the documents upon which the translation is based.

Understanding why so many English Bibles exist today, let’s address the question, which one is best? To answer that question, one must study the manuscript evidence, i.e. Therefore, the changing of words and phrases must be done to obtain a copyright. In order to obtain that copyright the work needs to be original within specified standards. Especially in our time, Bibles are published to meet personal preferences of the reader, and with every modern translation there must be a copyright. That’s why various translations often use different words.Īnother reason for so many English Bibles is because Bibles sell, and publishing is a profitable industry. Another reason is that a Hebrew or Greek word might not have an equivalent English word, or there might be more than one English word that conveys the meaning of the Hebrew or Greek word, so translators need to make judgment about which word best conveys the meaning of the original language. The challenges of translating from one language to another language is one reason. There are a number of reasons why there are so many English translations. Why are there so many English translations?

It’s really more about, why are there so many English translations? Let’s address that and consider how to determine which translation is best. However, that’s not really what this question is asking. In fact, it should be the goal of the Church to strive to have the Bible translated into every language. There’s no question that there are many Bible translations.

Bible translation timeline chart