Page 189 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

DYNAMIC EQUIVALENCY

In English, two of the key examples of this are the such. They say it is too loose to be called a dynamic
Today’s English Version (Good News for Modern Man) equivalency, and they would make a clear distinction
and the Living Bible. These were produced through the between paraphrasing and dynamic equivalency. Yet
principles which are promoted within Wycliffe Bible even the professional translators acknowledge that
Translators, the United Bible Societies, and Living Bibles though looser than the TEV, the Living Bible does follow
International, the three most influential groups in Bible dynamic equivalency methodology. Consider another
translation work today. quote from the United Bible Societies’ publication:
Doubtless many readers will be familiar with the TEV “A series of ‘Living’ Scriptures has been prepared in
and the Living Bible; but perhaps you thought they were English by Kenneth N. Taylor and circulated widely
only considered “paraphrases” or commentaries, or during recent years. The dust jacket of the first edition
Bible study helps, and had not taken them seriously. of the Epistles denies that it is a translation and insists
Think again. These two dynamic equivalency versions that it is a paraphrase. ... ACTUALLY, HOWEVER,
are being called the best Bible versions in the English TAYLOR’S DEFINITION OF PARAPHRASE IS
ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE MEAN BY TRANSLATION, as
language by many professional translators and well- described earlier, since it promises to render the
known Christian leaders. content of the original ‘as exactly as possible’ for its
The cover jacket to Thomas Nelson’s Good News readers. The language of his version is fully
Study Bible claims: “Today’s English Version is a true contemporary, and relatively free from translationism
translation. It is accurate and faithful to the original or interference from the structure of the source
texts.” An ad in Eternity magazine for June 1983, said language. It is in a language variety between regular
the Today’s English Version is “clear and simple to the and casual, and at a common-language level suitable
modern reader yet faithful to the everyday Greek and for readers of fairly limited experience. Theological
terms are generally avoided in favor of simpler terms
Hebrew in which it was originally written.” or descriptive phrases, and the grammatical structure
Of the Living Bible, well-known Evangelist Luis Palau is straightforward, although the number of embedded
represents the thinking of many leaders when he said constructions might have been reduced still more in
this: “Throughout the world, there is a need for clear some cases” (Wonderly, p. 67).
and understandable Scriptures. That is why I am sold on This makes it clear that professional translators DO
the work of Living Bibles International and the kind of CONSIDER the Living Bible to be a dynamic
Scriptures they are producing. … they are good equivalency, and they admit that Living Bible-type
translations, trustworthy in content” (Front Line, Living paraphrasing is essentially the same as the dynamic
Bibles International, Vol. 3, No. 1, 1988). equivalency methodology of the TEV. Further, William
Not only are the TEV and Living Bible considered by Wonderly and the United Bible Societies are by no
many to be accurate English versions, but these means the only professional translators to acknowledge
frightfully corrupt translations have become models for this. John Beekman, translations coordinator for
translation work in all languages. Wycliffe Bibles International, says, “The Living Bible is
To illustrate the fact that the world of professional the most readable and the most natural English
translators has adopted the paraphrasing mentality, we translation available” (William F. Kerr, The Living Bible—
quote from Bible Translations for Popular Use by William Not Just Another Version, Wheaton: Tyndale House
L. Wonderly. This volume is published by the United Publishers, 1975).
Bible Societies and is a standard work on dynamic It is not wrong, therefore, to use paraphrasing and
equivalency and is used widely by translators. dynamic equivalency as synonyms, and this is what we
“Illustrative materials are drawn from different biblical do in this study. OUR THESIS IS THAT THE WORLD IS
translations but especially from the Spanish Version BEING FILLED WITH PARAPHRASES, AND WHILE NOT
Popular and the Today’s English Version, which, in this ALL DYNAMIC EQUIVALENCY OR COMMON
order, are the first two complete New Testaments that LANGUAGE VERSIONS ARE AS LOOSE AS THE LIVING
have been prepared on the common-language level BIBLE, ALL ARE HOPELESSLY CORRUPTED. THE
with the systematic use of these principles” (William L. REASON IS THAT THE METHODOLOGY IS
Wonderly, Bible Translations for Popular Use, p. vii). HOPELESSLY CORRUPTED.
Thus it should be clear that the professional Dynamic equivalency is actually not a bad term, but
translators themselves use the TEV as a key illustration it has been given a bad meaning in modern Bible
of their principles. We will do the same in our study. translation work. Dynamic means “energetic, lively,
Should the Living Bible Be Used to Illustrate Dynamic forceful.” Equivalent means “equal, or virtually equal in
Equivalency? At this point some would agree that the meaning or effect.” A true dynamic equivalency
TEV is a dynamic equivalency version, but they would translation of the Scriptures could be a good translation
protest our use of the Living Bible as an illustration of if indeed it was energetic and forceful and equal in

Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity 189