I was at a friend’s house for a Bible study about ten years ago. We were reading from the book of Ephesians. Each person read a verse from their Bible. Some had an NIV, others had an ESV. Then, a friend named Sarah began to read. Her Bible was the Amplified Bible. It took her a long time to read just one verse. The page looked like a complicated legal paper, not a story. That was the first time I saw the Amplified Bible. I thought, “Wow, that’s a lot of words.” It took me years to learn the answer to the question: what is wrong with the Amplified Bible for someone who wants a simple, clear message?
The Amplified Bible, or AMP, is a very unique Bible. It has a good goal. It wants to show the full meaning of the old Greek and Hebrew words. It does this by adding extra words and notes. This sounds like a great idea. Who wouldn’t want to understand more? But this special method has some big problems. It mixes up translation with opinion. It can add ideas that were not there at first. It can even make the Bible harder to read.
This article will look at the key problems with the Amplified Bible. We will see how it was made and what it tries to do. We will also see where its method causes issues. The goal is not just to find fault. It is to help you know what you are reading. Then you can pick the best Bible for you.
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What Is the Main Problem with the Amplified Bible’s Method?
The biggest problem with the Amplified Bible is simple. It is not just a translation. It is a translation with an interpretation added to it. To see why this is a problem, we need to know two words: exegesis and eisegesis.
- Exegesis means to study the Bible to find the meaning that is already there. A good translator does this. They look at the words, the context, and the history. They want to know what the writer meant to say. The goal is to pull the meaning out of the text.
- Eisegesis is the opposite. It means reading your own ideas into the text. This happens when you already have an idea and you try to make the Bible fit it.
A normal translation like the NIV or ESV tries to do exegesis. The translators work hard to change the old languages into English. They try not to add their own views. The Amplified Bible, however, has to do eisegesis. To add all the extra words in brackets, the translators first had to decide what the verse meant. Then they gave a list of possible meanings. The problem is that you only see the meanings they picked. This is a very important point when we ask, what is wrong with the Amplified Bible.
This changes the Bible from the main source to a side source. You are no longer just reading what Paul or Moses wrote. You are reading what they wrote plus the ideas of the Amplified translation team.
In Debating What Is Wrong with the Amplified Bible, Does It Add Clarity or Create Confusion?
The AMP says its goal is to make things clearer. For some, it might do that. But for many people, it does the opposite. The extra words in brackets break up the sentences. This can make it hard to follow a story or an idea.
Think about reading this simple sentence: “The man went to the house.”
Now, here it is in an amplified style: “The man [an adult male] went [walked, traveled] to the house [the home, the building].”
Did that really make it clearer? Or did it just make a simple sentence long and clumsy? When this happens for the whole Bible, it can be very tiring to read. You want to enjoy the beautiful poems in Psalms or the great stories in the Gospels. But instead, you get stuck in a lot of extra words. This is a practical issue for many readers and a key point in understanding what is wrong with the Amplified Bible.
When Answering “What Is Wrong with the Amplified Bible,” How Does Theological Bias Fit In?
This might be the biggest problem of all. The translators add their own words of interpretation. So, their own beliefs about God can affect their choices. The words they add can push a reader to one certain viewpoint.
Let’s look at a well-known verse, Philippians 2:6.
- NIV: “[Jesus], who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;”
- AMP (2015): “[Jesus], who, although He existed in the form and unchanging essence of God [as One with Him, possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes—the entire nature of deity], did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped or asserted [as if He did not already possess it, or was afraid of losing it];”
Look at all the extra words in the AMP. Phrases like “unchanging essence of God” and “possessing the fullness of all the divine attributes” are big theological statements. They are an opinion on what it means for Jesus to be God. Many Christians would agree with this view. But it is still a view, not a direct translation. The translators have put a theology lesson right into the verse.
This happens over and over. The choice of which extra words to add is an act of interpretation. This means the reader is told what to think. They are not free to study the text for themselves. This is a major part of understanding what is wrong with the Amplified Bible.
How Does Obscuring Authorial Intent Explain What Is Wrong with the Amplified Bible?
The Bible’s writers chose their words with great care. The Apostle Paul was a skilled writer. He built his sentences to make a clear point.
When the Amplified Bible adds many other word choices, it can water down the author’s focus. The author chose one word for a reason. By giving five other options, the AMP can hide that one choice. It gives the power to the translation team instead of the Bible’s author.
It can also make it seem like every word has a clear, expanded meaning. But sometimes a word in Greek or Hebrew can mean many things. The context tells us which meaning is right. The AMP can make it seem like all the extra meanings are correct in that spot, which is not usually true. Good translation means making careful choices, not just listing words from a dictionary.
How Does the Amplified Bible Compare to Other Translations When Asking What Is Wrong with the Amplified Bible?
The best way to see the difference is to put verses next to each other.
John 1:1
- ESV: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
- AMP: “In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.”
The ESV is simple and strong. The AMP adds “[before all time],” “(Christ),” and “Himself.” These are common ideas about the verse, but they are still additions. The original Greek text does not say “(Christ)” there. The AMP puts the interpretation in for you.
Galatians 5:19-21 (The Works of the Flesh)
- NIV: “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”
- AMP: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these.”
The NIV is direct. The AMP adds notes like “(total irresponsibility, lack of self-control)” and “[that promote heresies].” This is like having a commentary mixed in with the text. The note “[that promote heresies]” is a very specific opinion. It might be right, but it is a choice made by the translators, not a direct translation. This is a key part of the issue of what is wrong with the Amplified Bible.
So, Is There Any Good Use for the Amplified Bible?
After seeing these problems, you might think you should never use the AMP. But that is not quite right. The key is to use it for the right reason.
You should not use the Amplified Bible as your main Bible for daily reading. It is too hard to read for long periods. And its added opinions mean you are not getting a clear view of the text.
But it can be a helpful study tool, like a dictionary. Let’s say you are studying a verse in the ESV or NIV. You can look up that verse in the AMP to see other possible word meanings. It can give you ideas for more study. Many pastors and teachers would agree with this. You can find similar advice from schools like Dallas Theological Seminary’s advice on choosing a translation.
The real danger is when people think the AMP is a pure translation. Or worse, they think it is a more “complete” Bible. It is not. It is a special study tool with good points and very bad points, and knowing the difference is crucial to understanding what is wrong with the Amplified Bible.
What Is the Final Verdict on the Amplified Bible?
So, what is wrong with the Amplified Bible? The main problem is that it mixes translation with interpretation. It takes the job of interpretation away from you and puts it right in the Bible text. Its goal to make things clear is good. But its method leads to biased views, a loss of the author’s true meaning, and a difficult reading experience.
For a new Christian or for daily reading, a normal Bible is a much better choice. The NLT is great for easy reading. The NIV gives a good balance of easy reading and accuracy. The ESV gives a more word-for-word text. These Bibles trust you to read and understand for yourself, with help from the Holy Spirit and good study guides.
The Amplified Bible is not a “bad” book. But it can lead you down the wrong path if you do not know what it is. Think of it as a commentary that has been blended into the Bible. Use it as a side tool to help you study. But please do not make it the main voice you listen to. The clearest way to understand the Bible is usually the most direct way.
FAQ – What Is Wrong with the Amplified Bible
What is the best way to use the Amplified Bible, given its issues?
The Amplified Bible should be used as a study tool, like a dictionary, to explore possible meanings of words or verses; it should not be used as the primary Bible for daily reading because its interpretive additions can lead to misunderstanding and bias.
In what way does the Amplified Bible obscure the authorial intent?
By adding multiple options and interpretive phrases, the Amplified Bible can dilute the original intent of the writers by presenting many possible meanings instead of focusing on the single, carefully chosen words intended by the biblical authors.
How does theological bias affect the Amplified Bible?
The translation can be influenced by the beliefs of its translators, who add interpretive words based on their theological views, potentially pushing readers toward specific doctrinal views rather than presenting the original text neutrally.
Does the Amplified Bible improve clarity or create confusion?
While the Amplified Bible claims to clarify, its added words and notes often make the text more complicated and harder to read, causing confusion instead of clarity, especially because of frequent insertions and lengthy explanations within sentences.
What is the main problem with the Amplified Bible’s method?
The main issue with the Amplified Bible is that it combines translation with interpretation, meaning it adds personal opinions and theological notes into the text, which can influence the reader’s understanding rather than providing a straightforward translation.
