Harnessing Technology for Bible Translation

10/01/2026

https://higby.family/nine-languages-in-two-days/

Five years of waiting for a web developer — and an answer we didn't expect.

08/14/2026

Not surprising that in our line of work, I (Doug) have been to 11 of the countries on the left, and only 3 countries on the right :-)

08/12/2026

Ever tried reading a sentence where someone is quoting someone who is quoting someone else... who is quoting GOD? 🤯

​Welcome to a typical day in Bible translation!

​In Ancient Hebrew, writers rarely used indirect speech (like "He told them that..."). Instead, they almost always preferred direct speech, layering speech frames on top of one another. In passages like Jeremiah 27 or 1 Kings 20, you can find quotes nested 5 or 6 levels deep!

​It’s the ancient equivalent of a Russian nesting doll:

​The narrator reports...
​God telling Jeremiah...
​to tell the ambassadors...
​to tell their foreign kings...
​what God is declaring!

​If keeping track of “ ‘ “ ‘ “ ’ ” ’ ” makes your head spin in English, imagine translating it into a language with completely different punctuation rules—or one that never had written punctuation until recently!

​That’s why Bible translators don't just rely on standard word processors. We use specialized translation software (like Paratext and Glyssen) equipped with built-in quote-checking tools to handle the heavy lifting:

​Speaker Tracking: Glyssen helps us map out exactly who is speaking to whom at every level of the chain so the meaning isn't lost.

​Punctuation Hierarchy: It checks the correct target-language rules for nested quotes—whether that's single vs. double quote marks, guillemets (« »), or dash systems.

​Quote Balancing: It verifies that every open quote mark has a matching close quote mark. (Because forgetting a single quotation mark in verse 4 can accidentally turn the entire rest of the chapter into one giant quote!)

​It’s a wild mix of complex grammar, logic, and software engineering—all to ensure that God's Word speaks clearly and accurately in every language.

How about you? Have you wrestled to follow the deep quotes while reading through the Old Testament? Let us know in the comments! 👇

06/23/2026

Celebrating the 800th language to receive the full Bible. See newsletter.

Higby Herald June Dear Friends, Last month marked the 800th language to receive a complete Bible! This number kind of snuck up on us, as we remember not too long ago there were only 500 languages that had a complete Bible. We checked, and that was back in 2013. Progress is accelerating, and it is ex...

06/19/2026

⚽Ahead of tonight's game we're praying for those in both Mexico and South Korea waiting for a God's word to be translated into their languages. 🙏

12/02/2025

A Global Milestone for Bible Translation - Higby Herald -

Doug & P.J. Higby share what's going on in Bible translation.