Two Bible Translations

This text describes two Bible translations: one into the Massachusett dialect of Algonquin by John Eliot in the 1660s, and the other into the Waodani language by Rachel Saint in the 1960s.

Questions

• What is the significance of John Eliot’s translation of the Bible into the Massachusett dialect of Algonquin?
• What happened to the original native Bibles that were translated by John Eliot?
• Why did Rachel Saint translate the Book of Mark into the Waodani language?
• Who was Kimo, and what role did he play in the baptisms of Nate Saint’s children?

Answers

• John Eliot’s translation of the Bible into the Massachusett dialect of Algonquin is significant because it represents the first time the entire Bible was translated into a language not native to the translator.
• Many of the original native Bibles that were translated by John Eliot were destroyed in 1675 during King Philip’s War.
• Rachel Saint translated the Book of Mark into the Waodani language because she wanted to share the Gospel with the Waodani people.
• Kimo was the native who had speared Nate Saint, but he later converted to Christianity and became a pastor. He performed the baptisms of Nate Saint’s children near the graves of the five missionaries.