What Is An Amplified Bible?
There are many good translations of the Bible available, but they all have one limitation: They're in English, while the original is mostly Hebrew or Greek. The Amplified Bible addresses this problem by adding English words to clarify the original meaning.
Other People Are Reading
-
Features
-
The Amplified Bible selects certain words in the text for amplification. Amplification entails adding one or more English words to add depth or clarity to the word's interpretation. For example, in Matthew 7:1 Jesus tells his followers not to "judge and criticize and condemn" others. In this case, three English words are used for the Greek word "krinete," which many translations render simply as "judge."
Benefits
-
Readers interested in the original text, but who have no knowledge of Greek or Hebrew, may find the Amplified Bible helpful in understanding the nuances of translation. The Amplified Bible also translates meanings that are clear in the Greek original, but are difficult to put succinctly into English. For example, in Matthew 7:7 Jesus tells his followers to "Keep on asking and it will be given you." The usual translation of the Greek imperative verb "aiteite" is simply "ask," but because it is a present imperative, the idea of continuing to ask (as opposed to asking once) is grammatically indicated by the verb itself.
-
History
-
The Amplified Bible was based on the work of Frances Siewert, an exceptionally well-educated woman for her time and student of biblical languages. When her husband, a minister, died, Siewert devoted herself to creating a translation of the Bible that would allow laypeople to better understand it. Her work was reviewed by the nonprofit Lockman Foundation, and Zondervan published the Amplified New Testament in 1958, following with the Amplified Bible in 1965.
Considerations
-
The Amplified Bible may not be ideal for casual readers due to the parenthetical insertions and expansions that the "amplifications" necessitate. These markings break up the text and may make it difficult to follow the text from one verse to another.
Warning
-
While the in-text explanations in many cases simply make it easier to understand the text's linguistic features, in other cases the explanations simply reveal the biases of the translator and translation committee. Thus, in Genesis 1:26 God says "Let Us [Father, Son and Holy Spirit] make mankind in our image." For a Christian who holds to the doctrine of the Trinity, this interpretation presents no problems, but for other readers it may seem unjustified since the Hebrew text has only "Let us make..." and there are other nontrinitarian interpretations of that phrase.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Fotolia.com, courtesy of Stasys Eidiejus
