As many know, I have had a long bias against the NIV, as I feel it has dumbed the Scriptures down, and numbed the reader from the punch that is provided in the Greek language. Yes, I know for some it is easier to read, but making something easier to read should not be the litmus test for any translation of the Scriptures. Accuracy and communicating as close as possible what the author really said should be the litmus test for any and all translations. And that is the problem with the dynamic equivalency method of translation.
Dr. Jim Hamilton gives a wonderful example of the difference between the dynamic equivalency and the formal equivalency methods, and why the dynamic equivalency is inferior. See the link below.
http://jimhamilton.info/2011/06/29/dynamic-equivalence-the-method-is-the-problem/
2 comments:
So which version DO you recommend?
My personal favorite would be the New American Standard (NASB), because of how it captures the punch of the Greek. Also, the English Standard Version (ESV), and the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) would be good choices. The HCSB is the only modern translation that translates doulos (slave in the Greek) consistently correctly as slave instead of bond-servant. Both the NASB and the ESV translate it as bond-servant.
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