Drew Maust
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drewmaust.bsky.social
Drew Maust
@drewmaust.bsky.social
Translation consultant for Scripture access by day; DJ by night. drewmaust.com
Could a missionary’s messy Thai Bible translation notebooks topple Caravaggio’s legendary St. Jerome as the ultimate portrait of a translator?

📢 New article in the Journal of Translation
“Portrait of a Translator: Francis Seely and the 1971 Revision of the Thai Bible” by Doug Liao
June 17, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Nice new playlist of 8 videos on "AI & Bible Translation Innovation: Expert Interviews (2025) #eten

www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
AI & Bible Translation Innovation: Expert Interviews (2025) - YouTube
www.youtube.com
June 6, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Reposted by Drew Maust
Denmark says "Post-editing of machine translated books should not be called translation."
May 10, 2025 at 7:16 AM
Always a cause for celebration when a new issue of The Bible Translator is released.

The Bible Translator 76.1 (April 2025)
Quality Assurance in Oral Bible Translation

map.bloomfire.com/posts/562208...
The Bible Translator 76.1 (April 2025)
map.bloomfire.com
May 10, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Why being bilingual is good for your brain

What does bilingualism do to the brain? Are there benefits to being bilingual? Turns out there are some surprising upsides.

www.bbc.com/videos/cv2gz...
What are the benefits of bilingualism?
What does bilingualism do to the brain? Are there benefits to being bilingual? Turns out there are some surprising upsides.
www.bbc.com
May 10, 2025 at 6:23 AM
Mainz Cathedral, Germany, is showcasing the world’s largest Bible page in honor of the 625th birthday of Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press.

The 5 x 7.2 meter (16.4ft x 23.6ft) page presents the first page of John’s Gospel with a translation from the Shuckburgh Bible.
May 9, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Translation Technology: From Data to Drafting
Insights and progress from Catapult and Slingshot in 2025

etenlab.substack.com/p/translatio...
Translation Technology: From Data to Drafting
Insights and progress from Catapult and Slingshot in 2025
etenlab.substack.com
April 28, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Bible Translating as a Loyal Activity
by Tobias Houston

This book introduces Loyal Bible Translation, inspired by ḥesed, "covenant loyalty" and "steadfast love." Rooted in unswerving commitment, this approach balances loyalty to the source text with loyalty toward the needs of its audience.
April 19, 2025 at 6:35 AM
Excellent food for thought here:

"...focusing on Bible translators as 'agents of reception.' Translators exercise their agency in relation to the previous effective history (Wirkungsgeschichte) of the biblical texts, which they can either affirm or resist."

doi.org/10.1515/jbr-...
April 16, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Can AI be guided by the Holy Spirit? Summit explores intersection of tech, theology

Google developer argues AI reach 'exposing the parts of us that were dead already'

www.christianpost.com/news/can-ai-...
Can AI be guided by the Holy Spirit? Summit explores intersection of tech, theology
More than 500 participants from over 100 organizations across 30 countries traveled to a Dallas suburb this week for the sold-out Missional AI 2025 summit held at One Community Church s Plano campus
www.christianpost.com
April 16, 2025 at 10:13 AM
The Forgotten Meaning of אוֹת
doi.org/10.1163/1568...

In light of these findings, we recommend updating biblical lexicons to include the meanings “pronouncement, promise, assurance” for the noun אוֹת and “commit” for its corresponding verb.
April 16, 2025 at 6:40 AM
Ever wonder what Saturday Night Live has to do with the Psalms?

please don't destroy

אַל תַּשְׁחֵת
April 14, 2025 at 2:05 PM
“a translation of δοῦλος with slavery terminology can encourage the much-needed postcolonial reflection on the role of church, Bible, and theology in the colonial enterprises of European nations.”
March 31, 2025 at 9:00 AM
A bit of Anselm on Mothering Sunday: As a mother cradles her child
March 30, 2025 at 9:38 AM
"...my ­fascination with the KJV’s unicorn has continued beyond my childhood. My training as a biblical scholar explains why KJV says unicorn when it should have been wild ox. But this answer might be just another attempt to exert human control over a mystery."

anabaptistworld.org/a-unicorn-in...
A unicorn (!) in the Bible (?) | Anabaptist World
Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?  — Job 39:9, KJV  As a child, I was fascinated by the differences among Bible translations. (Is it any wonder I grew up to be a biblica...
anabaptistworld.org
March 29, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Now here's a fascinating article: “Capital-T-truth: Stative Capitalization, Translation, and Comparing Theologies in Religious Studies” by Debra Scoggins Ballentine. In Bible translation studies, we've known for a while that capitalization has its limits (i.e., lost in audio).
March 27, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Fascinating read:
“'You Shall Not Boil a Kid in Its Mother’s Milk' in Saʿadya Gaon’s Translation of the Pentateuch” by Tamar Zewi

www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.116...
“You Shall Not Boil a Kid in Its Mother’s Milk” in Saʿadya Gaon’s Translation of the Pentateuch
The article analyses Saʿadya Gaon’s translation of the prohibition “You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” found in Exodus and Deuteronomy, examining its variants in early manuscripts and Geni...
www.openbookpublishers.com
March 10, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Hebrew Bible still inspiring pop songs in 2025.

Lady Gaga – Garden Of Eden @ladygaga genius.com/Lady-gaga-ga...
Lady Gaga – Garden Of Eden
“Garden Of Eden” marks inspiration from the biblical Garden of Eden, using references like “poisoned apple”. In the lyrics, Gaga’s character can be seen as the serpent, a cunning
genius.com
March 7, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Translation is not just about access to information; it's about status, prestige.
March 6, 2025 at 9:45 AM
“... from the very beginning, Bible translations have depended on theology — not only to justify Bible translation itself, but also to spur new translations from older ones.”
March 4, 2025 at 1:39 PM
“The Word Increased and Multiplied: Grasping the Complexities of Bible Translation” by Peter Gurry

www.desiringgod.org/articles/the...
The Word Increased and Multiplied: Grasping the Complexities of Bible Translation
In God’s kindness, English translations of the Bible abound. But why exactly do we have so many — and which version is best?
www.desiringgod.org
March 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Once checked a Bible translation in an African language where local translators had put "black but beautiful." They asked why when pointed out some see this as problem. They replied "We weren't 'black' until you told us we were black." Still think about that. ("you"=Westerners? Whites? Colonizers?)
"Should 1.5 of the Song of Songs be translated as 'I am black and beautiful,' or should it be translated as 'I am black but beautiful'?" Watch Herbert R. Marbury's interview on the importance of diversity for Bible translation. #BlackHistoryMonth buff.ly/3DbdHFD
The Importance of Diversity for Bible Translation - Bible Odyssey
Should chapter 1, verse 5 of the Song of Songs be translated as “I am black and beautiful,” or should it be translated as “I am black
buff.ly
February 22, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Drew Maust
A wonderful event coming up on 11th March with @dhansen.bsky.social of @ulbruxelles.bsky.social, who will join us to talk about translation technology and creative translation. Hosted by @delphinegrass.bsky.social. Find out more and sign up:
www.lancaster.ac.uk/global-affai...
February 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
“Bible translation is a continual process, requiring frequent revision and evaluation, so for any translation to withstand the test of time, it must be championed by language-speakers who are in it for the long-haul.”

etenlab.substack.com/p/cbbt-stage...
“CBBT Stage 2 allows the local church to take on the ownership and leadership of translating the Bible.”
An interview with Tricia Stringer from SRV Partners about CBBT Stage 2 (Community Engagement and Conversational Drafting)
etenlab.substack.com
February 19, 2025 at 9:50 AM