Expert: Edward Bode - 5/29/2009

Question
Why do we use the new american verison when it more resembles the king james ver., instead of the latin volgate,the official bible of the Church, by replacing the word penance with repentance therefor changing the meaning to reinforce protestant beliefs and confuse Catholics?


Answer
I do not think that the NAB is more like the KJ than the DR.
Pope Pius XII asked that current Catholic translations be based on the original languages rather than the translated Vulgate (Latin).
The NAB was produced by a group of American biblical scholars.  Like you, Craig, I am not always pleased with the translation of the New Testament when checked against the original Greek. [I have not compared the OT.]
I had not noticed the translation issue of penance versus repentance.  However, I did look at Mt 3:8 where the Vulgate has "poenitentia" [literally, penance] and the Greek has "metanoia" [literally, change of mind].  Here the Jerusalem bible [based on a French translation] has "repentance" as does the NAB.  Zorell in a extended ditionary of the NT, offers these translations of the Greek:  change of mind, or penitence (sorrow of soul for sins committed).  For the latter, he refers among many verses to Mt 3:8.
I do not know why the Americans chose repentance rather than penitence.  I would not think that the choice was based on wanting to sound more like the KJ.  The bible is clear on Jesus' imparting to the apostles the power to forgive sins.
I hope these thoughts are helpful.  If you have further thoughts, please feel free to write again.
Best wishes.