Why Are There So Many Bible Translations?

January 28, 2025 / by Helen Kelly

If you have ever tried to decide on which Bible to give to a friend or relative, you know that it can be puzzling. You can choose from the NASB, NIV, NLT, NJB, ESV, KJV….

You may have wished that there was one standard Bible that everyone used. When the KJV was the standard, its words were familiar to almost everyone, and quotations were easy to recognize and memorize. Now we have many choices, and it sometimes feels like a mixed blessing.

The reasons for the recent proliferation of English Bibles can be divided into three groups: the nature of the original texts, the nature of the English language, and the intended audience.

First, the original texts were written in Hebrew and Greek, with a few chapters of Aramaic. These languages “work differently” than English, with different idioms and different grammar and word order (syntax). Some translations try to stay as closely as possible to the original Greek and Hebrew texts, even if it makes for strange English (think “Jesus opened his mouth and said” in the KJV and ESV, Matthew 5:2). This helps people who are using the translation to learn Greek or Hebrew but not people using it for devotional or evangelistic purposes. So other translations, such as the NLT, aim to translate the meaning rather than the individual words.

Another issue with the ancient texts is that we possess little ancient Hebrew literature apart from the Old Testament, and no dictionaries or grammars from that time, so sometimes it can be difficult to be sure of the exact meaning of a given Hebrew word. Scholars look at the literature of related ancient languages (Sumerian, Hittite, Syriac) to try and figure it out. And Hebrew words (like many English words) can have several shades of meaning. For example, the Hebrew word usually translated as “righteousness” may sometimes be translated as “justice,” “vindication,” and “victory.” Translators have to think which shade of meaning best fits the context, and they do not always agree. We can be more certain of the meaning of Greek words because we have a lot of Greek literature. However, the writers of the New Testament were heavily influenced by the Greek translation of the Old Testament. They did not necessarily use words (such as “logos”) in the exact same way that the ancient Greek writers did.

We do not possess the original documents of any book of the Bible. We have copies of copies, made carefully over the centuries. During the twentieth century many manuscripts were discovered that were older and better than those we had before, so most translations made in the later twentieth century are based on more reliable manuscripts that those made earlier. But the differences are generally very slight and the meaning is rarely affected.

Second, the English language itself is constantly changing. Some words have changed their meaning, and some are no longer used at all. We use different euphemisms, and at different times and in different contexts. Some of the words used in 1611 (when the KJV was first published) have changed their meaning. For example, the words “prevent” (1 Thess 4:13) “instant” (Luke 23:23), “meet” (Mark 7:27) “conversation” (Eph 4:22) and “leasing” (Psalm 4:2) do not mean today what they meant in 1611. Other words are no longer commonly understood. Or if they are understood, they give the impression that this literature was written so long ago that it is like a legend or fairytale, in the same class as Shakespeare’s history plays. For example:

cleave, chide, dearth, diverse, espied, hearken, mammon, husbandman, nigh, quicken, succor, twain, verily, wist, wont, wittingly

Thirdly, translations aim at different audiences. The audience may be Catholic or Protestant, with or without a high-school education, British or American (in the UK NIV, Ruth met Boaz in a cornfield and picked up leftover corn, because in the UK “corn” means “wheat”). What sounds natural and appropriate for reading in church varies between these different groups. Some Christians like to read the Scriptures in “high” literary language (sort of like the elves use in Middle-earth). But others would prefer to read in plain ordinary language (more like hobbit-speech), as that makes the Gospel seem relevant to their world. They might be comfortable with the biblical characters conversing in slang and using contractions (“don’t you care?” versus “do you not care?”). The translator has to decide which audience he is aiming at – who he hopes will buy and use his work.

In my work, I often compare the major English Bible versions. I have not found any of them to be unacceptable or regularly untrustworthy. They all attempt to present the Word of God faithfully, using different styles and vocabulary. Rarely are there choices made on the translator’s doctrinal commitments, although of course no one can help their assumptions and beliefs affecting their translation. Some translations will speak of “bishops” while others will say “overseers,” for example.

I suggest using two or three translations and comparing them. Read the footnotes (the NET has particularly helpful footnotes). Give to others the gift of a Bible that that person will be able to read with understanding – and joy.

Helen Kelly is an editor with SIL Global. She writes Translator’s Notes to help Bible translators throughout the world translate God’s Word into their own languages. At the moment she is working on the Book of Isaiah. Helen lived in England, Canada, and Pakistan before marrying Tom Kelly in 1991. They have three grown daughters who live in Toronto, Hawaii, and Vancouver. She loves to read, sew, garden, and walk in God’s creation.