," Moffatt's 1924 translation began the ongoing trend of popular English translations geared toward the general Christian reader. Features 10 point font size.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction

1560 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

James Moffatt was a Scottish theologian and graduate of Glasgow University.

Moffatt trained at the Free Church College, Glasgow, and was a practising minister at the United Free Church in Dundonald in the early years of his career. He received the degree Doctor of Divinity from the University of St Andrews in April 1902. In 1911 he was appointed Professor of Greek and New Testament Exegesis at Mansfield College, Oxford, but he returned to Glasgow in 1915 as Professor of Church History at the United Free Church College. From 1927 - 1939 he was Washburn Professor of Church History at the Union Theological Seminary, New York. In addition, he translated one of the standard Modern English Bible translations, the Moffatt, New Translation (MNT).

Reviews

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is generally considered to be the first of the modern English Bibles, due to Moffatt's intent not to simply do an update of the KJV. First, the good: the language is lively. Often the poetic sections of the OT actually come pretty close to being poetry in English. His translation is sufficiently different from the KJV and its inheritors that the reader will often be forced to rethink a passage.
Next, the bad: Moffatt was clearly under the spell of "the assured results of modern criticism." He felt free to completely rearrange the text where he thought that the Masoretic Text of the OT or the Greek text of the NT had been disordered. His rearranging of the text is particularly obvious in Job, Jeremiah, and the Gospel of John. It should be noted that almost none of these rearrangements have any basis in the manuscripts whatsoever. Language addressed to God retains "thee" and "thou" and "didst." Perhaps Moffatt was bowing here to the traditional language of English language liturgy, but it doesn't suit the rest of his translation.
Finally, the ugly: In the Pentateuch, the different sources that had been discovered by 19th-century criticism are printed in different fonts, or enclosed in brackets. Also, the double-column text, though common in Bible publishing, should have been eliminated, though I doubt that Moffatt had any control over that.
A Bible worth reading for those who have a good familiarity with the Bible and want something completely different.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rather like this old translation. Moffatt does take liberties sometimes in moving verses around. However he does this in order to aid the reader’s understanding - and only when a given verse actually refers back to a previous discussion - he then will place it directly after that discussion it refers to.

While I don’t always agree with Moffatt’s structural placement of these changes - they do always enlighten my understanding - and I’m always left with something to think about in how the Biblical author was meaning to communicate.

Usually however, Moffatt’s changes greatly aid the reader in understanding the text. While not one of my primary translations, this is one of my ‘go to’ supplemental Bible translations for understanding the Biblical text.

[CD]

One of several Christian Bibles in my library.

[Kingsley Layton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only 3 stars on account if accuracy, but worth reading.