Customer Reviews

TLA - CEV Bilingual Hardcover (Spanish Edition)

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One of the greatest challenges for Bible translators is how to be faithful to the original and yet be truly understood. This bible combines the Spanish and English current language versions. Both have their strong, and weak points. Both use a dynamic equivalent translation, making the implicit explicit. If readers, or "hear-ers", of the original text knew exactly what was intended, but 21st century readers don't, a dynamic equivalent translation is helpful.

A weakness, from my perspective, is the insconsistency in the use of formal, or third person, language and informal, first person, language. For example, Psalm 23, in Spanish, says "You, oh God, are my shepherd." And that is powerful, and meaningful, but then other Psalms do not use this language. I found that disappointing. The beauty of Hebrew poetry is lost in these translations, but then, they are not intended for serious study, but rather for easy reading and grasping of the main ideas.

If the reader intends to use the texts for understanding English/Spanish, be aware that the translations are not parallel. Although they are side by side in columns, the translations are less consistent than some earlier bilingual Bibles. None-the-less the texts are easily readable, and useful to readers who are learning one or the other language.