Word Studies in the New Living Translation ἀνάκειμαι (anakeimai)

Greek:      ἀνάκειμαι (anakeimai)English:     recline (at table), be a dinner guest by Jonathan W. Bryant, PhD; Senior Editor, Tyndale Bibles; Bible Translation Committee When we hear or see the word recline, we might picture someone seated in a large, comfortable chair, pulling a lever, and leaning back as the top of the chair angles back. For […]

Word Studies in the New Living Translation: ἀδελφός (adelphos)

Greek:       singular:   ἀδελφός (adelphos) plural:       ἀδελφοί (adelphoi) English:     singular: brother; a person plural: brothers; brothers and sisters by Mark D. Taylor, NLT Bible Translation Committee The Greek word adelphos (pronounced ah-del-FOS) appears 343 times in the New Testament—often in the plural adelphoi (pronounced ah-del-FOI). Its most common translation into English is “brother” or “brothers,” […]

Word Studies in the New Living Translation: Paragraph Breaks and Section Headings

by Mark D. Taylor, NLT Bible Translation Committee If you compare two or more Bible translations, you will occasionally find differences in the breakup of paragraphs or major sections of the text. What’s going on? For starters, we need to recognize that the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts upon which our translations are based did not […]

Word Studies in the New Living Translation παράκλητος (paraklētos)

Greek:      παράκλητος (paraklētos)English:     Advocate, Helper, Counselor by Jonathan W. Bryant, PhD, Senior Editor, Tyndale Bibles Sometimes when a word is being translated from one language to another, it can be difficult to find a direct correspondence in a single word. In such cases, the word in the source language (e.g., ancient Greek) carries a meaning […]

Word Studies in the New Living Translation: διαθήκη (diathēkē)

Greek:      διαθήκη (diathēkē)English:     covenant, agreement, will, testament by Mark D. Taylor, NLT Bible Translation Committee The Greek word diathēkē (pronounced dee-ah-THAY-kay, with a soft TH, as in “thaw”) appears thirty-three times in the New Testament. In English translations, it is usually rendered as “covenant,” even though that word is not used much in everyday speech. […]

Word Studies in the New Living Translation: Christos

Greek:      Χριστός (Christos) English: Christ, Messiah by Jonathan W. Bryant, Senior Editor, Tyndale Bibles The Greek word Christos appears in the New Testament over five hundred times—not surprising given the association of the term with the New Testament’s central character, Jesus. Upon seeing the English transliteration of the word (Christos), it might seem obvious that […]

New Living Translation and Tyndale House Publishers Mourn the Passing of Bible Translation Committee Member, Dr. Philip Comfort

The New Living Translation and Tyndale House Publishers family mourns the loss of Dr. Philip W. Comfort who passed away on December 31, 2022, at the age of 72. Phil (as he was fondly known by all who knew him) was a member of the Bible Translation Committee for the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, […]

Word Studies in the New Living Translation: μάγος (magos)

Greek:      μάγος (magos)English:    magi, wise man, sorcerer by Mark D. Taylor, NLT Bible Translation Committee The New Testament uses the term magos in two different contexts: In Matthew 2, it refers to the magi from the east who came to visit the young Jesus, and in Acts 13, it is used to describe a sorcerer […]

Word Studies in the New Living Translation: σάρξ (sarx)

Greek:      σάρξ (sarx)English:     flesh, human body, earthly body, sinful human nature by Mark D. Taylor, NLT Bible Translation Committee The New Testament’s use of the Greek word sarx is both straightforward and complicated. The NLT uses a variety of words to translate sarx. In this article, these different English translations of sarx are marked with […]

Word Study in the New Living Translation: κοιμάω (koimaō)

by Mark D. Taylor, NLT Bible Translation Committee Greek:      κοιμάω (koimaō) English: fall asleep; die The verb koimaō is used eighteen times in the New Testament. The literal meaning of the word is “to fall asleep.” An example of this usage is found in Luke 22:45, where Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane: […]