Can we Trust Bible Translations?

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If we should not alter God’s Word, how are we OK with translations? (Proverbs 30:6, Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, and Revelation 22:18–19)

The best Bible version is actually the original text in Hebrew, Aramaic (OT), or Greek (NT). But how many of us can read the Bible in that language? The goal of translating is to accurately convey God’s word in a language that people understand.

The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the original Hebrew Old Testament, formed before Christ. Jesus refers to the book of Isaiah (29:13) in Mark 7:6–7 while talking about dishonoring God. The words that are m

entioned are from the Greek Septuagint, not the Hebrew language. Similarly, Matthew 21:16 quotes Psalms 8:2 from the Septuagint. So whether Jesus Himself spoke those words, or the gospel authors chose to write those words, the Greek translation was normally used during the time of Jesus.



So are translations OK? Yes, they help you understand God’s Word in a language of your choice.

Are all translations perfect?

No translation is perfect. The earliest biblical manuscripts were written without punctuation, spaces, or lowercase letters, which makes every translation a careful act of interpretation. Add to that centuries of copying, minor scribal mistakes, differences between manuscript families, and the natural drift of language and culture, and it’s obvious that translators face hard choices.

For example, many English Bibles render the Greek word doulos as “servant” rather than “slave” because in modern English “slave” carries racial and legal baggage that doesn’t match the first-century context (see BDAG Greek Lexicon; compare ESV footnotes). That’s a judgment call, not deception.

Yet the central story and theology remain intact across all major translations: God created everything, humanity fell into sin, God’s Son Jesus Christ came in the flesh, died, rose on the third day, and will return (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rev. 22:12). Scholars across traditions agree that no essential Christian doctrine hinges on a disputed word or verse.¹ ²

Sources

  1. Bruce M. Metzger & Bart D. Ehrman, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, 4th ed.

  2. D.A. Carson, The King James Version Debate, esp. ch. 3 on textual variants.

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