The New World Translation (NWT) is the official Bible of the Jehovah's Witnesses, first published in its entirety in 1961 and substantially revised in 2013. The translation was produced by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, the organization that oversees Jehovah's Witness theology and teaching. Understanding the NWT provides insight into how a religious community's theological convictions shape its approach to translating Scripture.
The original translation team, whose members were not identified until decades later, worked to create a translation that would reflect what they believed to be the most accurate rendering of the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts. However, the NWT is characterized by interpretive choices that clearly reflect Jehovah's Witness theology. For instance, the translation consistently uses "Jehovah" rather than "the Lord," reflecting the Watch Tower's emphasis on the divine name — a practice they share with some conservative Christian traditions but apply more extensively.
One of the most theologically significant aspects of the NWT is how it renders passages relating to Jesus's identity. In John 1:1, the NWT famously translates the last clause as "the Word was a god" rather than "the Word was God," reflecting Jehovah's Witness doctrine that Jesus is a divine being but not God the Father himself. This translation choice, debated among scholars, reflects the theological lens through which the NWT views the Godhead.
The 2013 revision of the NWT attempted to modernize the language while maintaining the theological distinctiveness of the 1961 version. The new translation is notably more readable and contemporary in style, moving away from some of the more awkward phrasings of the original. The revision also incorporated new scholarship on the original texts. However, the distinctive theological interpretations remained, particularly regarding passages about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and salvation.
The NWT renders terms consistently throughout, particularly Jehovah's Witness key concepts. Words related to the Kingdom, resurrection, and eternal life are handled with theological precision. The translation includes extensive footnotes that explain the reasoning behind translation choices and provide alternative renderings, allowing readers to see how the translators evaluated different possibilities.
For Christians outside the Jehovah's Witness community, the NWT serves as a valuable study resource precisely because it demonstrates how theological convictions influence translation. Comparing the NWT with other translations in passages about Christ's divinity, the atonement, or the Holy Spirit reveals how translation choices can reflect interpretive frameworks. This comparison can deepen one's understanding of the original texts and the various ways they have been understood throughout Christian history.