Featured Spanish Bible

The first result I get googling "louis tyler" "spanish bible" is

Reina Valera Gomez Recommendations

with this at the bottom of the page:

"'Allow me to recommend the Reina-Valera-Gómez Bible. Over the years I have noticed that the RVR 1960 often follows the so-called “critical text,”... The RVG follows the Textus Receptus (TR) in the New Testament and closely follows the Masoretic Text (MT = original Hebrew/Aramaic text) of the Old Testament....I applaud the RVG for reversing the trend to go after the modern trend of following the NU (Nestle text as well as the United Bible Societies) text and returning to the text that God has preserved since ancient times...'

Louis Tyler, Ph.D.
Professor of Biblical Languages
Río Grande Bible Institute
Edinburg, Texas"

 

A friend of mine has recently completed a brand new Spanish NT (not a revision). Here is his prayer letter mentioning the project: Mount Abarim Baptist Mission International » Bill Patterson: June 2016 Prayer Letter

Bill is an American rep for the Trinitarian Bible Society, and a brilliant linguist and translator. We've discussed Greek and he is excellent in koine Greek. He got his Hebrew by studying in Israel.

 

From the TBS website www.tbsbibles.org.uk

Translation News
Spanish Bible Project 2016 18th February 2016
Since 2006 TBS has been engaged in a detailed revision of the 1909 Spanish Reina-Valera Bible. This is being done with reference to the underlying Biblical Hebrew and Greek texts, to the original 1602 Reina-Valera Bible and to other Reformation-era Bibles. The work also involves ensuring the Spanish language employed conforms to current international standards of orthography and syntax. TBS has been blessed throughout the project to have well-qualified and able men working on the executive translation committee. In addition, there are reading committees in six different Spanish-speaking countries.

In the Lord's goodness the New Testament revision work was completed in December, and 35,000 copies of the Spanish New Testament are now being printed. The first public launch is due to take place in Madrid, Spain, in April. Work on the Old Testament is well underway. We thank God for the progress that has been made on this major project and we go forward in humble dependence upon Him. 'Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain' (Psalm 127.1).


I have no knowledge of Spanish, but an American friend who pastors a Spanish-speaking church in Texas has a copy of this N.T. and tells me that it is excellent. The TBS Portuguese translation is also well-spoken of and used by Gideons Int. However, one needs to understand that all TBS Bibles are based on the Received Text.

 

Yes, absolutely. The TBS people are very dear and sincere men with a great love for the Lord, but they are blinkered to the KJV in English and the Masoretic Text and Scrivener's T.R. in other translations.

However, my understanding remains that their new Spanish N.T. is a fine and accurate translation.

 

Thanks for finding this. My hazy memory (that it was a completely new translation) was apparently wrong.

At any rate, I've heard Bill lecture in several different meetings and had some very solid discussions with him about the original languages. He really has mastered both Greek and Hebrew, which makes his work vastly preferable to that of Gomez, who (as has been noted) does not know Greek or Hebrew.

 

In regards to the radical KJV efforts, I heard of one effort by a KJVO missionary which translated the "Holy Ghost" of the KJV with the Spanish fantasma instead of espiritu. So to the reader the blessed Holy Spirit was actually a human ghost! That effort was completely rejected by the readers, and rightly so.

That's where the radical KJVO position takes a translator when he forgets that the KJV was, after all, written in 1611 British English, not 21st century American English.

 

The TBS Spanish N.T. may be accessed here. I'll be interested to know what Spanish-speakers think:
Nuevo Testamento Reina Valera SBT

It may be Spanish, but it's all Greek to me!

BTW, do not confuse the TBS with the Ruckmanites et al. They do not claim direct inspiration for the KJV, 'only' that it is the best translation available.

 

Here is probably the best critique of the "Reina Valera Gomez"--
Reina-Valera-Gómez? Over 20 reasons why I cannot endorse the Reina-Valera “Gómez” | Literatura Bautista

Calvin George is a missionary and a native speaker of Spanish. He has written an excellent book on the subject of this thread: The History of the Reina-Valera 1960 Spanish Bible.

 

Copyrighted, with restrictions on use similar to those found in various modern translations not based on the TR.

Copyright - Reina Valera - SBT

Somewhat ironic, given that the KJV that underlies the TBS mission remains wholly without copyright outside of the UK, as well as the Reina-Valera 1909 (which likely will continue to be used by our Spanish-speaking brethren).

This is not to find any fault with the translation itself, being apparently a faithful and accurate reflection of its underlying text base (even if the TR itself may be wanting in several particulars).

(Y seguro, yo puedo hablar y leer español)

 

I'll have to talk to Bill about that next time I see him.