John Goldingay's translation of the Hebrew Bible emerges from decades of Old Testament scholarship and his conviction that existing English translations, while valuable, often obscure the Hebrew text's distinctive voice and theological emphases. Writing as both academic and Anglican priest, Goldingay sought to create a translation that would make the Hebrew scriptures more accessible to contemporary Christians while preserving their foreignness and avoiding the supersessionist implications embedded in the traditional term "Old Testament."
Goldingay's translation prioritizes readability without sacrificing accuracy, employing contemporary English idioms while remaining attentive to Hebrew syntax and wordplay. He consistently renders the divine name as "Yahweh" rather than "LORD," and makes deliberate choices to highlight connections between passages that other translations obscure. His approach balances scholarly rigor with pastoral sensitivity, producing a text that reads naturally in English while preserving the Hebrew Bible's theological distinctiveness. Throughout, Goldingay resists harmonizing difficult passages or smoothing over tensions within the text, allowing the Hebrew scriptures to speak in their own voice rather than forcing them into predetermined Christian interpretive frameworks.
This translation has provided pastors, students, and lay readers with fresh access to familiar texts, often illuminating meanings that standard translations render invisible. Goldingay's work stands as both translation and commentary, with choices that reflect deep engagement with Hebrew language and Jewish interpretive traditions. Who should read this: Christians seeking to encounter the Hebrew Bible on its own terms rather than merely as prelude to the New Testament, and anyone interested in how translation choices shape theological understanding. Those satisfied with traditional renderings or uncomfortable with scholarly approaches to scripture may find this translation unnecessarily challenging.
First Testament
by John Goldingay
John Goldingay's translation of the Hebrew Bible emerges from decades of Old Testament scholarship and his conviction that existing English translations, while valuable, often obscure the Hebrew text's distinctive voice and theological emphases. Writing as both academic and Anglican priest, Goldingay sought to create a translation that would make the Hebrew scriptures more accessible to contemporary Christians while preserving their foreignness and avoiding the supersessionist implications embedded in the traditional term "Old Testament."
Goldingay's translation prioritizes readability without sacrificing accuracy, employing contemporary English idioms while remaining attentive to Hebrew syntax and wordplay. He consistently renders the divine name as "Yahweh" rather than "LORD," and makes deliberate choices to highlight connections between passages that other translations obscure. His approach balances scholarly rigor with pastoral sensitivity, producing a text that reads naturally in English while preserving the Hebrew Bible's theological distinctiveness. Throughout, Goldingay resists harmonizing difficult passages or smoothing over tensions within the text, allowing the Hebrew scriptures to speak in their own voice rather than forcing them into predetermined Christian interpretive frameworks.
This translation has provided pastors, students, and lay readers with fresh access to familiar texts, often illuminating meanings that standard translations render invisible. Goldingay's work stands as both translation and commentary, with choices that reflect deep engagement with Hebrew language and Jewish interpretive traditions. Who should read this: Christians seeking to encounter the Hebrew Bible on its own terms rather than merely as prelude to the New Testament, and anyone interested in how translation choices shape theological understanding. Those satisfied with traditional renderings or uncomfortable with scholarly approaches to scripture may find this translation unnecessarily challenging.