Setting the Bar for Biblical Language Training: Doing for Biblical Languages as We Would Do for Non-Biblical Languages

A Bible translator makes hundreds of thousands of translation and register decisions. FOBAI (Forum-of-Bible-Agencies-International), 2006, required a one-year Biblical Studies program for consultants, including the biblical languages. FOBAI 2017, point 7: “To use the original language Scripture texts as the basis for translation, recognizing that these are always the primary authority.” What source-language skills should we expect? What can Christian academia produce in a short time frame? What stages can we put in place for moving the status quo towards reasoned minimal-levels? This paper presents and discusses several theoretical and practical proposals for setting new levels and achieving them. The levels can provide increased accuracy and efficiency. Counterintuitively, these levels can shorten the time frame of a project. First, we must define the training goals for a biblical language at common-sense expectations and professional skill-levels, for both translation teams and consultants. There are some new ways to meet good language training around the world if this is a priority.