Example of Translation Analysis

**James 1:19-27**
in Four Translations coded by Analysis and Comparison^*
^{Last revised: 5/18/99}
New American Standard Version (NASB)	New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)	New International Version (NIV)	New Living Translation (NLT)
¹⁹This¹ you know, my beloved brethren. But let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;²⁰for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. ²¹Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. ²²But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves, ²³for if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. ²⁵But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does. ²⁶If any one thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. ²⁷This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.	¹⁹You must understand this, my beloved:² let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;²⁰for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. ²¹Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. ²²But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. ²³For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves³ in a mirror; ²⁴for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. ²⁵But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act -- they will be blessed in their doing. ²⁶If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.	¹⁹My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,²⁰for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. ²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it -- he will be blessed in what he does. ²⁶If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.	¹⁹Dear friends⁴, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰Your anger can never make things right in God's sight. ²¹So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls. ²²And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. ²³For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. ²⁴You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law -- the law that sets you free -- and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. ²⁶If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. ²⁷Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.

OBSERVATIONS:

From the comparison of the four translations above, make notes containing questions etc. that you've observed while making the comparison, especially while doing the color coding. Those notes will want to address a number of issues. First, notice the paragraph arrangement of the passage across the four translations. This will provide the basic clues for your outline of the passage. Then, sentence by sentence, note the differences and similarities of wording across the four translations, raising questions etc. to be checked out later in the dictionaries, concordances, and commentaries.

PARAGRAPH ARRANGEMENT:

The NASB contains just one paragraph, so it provides no help in trying to break down possible subdivisions of thought contained in the passage. The NRSV contains three paragraphs: vv. 19-21, 22-25, 26-27, suggesting the passage may have three natural subdivisions of thought. The NIV also contains the same three paragraph divisions, providing further confirmation of this three fold division of the passage. The NLT, however, breaks the passage down into four paragraphs: vv. 19-20, 21, 22-25, 26-27. Further examination uncovers that its third and four paragraphs correspond exactly to both the NRSV and the NIV. This gives three translations as suggesting the same subdivision of verses 22-27 of the passage.

The variation comes in with verses 19-21. So one important issue to check out in the commentaries is the relationship between the sentence contained in vv. 19-20 and the sentence in v. 21. The English word Therefore that begins v. 21 in three of the translations (NASB, NRSV, NIV; So in the NLT) is crucial to check out in the commentaries.

Also important to begin thinking about: With three paragraphs in the passage, am I looking at a threefold division of the passage? Vv. 19-21, 22-25, 26-27? Or, could two of the paragraphs be grouped together, creating a twofold division of the passage? Vv. 19-25 (19-21; 22-25) and 26-27? At this point make some tentative assessments and then check them out as you study the commentaries discussing this passage. A final conclusion can be reached by answering the exegetical questions suggested in Applying Hermeneutical Principles Creatively.

Once you've come to a conclusion about the divisions (for example, vv. 19-21, 22-25, 26-27), you have a basic outline of the passage in mind. Then begin thinking about a short, simple sentence heading for each of the three divisions.

I. (vv. 19-21) ------------------------------------------------------------

II. (vv. 22-25)-------------------------------------------------------------

III. (vv. 26-27)-------------------------------------------------------------

Now, you're ready to begin the sentence-by-sentence analysis of the passage.

SENTENCE ANALYSIS:

Sentence one (vv. 19-20). In verse 19, the first three translations contain an introductory expression: NASB, "This you know, my beloved brethren"; NRSV, "You must understand this my beloved"; NIV, "My dear brothers, take note of this". The NLT doesn't contain anything but "Dear friends."

Some questions come to mind from this part. (1) What is 'this' referring to? Something that preceded this statement, or what follows in the remainder of the sentence? Both the NRSV and the NIV clearly indicate that it is what follows, while the NASB leaves the issue not as clear, especially with its insertion of But at the beginning of the next part which it has set up in a second sentence. Something to check out in the commentaries! (2) The nature of the sentence differs in the NASB from both the NRSV and the NIV. The NASB assumes the readers know "this" already, while both the NRSV and the NIV exhort the readers to learn "this." These translations handle the statement as either declarative (NASB) or as imperative (NRSV; NIV). What does the underlying Greek text do? Something to check out in the commentaries! (3) All four translations handle the direct address expression somewhat differently: NASB, "my beloved brethren"; NRSV, "my beloved"; NIV, "My dear brothers"; and the NLT, "Dear friends." Is there any appreciable difference in meaning among these four translations? Something else to check out in the commentaries!

The remainder of the sentence is rendered fairly close to the same by all four translations: NASB, "let every one be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger"; NRSV, "let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger"; NIV, "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry"; NLT, "be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."

Some questions arise, however, out of careful observation: (1) Why do the first three translations use the third person form, "let everyone be," while the NLT uses the second person form, "(you) be"? The introductory statement (above) in the first three translations begins in the second person form, but then shifts to the third person form. Is there a reason for this? Must check it out in the commentaries!! (2) The sequence of the expression is quick, slow, slow. Hearing / listening is something needed quickly; speaking / anger is something to be slow to do. What is the setting? Does this apply to everyday life? Or, is this something connected to worship? Again, the commentaries will discuss the axiomatic nature of this expression, and its close relation to Jewish wisdom tradition. Many similar expressions occur in Proverbs in the Old Testament, as well as Sirach in the intertestamental Jewish wisdom literary tradition. Must look at those commentaries carefully, and especially the serious commentaries that go into enough depth to explore the historical background of this type of material. The devotional ones just won't cut the mustard! (3) Is there any appreciable difference between the first two translations "slow to anger" and the last two "slow to become angry," "slow to get angry"? To the commentaries again!!

Verse 20 contains the other half of this sentence. Some issues arise from studying it. (1) What is its connection to the first half of the sentence in verse 19, especially in light of the use of for to introduce it in the first three translations? The conjunction for suggests that verse 20 somehow gives a reason for the preceding statement in verse 19. What does this suggest? (2) How is man's anger and God's righteousness connected here? The Greek verb is handled differently by the translations: NASB, "does not achieve"; NRSV, "does not produce"; NIV, "does not bring about"; NLT, "can never make." Need to check the commentaries for insight here. (3) The expression about righteousness is treated differently: NASB, "the righteousness of God"; NRSV, "God's righteousness"; NIV, "the righteous life that God desires"; NLT, "things right in God's sight." The first two are close to one another, and the second two are close to one another; but, the two sets suggest significantly different ways of translating the Greek text. The commentaries to the rescue!!

This sample analysis is intended to suggest a pattern of study to be followed from beginning to end of the scripture text. If you will systematically go through your passage using this procedure, you will develop extensive notes and questions to be answered from the secondary sources -- commentaries, dictionaries etc. A suggestion: do as I have done in these two samples. Once you have set up in a computer document file, the four translations as the first phase of your study, use the SAVE AS feature of your word processor to create a second document file in which to insert your analysis notes as illustrated above. This file can then either be expanded by your further study of the commentaries etc., or, you can use the SAVE AS feature to create a third document file for your commentary study notes. Once your study is complete, and you begin writing your paper in a new, different document file you can do a simple "cut and paste" procedure from your study notes into your paper file without having to retype anything. Saves a ton of time!

NOTES:____________________
^*This reflects some of the results of following the procedure for comparing the different translations as outlined in the Guidelines document. A suggested color coding would be as follows: Red = agreement by all four translations; Blue = agreement by three of the four translations; Black = agreement by two of the four translations.

¹Or, Know this.

²Gk my beloved brothers

³Gk at the face of his birth

⁴Greek Know this, my beloved brothers.