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The Art of Bible Translation

Robert Alter

4.32 · Rating details · 69 ratings · 18 reviews

An award-winning biblical translator reflects on the art of capturing the literary power of the Bible in English

In this brief book, award-winning biblical translator and acclaimed literary critic Robert Alter offers a personal and passionate account of what he learned about the art of Bible translation over the two decades he spent completing his own English version of the ...more

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ebook, 152 pages

Published March 19th 2019 by Princeton University Press

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Jun 18, 2019 Jacopo Quercia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

How would you translate the voice of God? How much of yourself would you imprint upon Him or Her, or perhaps upon past authors you wish to emulate or eschew? Such is the subject of 'The Art of Bible Translation,' a text that should be every bit as useful to creative writers as to those approaching religious studies.

Dr. Alter could have easily focused his attention on various translations and mistranslations of the Bible across the centuries. While he does address such instances, they are brief ...more

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Apr 21, 2019 William added it · review of another edition

Shelves: lds-and-religion-books

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Bible as literature.

Basically, Alter is a literary scholar who reads ancient Hebrew. He ended up getting involved in translation and somewhat recently completed a translation of the entire Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). This book is a summary of some key principles he focused on as he translated--matters of language that he thinks most modern Bible translator handle very poorly: syntax (sentence construction), word choice, sound/word I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Bible as literature.

Basically, Alter is a literary scholar who reads ancient Hebrew. He ended up getting involved in translation and somewhat recently completed a translation of the entire Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). This book is a summary of some key principles he focused on as he translated--matters of language that he thinks most modern Bible translator handle very poorly: syntax (sentence construction), word choice, sound/word play, rhythm, and (an Old Testament specialty) "the language of dialogue." As the author himself puts it, "my own contention is that meaning in the Bible or in any literary text cannot be reduced to lexical values, that it involves the communication of affect and can never be separated from the nuanced connotation of words and their dynamic interaction as they are joined through sound, through syntax, and through poetic or narrative context" (76).

Amen, man. For me, it is not just the concepts and stories that make the Bible a site for religious experience but it is the way those concepts or stories are presented--through meaningful language. And this language gets a significant part of its meaning through aesthetics--its musical qualities, the way it sounds and feels.

For me this is a big part of why I cling to my beloved King James version when so many other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (traditionally a King-James adhering organization) who fancy themselves as intellectuals or rebels have been touting the virtues of modern translations. "Yeah," I want to tell them, "but your new versions sound like garbage." Seriously, they do.

For a long time I worried that the King James only sounded good to me because it was what I was used to, but Alter has convinced me otherwise. Don't get me wrong, Alter definitely sees many flaws in the good old KJV. (New scholarship has clarified some mistakes made due to lack of knowledge in the early 1600s, for example. Also, he feels the King James version struggles to reproduce the rhythms of ancient Hebrew in poetry sections as well as it might.) However, he maintains that it is a better and more faithful translation than all the modern versions (except, of course, his. . .). Because the translators (who mostly used William Tyndale's earlier, "heretical" translation into English) were so invested in faithfully conveying what they saw as each divine word from Hebrew into their own tongue, they actually ended up doing a pretty good job of reproducing the spare elegance of Biblical narrative style. They never tried to "explain" or "clarify" things the way modern translations insist on doing.

Granted, Alter is a literary guy. The theological issues aren't paramount in his assessment of the Bible's value, thus, "explaining," which some readers might appreciate, seems silly to him. I'm a literary guy, too. But I'm also a religious guy that turns to scripture as a tool to help understand and live truth. Even so, I side with him when it comes to "explaining" in translation. We can do that in commentaries, I say. Let the actual text say what it really says. Anything else is kind of a lie.

Also, it is beautiful the way it is written, and while a lot of other members of the Church would look at me funny for saying this, I think the beauty of scripture is an important component of proper worship. Let me attempt to explain: the Divine Truth of God's love is not just RIGHT, it is BEAUTIFUL. The rightness may be enough for you, but for me the beauty feels equally important. For me, goodness is equal parts rightness and beauty. And while it is impossible to convey or re-create the beauty of the Divine that the Holy Spirit can communicate to our souls, I think we should strive to get as close as possible. And the King James does that for me.

Will I ever give Alter's translation a try? Maybe. I gotta say, I'm a little bothered by the fact that he abandoned the "thees" and "thous" for "yous" and "yours"--I know that is only because I'm used to the Bible being written that way, but for me that make the Bible sound old. And it IS old, right?! Shouldn't an accurate translation make it sound old? I digress.

The point is, thank you Robert Alter for giving me some ammunition to use against these anti-KJV intellectuals within the Church. And the other point is that if you are interested at all in learning more about why the Bible is an awesome work of literature, check this book out. It's only 120 pages long!

P.S.--I thought it was cool that I was the very first person to check this book out from the Lawrence (KS) Public Library. ...more

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May 27, 2019 David rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Alter has much to contribute to biblical translation, and this book offers lively rationale for his stylistic choices. There’s a ton of insightful gems here, very much worth the read. At the same time, Alter’s tone feels a bit too self-congratulatory. And I wish he would have better acknowledged (in his tone throughout) the degree to which subjective preferences rule translation choices.

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May 28, 2019 Pete rated it really liked it · review of another edition

a little pedantic but robert alter is mandatory if the literary qualities of scripture vibrates your personal tuning fork. short version: language is a cultural act and we get our greasy foodhands all over it all the time

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Apr 11, 2019 Dmitry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This short book reads more like an essay than a completed volume. To appreciate it, I think one needs to be well versed in the workings of translation and the Bible, as well as enjoy thinking and learning about languages. The author focuses on the intricacies of the original Hebrew language of the Bible: its syntax, word choice, sound and word play, rhythm, and dialog structure. Most of the modern translations fall terribly short in conveying these and tend to excessively modernize and "dumb ...more

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Oct 30, 2019 Brian Watson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Given the great number of languages and the finite capacity of humans to be fluent in more than a few languages, translation is a necessary task. Yet anyone who has translated from an original language to a target language knows that translation is not a science. It cannot adequately be done via computer, as anyone who has used Google Translate knows. Translation is an art. A successful translation will not merely translate propositions from one language to another; it will also capture the Given the great number of languages and the finite capacity of humans to be fluent in more than a few languages, translation is a necessary task. Yet anyone who has translated from an original language to a target language knows that translation is not a science. It cannot adequately be done via computer, as anyone who has used Google Translate knows. Translation is an art. A successful translation will not merely translate propositions from one language to another; it will also capture the style, the rhythm, and the subtleties of the original language. Robert Alter, who has recently completed his translation of the Hebrew Bible, believes that previous English translations of that ancient anthology of Scripture have not captured its literary style. In The Art of Bible Translation, Alter explains “how syntax, word choice, rhythm, sound play, word play, and diction are artfully deployed in the Hebrew and why, whatever challenges all these aspects of style pose, they need somehow to be reflected in translation.” Alter is concerned only with the Old Testament and its translation of Hebrew; he does not refer to the handful of chapters of Aramaic in the Old Testament or to any of the New Testament. In addition to explaining the ways in which English translations of Hebrew have failed, and providing an exposition of his own translation philosophy, it seems that one of Alter’s goals is to give his readers a taste of the beauty, the subtlety, and the artistry of the original language of the Hebrew Bible.

The Art of Bible Translation comprises six chapters. In the first chapter, Alter explains the shortcomings of English translations of the Bible. There are some elements of the Hebrew Bible that are often lost in translation. One is parataxis, “the ordering of words in parallel clauses linked by ‘and,’ with very little syntactic subordination or the accompanying subordinate conjunctions such as ‘because,’ ‘although,’ or ‘since’ that specify the connection between clauses” (4). Translators are uncomfortable with this style and its potential ambiguity. So, they clarify the relationships between clauses, inserting translations of words that do not appear in the original text. Another element of biblical style that is often lost is the rather limited vocabulary used in narratives. Translators prefer to use many synonyms, which can cause English readers to become unaware of repeated words. Alter advocates a more literal approach to translation that transparently reveals such repetition, not to mention the original syntax and rhythm of the text, if possible. “The essential point in all this is that the Hebrew Bible by and large exhibits consummate artistry in the language of its narratives and of its poetry, and there must be an answering act in the translation in order to convey what is remarkable about the original” (16).

In chapter 2, Alter discusses syntax, “the ordering of the words” (27). He explains the importance of parataxis, “a vehicle of speed” (30), in greater depth. Also, Hebrew syntax allows for the object of a verb to appear in front of the verb, a practice called “fronting.” The flexibility of Hebrew syntax allows for stress to be laid on different words, whether through fronting or chiasm. Alter clearly thinks that the English translator should, as far as English syntax will allow, present the shape of the original syntax in their work. Instead, translators seem intent on making the original text fit modern literary style.

Translations often hinge on how a particular word is translated. In chapter 3, Alter considers word choice. English translators of the Hebrew Bible have mistranslated certain words because of an uncertainty regarding their meaning. At other times, they seem to avoid translating a word literally for fear of embarrassment, settling for euphemisms instead. One example is Genesis 21:15, which literally states that Hagar “flung” Ishmael under a bush. Instead, modern English translations use something less offensive, such as “put” (ESV). Translators are also frequently uncomfortable translating anthropomorphic language about God. When translators fail to choose the right word in their translations, they obscure the beauty and power of the original text: “because the translators do not see the artistry of the simple language of the original, they feel at liberty to rearrange it in ways that undermine it and to substitute wrong English terms for beautifully right ones in the Hebrew” (61).

In chapter 4, Alter turns his attention to word plays, such as puns, and sound play. It is hard to translate puns because words that are homonyms in one language are usually not homonyms in another. Whenever possible, translators should find ways to retain puns in their work. The same is true of sound play, which includes alliteration or the juxtaposition of words that sound similar but have quite different meanings. In this chapter, Alter provides some important aspects of his philosophy of language and translation. “My own contention is that meaning in the Bible or in any literary text cannot be reduced to lexical values, that it involves the communication of affect and can never be separated from the nuanced connotation of words and their dynamic interaction as they are joined through sound, through syntax, and through poetic or narrative context” (76). According to him, “this is what translation is all about: you see an important effect in the original; you balance different possibilities for conveying it in translation; sometimes you feel you’ve gotten it just right; sometimes you adopt a solution that is far from perfect but that is nevertheless preferable to not communicating the effect of the original at all” (79).

Literature is more than words, syntax, and sounds. It involves rhythm, the subject of chapter 5. Alter gives credit to the translators of the King James Version for occasionally capturing something of the Old Testament’s original rhythm. Modern translations often fail completely in this important aspect of translation. Not surprisingly, rhythm is most important to the poetry of the Hebrew Bible.

Finally, in chapter 6, Alter considers the language of dialogue in the Old Testament’s narratives. The biblical writers often use dialogue to present a person’s character and emotions. When people are confused, the language of their speech can be grammatically incorrect and irregular. Yet translators often correct this language. “All the English versions, proceeding from the naïve assumption that anything anyone says in the Bible has to make sense, ‘correct’ this into intelligible English” (109).

The strengths of Alter’s brief book are many. It is well written, interesting, and a pleasure to read. Alter provides wonderful insights into the literary excellence of the Old Testament, and he describes the challenges that translators face in representing such style in English. The book is equal parts literary theory, translation theory, and ode to the Hebrew Bible, the language of which Alter clearly admires: “Both the narrative and the poetry of the Bible deploy an extraordinary imaginative use of language that has very few equals in the whole ancient world and none among the geographical neighbors of ancient Israel” (121). I found Alter’s enthusiasm for the Hebrew Bible infectious, and I can offer no higher praise than to say that this short book convinced me to buy his complete translation of the Old Testament.

However, no book is without weaknesses, including this one. There is almost no theological content or commentary to be found among Alter’s words. While he clearly loves the language of the Hebrew Bible, it is less clear that he loves the God who inspired this language. I find it disappointing that he accepts the documentary hypothesis, though this has little to no bearing on the points that he makes. I also found two comments rather strange. He boldly claims that “there is no biblical notion of the soul” (48). I have my doubts about such a claim, depending on how one defines “soul.” Additionally, he points out that Abraham, in speaking to Abimelech, says quite literally that “the gods made me a wanderer from my father’s house” (Gen 20:13, quoted on p. 50). Alter states that Abraham used this language because he was speaking to a polytheist and he wanted his message to be accessible to Abimelech. That may very well be true, but Alter seems to go too far with this comment: “What Abraham clearly does not want to hint at in his words to Abimelech is that the one God, as part of a covenantal promise, commanded him to leave his father’s house” (51). That is not at all clear to me.

These criticisms are relatively minor, and they do not concern the main purposes of The Art of Bible Translation. Those who love language, literary theory, translation theory, and the Bible will find much food for thought and delight in Alter’s artful book. ...more

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May 30, 2019 Ben Rothke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Talmud records that when the book of the Prophets was translated into Aramaic, there was an earthquake in the land of Israel. The message one could gather is that God doesn’t take kindly to the tampering of his holy books, even if it’s done by the greatest of sages.

Robert Alter is the emeritus professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and recently completed his landmark translation of the Bible into English. In “The Art of Bible Translation” he The Talmud records that when the book of the Prophets was translated into Aramaic, there was an earthquake in the land of Israel. The message one could gather is that God doesn’t take kindly to the tampering of his holy books, even if it’s done by the greatest of sages.

Robert Alter is the emeritus professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and recently completed his landmark translation of the Bible into English. In “The Art of Bible Translation” he doesn’t quote that Talmudic passage, but he is quite aware of the countless challenges of being a Bible translator.

In this fascinating monograph, Alter details the trials and tribulations of his 20-year translation effort, and the lessons he learned along the way. As a literary critic, his command of the English language, appreciation of nuance and adept understanding of the rules of grammar enable him to focus on the nuances of the biblical text. He translation is a masterpiece, and this is his playbook.

Alter opens with the observation that the practice of translation entails an endless series of compromises. Some of them happy, some painful, and some not quite right because the translator has been unable to find an adequate English equivalent for what is happening, often brilliantly, in the original language. The challenge in translating the Bible is exacerbated given that its power is due in large part to the compactness of the Hebrew language.

With the exception of the King James version, Alter is somewhat critical of many of the other translations. A pervasive problem with other English versions is that the translators, for all their learning, had a rather imperfect grasp of biblical Hebrew. He also writes that there is a double problem with other modern translators that not only do they lack a clear sense of what happens stylistically in the Bible, but their notion of English style, its decorum and its expressive personalities, tend to be rather shaky.

While he is enamored by the King James version, Alter admits that its contains embarrassing inaccuracies, that its language of Renaissance English doesn’t resonate well today. Also, the King James translation committees didn’t pick up on those nuances of the Hebrew language and syntax, which takes away from the depth of the text.

In the first of the six chapters, Alter critiques most translations of the past few centuries. He notes that the Jewish Publication Society translation was painfully inept, the Revised English Bible turns beautiful bits of Hebrew narrative into something both ungainly and banal, and that other translations are made by teams that make decisions or even distort what is conveyed in the Hebrew text.

The areas he focuses on are syntax, word choice, sound play and word play, rhythm and the language of dialogue. The focus on rhythm is important, as the significant rhythms in the Bible have been overlooked in most translations.

As a literary critic, Alter emphasizes the importance of telling the story, so as not to get lost in the translation. He begins by stressing the literary character of the Bible, which he says most modern translations fail to recognize. His main critique of the other translations is that they obsess at the micro level of understanding each word, to the macro loss of the literary character of the Bible. The result being translation that don’t capture the depth and beauty of the Biblical narrative.

Many of Alter’s complaints are inherent to every translation; it is a near impossibility to reproduce the rhythm and sounds from one language to another. That can be observed in the book of Isaiah with his significant use of internal rhyming. Isaiah is also a great master of highlighting antithesis, by juxtaposing words that sound alike, but are opposite in meaning.

There are some aspects to Alter’s critiquing of other translations that I didn’t understand. For example, in the story of Yosef’s brothers who go to Egypt to buy food, he takes the JPS translation to task for translating the Hebrew word lishbor as to procure, forcefully noting that the use of procure is a stylistic blunder, that it is a verb at home in the directives of a quartermaster corps, but not in an ancient Hebrew dialogue.

As good as Alter is as a translator, the traditional reader is cautioned in accepting Alter’s translation as the final view, given that his approach is premised on acceptance of the documentary hypothesis. As to the translation itself, readers may want to heed the caution of Rabbi Meir Soloveichik, who in his critique of the translation, noted that it is best for the secular reader of the Bible, who seeks not prophecy but literary splendor.

Being a translator is like walking a tightrope. On one side, the translator must stay loyal to the text. On the other side, he must ensure the output is readable and meaningful. In this interesting and entertaining book, Alter shows how he walked that line. ...more

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Jun 03, 2019 E rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Robert Alter, one of the most astute readers of Hebrew Scripture alive today, is sick and tired of modern translators. They think they have to explain everything instead of merely translating. They have no ear for meter. They draw clumsy etymological conclusions. They fear the very things that make the OT unique (repetition, limited narratival vocabulary, lots of conjunctions). So he has published his own translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that seeks to avoid all of these pitfalls. And in this Robert Alter, one of the most astute readers of Hebrew Scripture alive today, is sick and tired of modern translators. They think they have to explain everything instead of merely translating. They have no ear for meter. They draw clumsy etymological conclusions. They fear the very things that make the OT unique (repetition, limited narratival vocabulary, lots of conjunctions). So he has published his own translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that seeks to avoid all of these pitfalls. And in this volume, he shows us how he's done so.

In a powerful opening chapter Alter shows how Biblical translation has lost its way. He has some good things to say about the KJV, while not shrinking back from pointing out its defects. Modern translators have lost the ear for good prose and poetry that the KJV translators had. The Alter in the next 5 chapters addresses five important aspects of a quality translation: syntax, diction, sound/word play, rhythm, and dialog. Yes he does a lot of bashing of modern translations, but he also shows ways to do better. He uses his own translation and pulls back the veil to show the balancing of various factors that go into every page, every paragraph, nearly every phrase. He does not claim he is perfect, and admits the factors could be balanced in other ways, but he prizes commitment to bringing through as much as possible the various factors he's highlighted.

Alter is especially harsh on "dynamic equivalent" translations, such as the NIV or NLT. They seem to have the least respect for the contours of the actual Hebrew words on the page. He does not recommend any translation save his own, although he has the most nice things to say about the KJV. For a modern translation that seeks to be as literal as possible (that is, transparent to the underlying text) while being sensitive to literary beauty and the various registers of poetry and prose, you probably can't do better than the English Standard Version. It seeks to keep these various factors in play and is in the line of the KJV, being something like a revision of a revision of a revision of the KJV.

Alter's translation is probably worth getting and consulting too. From reading this book you will at least know his priorities in his translating decisions--hopefully you'll agree with the priorities even if not with all of the decisions. ...more

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Jul 16, 2019 Will Grannan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Very much enjoyed. Alter gives an erudite view of his process, as well as a historical synopsis of major works and trends in the field.
It makes me want to get his translation of the OT or at least the Pentateuch.
With the rise of online synchronous Bibles, it’s easy to forget that a new vernacular translation is a a work of Faith as well as scholarship, and that any translation has a voice behind it. Personally, I’ve always sneered a little at the KJV, and it’s limited presentation, based on ...more

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Jul 17, 2019 George rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Enlightening and accessible book discussing the challenges of translating the Hebrew Bible, with lots of examples of the challenges of getting across different aspects of the original, specifically syntax, word choice, sound & word play, rhythm, and dialogue. As at least one other reviewer has pointed out, he is the hero of nearly every story he tells, which can get tiresome. (He also spends a lot of time calling out other translators for unnecessarily adding or changing material, while ...more

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Sep 15, 2019 Rachel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Someone once asked me how best to understand the Bible if they were unable to read the original Hebrew. I gave them the advice I’d received years earlier: read two or three different translations and note when they disagree or use a different expression. That signals a problematic word or phrase. However, even multiple translations cannot capture all the nuances of the text. Robert Alter writes about his attempt to overcome these difficulties in his new work “The Art of Bible Translation” ...more

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Aug 03, 2019 Katie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

I think it is SO important to look at the Bible as a translation and a historical text! This book was so interesting. Focusing each chapter on one aspect, such as syntax, word choice, rhythm, etc., made for easy and clear reading. It had not even occurred to me until now that things like rhythm should be noticed when translating the Bible. And he pointed out other translations' flaws without saying his was clearly the best. If I ever feel like tackling it, I am very interested in reading his ...more

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May 18, 2019 Brent rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: religion

So, translation isn't easy, even if you think you know both languages. And, yes, it's an art. The author recently completed his translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to English---three heavy volumes, with his commentary; quite a feat, even for someone with his qualifications. This is his short defense of how he went about it.

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Sep 21, 2019 Matt Carton rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reads

Brilliant capstone to a brilliant achievement.

I teach the Bible as Literature at my high school and have used Alter's translations and commentaries as my guide (he also once came to my classes to speak many years ago). Now that he has completed his translation of the Hebrew Bible, he offers this book as a way to show what he had been thinking all these years. I loved it.

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Jul 20, 2019 Kristy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Alter advances a convincing argument against normalizing (i.e., adapting the text to read as if written in English) the language in biblical translation. An interesting look at the many difficult choices a translator has to make.

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Aug 01, 2019 Brent Lewis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Interesting analysis and clearly a great amount of passion. Some knowledge of the Hebrew language was helpful.

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Apr 24, 2019 JohnClellan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Worth the time for pastors and others interested in understanding The Scriptures.

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Aug 03, 2019 Brian Cubbage rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A brief but informative book published in the wake of Robert Alter's The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary, on the principles that lay behind his translation. Unlike most translators of the Bible in modern times, who are translating it as Holy Writ with an eye towards theologically motivated exegesis, Alter is interested in the Bible as primarily a narrative and literary document. None of this is to say that he is in any way hostile to theological interests; after all, Alter ...more

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About Robert Alter

Robert Alter

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Robert Bernard Alter (b. 1935) was awarded the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Lifetime Achievement and the PEN Center Literary Award for Translation. He is the Class of 1937 Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and has published many acclaimed works on the Bible, literary modernism, and contemporary Hebrew literature.