Our secular world is reluctant to admit that early Bible translations had a tremendous impact upon its literature. A few of them have been honest enough to realize that a key part of the development of a language is the moment that it receives the Word of God.

1. The Impact of Bible Translations
The highest of callings: “Bible Translator”
Our secular world is reluctant to admit
that early Bible translations had a
tremendous impact upon its literature. A few
of them have been honest enough to realize
that a key part of the development of a
language is the moment that it receives the
Word of God.

2. The Impact of Bible Translations
A historical perspective
1. John Wycliffe and his Lollards translated
Scripture from the Latin Vulgate.
A. The English language was considered a
“vulgar” language by the Catholic Church and
incapable of conveying truth.
B. There were no rules for spelling, grammar or
syntax. “England, in the 16th century was
country of various vernaculars and dialects
and there was as of yet no fully accepted
English standard.” Salmon, Vivian. 1996. Language and
Society in Early Modern England. Selected Essays 1981-1994

3. The Impact of Bible Translations
A historical perspective
2. William Tyndale: The Father of English Prose
A. Tyndale argues though, that in fact, English is closer to the
original Hebrew and Greek than Latin: They will say it cannot be
translated into our tounge it is so rude. It is not so rude as they
are false lyers. For the Greeke tounge agreeth more with the
English, then wyth the Latin. And the properties of the Hebrue
tounge agreeth a thousand tymes more wyth the Englishe, then
wyth the Latyn. The maner of speaking is both one, so that in a
thousand places thou needest not but to translate it into the
English, worde for worde, when thou must seeke a compasse in
the Latin, and yet shalt haue much worke to translate it
welfauouredly, so that it haue the same grace& sweetnesse,
sence & pure understanding with it in the Latin, & as it hath in
the Hebrue. A thousand partes better maye it be translated into
the English, then into the Latin.

4. The Impact of Bible Translations
A historical perspective
2. William Tyndale: The Father of English Prose
B. Tyndale made three major decisions while
translating.
i. He opted for finite verbs.
ii. He deleted the participle.
iii. He used “and” wherever he could.

5. The Impact of Bible Translations
A historical perspective
2. William Tyndale: The Father of English Prose
C. Example of his prose and its impact on AV. Matt. 2:10, 11
i. Literal Greek: And seeing the star, they-rejoiced great rejoicing
exceedingly. And coming into the house they-saw the child with Mary
the mother of-him, and falling-down, they-- worshipped him, and
opening the treasures of-them they-offered to-him gifts, gold and
frankincense and myrrh.
ii. Tyndale Version: When they saw the star, they were marvellously
glad: and went into the house and found the child with Mary his
mother, and kneeled down and worshipped him, and opened their
treasures and offered unto him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh.
iii. AV: When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child
with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him: and when
they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold,
and frankincense, and myrrh.

6. The Impact of Bible Translations
A historical perspective
2. William Tyndale: The Father of English Prose
D. Almost as an accidental by-product, he loaded our
speech with more everyday phrases than any other
writer before or since. We still use them, or varieties of
them, every day, 500 years later.
• Here are just a few: “under the sun”, “signs of the
times”, “let there be light”, “my brother’s keeper”,
“lick the dust”, “fall flat on his face”, “the land of the
living”, “pour out one’s heart”, “the apple of his
eye”, “fleshpots”, “go the extra mile”, “the parting of
the ways” – on and on they march through our days.

7. The Impact of Bible Translations
A historical perspective
2. William Tyndale: The Father of English Prose
E. 90% of the AV New Testament (and also
many portions of the Old Testament) comes
from Tyndale himself. Using today’s rules of
copyright, he could have sued the AV
translators for plagiarism.
F. Without Tyndale, we would not have had
Shakespeare.

8. The Impact of Bible Translations
A Modern Day Perspective
1. There are over 7105 languages in the world.
2. Over 3570 of them have a written form.
3. Almost 90% of those written languages had
their writing developed in the last 100 years.
4. Practically all those recently developed writing
systems were made by missionaries.
5. Since the Reformation, practically every
language that has developed any literature,
started with a translation of the Bible.

9. The Impact of Bible Translations
A Modern Day Perspective
6. Bible Translation is a process that might take
hundreds of years before an accurate translation
is achieved.
A. Our KJV is the result of 230 years (1381 to
1611) of multiple editions:
i. John Wycliffe
ii. William Tyndale
iii. Miles Coverdale
iv. Geneva Bible
v. Bishop’s Bible
vi. King James Authorized Version

10. The Impact of Bible Translations
A Modern Day Perspective
6. Bible Translation is a process.
B. We must be patient with those languages that are
presently going through the process.
i. First translation made by a non-native speaker.
ii. Second translation made by a native speaker from a
trade language.
iii. Third (and possibly more than just one) translation
by native speakers with ministry experience from a
trade language.
iv. Finally, a translation made directly from the original
languages by a native speaker with ministry
experience. This might require several editions.

11. The Impact of Bible Translations
As we begin to understand the amazing and
foundational impact that our translation work will
have on future generations of a language’s literature,
we should not be fearful. We should be in awe how
God fulfills His Word from 1 Cor. 1:26-29.