SQ8

What are the benefits in knowing the history of the translation of the English Bible?

            Knowing the history of anything gives us three main benefits. These benefits are a) Knowing where something came from b) Knowing why something is where it is currently, and c) Getting a better idea of where something is headed. This same triad format works the same way for people who know the history of the translation of the English Bible.

            Knowing what has transpired during the translation of the English Bible is important, because it gives us the advantage of retrospection. When we look back, we are able to see what mistakes, obstacles, and struggles that the past translators went through. By spotting these, we can tell what the past translators could have done better. This will help current translators create better methodologies for future translations.

            It has already been mentioned that retrospection of the process of translation reveals whatever mistakes the translators made, or gaps that they missed. By knowing this, we can better understand our Bible during current times, since we will be able to fill in those holes.

            Knowing the History of the translation of the English Bible gives us the benefit of future direction. Knowing what has already happened in the past gives us a better idea of what the best direction to take through modern translation methodologies. Since the Bible is dynamic enough that it needs several English versions to satisfy differing groups of English speaking Christians, it is vital to know the history of the translation process in order to find better ways to interpret the texts for future translations.

            Since the English Bible was the first version of the Bible that was most widespread worldwide, the things that we can determine by studying the history of its translation benefits not only the English speaking Christian communities. By finding better ways to translate the English Bible, we can simultaneously find better ways to translate the Bible into other languages as well.