Amplified Bible

The Amplified Bible (AMP) is an English language translation of the Bible produced jointly by Zondervan and The Lockman Foundation. The first edition was published in 1965. It is largely a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901, with reference made to various texts in the original languages. It is designed to "amplify" the text by using additional wording and a system of punctuation and other typographical features to attempt to bring out a clearer meaning to the original texts.

Amplified Bible
Full nameThe amplified Bible: Containing the amplified Old Testament and the amplified New Testament
AbbreviationAMP
OT published1962 and 1964
NT published1958
Complete Bible
published		1965
AuthorshipZondervan (subsidiary of News Corp) and The Lockman Foundation.
Translation typeFree, largely dynamic translation
Version revision1987, 2015
PublisherZondervan Publishing House
Copyright1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987, 2015
Websitehttp://www.lockman.org/amplified/
In the beginning God (Elohim) created [by forming from nothing] the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void or a waste and emptiness, and darkness was upon the face of the deep [primeval ocean that covered the unformed earth]. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
Genesis 1:1 in other translations
For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 in other translations
The Bible in English
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History

The Amplified Bible was published in six stages:

The Amplified Bible was revised in 2015, now known as the Amplified Holy Bible; more amplifications in the Old Testament were added, and refinements made to the New Testament amplifications.

The bulk of the work of producing the Amplified Bible was undertaken by Frances Siewert, employed by the Lockman Foundation.[1]

Translation methodology

The Amplified Bible is a revision of the American Standard Version. Theologian Gordon Fee stated that the Amplified Bible:

[...] is unique among Bible versions in that it provides “amplifications”—synonyms and explanations in brackets and parentheses within the text… The strength of this version is that it acknowledges that no single English word or phrase can capture precisely the meaning of the Hebrew or Greek.[2]

Andreas J. Köstenberger, David A. Croteau, and Joe Stowell remark that the Amplified Bible is "truly one of the most unique English translations," in which nuances in translation are indicated using various punctuation marks such as words or phrases in brackets, to show that they are "not explicitly contained in the original texts."[3]

Comparison example

Acts 16:31 is the example used in the Publisher's Foreword, illustrating some of the features of the Amplified Bible, in comparison with other translations:

Acts 16:31, King James Version: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Acts 16:31, American Standard Version: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.

Acts 16:31, Amplified Bible: And they answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe]."

Reception

Michael D. Marlowe considers this Bible is at times more paraphrase than translation, saying: "In general, the expanded renderings found in this chapter are helpful. But as we have noted, in a few places they are paraphrastic and rather questionable."[4]

The Amplified Bible has been viewed as being guilty of "illegitimate totality transfer" by giving multiple potential meanings of a word in a particular passage. Readers may incorrectly conclude that multiple meanings of a word may apply regardless of the one which context would suggest.[5]

Theologian Gordon Fee stated that the Amplified Bible:

[...] had a run of popularity far beyond its worth. It is far better to use several translations, note where they differ, and then check out these differences in another source than to be led to believe that a word can mean one of several things in any given sentence, with the reader left to choose whatever best strikes his or her fancy.[6]

Audio version

Currently, the only audio version of the Amplified Bible is produced by Promises For Life. Zondervan Publishing House is currently contracted with the Lockman Foundation to control and manage the publishing rights of the Amplified Bible. Current edition is ISBN 1-55897-932-8.

References
  1. Paul, William, 2003. “Siewert, Frances E.” English Language Bible Translators, p. 208,209. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland and Company
  2. Gordon D. Fee and Douglas K. Stuart, How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2007), 149.
  3. Andreas J. Köstenberger, David A. Croteau, and Joe Stowell, Which Bible Translation Should I Use? A Comparison of 4 Major Recent Versions (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2012, p. 15).
  4. "The Amplified Bible". www.bible-researcher.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  5. Andreas J. Köstenberger, David A. Croteau, and Joe Stowell, Which Bible Translation Should I Use? A Comparison of 4 Major Recent Versions (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2012).
  6. Gordon D. Fee and Douglas K. Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1993), 52.
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