…but in translation it can come out absent any fragrance and looking like a wilted dandelion. In reading the New Testament in Greek today (Gospel of John), it struck me again how much more illuminating the original language is when compared to any English translation.
The problem is the very process of trying to pick the best single English word or phrase to express the meaning of the Greek word. It is, at best, a lost cause. When you read your English Bible you will be completely unaware of this. The English reads smoothly and you discern meaning from it. But, because it is a translation, you are missing a lot.
I’ve read Shakespeare in other languages, and it falls flat when compared to what he created in English. The translation might be in iambic pentameter and might even coin some words to reflect Shakespeare’s coinages. But a translation can never catch all the word play and the multifaceted nuances of Shakespeare’s phrasing.
I’m not saying that God does not use the Bible in translation; I’m living testimony that He most certainly does. I grow spiritually through it, I came to Jesus Christ through reading its words, it cuts me more sharply than any double-edged sword with conviction, and it guides my prayer and worship. I am just saying that one should remember that there are helps out there that illumine the text of the English Bible with gems from the Greek.
Here’s my expanded translation from the Greek.