PRINCIPLES GOVERNING BIBLE TRANSLATION. 47 



centuries ago lies at the basis of nearly every translation or 

 revision made since. 



The answer to the question formulated above depends, to a 

 great extent, upon the object for which an English translation 

 of the Bible is desired. If it is desired in order to bring to the 

 minds of the largest number of English men, women and children, 

 with as little difficulty as possible, the real teaching which the 

 authors of the various books of the Bible desired to convey, a 

 translation into good modern English would be generally 

 admitted to be far the best means of attaining this object. The 

 very qualities of style for which the Authorized Version is 

 praised have a tendency to conceal the meaning ; a man who 

 feels a profound admiration for the rhythm or stately beauty of 

 a phrase is apt to be satisfied by admiring it and to omit going 

 on to inquire exactly what it means. 



It cannot, I think, be alleged that it w T as the aim of the 

 translators of 1611 to produce a literary classic. If they had 

 had any such purpose it is probable that the style of Sir Philip 

 Sydney's Arcadia would have been that adopted. They seem 

 to have tried to translate into good, simple, and generally 

 intelligible English of their own day, and they did this so 

 thoroughly and well that their work has become one of the 

 literary treasures of the language. But, in 300 years, their 

 language is becoming archaic and in many instances an obstacle 

 rather than an aid to the understanding of the meaning. As 

 time goes on this process will continue and increase. 



Is it not time that we followed the example of the trans- 

 lators of 1611 instead of clinging blindly to their results? 

 Some recent efforts as regards the New Testament seem to show 

 that the matter is in the air.* The results are so helpful, so 

 informing and stimulating in private reading that it is 

 impossible to avoid longing for the time when such help may 

 become available to all the world from the production of a 

 version of the whole Bible into good and dignified modern 

 English by the co-operation of scholars who, in addition to 

 possessing a thorough knowledge of Hebrew and Greek, know 

 and can use all the resources of the English language. 



It is of course freely admitted that in the present state of 

 opinion such a version could not hope to replace the Authorized 

 Version, but if it were well and successfully executed it would 



* E.g., Dr. Weymouth's New Testament in Modern Speech. The New 

 Testament : A New Translation. By Jas. Moffatt, D.D., D.Lit. 



