A Bible for those who cannot hear
Translators often speak of the importance of having access to the Bible in your “heart language.” The experience of reading or hearing Jesus’ words can be profoundly transformational, but it’s a privilege we often take for granted. Over the last century, the Bible has been translated into a huge number of languages, but work remains to be done in at least one important area. Wycliffe has partnered with DOOR to focus on a group of languages that lack any Bible: the hundreds of sign languages throughout the world.
I had ignorantly assumed that the deaf would be able to read, but according to Bruce Smith of Wycliffe Associates, there is a higher illiteracy rate among the deaf than among the hearing. Additionally, print and sign language aren’t interchangeable; there are signs that don’t have corresponding spoken words, and words that don’t have signs.
Right now, the only sign language into which the Bible has been even partly translated (on video) is American Sign Language, and even that language only has the New Testament. Over 200 other sign languages lack any translation of any part of the Bible.
Here’s an excerpt from a Mission Network News article about sign language translation efforts:
Wycliffe Associates knows they need to start somewhere to maintain their commitment to see Scripture in every language around the globe.
Smith said it’s a common misconception that since the deaf can see, they can read and therefore they only need a written translation of the Bible. However, the rate of illiteracy in the deaf community is even higher than among the hearing: “Printed English worlds that we would read hear in America have no relationship whatsoever to the sign that American Sign Languages use. They are separate languages. So we need to get out of the mode that what they’re doing is just representing the words that we read on a page,” Smith said.
That’s why Wycliffe Associates is creating video translations for various sign languages around the world. To get started, they’re working with a powerful ally: “The great news is that we’re working with a partner that’s very experienced in this area. They’re called Deaf Opportunity OutReach International,” Smith said. […]
Since there is little previous work is this field, Smith anticipates this work to take at least a decade. To expedite the process, Wycliffe Associates needs volunteers with job, technical and life skills to aid in many of the tasks that come with translation. The more volunteers they have, the more the translators can focus on simply translating each language.
Read the rest of the article at mmnonline.org.
Do you know anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing? How does the lack of a complete sign language Bible affect them?
Do you know anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing? How does the lack of a complete sign language Bible affect them?
An even better question is “How does illiteracy, (even among the non-deaf)affect people? IF the Bible is the sole source for truth but many people can’t read how do they come to the truth?
Jesus gave us a Church, and the word Church is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible. But strangely, enough, he never said, “I will give you a Bible and will build my Church based on your ability to gain access to one, and then once have access, be able to read it, and once able to read it, be able to understand it.”
That’s an awful lot of propositions to consider for the sola scriptura theory. In the 1890’s Harvard medical school did not require literacy as a requirement for admission. So clearly illiteracy was pretty common in this “developed” country. How could all those folks get saved if they didn’t have the ability to read the bible? Jesus never required literacy to be saved but instead He told us He would lead us in all truth through His Holy Spirit’s operation in the Church, which is the pillar and foundation of Truth, as Scripture says.
From your comments on the article about Wycliffe translating the Bible into various sign languages:
“I had ignorantly assumed that the deaf would be able to read…”
Do you know anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing? How does the lack of a complete sign language Bible affect them?
This question also shows ingnorance about the hard of hearing. Most hard of hearing do NOT use sign language! It is wonderful that Wycliffe is doing this work for the deaf. Now can you do an article about why churches should provide assistive listening devices so that the hard of hearing (most of whom wear hearing aids and communicate orally) could better understand sermons, Sunday School classes, and Bible studies?
Thanks.