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Faith1960
Guest
Are the amplified parts of the Amplified Bible inspired or just the words of men?
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Eliza10
Guest
Different translations have different strengths and some of them are closer to the earliest texts than others. There is so much to say about the differing translations. All scripture is inspired by God. Its rare but but probably possible to get tripped up JUST because of a “lesser” translation (but I cannot think of any examples). My husband studied various Biblical languages so is particularly picky about closeness to original languages, and strongly prefers Douay Rheims as well as the original and complete King James Version (we both prefer the language of that). But I am not as picky as he is because I, like the vast majority of people, do not understand all those language subtleties!
The first Bible I read as a new Christian was my roommate’s copy of The Way. This is a New Living translation and it’s a paraphrase
! Not a very true translation to the original text.:dts: But God spoke to me in those words, and I was not led astray by any of them. It became dogeared! I don’t read this one now, but its a sentimental favorite.
So I think even a BAD translation like a paraphrase can be used to hear Gods voice loud and clear!
So I would go with any version that works for you. (but maybe no paraphrase Bible to pick apart the words in a verse!)
I often like to look up a favorite verse on Bible Hub or Bible Gateway and see how the different translations say it. I like to hunt for my favorite wording. Bible Hub is nice for comparing them all on the same page. Gateway has an Amplified Bible in their line-up, though, so you might want to check that out.
Look at these for John 3:16 -
King James Version:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”:bowdown2:
Douay-Rheims:
“For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.”
Amplified Bible:
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life."
:ehh: Hmm. If you are looking for flow, this is the wrong version.
I guess it just depends on what you are looking for from the verse.
The first Bible I read as a new Christian was my roommate’s copy of The Way. This is a New Living translation and it’s a paraphrase
! Not a very true translation to the original text.:dts: But God spoke to me in those words, and I was not led astray by any of them. It became dogeared! I don’t read this one now, but its a sentimental favorite.So I think even a BAD translation like a paraphrase can be used to hear Gods voice loud and clear!
So I would go with any version that works for you. (but maybe no paraphrase Bible to pick apart the words in a verse!)
I often like to look up a favorite verse on Bible Hub or Bible Gateway and see how the different translations say it. I like to hunt for my favorite wording. Bible Hub is nice for comparing them all on the same page. Gateway has an Amplified Bible in their line-up, though, so you might want to check that out.
Look at these for John 3:16 -
King James Version:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”:bowdown2:
Douay-Rheims:
“For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting.”
Amplified Bible:
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] [a]only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life."
:ehh: Hmm. If you are looking for flow, this is the wrong version.
I guess it just depends on what you are looking for from the verse.
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Eliza10
Guest
God entrusted men with all the translating. So, yes, the “amplified” parts are from men, but I think you can say they are as inspired as any. They take great care to bracket their amplifications, which shows respect for the original languages.
But you can examine for yourself. God is truth. Are the amplifications true? In the verse above, the amplifications sure look true to me.
But I do not like the too-many words of the amplified myself.
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Sacred_Heart_1
Guest
The amplified bible take scripture out of its *real context.
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pianistclare
Guest
What is an “Amplified Bible?” The very name sounds suspect to me.
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SJacob7
Guest
Can you give examples?
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Eliza10
Guest
Yes, I am curious too. The Amplified seems bulky and unwieldy to me, but I don’t see it as incorrect. Can you show us an example of any verse that takes it out of context? (You can look on Bible Gateway for different translations of the same verse, including the Amplified).
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pianistclare
Guest
Why do Catholics always seek a non-Catholic edition of the Bible?
Most of those who have these publications are really not seeking to compare and contrast.
Just buy a good Catholic Bible already. There are many.
The NRSV comes to mind…the Douay Rheims or Knox Bible if you like flowery language, the Didache Bible if you like footnotes and maps…etc.
Most of those who have these publications are really not seeking to compare and contrast.
Just buy a good Catholic Bible already. There are many.
The NRSV comes to mind…the Douay Rheims or Knox Bible if you like flowery language, the Didache Bible if you like footnotes and maps…etc.
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Charliesj
Guest
The thing I don’t like about the Amplified Bible is that some people mistakenly read the bracketed parts of the verse as though it’s in the original text. If you read it and know the bracketed parts are an addition of the editors then it’s not much different than reading a verse and looking at the footnotes
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Faith1960
Guest
I’m not going to buy one, I’m just wondering because Joyce Meyer quotes from it all the time.
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pianistclare
Guest
Never heard of her.
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Eliza10
Guest
Joyce Meyer is a longtime TV-personality preacher, and definitely not Catholic, so it makes sense she is using a Bible with missing books in it.
She preaches things that Catholics do NOT believe, and preaches things also that MOST Protestants also do not believe, such as described in these Protestant links below:
rootedinchrist.org/2011/12/23/what-you-need-to-know-about-joyce-meyers-false-gospel-message/
endtime-prophets.com/joycemeyer.html
So I think she might is a false prophet, as these articles say.
I remember her body guard being convicted for murder not long back… but, I never her of her accused of any fault for that…
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pianistclare
Guest
Again, why do Catholics look elsewhere for truth?
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Church_Militant
Guest
Yeah, I have never been very impressed with her teaching and preaching.Again, why do Catholics look elsewhere for truth?
As for the Amplified Bible…I have one and it’s okay for study and in fact the way it explodes the verses to include all the various possible meanings has proved handy in apologetics for our most holy faith, but most n-Cs you encounter won’t be using it.
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patrick457
Guest
It’s a Bible that claims to ‘amplifiy’ the words of Scripture by bringing out all possible shades of meaning present in the text. For example, Genesis 1:1. (I’ve underlined the ‘amplifications’ to the text.)
In the beginning God ([a]Elohim) **created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. The earth was [c]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. And God said, [d]“Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good (pleasing, useful) and [e]He affirmed and sustained it; and God separated the light [distinguishing it] from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was [f]evening and there was [g]morning, one day.
a This is originally a plural form based on el (root meaning: strength), which itself is used to refer to God in compounds like El Shaddai (Almighty God). The word el is also used to refer to false gods, so the context determines whether Elohim means “God” or is better understood as “gods” (elohim).
b Heb bara. Here and in 1:21, God created from nothing which is something only He can do. In 1:27, God used preexisting materials (man from the dust of the ground; Eve from Adam’s rib); each use of the word bara (“create”) must be considered in its specific context.
c The Hebrew text here has two rhyming words, tohu and bohu, which have similar meanings of “wasteness” and “emptiness.” The construction is a figure of speech called hendiadys, in which two words are used together to express the same idea. The meaning is that the earth had no clearly discernible features at this point in creation but essentially was a mass of raw materials. This proves to be very important from philosophical and scientific viewpoints, because it documents the fact that the raw matter of the earth—and by extension, of the universe—did not coexist eternally with God, but was created by Him ex nihilo (Latin “out of nothing”).
d This is not in the imperative mood (the ordinary grammatical form for a command), but God willed these creative events into existence. It is the voluntative mood in Hebrew. This translates, “It is My will that this happen.” English does not have the voluntative mood, which includes the jussive and cohortative forms. When “let” is used in this way, it represents a command not in the imperative mood, but rather an expression of God’s will, the jussive form. God literally commanded (willed) the world into existence.
e “He affirmed and sustained it” is understood (deduced) from the context. The italic “and” alerts the reader or student of Hebrew that the word or words that follow are amplifications not found in the Hebrew text itself, but implied by it or by contextual factors.
f The Hebrew word translated “evening” indicates dusk or sunset.
g The Hebrew word translated “morning” indicates the time when it is getting light (dawn).**
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Eliza10
Guest
It’s a Bible that claims to ‘amplifiy’ the words of Scripture by bringing out all possible shades of meaning present in the text. For example, Genesis 1:1. (I’ve underlined the ‘amplifications’ to the text.)
In the beginning God ([a]Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. The earth was [c]formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. And God said, [d]“Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good (pleasing, useful) and [e]He affirmed and sustained it; and God separated the light [distinguishing it] from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was [f]evening and there was [g]morning, one day.
a This is originally a plural form based on el (root meaning: strength), which itself is used to refer to God in compounds like El Shaddai (Almighty God). The word el is also used to refer to false gods, so the context determines whether Elohim means “God” or is better understood as “gods” (elohim).
b Heb bara. Here and in 1:21, God created from nothing which is something only He can do. In 1:27, God used preexisting materials (man from the dust of the ground; Eve from Adam’s rib); each use of the word bara (“create”) must be considered in its specific context.
c The Hebrew text here has two rhyming words, tohu and bohu, which have similar meanings of “wasteness” and “emptiness.” The construction is a figure of speech called hendiadys, in which two words are used together to express the same idea. The meaning is that the earth had no clearly discernible features at this point in creation but essentially was a mass of raw materials. This proves to be very important from philosophical and scientific viewpoints, because it documents the fact that the raw matter of the earth—and by extension, of the universe—did not coexist eternally with God, but was created by Him ex nihilo (Latin “out of nothing”).
d This is not in the imperative mood (the ordinary grammatical form for a command), but God willed these creative events into existence. It is the voluntative mood in Hebrew. This translates, “It is My will that this happen.” English does not have the voluntative mood, which includes the jussive and cohortative forms. When “let” is used in this way, it represents a command not in the imperative mood, but rather an expression of God’s will, the jussive form. God literally commanded (willed) the world into existence.
e “He affirmed and sustained it” is understood (deduced) from the context. The italic “and” alerts the reader or student of Hebrew that the word or words that follow are amplifications not found in the Hebrew text itself, but implied by it or by contextual factors.
f The Hebrew word translated “evening” indicates dusk or sunset.
g The Hebrew word translated “morning” indicates the time when it is getting light (dawn).
I guess you could call it an “exhaustive amplification”.
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Faith1960
Guest
Yes, it’s very wordy.I guess you could call it an “exhaustive amplification”.
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Seekerjn316
Guest
The bracketed words are expansions upon other meanings the original language carries.
“Fath in” carries also “rely on”, “trust in”, “cling to”, not merely an intellectual " believe in", but a life changing quality the incluse all the above-mentioned .
“Additions by the editors” or “alternate or expanded meanings and connotations” the original Greek or Hebrew word “amplified” to convey a fuller meaning?
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