This video shows how God-fearing scholars meet together to deliberate on how to translate a single word, slave. This illustrates how a modern-day translation committee works. In this specific case, they are the ESV translators working on the latest edition of the English Standard Version of the Bible. Leading translators from around the world meeting at Tyndale House in Cambridge (TyndaleHouse.com) struggle to agree on just what is meant by the use of the word ‘slave.’ The debate included Peter Williams, Gordon Wenham, Jack Collins, Wayne Grudem, and Paul House. They close with prayer (and likely started with it).
This is why I trust translations like the ESV, NASB, and NIV, which are produced by committees of experts, over paraphrases like the Message or Living Bible, which are produced by a single individual. Obviously, the quality and faithfulness of the scholars on the committee matter as well.
