Broken Mirrors (13): Revised JPS as a Model of Faithful Translation to the Hebrew Structure of the Torah

This article examines one of the most significant contemporary translations of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), namely the Revised JPS (2023). Its primary focus is the translation’s philological approach and the extent of its fidelity to the structure and texture of the Hebrew text, particularly in relation to the Masoretic Text. Through a comparative analysis of selected narrative and poetic passages—including examples from Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah, and Jeremiah—the study demonstrates that the Revised JPS, while employing modern English, remains committed to preserving the parallel structures, poetic imagery, institutional terminology, and lexical nuances of the Hebrew original. The translation deliberately avoids theological reinterpretation and expansive exegetical readings, especially those informed by Christological perspectives. Instead, its principal aim is to reflect the literary context and rhetorical structure of the source text. On this basis, the Revised JPS may be regarded not only as one of the most distinguished examples of source-oriented translations of the Hebrew Bible, but also as a valuable model for the translation of sacred texts more generally.