Bible Translation
14 Grade 7 Religious Education (CRE) questions on Bible Translation, with worked marking schemes. 14 questions are available on this topic in full.
Question 1
1 markA missionary in Kenya learns a community's language before translating scripture for them. This action MOST shows that Bible translation requires:
A. Using only English words
B. Understanding the people's language and culture
C. Ignoring the local culture
D. Avoiding contact with the community
(1 mark)
Marking scheme for this question
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4 marksOutline four benefits that the translation of the Bible into Kenyan languages has brought to Christianity in Kenya.
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Any 4 (1 mark each): More people can read/understand the word of God; growth in the number of believers/church membership; promotion of literacy among communities; preservation and development of local languages; easier evangelism/spreading of the gospel; deeper personal faith. Accept valid points.
Question 3
6 marksA pastor told his congregation that long ago the Bible could only be read by a few people because it was written in languages they did not understand, but today people can read it in their own languages. (a) Explain three reasons why the Bible was translated into different languages. (3 marks) (b) State three challenges that may be faced during the translation of the Bible. (3 marks)
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
(a) Three reasons why the Bible was translated into different languages: (i) To enable people of different nations and tribes to read and understand the word of God in their own/mother tongue. (ii) To spread the Gospel and the Christian faith to all parts of the world (fulfilling the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20). (iii) To make the Bible accessible to ordinary people who could not understand the original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek). (b) Three challenges faced during Bible translation: (i) Some words or ideas in the original languages have no direct equivalent in the local language. (ii) The risk of changing or distorting the original meaning of the message. (iii) Differences in culture make some concepts hard to express. (Other valid points: shortage of trained translators; high cost and long time taken; some communities lack a written form of their language.) Award any three points in each part.
Question 4
1 markWhen a translated Bible uses a word that does not carry the exact original meaning, this may lead to:
A. Misinterpretation of the message
B. No effect at all
C. Faster reading only
D. Perfect understanding
(1 mark)
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1 markWhich languages were mainly used to write the Old Testament and the New Testament respectively?
A. English for the Old Testament and Swahili for the New Testament
B. Arabic for the Old Testament and Latin for the New Testament
C. Latin for both Testaments
D. Hebrew/Aramaic for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament
(1 mark)
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1 markWhy is the translation of the Bible into local languages such as Kiswahili and Gikuyu important for Christians in Kenya?
A. It helps people read and understand God's word in their own language
B. It reduces the number of believers
C. It makes the Bible more expensive
D. It hides the message from ordinary people
(1 mark)
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1 markThe Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament is commonly known as:
A. The Talmud
B. The Vulgate
C. The Torah
D. The Septuagint
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 8
1 markA church in a rural Kenyan village received Bibles written in their local language so members could read in their mother tongue. Which of the following BEST explains the importance of translating the Bible into local languages?
A. It makes the Bible more expensive to buy
B. It enables more people to read and understand God's word in a language they know
C. It reduces the number of books in the Bible
D. It changes the meaning of God's word completely
(1 mark)
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3 marksState three reasons why the Bible has been translated into many different languages.
(3 marks)
Marking scheme
Any 3 (1 mark each): To enable people to read God's word in their own/mother tongue; to spread the gospel to more communities; to help people understand the message better; to promote worship and evangelism; because people speak different languages. Accept valid reasons.
Question 10
1 markA church group wanted everyone in their village to read the Bible in their mother tongue. Which one of the following BEST explains why the Bible has been translated into many languages?
A. So that people can read and understand God's word in their own language
B. To make the Bible more expensive to buy
C. To hide its message from ordinary people
D. To reduce the number of books in the Bible
(1 mark)
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1 markHow did the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg affect the spread of the Bible?
A. It allowed the Bible to be produced in large numbers cheaply
B. It made the Bible harder to obtain
C. It reduced literacy
D. It stopped Bible translation
(1 mark)
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1 markThe Latin translation of the Bible prepared by Jerome is known as the:
A. Codex
B. Vulgate
C. Septuagint
D. Diatessaron
(1 mark)
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1 markWhich of the following was a challenge faced by early Bible translators?
A. Too many printing machines
B. Difficulty finding equivalent words in local languages
C. Owning too many manuscripts
D. Having too many readers
(1 mark)
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6 marksExplain three challenges that translators face when translating the Bible into African local languages.
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
Any 3 explained (2 marks each): Some words/concepts have no direct equivalent in the local language; some languages lack a written form/script; cultural differences make some ideas hard to express; risk of changing/losing the original meaning; some communities have several dialects; scarcity of trained translators/finances. Accept valid explained points.
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