BIBLE TRANSLATION PHILOSOPHY AND THE NASB2020 & THE UASV
The NASB was deemed the most literal translation since its inception in 1960. In fact, it was viewed as hyper-literal by non-NASB readers and Bible scholars. Of course, they are translation drama-queens. I want to be very honest here and I do not want to offend the NASB readers or its translators in any way or talk badly about the NASB. I do not think the literal NASB was going to ever win the most sold Bible translations award, ever. It had its share of the market (literal readers) and it had two choices: (1) grow the number of literal readers by educating about the importance of literal translations. (2) Dip its toes into the dynamic equivalent world as the ESV and CSB did. The ESV calls itself the essentially literal translation because it wants to straddle the markets.
I think the NASB2020 dipping their toes into the dynamic equivalent market was a mistake. It is like the pizza place that is new and fast becomes the best d_____ pizza place in the city. Then, after ten years of being the number one pizza store in New York, it decides to start selling chicken wings too because it is wanting more share of the market. Well, you can only guess what happens next. They let their hand down on the quality of the pizza, which impacts its reputation as the best pizza. The NASB was known as the most literal (even though it was not [ASV was]) for decades. And the literal was equated with the most accurate. And most accurate was equated with best. The NASB has now dipped your toe into the DE side of the pool. While one might not think so, my prediction is the revisions will come out faster, with more toes being dipped into the deeper end of the pool. It will be like the ASV that went to the RSV, to the NRSV, and ESV, to the NIV. I did not have their 2020 NASB when I did the UASV NT, which is completely done now. So, I cannot evaluate it in comparison to the ESV. But I have had the NASB 2020 for some of the OT and I must say, the ESV and the LEB are more literal than the 2020 and the 1995 NASB. I was shocked to see this. The reason being, the ESV are pretty much faithful to the 1901 ASV in the OT. As I have worked my way through translating since 2005, I have been comparing: ASV, LEB, ESV, HCSB originally now CSB since 2017, NASB 1995 and now 2020 also, as well as the Literal Standard Version (LSV). Wow, the LSV not so good.
What I can say this, the Updated American Standard Version will be done in 2020 and it will become known as the most literal translation, namely, the most accurate, namely, the best among literal readers. I will choose option number (1) above and grow the literal reader's audience instead of abandoning literal translation philosophy.
MISINFORMATION & MISLEADING:
One of the dishonest, manipulative tricks of the dynamic equivalent (interpretive) translation people, such as Bill Mounce and J. Scott Duvall & J. Danie Hays to mention just a few, is to show you an interlinear Bible, saying that it is a literal translation. They then say, 'see how wooden, choppy and nonsensical it sounds.?'
An interlinear ...
Romans 3:22 Interlinear
22 δικαιοσύνη righteousness δὲ but θεοῦ of God διὰ through πίστεως faith Ἰησοῦ of Jesus Χριστοῦ, Christ, εἰς into πάντας all τοὺς the πιστεύοντας, (ones) believing, οὐ not γάρ for ἐστιν there is διαστολή. distinction.
INTERLINEAR: righteousness but of God through faith of Jesus Christ into all the ones believing not for there is distinction
QUESTION: Is this a literal translation? NO, it is an interlinear that gives you the exact Greek word order and the lexical terms below the Greek without any concern to grammar and syntax. Below are literal translations, do they seem anything like the interlinear or the misinformation of Mounce, Duvall, and Hays? No.
Romans 3:22 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
Romans 3:22 New American Standard Bible (NAS 2020
22 but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction,
Romans 3:22 English Standard Version (ESV)
22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:
Romans 3:22 Lexham English Bible (LE
22 that is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For there is no distinction,
Romans 3:22 American Standard Version (ASV)
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction;
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