The New English Translation (NET) Bible

Ever wish you were an expert of the original languages of the Bible? Ever wish you could translate those texts for yourself into English? (If so, you probably know a little Koine Greek. You might be able to say the Greek alphabet. And, you may even know a little about the inflection endings of noun and verb forms in Classical Greek — but that may be about all many of us know.) This kind of skill requires a dedicated focus in life that few have. Even so, there are three languages used in ancient biblical texts. Chances are, you could only focus on one.

The average person might research a translator’s philosophies, and get caught up in a “word for word” vs. “thought for thought” priority. But there are situations where one or the other works best — regardless of the translators desire to stick to one or the other, and the average person may be unaware of the background.

I would like to introduce to you the New English Translation, or NET Bible. This translation has quickly become my favorite for many reasons; the majority of these reasons relate to these introductory remarks.

• There are over 60,000 notes in this translation.  Most of these notes are designated as tn  for translation note.  Leading authorities of a particular book worked to translate from original texts.  When ambiguities or difficulties come into play, a tn is given to explain it, all the possible options, and why a particular choice was made.  And, because they take the time to do so, it’s like having multiple translations all in one volume. Here’s one example from a well know passage in John chapter three.
  

  Jesus replied,“I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above ((tn The word ἄνωθεν (anōthen) has a double meaning, either “again” (in which case it is synonymous with παλίν [palin]) or “from above” (BDAG 92 s.v. ἄνωθεν). This is a favorite technique of the author of the Fourth Gospel, and it is lost in almost all translations at this point. John uses the word 5 times, in Jn 3:3;  Jn 3:7;  Jn 3:31; Jn 19:11 and Jn 19:23. In the latter three cases the context makes clear that it means “from above.” Here (Jn 3:3; Jn 3:7) it could mean either, but the primary meaning intended by Jesus is “from above.” Nicodemus apparently understood it the other way, which explains his reply, “How can a man be born when he is old? He can’t enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” The author uses the technique of the “misunderstood question” often to bring out a particularly important point: Jesus says something which is misunderstood by the disciples or (as here) someone else, which then gives Jesus the opportunity to explain more fully and in more detail what he really meant.)), he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 

  Most translations say “born again”.  The NET has chosen the render the Greek as: “born from above”.  Here’s the translation note:

  1 tn The word ἄνωθεν (anōthen) has a double meaning, either “again” (in which case it is synonymous with παλίν [palin]) or “from above” (BDAG 92 s.v. ἄνωθεν). This is a favorite technique of the author of the Fourth Gospel, and it is lost in almost all translations at this point. John uses the word 5 times, in Jn 3:3;  Jn 3:7;  Jn 3:31; Jn 19:11 and Jn 19:23. In the latter three cases the context makes clear that it means “from above.” Here (Jn 3:3; Jn 3:7) it could mean either, but the primary meaning intended by Jesus is “from above.” Nicodemus apparently understood it the other way, which explains his reply, “How can a man be born when he is old? He can’t enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” The author uses the technique of the “misunderstood question” often to bring out a particularly important point: Jesus says something which is misunderstood by the disciples or (as here) someone else, which then gives Jesus the opportunity to explain more fully and in more detail what he really meant.

• The Copyright of this version is compatible with web publishing.One of the major philosophies of Bible.org is to provide access to an accurate Bible translation to the common person free of charge. They are serious about fulfilling the Great Commission. They state that God’s Word is a gift to every person – and no one should have to pay for it.  For that reason, they have an uncommon, modified copyright policy.  You may download the entire Bible for free – in several formats (epub, Word, etc.).  In fact, Churches may print upto 1000 copies with an automatic “permission granted” before having to explicitly ask permission; and you may even quote as much text as you like on your website without violating any copyright laws.Of course, if you wish to have a printed hardcopy – you will have to pay the cost of printing.  I got a very nice leather bound Full Notes Edition for just under $30.00 from their site.

• They also have a very nice web app, Lumina. Check it out. You can search not only the Bible, but also articles related to keywords or passages. You may even opt to create an account and use the app to hold your personal notes.

If you love this Bible as much as I do, let me know.  Make a comment below.

Blessings.