The New New International Version (will our grandchildren read the NNNNIV, I wonder?)

Thanks to the NIV 2011 team for sending me a copy of a jazzed up, mapped out, Anglicised, cross-referenced and concordanced success.

The NIV was the first bible I read. I found its prose to be very smooth. And I like the 2011 NIV even more, at least in what I see as its improvements on Paul (so well done to Douglas Moo and the team).

No more crummy distinctions between ‘justice’ and ‘righteousness’ in Romans 3:21ff

The ‘faithfulness of Christ’ translation of the infamous pistis Christou is at least footnoted, which is grand (I tend towards this option by a process of elimination. Sorry Matlock, Dunn and Watson – despite your very helpful arguments for the ‘objective’).

However, the translation team did not go far enough on this, in my view. For example, Paul writes in Galatians 3:5 (new NIV)

“So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?”

This is an improvement, I think, on the original:

“Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?”

Okay, but ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως as ‘believing what you heard’ - without a footnote telling you of an equally if not more plausible option - slants the reader to an objective genitive reading. 

Such translation agendas are hard to iron out entirely, and too many footnotes becomes clumsy. But why footnote the ‘faithfulness of Christ’ option elsewhere, and not ‘the proclamation of fidelity’ or some such option here? (Cf. Paul’s other uses of the word ἀκοῆς [e.g., Rom 10] for that which is heard, rather than ‘hearing’)

These are minor specifics and goodness, if I were to try and translate the NT it would be a disaster. The 2011 NIV is a very good bible translation.

For an infuriating and rather silly alternative perspective on the NIV2011, see here!