1) When a translator chooses the English word to translate the contextual meaning of the source language (say Greek for this discussion) the Engish word should reflect the Greek grammar of the word translated, i.e. a noun for a noun, and reflect the historical meaning, as it was used to convey meaning when written.
For example, The NIV did not stick with the historical meaning of "children" for the Greek "teknon," (G5043). but altered the text to say "deserving." The actual idea is that Adam's sin resulted in the punitive (wrathful) consequence, as we were made sinners, conceived in iniquity, we are children of wrath in our very nature as fallen. This is before we have done anything good or bad.
2) As bible students, our "primary study bible" is the one we use and compare against others. For me, its the NASB because it does well at translating word for word, reflecting the source language grammar. But no matter which one we use, we will find verses, where our "favorite" does not do the best possible job.
3) Often you can find a comparison chart with the most literal "word for word" versions on one side and then showing the more literal one progressive, until you reach the other side where paraphrases are found. A Hebrew or Greek reverse Interlinear provides the best "word for word" renderings of the source text, and many people use the NASB or NET or WEB (World English Bible) for their primary study, others go with the KJV, NKJV or ESV but I do not recommend those choices.
4) The NASB and NET are based on the Critical Text, but the WEB is based on the Majority Text, so a comparison is certainly warranted
5) An additional advantage of the NET is it has very extensive and well researched footnotes..
The term, “historical/grammatical method of translation” is not a term that I have seen translators use. Furthermore, the differences between Greek syntax and English syntax are so great that it is often necessary for translators of the New Testament to radically recast a Greek construction in order to translate it into intelligible English. We find a good example of this in Matt. 4:2 where the Greek verb πεινάω is recast using the adjective “hungry.” When the translators of the KJV attempted to translate the Greek verb πεινάω using an English verb, we ended up with,
And when hee had fasted forty dayes and forty nights, hee was afterward an hungred.
Notice especially the last phrase in that verse and how it appears in various printings of the KJV:
Mat 4:2 And when hee had fasted forty dayes and forty nights, hee was afterward an hungred. 1611
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. 1817
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hungered. 1824
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 1867
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward a hungered. 1874
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 1898
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. No date, Oxford Bible
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 1917, Scofield Bible (Oxford)
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. No date, recent, Oxford Bible
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. No date, recent, Cambridge Bible
Mat 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward ahungered. 1971, American Bible Society
We find here five different renderings of the last phrase in Matt. 4:2, all them in the KJV:
hee was afterward an hungred.
he was afterward an hungered.
he was afterward a hungered.
he was afterward an hungred.
he was afterward ahungered.
The translators of the American Standard Version made a similar attempt and gave us,
Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.
However, when translating Mark 11:12, the translators of the KJV did not attempt to translate the Greek verb πεινάω using an English verb, and gave us,
Mark 11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. (all editions)
Very many other examples of radically recasting a Greek construction in order to translate it into intelligible English could be cited here. The important issue is not the part of speech that it used—but that the
meaning of the original is translated as accurately as possible using intelligible English.
The RSV has been favorably cited as scripture well over one million times in academic literature. The NRSV has been favorably cited as scripture hundreds of thousands of times in academic literature. No other translations of the Bible come even close!
I commonly quoted from the NASB until I began carefully reading the NRSV and was surprised by the huge difference in the quality of the English. I was also surprised by the marked difference when reading the Old Testament without New Testament theology being read into it. Most of all, however, I appreciate the honesty and integrity of the translators of the NRSV when the knew that their honesty and integrity would make their translation very unattractive to conservative evangelical Christians—thereby severely limiting its market share and making it a very costly endeavor.
