Creativity beyond Dynamic Equivalence in Bonnie Lewis’s English Timshel Translation

Abstract

The societal and cultural significance of the Bible and the interpretations and applications thereof mean that the legitimacy of Bible translations and translation strategies are extensively debated. However, creativity in Bible translation has not often been specifically addressed. In the last century, much of the discourse around Bible translation has been shaped by the work of Eugene Nida. This paper approaches the topic of creativity within Bible translation by examining Nida’s work with a particular concern for this topic. Bonnie Lewis’s Timshel: An Idiomatic Bible Translation is then discussed as a case study. Lewis’s work is an explicitly creative rendering of sections of the Bible in English, inspired by the Jewish tradition of midrash, a reading between the lines, and including extra-biblical content. Examination of Lewis’s project provokes questions about the role of creativity in Bible translation, translation vs. preaching, and who is permitted to translate the Bible.