Book Review: The Word of God in English

 Fifty years ago, Eugene Nida developed a theory of Bible translation which came to be called dynamic equivalence theory; replacing the contemporary “word-for-word” translation technique with “thought-for-thought” methodology. This theory makes basic assumptions about the Bible and Bible readers. In his book, The Word of God in English: Criteria for Excellence in Bible Translation, Dr. Leland Ryken shows the ways in which dynamic equivalance translation theory produces less than excellent translation. In fact, the final product of dynamic equivalence translation theory is not a translation at all, but a commentary on the Scriptures.

The Word of God in English is not an overly technical approach to this subject. Dr. Ryken addresses this subject very skillfully and seeks to teach an appreciation for the literary beauty of the Scriptures. God did not provide us with revelation that is grammatically and literarily poor. Instead, His Word is excellent in all areas and should be translated that way. The essentially literal translations, e.g., King James Version, English Standard Version, etc., preserve this beauty, while remaining true to the very words which God inspired.