Divergent Views of the Bible’s Authors, Readers, and Translators

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1. The Bible’s Authors: Writers or Word-Seekers?

Dynamic equivalent advocates often imply that biblical authors weren’t always clear, using phrasing like “what Paul was trying to say,” which subtly suggests ambiguity or inefficiency in their writing. Similarly, study questions framing the text around “what the author intended” cast the writers as well-intentioned but flawed communicators. Prefaces of modern translations reinforce this: the NIV speaks of phrases like “Lord of hosts” having “little meaning” for today’s readers; the New Century Bible paraphrases rhetorical questions to make them clearer. These editorial decisions—even if well-meaning—indirectly communicate to readers that the biblical authors’ original wording was either inadequate or in need of modernization. Over time, this erodes confidence in the Bible as a clear and cohesive text.

By contrast, essentially literal translators, though less vocal about the issue, send a clear unspoken message: they preserve words, syntax, metaphors, and ambiguities as deliberately chosen by the authors. This fidelity signals respect for the biblical writers’ capability to express themselves and for the integrity of their words. When translators maintain constructions like “put on the new self” or “almond tree blossoms,” it’s a silent affirmation: the original phrasing matters, and the authors’ artistic precision is trustworthy. The translator becomes a guardian rather than an editorial smoother-over.

2. The Bible’s Readers: Novices or Mature Disciples?

Dynamic equivalent translations often present their target audience as having low reading skills or theological illiteracy. Many aim for a vocabulary of around 3,000 words, at a junior‑high level—or even elementary level. A preface might emphasize avoiding traditional theological terms “especially for those who have never read the Bible.” Another foreword admits that some stylistic or rhetorical elements “have little meaning for most readers today.” The persistent tone is patronizing: the Bible is complex, and the translator must lower the threshold to pull readers over it. Ironically, this assumption becomes self-fulfilling—by permanently simplifying the text, it denies mature readers the richness of the original and assumes they cannot grow.

Essentially literal translations adopt a different stance. They make no mention of simplifying language or protecting readers from difficulties. Instead, they operate on the assumption that educated adult readers can wrestle with textual complexity and rise to the challenge of ancient idioms, metaphors, and syntax. They trust readers with words like “ransom” or “propitiation,” and they retain ambiguities and theological weight rather than smoothing them out. Their silent but powerful message: the Bible is a rich, shaped text that invites engagement—not a childhood picture book you’re kept from until you’re ready.

3. The Role of the Translator: Expert or Steward?

Dynamic equivalent translators cast themselves as benevolent experts, often likened to jail‑breakers freeing readers from misunderstanding, or orators tailoring messages to audiences. Eugene Nida famously asserted that translators “know more than readers” and should guide them toward correct meaning. This philosophy inevitably invites interpretative commentary within the text—readers often can’t tell where translation ends and commentary begins. Editorial smoothing shifts the translator from steward to interpreter, from messenger to message‑shaper, justified by the assumption: readers can’t make the correct judgments themselves.

Essentially literal translators envision a different role: faithful stewards or heralds, tasked with preserving the original words and trusting readers to interpret. John H. Skilton described the translator as “a steward of the work of another… required to be faithful to what is before him.” They reject the notion that the translator’s insight is always superior, refusing to smooth or modernize at whim. For them, the translator neither judges nor rewrites—it is not their place to bend the text to reader taste or perceived deficiency but to stand where the ancient text stands and present it honestly.

Conclusion: A Clash of Foundations

These divergent views—of authors as imprecise or masterful, of readers as limited or capable, and of translators as editors or guardians—aren’t merely academic. They produce fundamentally different Bibles. One is colloquial, simplified, and tailored; the other is formally preserved, challenging, and authoritative. More than a continuum of choices, they reflect two contrasting intuitions: only a literal translation can truly be the Word of God—clear, faithful, and trustworthy. Let me know if you’d like to dive deeper—perhaps exploring how these views influence gender language, theological terms, or translation choices in specific biblical passages.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).