Top 3 Bible versions in: English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Latin to facilitate term a

Hi power users:

I just finished watching live webinar on Bible searching with Morris Proctor.

He showed a neat trick using right click on a word, we can go to lemma, and select Bible word study, which would give in the translation tab the different meaning in the language of the Bible selected.

One can always go to the settings on the right of the translation tab and pick a different language Bible to see what terms were used in that language.

Then we can pick one (according to context), or several to search that term in that particular language resources.

So the question is, what would be your preferred Bibles in the different languages?

For me (in a non expert status):

English: LEB, ESV, NASB, NIV, and MEV (for comparison).

Spanish: BTX, La Biblia de las Americas, RV 1909, RV 1960

German: no clue

Portuguese: no clue

French: no clue

Latin: no clue

Even I ask in the title for the top 3, your preferred 5 would be ok, as I think the trick works with those that have interlinear. Even if the one you mention does not have it, it can still be searched using the extra bible box in the verse view.

Of course this trick works only with terms found in the Bible, for other terms, maybe one could search for the words related to the concept using a resource like:

https://ebooks.faithlife.com/products/167403/handbook-of-basic-bible-texts-every-key-passage-for-the-study-of-doctrine-and-theology

or something like the following:

https://www.logos.com/product/3608/dictionary-of-latin-and-greek-theological-terms

of course it would be great to have something like the following, and at the end had terms in the different languages added for reference:

https://www.logos.com/product/46349/lexham-glossary-of-theology

Thanks for useful input ahead of time.

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Comments

Jan Krohn

German: no clue

As far as I know, there are only 3 German Bibles that have reverse interlinear tagging, which is required for this kind of research:

1. Luther 2017 (formal equivalence translation of critical text, mostly NA, loosely based on Luther's translation)

2. Luther 1984 (predecessor of the above)

3. Schlachter 2000 (formal equivalence translation of TR, from Switzerland, Protestant/Evangelical)

4. Einheitsübersetzung 2017, currently in pre-pub (formal equivalence translation of critical text, Roman-Catholic)

My personally preferred version is the Zürcher Bibel. It has no interlinear tagging though. It's a translation from Switzerland (sponsored by the Swiss Reformed Church), based on the critical text, and uses a modern language while being very accurate to the original text.

Hamilton Ramos

Thanks Jan for your answer and guidance.

I still have to find ways to make passage lists out of the results of parts of the pie chart.

But there are ways one can compare versions to see if similar words are used:

Blessings.

Dave Hooton

Even I ask in the title for the top 3, your preferred 5 would be ok, as I think the trick works with those that have interlinear.

The bible needs a Reverse Interlinear, and they will be listed in Settings for the Translation section. You can get results in Latin with the Clementine Vulgate, but it is far from being a favourite of mine!

Even if the one you mention does not have it, it can still be searched using the extra bible box in the verse view.

Correct. When you Search for the lemma, the "extra bible box" (Resources) will list resources that can be used because they may have passages listed in the Results. The corresponding word(s) will only be highlighted in Reverse Interlinears.

Of course this trick works only with terms found in the Bible, for other terms, maybe one could search for the words related to the concept using a resource like:

You could consider other tools like Topic Guide and Theology Guide; each of which will provide a list of related bible verses. From those, you can conduct a bible word study and see how the terms are translated in different languages.

Hamilton Ramos

Thanks Dave, great tips.

Do you know a way to know what the best French Bibles are and that are available in Logos 8?

And how about your favorite Greek NT?

Thanks ahead of time for any guidance.

HJ. van der Wal

Do you know a way to know what the best French Bibles are and that are available in Logos 8?

You can search the website for all available Reverse Interlinear Bibles: https://www.logos.com/products/search?Resource+Type=Interlinears&Resource+Type_Interlinears=Reverse+Interlinears+

French - At this moment only the Louis Segond 1910 has reverse interlinear tagging.

German - 1.Lutherbibel 1984; 2.Lutherbibel 2017; Schlachter Bibel 2000 (see Jan's post)

Chinese - Chinese Union Version

Korean - New Korean Revised Version

Portuguese - Bíblia Almeida Revista e Atualizada

Edit:

Spanish - Reina Valera 1960

Dave Hooton

And how about your favorite Greek NT?

1. The Greek New Testament: SBL Version (SBLGNT)

2. The Lexham Greek-English Interlinear New Testament: SBL Version (LGNTI:SBL)

David Ames

To do the job you are trying to accomplish fully you need to use ones that use different base texts. Otherwise you may not be seeing differences in the text but differences in the minds of the translators.

In Old Testament studies you need to use both the Hebrew and the Greek texts.
That is Bibles based on: for example LHB or BHS SESB 2.0 for the Hebrew text and LXX Swete for the Greek text. Most are based on the Hebrew but ones based on the Greek are available [LXX].

In New Testament studies you need to use for example: the BYZ The Majority text, the SBLGNT the Critical text and the Scrivener 1881 the TR text. Both the Critical text translations and the TR translations are available but what Majority text translations are there? [I know of one but it is not in Logos]

[[And as others note: the translations need to be in a language you read, be in Logos, and have a Reverse Interlinear]]

Hamilton Ramos

Thank you HJ for the info.

I have been trying to get web pages that list the best Bibles in French and Portuguese, and what comes up is interesting.

You are totally right about the interlinear capability, they are the ones that can faster yield wanted results.

Hamilton Ramos

Thank you Dave.

I have to also look at how I can work with Theological Lexicons to aid in the gathering useful terms under a common concept thrust.

In Morris Proctor webinar, he also mentioned the capability of doing "phrase concordance" search doing right click, selecting the phrase and then selecting "search this resource" in the particular Bible.

Do you know of any resource that has "theological significant phrases" listed?

In another thread, someone mentioned that by typing a word in Factbook, many times there are suggested phrases that can then be chosen for study.

Is there a "Theological significance Phrasebook" anywhere?

Thanks for your guidance / input on this ahead of time.

Hamilton Ramos

Thank you David Arnes.

Excellent observations. To your knowledge is there any resource that clearly shows in a table the different base texts that each version is based on?

Differences in the mind of the translators may not be too bad, if what they touch upon is a different angle of the same concept.

I am no expert, but comparing in my native language (ES) the BTX with the RV1960, I find the BTX to be more exact in what I consider some key theological thrusts taking into consideration the "whole Counsel of God".

Majority text is good for comparison, but I do not know of a resource that compares key Biblical-systematic themes in light of the different base texts, to have a better appreciation of which aligns better with the whole.

https://www.logos.com/product/43990/modern-english-version

https://www.logos.com/product/2390/the-greek-new-testament-according-to-the-majority-text-with-apparatus

Have you had any experience in comparing key Biblical-systematic thrusts on different base texts, and Bible versions?

If so, what have you noticed?

Theoretically one could use something like:

https://ebooks.faithlife.com/products/167403/handbook-of-basic-bible-texts-every-key-passage-for-the-study-of-doctrine-and-theology

and then check the different versions of GNT, and the different Bible Versions in different languages to get a more rounded view.

Thanks ahead of time for your input.

P.S.: I am not into polemics, I really enjoy encountering and trying to understand other angles in different key topics, I just believe that some of the standards as depicted above have to be met, to make a particular construct more of a correct conjecture given the available evidence than others.

David Ames

Theoretically one could use something like:

https://ebooks.faithlife.com/products/167403/handbook-of-basic-bible-texts-every-key-passage-for-the-study-of-doctrine-and-theology

and then check the different versions of GNT, and the different Bible Versions in different languages to get a more rounded view.

Yes, and then look up each verse in all of the bibles in your library. That resource states that: "The text used is the highly readable and modern New International Version" Which is a translation of the Critical Text. [Thanks for the link - bought a copy]

[Now to see if I can digest the rest of your reply]

David Ames

To your knowledge is there any resource that clearly shows in a table the different base texts that each version is based on?

To the best of limits of my knowledge:

The KJV, the NKJV, and the MEV are from the Hebrew OT and the TR NT [but neither exactly follow the KJV text]

The ones that use the letters LXX have the Greek OT and may not have the NT

The, not in logos, Apostles Bible has the Greek OT, same as the LXX and the Majority Text NT

Most, if not all, of the modern Bibles, after 1950, use the Hebrew OT and the Critical NT

David Ames

Have you had any experience in comparing key Biblical-systematic thrusts on different base texts, and Bible versions?

If so, what have you noticed?

Back in December 2005 our pastor suggested that we read the Bible in a year. Having done that a few years before I decided to do it again. [[Many do that every year and use a different version if they can find one that they have not used before]]

But I decided to bite off more, hopefully not more than I could chew. So I read three at once. KJV (Hebrew / TR), NASB (Hebrew / Critical), and the Apostles Bible (Greek LXX / Majority). [not in Logos] I copied the text of all three into a word document file - side by side. I flagged every place where there was a difference. I am still working on studies that started with my finding a difference. May finish all the studies around 2099 or so so I do not yet have firm conclusions. I have not even thought of performing the tests that you have listed.

[[by the way I found that Exodus 36 to 40 does not line up between the Greek and Hebrew. They basically say the same thing but not in the same order. Someone's master scroll fell apart and they did a good job putting it back together. I printed out both versions one line per verse, cut them up, and matched every verse to the other version. After inputting the verse numbers that matched into a spreadsheet I can now read Ex 36 - 40 in either order: Greek or Hebrew.]]

[[One side project that I am trying is to compare Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. My very preliminary conclusion is that if the two do not agree and one agrees with the TR then the "scholars" take the other, the one that does not agree with the TR, as the correct reading.]]

Hamilton Ramos

Thank for your answers David Arnes.

Good info, will have to do some projects based on what you have described. Great ideas.

There is an article (a little long) but interesting in case you are interested:

Bible, Textual Criticism of the

Weigelt, M. A. (1988). Bible, Textual Criticism of The. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 314). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

I am not sure how accurate it is, but seems to be informative enough to think about some issues.

Never thought of reading many Bibles at the same time, maybe I can try to do that with ones in other languages in addition to one that I can understand.

Or even better just go over the verses suggested in the Handbook of Basic Bible texts to have a more doctrinal approach.

Thanks for sparking my mind.