How We Got Our Bible: Formal Equivalence

When translators sit down, they have to choose an approach. There are two main ones, and knowing which a Bible follows explains most of what you notice when comparing them.
The first is formal equivalence. The idea is that the translator should try to account for every word of the original language in the translation. If a verse has twenty Greek words, the translator wants an English equivalent for each of them, closely tracking actual word usage.
These are the versions that produce the most literal translations, precisely because they are trying to account for every word in the process.
It is worth being clear that this is an approach, not a virtue. Literal is not automatically more accurate. Languages do not map word for word - Hebrew and Greek carry idioms, word order and grammatical features that English simply does not have. A word-for-word rendering can be faithful to the vocabulary and still leave an English reader with the wrong impression.
What formal equivalence gives you is transparency to the original wording. That is genuinely valuable, especially for study - and it is a trade, not a free win.
Scripture links:
- 2 Timothy 3:16 - all Scripture is breathed out by God.
- Nehemiah 8:8 - they gave the sense, so that the people understood.
- 1 Corinthians 14:9 - unless you speak intelligible words, how will anyone know?
Closest to the words. That is the aim, and the trade.