Bridging the Sacred Word: Evaluating the Role of Biblical Greek Proficiency in Translating the New Testament into Urhobo Language

Abstract

The engagement of translators lacking specialized knowledge of New Testament Greek in rendering Biblical content into Urhobo raises concerns. Often, English serves as the intermediary between the Greek text and the Urhobo version, relying on other translations. This study evaluates translators’ proficiency in Biblical Greek, examines the rationale for using English versions as source texts, and underscores why the Greek original should remain primary. Employing descriptive and phenomenological methods, it argues that knowledge of Biblical Greek is essential for Christian spiritual development and highlights its necessity for Urhobo translators as part of decolonizing tertiary education in Africa. The research concludes that some translations are produced by armchair theologians who reinforce Western hegemony by subordinating indigenous perspectives. It recommends that organizations committed to Bible translation sponsor language teams, enabling them to serve on translation panels as qualified Biblical translators, thereby safeguarding scriptural integrity and advancing cultural autonomy.