Young's Literal Translation (YLT) , 1887 revised edition
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Robert Young, one translator · 1862; third edition 1898 · public domain
Edition 1898 third edition , current1887 revised edition , superseded1862 first edition , superseded
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Spec sheet
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- Made by
Robert Young, one translator, who also compiled Young's Analytical Concordance; public domain
Verification pending- Official website
https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Youngs-Literal-Translation-YLT-Bible/
Verification pendingExisting editorial catalog metadata- Languages
English
Verification pendingExisting editorial catalog metadata- Intended audience
- Verification pending Existing editorial catalog metadata
- Full name
Young's Literal Translation
Verification pendingExisting editorial catalog metadata- Abbreviation
YLT
Verification pendingExisting editorial catalog metadata- Translation language
English
Verification pendingExisting editorial catalog metadata- Translation approach explanation
"A strictly literal and idiomatic rendering of the Original Hebrew and Greek Texts" (preface to the first edition), keeping the force of the Hebrew tenses, which Young reads as past and present; Bible Gateway calls it an extremely literal translation that attempts to preserve the tense and word usage of the originals
Verification pending- Old Testament textual basis
The received Hebrew text; the first-edition preface says the translator made no attempt to form a new Hebrew or Greek text and "somewhat rigidly adhered to the received ones", differing mainly in punctuation and word division
Verification pending- New Testament textual basis
The Received Text (Textus Receptus), "not because it is thought perfect, but because the department of Translation is quite distinct from that of Textual Criticism" (preface to the revised edition)
Verification pending- Canon and included books
Protestant, 66 books
Verification pending- Copyright and permissions
Public domain; Bible Gateway lists the publisher as public domain, and eBible.org hosts the text as public domain
Verification pending- First published
1862, Edinburgh; revised edition 1887; third edition 1898, revised by the publishers on the same principles, the text in print
Verification pending
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Original listing evidence
| Fact | Value | Source · fetched |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Robert Young, one translator, who also compiled Young's Analytical Concordance; public domain | Bible Gateway, YLT version information · Verification pending |
| Translation philosophy | "A strictly literal and idiomatic rendering of the Original Hebrew and Greek Texts" (preface to the first edition), keeping the force of the Hebrew tenses, which Young reads as past and present; Bible Gateway calls it an extremely literal translation that attempts to preserve the tense and word usage of the originals | YLT prefaces at CCEL · Verification pending |
| Textual basis, Old Testament | The received Hebrew text; the first-edition preface says the translator made no attempt to form a new Hebrew or Greek text and "somewhat rigidly adhered to the received ones", differing mainly in punctuation and word division | YLT prefaces at CCEL · Verification pending |
| Textual basis, New Testament | The Received Text (Textus Receptus), "not because it is thought perfect, but because the department of Translation is quite distinct from that of Textual Criticism" (preface to the revised edition) | YLT prefaces at CCEL · Verification pending |
| Canon | Protestant, 66 books | Bible Gateway, YLT contents · Verification pending |
| Reading grade level | No published figure | Publisher pages checked · not published |
| Gender language | Not published | Publisher pages checked · not published |
| Committee | One translator, Robert Young | Bible Gateway, YLT version information · Verification pending |
| Verses in footnotes | None; the Received Text verses are in the main text. The first-edition preface says alternative renderings were put in an appendix, "Additions and Corrections", for want of a marginal column | YLT prefaces at CCEL · Verification pending |
| Licence | Public domain; Bible Gateway lists the publisher as public domain, and eBible.org hosts the text as public domain | Bible Gateway, YLT version information · Verification pending |
| First published | 1862, Edinburgh; revised edition 1887; third edition 1898, revised by the publishers on the same principles, the text in print | YLT publishers' note and prefaces at CCEL · Verification pending |
What the maker discloses about itself (not a rating): Tradition: not disclosedTextual basis: clearPhilosophy: clearCommittee: clearFunding: n/a
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The standing questions
Answered from the spec sheet and the positions above, never from the meters.
Is it word for word?
Yes, by the translator’s own description: a strictly literal and idiomatic rendering of the Hebrew and Greek. The literal-to-idiomatic meter shows where readers place its feel.
Why are the tenses different?
Young held that Hebrew has only two tenses, past and present, and rendered them literally instead of following the English Bible’s custom. That is why the Old Testament reads in the present tense where other versions use the past.
What text is it based on?
The received Hebrew text for the Old Testament and the Received Text (Textus Receptus) for the New Testament. Young said translation and textual criticism are separate work and left the Greek text as received.
Are verses missing?
No. It follows the Received Text, so the verses printed in the KJV are in the main text. Translations from an eclectic Greek text place some of them in footnotes; the guide on textual basis describes both positions.
Who translated it?
Robert Young alone, over about twenty years of work on the first edition. He also compiled Young’s Analytical Concordance.