(This is take #2 on this post, as our power went out when I was right in the middle of typing it! Grrr.)
I've been meaning to do this review for quite some time now, but I wanted to "get comfortable" with The Voice Bible for a little while before I reviewed it. This would be a good time to mention that I received my free electronic copy of The Voice Bible from Thomas Nelson's Booksneeze blogger program. Check 'em out...it's a good way to get some free books in exchange for writing a relatively brief review online.
I've done a few reviews of The Voice New Testament on this blog a little while back; you can read my thoughts here and here and here. Many (perhaps most) of my initial impressions still stand, but I would like to consider the Old Testament in this review, as I have reviewed the New Testament pretty thoroughly on older posts.
The main problem I have with The Voice is not really a problem with the book itself; rather, my difficulty is with the way in which the book is marketed. If you look at the book's official website, you will find the term "translation" all over the place. But is The Voice really a translation? I think not; I see it as more of a "creative engagement" with the text of Scripture. As such, it can be a marvelous tool for unpacking Scripture, for digging into some of the possible meanings of Scripture, but it should probably be used in conjunction with a "real" translation. A few examples will demonstrate what I mean.
Let's begin at the beginning, with the first few verses of Genesis:
In the beginning, God created everything: the heavens above and the earth below. Here's what happened: At first the earth lacked shape and was totally empty, and a dark fog draped over the deep while God's spirit-wind hovered over the surface of the empty waters. Then there was the voice of God. [italics in original]
This is not too bad--pretty traditional, in fact. But, right away, we see how the writers insist on adding whole phrases, not necessarily to clarify, but to set the scene in a creative way. "Then there was the voice of God" almost seems like "product placement." They have to include the title of the book in that first verse. I realize the good ol' King James Bible added italicized words into the text as well, but generally, the italicized words in the KJV simply make the grammar readable, rather than trying to "enhance" the text.
Let's take a look at a poetic text, from the Psalms. This is Psalm 8:3-4...
When I gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation--on the moon, stars, and all You have made, I can't help but wonder why You care about mortals--sons and daughters of men--specks of dust floating about the cosmos. [italics in original]
This is quite beautiful, but is the extra poetic enhancement really part of a translation? "Specks of dust floating about the cosmos" is a whole line of poetry added to the text, as a sort of meditation on the meaning of human life in a huge universe. The line conjures up images of the Hubble telescope, images that are most likely quite foreign to the worldview of the psalmist. Once again, the added material goes well beyond clarification, into the realm of poetic expansion.
I would like to present a more extended passage from Job, to examine what I find to be one of the more interesting features of The Voice's page layout. This is Job 1:9-12.
The Accuser: I won't argue with You that he is pious, but is all of this believing in You and honoring You for no reason? Haven't You encircled him with Your very own protection, and not only him but his entire household and all that he has? Not only this, but Your blessing accompanies whatever his hand touches, and see how his possessions have grown. It is easy to be so pious in the face of such prosperity. So now extend Your hand! Destroy all of these possessions of his, and he will certainly curse You, right to Your face.
Eternal One: I delegate this task to you. His possessions are now in your hand. One thing, though: you are not to lay a finger on the man himself. Job must not be touched. [italics and boldface in original]
I won't belabor the point about the material in italics, altough my earlier comments apply to some of the added lines in this passage as well. I do like the easy-to-read layout of the "script" format, although I don't know if it would work all that well when reading the text out loud (unless you wanted to act it out). I also find it interesting how the writers use the capitalized "You" when addressing God. That very old-fashioned convention is rarely used in modernn translations, except for the NKJV (and perhaps the NASB). I'm not sure what the reasoning behind that traditional touch is.
I have been surprised by the kerfuffle on some of the more conservative reviews of The Voice I have read, that so many people have problems with the writers' use of titles for God and Jesus: the Eternal One, the Anointed One, and the Liberating King, for example. "The Eternal One" is a pretty decent way of engaging with God's proper name. "Anointed One" is a very accurate rendering of Christos. "Liberating King" is a bit too interpretive for my taste, but I find it significant that the writers are trying hard to get away from the word Christ as Jesus' last name.
Overall, I find The Voice Bible to be a very engaging and creative way of interacting with Scripture. I simply feel that it should be used in conjunction with a more "standard" translation (for lack of a better term). It can be a great tool for unpacking the text, but it shouldn't be seen as a translation as such.
Posted via email from CORYBANTER: babble and banter, bypassing banality
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