By: Mack Brazelle

By comparing different English translations of the Old Testament, it becomes clear that the stylistic features of the text vary while the content stays true. For example, in the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, the story introducing Noah (Genesis 6:9) describes Noah as a “righteous man” that “proved himself faultless among his contemporaries”. The King James Bible calls Noah a “just man” who was “perfect in his generations”. Both translations similarly express that in God’s eyes Noah was a special person, however each translation is unique. The fact that the subject matter stays unchanged through different translations supports the belief held by many Christians that the modern English versions of the Bible are accurate to the original Hebrew.

Both translations mirror one another as they narrate God commanding Noah to build an ark for the coming flood. The basic story stays unchanged in both books. The difference is again found in the descriptive language. In the King James version (translated between 1603-1611) God instructs Noah to build the ark out of “gopher wood”. The New World Translation (published in 1961) states that God tells Noah to make the ark out of “resinous tree”. The main reason for this variation is found in the time (place in history) that each Bible was translated. When the New World Translation was written, readers better understood the meaning of the term “gopher wood” if the team “resinous wood” was used. After reading parts of each translation, I found the more modern, New World Translation, easier to read and understand.