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The First Testament: A New Translation
Awash in a sea of Bible translations, do we need yet another?
Most translations bend the text toward us. They make the rough places smooth, the odd bits more palatable to our modern sensibilities. In every translation something is gained and something lost.
In The First Testament: A New Translation, John Goldingay interrupts our sleepy familiarity with the Old Testament. He sets our expectations off balance by inviting us to hear the strange accent of the Hebrew text. We encounter the sinewed cadences of the Hebrew Bible, its tics and its textures. Translating words consistently, word by word, allows us to hear resonances and see the subtle figures stitched into the textual carpet. In a day of white-bread renderings of the Bible, here is a nine-grain translation with no sugar or additives.
In The First Testament the language of Zion comes to us unbaptized in pious religiosity. Familiar terms such as salvation, righteousness, and holiness are avoided. We cock our ears to listen more carefully, to catch the intonations and features we had not caught before:
“Yahweh said to Abram, ‘Get yourself from your country, from your homeland, and from your father’s household, to the country that I shall enable you to see, and I shall make you into a big nation. I shall bless you and make your name big and you’ll become a blessing." (Gen 12:1-2)
“Hey, you who wish
for Yahweh’s day.
What good really is Yahweh’s day to you?―
it will be darkness, not light.” (Amos 5:18)
“My shepherd being Yahweh, I don’t lack;
he enables me to lie down in grassy pastures.
He leads me to settled water;
he turns my life back.” (Ps 23:1-3)
The First Testament is an invitation to read the sacred text through the eyes of one of the most accomplished Old Testament scholars in the English-speaking world today. With introductions to each book, it is an attractive translation for the classroom as much as for personal study and enjoyment.
Most translations bend the text toward us. They make the rough places smooth, the odd bits more palatable to our modern sensibilities. In every translation something is gained and something lost.
In The First Testament: A New Translation, John Goldingay interrupts our sleepy familiarity with the Old Testament. He sets our expectations off balance by inviting us to hear the strange accent of the Hebrew text. We encounter the sinewed cadences of the Hebrew Bible, its tics and its textures. Translating words consistently, word by word, allows us to hear resonances and see the subtle figures stitched into the textual carpet. In a day of white-bread renderings of the Bible, here is a nine-grain translation with no sugar or additives.
In The First Testament the language of Zion comes to us unbaptized in pious religiosity. Familiar terms such as salvation, righteousness, and holiness are avoided. We cock our ears to listen more carefully, to catch the intonations and features we had not caught before:
“Yahweh said to Abram, ‘Get yourself from your country, from your homeland, and from your father’s household, to the country that I shall enable you to see, and I shall make you into a big nation. I shall bless you and make your name big and you’ll become a blessing." (Gen 12:1-2)
“Hey, you who wish
for Yahweh’s day.
What good really is Yahweh’s day to you?―
it will be darkness, not light.” (Amos 5:18)
“My shepherd being Yahweh, I don’t lack;
he enables me to lie down in grassy pastures.
He leads me to settled water;
he turns my life back.” (Ps 23:1-3)
The First Testament is an invitation to read the sacred text through the eyes of one of the most accomplished Old Testament scholars in the English-speaking world today. With introductions to each book, it is an attractive translation for the classroom as much as for personal study and enjoyment.
944 pages, Hardcover
Published September 4, 2018
39 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
John E. Goldingay
87 books67 followersJohn Goldingay is David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. An internationally respected Old Testament scholar, Goldingay is the author of many commentaries and books.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 27, 2018
John Goldingay, professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary and accomplished scholar and writer, has compiled his own translation of the Hebrew Scriptures in a soon-to-be-released 944 page hardback, "The First Testament: A New Translation". This sturdy tome puts forth, in one place, a substantially revised version of the author's rendition of the Old Testament that he had published in the commentary series "The Old Testament for Everyone". It is a work intended for those who have a familiarity with "some standard translations but might appreciate something a bit different" (vii).
The translational work of "The First Testament" stands on it's own. In other words, its not "The Message," it's not the "Authorized Version," but it's definitely not the "New World Translation of Holy Scriptures"! It is unique, but not unorthodox. One of the most easily noticeable qualities is that Goldingay transliterates many of the place names and proper names. For example, Mosheh (Moses), Eliyyahu (Elijah), and Shelomoh (Solomon), to name a few. For me, having had Hebrew in seminary, this part was fun - reading the names as they are in the original text. The translation itself seems to stay generally in the ballpark of standard works, while exhibiting it's own accent. It's a volume I'll refer back to often as I'm preparing for sermon series, and which I'm already looking at as I get ready to preach through Joel in the near future.
This volume contains two extra features. In almost every biblical book there is a conveniently placed map that displays the topology of the events in a particular writing. The maps are clear, crisp and uncluttered.
A second detail is that the volume includes introductions the author has written for each of the Old Testament books. These introductions are no more than a single page in length, succinct, observant and instructive. They're almost worth the price of the book! I don't agree with the author's views of when specific writings were compiled and placed in their final form. And I found it hard to accept his claim that the recorded events are built off of historical events, but not necessarily what happened. For example, as Goldingay introduces Exodus, he states, that like "Genesis, Exodus is more like a movie based on fact than either a piece of pure fiction or a pure historical narrative" (52). Nevertheless, his comments about the purpose of each book, how that biblical writing functions within the larger canon and why it is valuable to Christians, was often very insightful.
I can see "The First Testament" becoming something of a standard reference in Old Testament studies and seminaries. Even given my disagreements mentioned above, it needs to find a place on every pastor's and bible teacher's desk. And it should find room in a University's and Seminary's library. I recommend the book.
I'm grateful to IVP Academic for the copy of the book used for this review. There were no demands or stipulations made on me. No animals were hurt in the writing. And there was no loss of life or limb. All comments are freely made and freely given.
The translational work of "The First Testament" stands on it's own. In other words, its not "The Message," it's not the "Authorized Version," but it's definitely not the "New World Translation of Holy Scriptures"! It is unique, but not unorthodox. One of the most easily noticeable qualities is that Goldingay transliterates many of the place names and proper names. For example, Mosheh (Moses), Eliyyahu (Elijah), and Shelomoh (Solomon), to name a few. For me, having had Hebrew in seminary, this part was fun - reading the names as they are in the original text. The translation itself seems to stay generally in the ballpark of standard works, while exhibiting it's own accent. It's a volume I'll refer back to often as I'm preparing for sermon series, and which I'm already looking at as I get ready to preach through Joel in the near future.
This volume contains two extra features. In almost every biblical book there is a conveniently placed map that displays the topology of the events in a particular writing. The maps are clear, crisp and uncluttered.
A second detail is that the volume includes introductions the author has written for each of the Old Testament books. These introductions are no more than a single page in length, succinct, observant and instructive. They're almost worth the price of the book! I don't agree with the author's views of when specific writings were compiled and placed in their final form. And I found it hard to accept his claim that the recorded events are built off of historical events, but not necessarily what happened. For example, as Goldingay introduces Exodus, he states, that like "Genesis, Exodus is more like a movie based on fact than either a piece of pure fiction or a pure historical narrative" (52). Nevertheless, his comments about the purpose of each book, how that biblical writing functions within the larger canon and why it is valuable to Christians, was often very insightful.
I can see "The First Testament" becoming something of a standard reference in Old Testament studies and seminaries. Even given my disagreements mentioned above, it needs to find a place on every pastor's and bible teacher's desk. And it should find room in a University's and Seminary's library. I recommend the book.
I'm grateful to IVP Academic for the copy of the book used for this review. There were no demands or stipulations made on me. No animals were hurt in the writing. And there was no loss of life or limb. All comments are freely made and freely given.
September 18, 2019
Read my full review at Spoiled Milks (04/29/19).
OT John Goldingay has written a new translation on the Old Testament, what he calls the First Testament. His translation style is closer to word-by-word rather than sentence-by-sentence. If something is vague or unclear, it's because Goldingay has followed the Hebrew text. Some names are transliterated, others are translated. He tries to use the same Hebrew word to translate any one Hebrew word. This way, for example, you can see how the word "serve" shows up throughout Exodus without that Hebrew word being obscured by a different English word.
Sometimes Goldingay translates names (Nod = ‘Drifting’). Other times he gives the Hebrew of someone’s name and/or how it puns on a nearby word. In Genesis 9, Japhet is written as ‘Yephet’. Goldingay translates 9:17 as, “May God extend [yapht] Yephet and may he dwell in Shem’s tents” showing the pun on Japhet’s name.
In some verses he translates one name but not another. In Genesis 12:8 he shows that ‘Ha’ay’ (=Ai) means ‘The Ruin,’ but not that ‘Bet-el’ (=Bethel) means ‘House of God’ (though he may explain this later on. Still, he normal gives the translation on the first occurrence).
Goldingay’s section headings are pretty interesting, with some humorously getting the point of the passage across. Genesis 11: “Babel becomes Babble-on.”
Some phrases remind me Hawaiian Pidgin translation of the NT, “Da Jesus Book.” In Genesis 12.1–3, God will make Abraham to be a ‘big nation’ (instead of a great nation). In Numbers 14.18, Yahweh is not steadfast in love but ‘big in commitment’ (see also Num 14.12). The translation is fine, but why not leave ‘great’ as it was?
Goldingay doesn't use certain words like salvation, holiness, covenant, eternity, justice, and righteousness because he thinks these words don't correspond well with their Hebrew counterparts. What does he use instead of "righteous"? “Faithful," which has a different connotation to it. A righteous person is faithful, but a faithful person isn't necessarily righteous. Genesis 18:25a: "Far be it from you to do a thing like this, putting to death the faithful with the faithless, so the faithful and the faithless are the same."
Genesis 18:25b is clunky, "Isn't the one who exercises authority over the entire earth to exercise authority."
More examples are found on my blog.
Because the wording is so odd (being like Hebrew), you will read more slowly and carefully. Goldingay doesn't intend for his translation to overshadow any others. He admits there is no perfect translation. I think he succeeds in that. Goldingay is a moderately critical scholar, and I don't agree with all of his views, which do come out in his translation. If you pick this up, don’t make this your main translation.
OT John Goldingay has written a new translation on the Old Testament, what he calls the First Testament. His translation style is closer to word-by-word rather than sentence-by-sentence. If something is vague or unclear, it's because Goldingay has followed the Hebrew text. Some names are transliterated, others are translated. He tries to use the same Hebrew word to translate any one Hebrew word. This way, for example, you can see how the word "serve" shows up throughout Exodus without that Hebrew word being obscured by a different English word.
Sometimes Goldingay translates names (Nod = ‘Drifting’). Other times he gives the Hebrew of someone’s name and/or how it puns on a nearby word. In Genesis 9, Japhet is written as ‘Yephet’. Goldingay translates 9:17 as, “May God extend [yapht] Yephet and may he dwell in Shem’s tents” showing the pun on Japhet’s name.
In some verses he translates one name but not another. In Genesis 12:8 he shows that ‘Ha’ay’ (=Ai) means ‘The Ruin,’ but not that ‘Bet-el’ (=Bethel) means ‘House of God’ (though he may explain this later on. Still, he normal gives the translation on the first occurrence).
Goldingay’s section headings are pretty interesting, with some humorously getting the point of the passage across. Genesis 11: “Babel becomes Babble-on.”
Some phrases remind me Hawaiian Pidgin translation of the NT, “Da Jesus Book.” In Genesis 12.1–3, God will make Abraham to be a ‘big nation’ (instead of a great nation). In Numbers 14.18, Yahweh is not steadfast in love but ‘big in commitment’ (see also Num 14.12). The translation is fine, but why not leave ‘great’ as it was?
Goldingay doesn't use certain words like salvation, holiness, covenant, eternity, justice, and righteousness because he thinks these words don't correspond well with their Hebrew counterparts. What does he use instead of "righteous"? “Faithful," which has a different connotation to it. A righteous person is faithful, but a faithful person isn't necessarily righteous. Genesis 18:25a: "Far be it from you to do a thing like this, putting to death the faithful with the faithless, so the faithful and the faithless are the same."
Genesis 18:25b is clunky, "Isn't the one who exercises authority over the entire earth to exercise authority."
More examples are found on my blog.
Because the wording is so odd (being like Hebrew), you will read more slowly and carefully. Goldingay doesn't intend for his translation to overshadow any others. He admits there is no perfect translation. I think he succeeds in that. Goldingay is a moderately critical scholar, and I don't agree with all of his views, which do come out in his translation. If you pick this up, don’t make this your main translation.
August 24, 2021
With so many different Bible translation available today, one might rightly question why we need yet one more. In other words, is there some value to Dr. John Goldingay's "The First Testament" that's not already present in other translations of the Old Testament? The answer is yes. Having read a number of Dr. Goldingay's books, I can honestly say that one of his strengths lies in his ability to paint a rather vivid and earthy picture of the historical dealings of YHWH and His people Israel. That is also the strength of this translation, which began life through his "Old Testament for Everyone" commentary series. Dr. Goldingay strives to translate the OT in such a way that Christians can hear it a little more "Hebrewly" (yes, I know that's a made up word). And I think he succeeds quite well at doing just that. From his use of God's name (Yahweh) in the text, instead of "the Lord" as most English translations render it, to his decision to keep Hebrew names Hebrew (i.e. Moses is Mosheh, Solomon is Shelomoh, Isaiah is Yesha'yahu) reading this translation feels like you are entering the world of the Hebrew people of old, and to me that's a good thing. It makes the OT come alive in a new and exciting way. There were times that passages I've read for years jumped out at me in new and exciting ways, which in turn has helped strengthen my reading of the standard English translations.
I will issue one word of caution though: "The First Testament" is best read by someone who has read the OT in it's entirety several times beforehand in one or more of the standard English translations. Without some familiarity with the Old Testament in one of the standard English translations, I think it might be easy to get a bit lost with character and place names. (Although, Dr. Goldingay does put the standard translations in parentheses the first time someone or some place is introduced in the text, and he does offer a glossary of terms at the end.)
Overall, a great read, and well worth the price.
I will issue one word of caution though: "The First Testament" is best read by someone who has read the OT in it's entirety several times beforehand in one or more of the standard English translations. Without some familiarity with the Old Testament in one of the standard English translations, I think it might be easy to get a bit lost with character and place names. (Although, Dr. Goldingay does put the standard translations in parentheses the first time someone or some place is introduced in the text, and he does offer a glossary of terms at the end.)
Overall, a great read, and well worth the price.
March 30, 2022
One of the aspects of writing that I most love is playing with words! As a matter of fact, I'm one of those nerdy people who relishes pouring over a thesaurus to find just the right word. In some respects, translation work can be something like that as well since the translator must find precisely the right word(s) to capture what is communicated in the original language, and this isn't always an exact science as languages don't always have perfect word-to-word correspondence. This is why it is so valuable to consult multiple translations when studying a particular passage of Scripture. To that end, John Goldingay has sought to serve the Church with a fresh translation of the Old (First) Testament.
STRENGTHS:
- Fairly easy-to-read (minus the transliteration of names and places which might be hard on the average lay person)
- Consistent translation of Hebrew words across the entire work due to single translator completing the entire project
- Incorporates word plays directly in the text and headings where they can be better noted and appreciated rather than relegating them to footnotes. (Ex. "Babel becomes Babble-on" is the title for Genesis 10:21-32)
- Fresh word choices help readers to slow down over familiar passages, taking them in afresh. For example,
"Yahweh" replaces "LORD"
"Yahweh's instruction" replaces "law"
"awe" replaces "fear"
"sacred" replaces "holiness"
"deliverance" replaces "salvation"
"wrongdoing" replaces "sin"
"rebellion" replaces "transgression"
"waywardness" replaces "iniquity"
"I acknowledged my wrongdoing to you;I didn't cover my waywardness.I said, 'I shall confess my rebellions to Yahweh',and you yourself carried the waywardness of my wrongdoing."Psalm 32:5
I'm no Hebrew expert, so I'm a bit neutral on replacing sin and iniquity. However, I do tend to think "rebellion" is more clear in modern-day culture than "transgression". My understanding is that there is something of a progression between these three terms with sin being a failure to hit the target, transgression being rebellion (ex. seeing the line and choosing to cross it), and iniquity being premeditated rebellion.
WEAKNESSES:
- Every word choice didn't seem to be an improvement. Word replacements in this translation were frequently less vivid and seemed to result in reduced clarity.
Most notably, "righteousness" was substituted with "faithfulness". Again, I don't know Hebrew, but my understanding is that there is a distinct Hebrew word to convey the idea of faithfulness, and it isn't the same word that is used to convey righteousness. While faith is an aspect of righteousness, faithfulness and righteousness are not equal concepts. (Paul Helm has a helpful blog post dedicated to this if you want to read more about it.)
Another example is that "authority" is utilized in place of judgment. Genesis 18:25b is far less precise and makes little sense when translated:
"Isn't the one who exercises authority over the entire earth to exercise authority?"
Clear as mud, right?
"Steadfast love" is replaced by "commitment". Again, while steadfast love involves commitment, it is far more than mere commitment.
- In some places, gender neutrality obscures the original Hebrew. Vern Poythress has a helpful article on this subject with regard to the TNIV. While Goldingay doesn't make every mistake made by the TNIV, he does make the same mistakes in Psalm 1 and 8, Genesis 1:27, and others which seems worth noting.
- Book introductions seemed to reflect a weak doctrine of the Word in favor of modern historical criticism.
This is perhaps my greatest criticism. For example, the introductions to Genesis and Exodus question the historical accuracy of the original authors saying that the accounts are more like a Hollywood movie based on fact. The introduction to Deuteronomy suggests a late authorship and/or compilation during the reign of Josiah contrary to Christ's affirmation of Mosaic authorship. Goldingay writes that Jonah is merely an allegory.
- As mentioned above, transliteration of proper nouns made this translation a bit clunky, at times and seems as though it would present more of a hurdle for a lay audience with no language background.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, this translation could be helpful for a seasoned reader of Scripture who wants something fresh to stimulate thought. However, I'm not sure it warrants the price tag.
*Many thanks to IVP for sending me a complimentary copy of this title! These are my very own, honest thoughts. ;)
STRENGTHS:
- Fairly easy-to-read (minus the transliteration of names and places which might be hard on the average lay person)
- Consistent translation of Hebrew words across the entire work due to single translator completing the entire project
- Incorporates word plays directly in the text and headings where they can be better noted and appreciated rather than relegating them to footnotes. (Ex. "Babel becomes Babble-on" is the title for Genesis 10:21-32)
- Fresh word choices help readers to slow down over familiar passages, taking them in afresh. For example,
"Yahweh" replaces "LORD"
"Yahweh's instruction" replaces "law"
"awe" replaces "fear"
"sacred" replaces "holiness"
"deliverance" replaces "salvation"
"wrongdoing" replaces "sin"
"rebellion" replaces "transgression"
"waywardness" replaces "iniquity"
"I acknowledged my wrongdoing to you;I didn't cover my waywardness.I said, 'I shall confess my rebellions to Yahweh',and you yourself carried the waywardness of my wrongdoing."Psalm 32:5
I'm no Hebrew expert, so I'm a bit neutral on replacing sin and iniquity. However, I do tend to think "rebellion" is more clear in modern-day culture than "transgression". My understanding is that there is something of a progression between these three terms with sin being a failure to hit the target, transgression being rebellion (ex. seeing the line and choosing to cross it), and iniquity being premeditated rebellion.
WEAKNESSES:
- Every word choice didn't seem to be an improvement. Word replacements in this translation were frequently less vivid and seemed to result in reduced clarity.
Most notably, "righteousness" was substituted with "faithfulness". Again, I don't know Hebrew, but my understanding is that there is a distinct Hebrew word to convey the idea of faithfulness, and it isn't the same word that is used to convey righteousness. While faith is an aspect of righteousness, faithfulness and righteousness are not equal concepts. (Paul Helm has a helpful blog post dedicated to this if you want to read more about it.)
Another example is that "authority" is utilized in place of judgment. Genesis 18:25b is far less precise and makes little sense when translated:
"Isn't the one who exercises authority over the entire earth to exercise authority?"
Clear as mud, right?
"Steadfast love" is replaced by "commitment". Again, while steadfast love involves commitment, it is far more than mere commitment.
- In some places, gender neutrality obscures the original Hebrew. Vern Poythress has a helpful article on this subject with regard to the TNIV. While Goldingay doesn't make every mistake made by the TNIV, he does make the same mistakes in Psalm 1 and 8, Genesis 1:27, and others which seems worth noting.
- Book introductions seemed to reflect a weak doctrine of the Word in favor of modern historical criticism.
This is perhaps my greatest criticism. For example, the introductions to Genesis and Exodus question the historical accuracy of the original authors saying that the accounts are more like a Hollywood movie based on fact. The introduction to Deuteronomy suggests a late authorship and/or compilation during the reign of Josiah contrary to Christ's affirmation of Mosaic authorship. Goldingay writes that Jonah is merely an allegory.
- As mentioned above, transliteration of proper nouns made this translation a bit clunky, at times and seems as though it would present more of a hurdle for a lay audience with no language background.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, this translation could be helpful for a seasoned reader of Scripture who wants something fresh to stimulate thought. However, I'm not sure it warrants the price tag.
*Many thanks to IVP for sending me a complimentary copy of this title! These are my very own, honest thoughts. ;)
March 21, 2022
I definitely enjoyed his translation and how he chose words that were not so familiar, such as “exercise authority” rather than judge or “commitment” rather than love. A very fresh reading of Scripture.
My only frustration was his chapter and paragraph titles (which are not Biblical anyway). Goldingay’s were absolutely annoying. In fact, I almost threw the book across the room when I read his title of the story of Tselophad’s daughters who ask to inherit land though their father had died and Yahweh affirms their request (Numbers 26:63, p. 157). Goldingay’s paragraph title? Five pushy women. Seriously? I think at times the author was trying to be funny or hip but it fell flat. I wish Bible translators would just leave the titles out!
My only frustration was his chapter and paragraph titles (which are not Biblical anyway). Goldingay’s were absolutely annoying. In fact, I almost threw the book across the room when I read his title of the story of Tselophad’s daughters who ask to inherit land though their father had died and Yahweh affirms their request (Numbers 26:63, p. 157). Goldingay’s paragraph title? Five pushy women. Seriously? I think at times the author was trying to be funny or hip but it fell flat. I wish Bible translators would just leave the titles out!
August 11, 2025
This is one of, if not the best, English translations of the old/first testament that exist. There are a lot of difficult verses in Hebrew that usually get butchered and Goldingay has found a way to make them work in direct literaly English and places where he fails to do so, all other translations similarly fail. I think this is better than the overwhelming majority of translations that exist because they mostly submit to Dogmas rather than doing their best to be accurate. He also uses God's name instead of "Lord" which is much appreciated. I always recommend this when telling people which version I read.
March 12, 2020
Bought this on the recommendation of a friend (Susy Flory), and love it. Love it so much, I bought one for my pastor, and he loves it as well. He read it cover to cover three times within six months.
What I find so refreshing about this work is the abruptness of the read. This does NOT read smoothly, but rather retains the oft-times awkwardness of the Hebrew text. What it does, then, is forces you to slow down and give greater consideration to what you're reading.
Without reservation, I recommend adding this to your library.
What I find so refreshing about this work is the abruptness of the read. This does NOT read smoothly, but rather retains the oft-times awkwardness of the Hebrew text. What it does, then, is forces you to slow down and give greater consideration to what you're reading.
Without reservation, I recommend adding this to your library.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews