How many mistakes were there in the translation of the Bible?

Answer 1

This question is impossible to answer since any answer is open to interpretation and counter argument. One problem in determining what might be a translation error and what is not is compounded by the fact that the Hebrew and the Greek - the original languages have words and concepts which are foreign to English. This is compounded when the grammar is also different with different, and in many cases more complex verb tenses for example. Students of biblical Greek soon realise this. Thus what some might call a mistake is just a failure to express a concept from one language into another.

If you are referring to translation into languages other than English the problem may be compounded when there is no word at all for something. A good example of this is the word ''snow'' which, since it does not occur has no word in some African languages. Translators then use the nearest ''white'' equivalent. Is this an error -certainly not.

Another issue may be the personal religious or denominational bias of the translator or group of translators. And then there is also the textual basis from which they are translating. This is thus not at all a simple question.

Many Christians would assert that The Bible is itself without mistakes (in terms of the original) but that some translations are definitely better than others. For a number of important reasons many regard the KJV as best. (This has been dealt with at length elsewhere on site). Others would also assert that, even given the limitations of language mentioned above, that God has indeed preserved His word from error.