1. What is textual criticism?

Have you ever been in a bible study, or perhaps opened a friend's bible, and been surprised because the wording was not as you expected? In a recent group I attended, we opened Psalm 23 and began to read the text. Because members of the group had different translations of the Bible, following the Psalm as it was read outloud was difficult, e.g. different words were used, sentence structures were different, the meaning of the text became less clear, etc. Consider the following:

As you can see, this beautiful psalm, when rendered by just two translations, is quite different. Consider also that  there is no shortage of translations. There is the Jerusalem Bible, the New International Version, the King James version, the Word, and many more. A natural question to ask, in the face of so much textual disparity, is why are there differences in the various translations? Another impulse is to attempt to understand which reading of the text reflects most accurately the original wording. And, even if possible to reconstruct the original meaning, we may also want to know how to shape and express the text such that it speaks to the modern reader.

2. What causes textual variances?

We have all heard the phrase, "To err is human." The human ability to err is reflected often and vividly in the transcription process that occured throughout the long compilation process as witnessed in the development of the Bible. The errors seem to be of two types: (1) those made intentionally, and; (2) those made unintentionally. (Hayes & Holladay, p. 35) If you have ever been asked to edit a paper or a letter for a friend, you can imagine what sort of intentional changes might result. You may be fond of certain sentences structures and specific phrases that your friend may not have used. In your attempt to edit your friend's work, you may have changed the wording or structure in order to improve the work. You may have added a couple of sentences that you thought should have been included. If the work at hand was, say a letter to the editor, you may have altered the document to reflect what you perceived as proper doctrine - or maybe you changed a word (or two) because you believed you had  a better way to state your friend's opinion. Just as you would want to do a good job and ensure that your friend's work was written well, scribes, throughout the history of the development of the Bible, have attempted to perform their work competently. The same unintentional mistakes as described above are some of the reasons why we find differences in translations. Thus, the human element involved in the transcription process has resulted in many textual variances, i.e. differences in how the text reads.

2. How should we address textual variances?

The goal of most readers of the Bible is to interact meaningfully with the texts and passages of the Bible. We do so in order to grow in faith. Accordingly, short of suggesting that we all become Bible scholars, enroll in PhD programs, and become versed in the original languages of the texts, etc., I suggest the following tools be employed in order to help us interact with textual variances:

1.  Consult footnotes - all major translations of the Bible have copious footnotes. If a term or phrase has an asterisk next to it, there is a corresponding footnote. Footnotes can explain if the word or phrase has an ambigious meaning. They can allude to other places in the Bible from   which a theme or keypoint (as contained in the word or phrase) is related. Historical and cultural explanations (remember the "third-party perspective gap!") are frequently given in footnotes such that the modern reader can have better insight into a passage. Sometimes footnotes will discuss the history of the textual variance and offer reasons as to why different periods understood and interpreted the word or phrase differently.

2.  Consult commentaries - if you have purchased a "study edition" of the Bible you will find introductions to the various texts either in the beginning of the Bible or preceding immediately each text. Typically, these introductions are a sufficient starting point in understanding the text more meaningfully. As you develop in your knowledge and understanding, you may want to consult any of the many available critical commentaries on the Bible.

Within the Hayes & Holladay (p. 40), an additional step is suggested. Much like a judge might weigh evidence, so too, should the reader compare and contrast opinion as found within critical commentary concerning a specific textual difference. The idea here is that growth will result from critical interaction with the text.