Dynamic equivalence is a thought-for-thought translation approach that prioritizes natural readability and understanding in the target language rather than literal accuracy to the original text.
The Bible teaches how essential it is to honor God’s word, which would logically include being careful about the translations we accept. Paul advised Timothy of the importance of “rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). The apostle Peter warned that some try to “twist” the words of scripture when a passage is difficult (2 Peter 3:15-16). Both Deuteronomy and Revelation contain warnings about not adding to or taking away from Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19). All of these warnings apply to the translation process.
In short, the translation matters. Dynamic equivalence, also known as functional or thought-for-thought translation, is a Bible translation approach that prioritizes conveying the original message in a way that feels natural and understandable in the target language. This method focuses on the reader's response, aiming for the same impact on modern audiences as the original text had on its first readers. It is the opposite of formal equivalence, a literal translation approach which emphasizes word-for-word accuracy and adhering the original grammatical structure.
The New Living Translation (NLT) and Contemporary English Version (CEV) are examples of dynamic equivalence translations. Formal (literal) equivalence translations include the English Standard Version (ESV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), New King James Version (NKJV), King James Version (KJV), and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). Some translations combine the two approaches to balance accuracy and readability, including the New International Version (NIV), New English Translation (NET) and Christian Standard Bible (CSB). To illustrate, Psalm 23:1 and 2 Timothy 2:15 are compared below in the ESV and NLT.
Biblical Hebrew and Greek contain concepts and words for which there exist no direct equivalents in English. So even formal equivalence must use a dynamic approach in some cases. The English word love is a good example. In Hebrew there are two different words for "love" and in Greek there are four. Those six words have different nuances and meanings without a direct equivalent in English. Therefore, translators have added modifiers to try to communicate the differing concepts like "steadfast love" for the Hebrew chesed or "brotherly love" for the Greek philadelphia.
A wise approach to studying the Bible would be to use a few different translations. For example, you might use a dynamic equivalence translation to understand the basic message of the text and then a literal translation to conduct word studies and discover what the passage meant for its original audience. Comparing the two may change your understanding of the passage and how it applies for you today.