The TENT Translation Process and Three Sample Verses
The Transparent Experimental New Testament (TENT) is a consistent, contextual and transparent translation of New Testament Greek using the TENT Lexicon. These are the translation steps followed:
1. The TENT Lexicon English entries were translated from the Greek by the Natural Language Learning Redundancy (N2LR) method based on information theory.
2. The TENT Source Text is built from the Strong's numbered TENT Lexicon entries. Every grammatical variation for each
TENT Lexicon entry is globally inserted into a digital copy of the New Testament having both Strong's and TVM numbers, using an English grammar code to translate the parsings. Both Byzantine-Majority, Nestle-Aland and SBL texts were consulted at this stage. English word order and formatting standards are imposed to enable the version extractions (see below). Testing has been completed on the two version extraction processes (3 and 4).
3. The TENT Study Version is extracted digitally from The TENT Source Text in a multi-step process.
4. The TENT Devotional Version is extracted digitally from The TENT Study Version in a multi-step process.
5. The TENT Devotional Version and The TENT Study Version will be checked and edited.
Every example TENT verse and TENT Septuagint verse given on this website has gone through this process.
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As noted in Why Another New Testament?, a flowing translation always has a hidden downside in the form of some degree of loss of information. Translational dynamic equivalence may or may not be benign. The KJV is beloved for its English prose, but as much as I might love its prose, I am compelled to expose any deficiencies and inconsistencies.
The differences in the sample verses below are not indicative of anything in particular, they were simply the verses already chosen for the Informing page of this website. I use them here to show a typical difference between the KJV and an accurate translation of biblical Greek with English word order. If you want to see how great a difference the N2LR method can sometimes make, please browse through the 3. Contextual section and the 6. Valuable section.
Each example below begins with a verse from a standard King James Bible, switches to the same verse in the original TENT Source Text, then to the extracted TENT Study Version, and finally to the further extracted TENT Devotional Version.
King James version of Hebrews 1:1,2:
1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
TENT Source Text of Hebrews 1:1,2
1 The <3588> god(s) / (Heb. idiom) mighty-one(s) [idiom#1: sing. def. art. + NT2316 = (the) “God” or “The-Mighty-One ” / idiom#2: (Heb. idiom) sing. no def. art. + NT2316 = “YHWH”/ (geni.)”(of/from/for/by-)YHWH” / “YHWH’s”] <2316> in-many-parts <4181> and /also/too [fig.: now/then/even / (2x) both...and / neither…nor(w neg.) / idiom#1: w p/a-sub v. = then(-could/would(-have/be)-v.)] <2532> in-many-ways <4187> speaking(-out ) <2980> <5660> before-this <3819> (dat.)to-the [idiom#4: possess. artic. = our ] <3588> fathers / (masc. pl.) parents [fig.: ancestors / idiom#1: (sing. + def. art.) "the-Father" = "Father-[YHWH]" / idiom#2: (pl. + def. art.) "the-fathers" = "the-Patriarchs"] <3962> in/at/(up)on/among [fig.: by(-means-of)/with/through ] <1722> the <3588> prophets <4396> [of /from/for/through/in-the-sight-of/by/with/because-of/concerning x -YHWH (implied by deistic. art.) ] ,
2 in (see concord.) <1909> (geni.)these /those(-same-ones/things) <5130> last <2078> days/ daylight [fig.: times / idiom: NT2596 (“according-to”) + NT2250 (“day”) = daily] <2250> spoke(-out ) <2980> <5656> (to /for/in/with/through/by/concerning-)us / (w NT1909) (at/on-)us <2254> in/at/(up)on/among [fig.: by(-means-of)/with/through ] <1722> [a] Son /offspring [fig.: (potential-)heir / idiom#1: “son-of” = "one-with-nature/character-of" / idiom#2: “son-of” = "one-belonging(-to/with)"] <5207> who(m )/(geni.)whose/which/what [fig.: the/this/that/these/those / some/any(-one/thing) / idiom#1: acc. = “in(-the-fact)-that” / idiom#2: w NT575 = “since”] <3739> he- placed/set(-down/forward) / (midd.) recommended [fig.: appointed ] <5087> <5656> portion-partaker [fig.: heir ] <2818> of- all (s./pl.) / (s. w/ artic.?) any/each/every(-one/thing) / (neut. pl.) all-things / (m. pl.) all-people [fig.: everybody] <3956> , through /with/in/by(-way-of) (geni.) / (acc.) because-of <1223> who(m )/(geni.)whose/which/what [fig.: the/this/that/these/those / some/any(-one/thing) / idiom#1: acc. = “in(-the-fact)-that” / idiom#2: w NT575 = “since”] <3739> and/also /too [fig.: now/then/even / (2x) both...and / neither…nor(w neg.) / idiom#1: w p/a-sub v. = then(-could/would(-have/be)-v.)] <2532> he- did/made / (midd.) made/had [fig.: exerted/caused] <4160> <5656> the <3588> ages / times [fig.: lifetimes] <165> ,
TENT Study Version digitally extracted from the TENT Source Text:
1 <3588> [idiom#1: The-Mighty-One <2316> in-many-parts <4181> and <2532> in-many-ways <4187> speaking(-out ) <2980> <5660> before-this <3819> to- [idiom#4: possess. artic. = our ] <3588> ancestors <3962> through <1722> the <3588> prophets <4396> [of -YHWH (implied by deistic. art.) ] ,
2 in <1909> (geni.)these <5130> last <2078> times <2250> spoke(-out ) <2980> <5656> to-us <2254> through <1722> [a] Son <5207> whom <3739> he-appointed <5087> <5656> heir <2818> of-all-things <3956> , through <1223> whom <3739> also <2532> he-made <4160> <5656> the <3588> ages <165> .
TENT Devotional Version digitally extracted from the TENT Study Version
1 The Mighty One, in many parts and in many ways speaking out before this to our ancestors through the prophets [of-YHWH], 2 in these last times spoke out to us through [a] Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the ages.
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KJV version of John 1:4
4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
TENT Source Text of John 1:4
4 in/at/(up)on/among [fig.: by(-means-of)/with/Through] <1722> self/selves / him /her/it(-self)/our/your/them(-selves) / (possess.)his/her(s)/its/our(s)/your(s)/their(s) [idiom#1: same] [idiom#2: intensive adj.] [idiom#3: possess.] [idiom#4: Eng.] <846> was/were(-being) [fig.: existing / idiom: (3rd pers.) there-was /were] <2258> <5713> living/life <2222> , and /also/too [fig.: now/then/even / (2x) both...and / neither…nor(w neg.) / idiom#1: w p/a-sub v. = then(-could/would(-have/be)-v.)] <2532> the [idiom#4: possess. artic. = His ] <3588> living/life <2222> was /were(-being) [fig.: existing / idiom: (3rd pers.) there-was/were] <2258> <5713> the <3588> (fire-)light [fig.: enlighten (-ing)(-ment)] <5457> (geni.)of/from/for /by-the <3588> men / humans / human-beings [fig.: persons / (pl.) people ] <444> [of /from/for/through/in-the-sight-of/by/with/because-of/concerning x -YHWH (implied by deistic. art.)] .
TENT Study Version digitally extracted from the TENT Source Text
4 Through <1722> him <846> there-was <2258> <5713> life <2222>, and <2532> the [idiom#4: possess. artic. = His ] <3588> life <2222> was <2258> <5713> the <3588> enlightenment <5457> (geni.)for-the <3588> people <444> [of-YHWH (implied by deistic. art.) ] .
TENT Devotional Version digitally extracted from the TENT Study Version
4 Through Him there was life, and His life was the enlightenment for the people [of-YHWH].
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KJV version of James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights...
TENT Source Text translated by the TENT Lexicon
17 all (s./pl.) / (s. w/ artic.?) any/each/Every (-one/thing) / (neut. pl.) all-things / (m. pl.) all-people [fig.: everybody] <3956> excellent/good (-one/thing) <18> (act-of-)giving <1394> and /also/too [fig.: now/then/even / (2x) both...and / neither…nor(w neg.) / idiom#1: w p/a-sub v. = then(-could/would(-have/be)-v.)] <2532> all (s./pl.) / (s. w/ artic.?) any/each/every (-one/thing) / (neut. pl.) all-things / (m. pl.) all-people [fig.: everybody] <3956> complete [fig.: mature] <5046> gifting <1434> (he/she/it-)is /exists / (neut.pl.) (they-)are/exist [idiom: there-is/are] <2076> <5748> from- high/above /top [fig.: from-the-first] <509> , coming /going-down [fig.: descending] <2597> <5723> of/from /off/away/out/fully/by <575> the <3588> Father / (masc. pl.) parents [fig.: ancestor / idiom#1: (sing. + def. art.) "the-Father" = "Father-[YHWH]" / idiom#2: (pl. + def. art.) "the-fathers" = "the-Patriarchs"] <3962> (geni.) of/from/for-the <3588> lights [fig.: enlighten (-ings)(-ments ] <5457> [ of/ from /for/through/in-the-sight-of/by/with/because-of/concerning -YHWH (implied by deistic art.) ] , ...
TENT Study Version digitally extracted from the TENT Source Text
17 Every <3956> good <18> act-of-giving <1394> and <2532> every <3956> complete <5046> gifting <1434> is <2076> <5748> from-above <509> , coming-down <2597> <5723> from <575> the <3588> Father <3962> [idiom#1: = Father[-YHWH] , for-the <3588> enlightenments <5457> [ from-YHWH (implied by deistic art.) ] , ...
TENT Devotional Version digitally extracted from the TENT Study Version
17 Every good act of giving and every complete gifting is from above, from Father-[YHWH], for the enlightenments [from-YHWH], ...
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Important note about these translation examples
This Weebly site building app does not support double-underlining, which I used in the TENT Source Text to emphasize all final translated words, so I bolded those on this page instead. Nor is strike-through supported here, which I also used in the TENT Source Text to indicate where verses have a grammatical substitute, as above (Ja 1:17): "the <3588> Father <3962>" which has a strike-through of "the" and "Father" in The TENT Source Text, for which I substituted "no underline" as above. I did this to indicate that this Greek article construction with the word "Father" is what I call "deistic," and is substituted in the TENT study and devotional versions by "Father[-YHWH]."
A different and more common form of the deistic construction, one which keeps the definite article, is also found once each in all three sample verses above. To understand the various forms and vital importance of deistic articles and the name of YHWH in all three of these verses and throughout the NT, go here. This previously "lost" deistic construction brought to light a number of solutions to long-standing NT textual controversies. Because of this, I have been convinced that the concept of the deistic article is not just a theory.