The translation committee works under the Governing Body: The Watchtower records that ‘in September 2007, the Governing Body gave approval to revise the English text’, that ‘approval was given’ for the changes to ‘Sheol’ and ‘soul’, and that a member of the Governing Body announced the release in October 2013.
Claim ID claim-bible-2013-governing-body-approvalConcerns September 2007Explicit statement
The organisation’s position or later explanation: The organisation frames this as the Governing Body giving Bible translation priority so that as many people as possible have ‘a Bible that honors God’s name’.
15 December 2015 · p.12 · pars. 10-12 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“So in September 2007, the Governing Body gave approval to revise the English text. Thousands of questions from Bible translators were reviewed during the revision process.”
The article explains that questions from translators working into other languages exposed problems in the English text: “approval was given” to render “Sheol” and “Hades” as “the Grave”, and “approval was given” to render neʹphesh and psy·kheʹ by sense rather than always as “soul”, because the older rendering “could give the impression that the ‘soul’ is an immaterial part of man”. It also states that the Governing Body “has given priority” to Bible translation because of the trend to omit the divine name.
Notes. Directly relevant to the anonymity question: the translation committee’s work is approved and prioritised by the Governing Body, which is named.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID.src-nwto-w-2015-1215-living-approval
15 December 2015 · pp.4-8 · pars. 17, 19 (pp. 7-8) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“On the weekend of October 5 and 6, 2013, an audience of 1,413,676 in 31 countries attended or were tied in to the 129th annual meeting of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. All were thrilled to hear a member of the Governing Body announce the release of the revised New World Translation in English.”
The article also quotes N. H. Knorr’s words when releasing the first volume on 2 August 1950: “More and more the need has been felt for a translation in modern speech, in harmony with revealed truth, and yet furnishing us the basis for gaining further truth by faithfully presenting the sense of the original writings; a translation just as understandable to modern readers as the original writings of Christ’s disciples were understandable to the simple, plain, common, lowly readers of their day.” It records that the six volumes appeared between 1950 and 1960, that a translation department was established at headquarters in 1989, and that Bible translation was made a priority in 2005.
Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower (study edition), Jehovah, the God of Communication
Confidence note. Opened on the Watchtower Online Library on 19 September 2026; the date, attendance figure and Knorr quotation confirmed from the article text, with page numbers from the document’s page markers.
15 December 2015 · pp.9-13 · pars. 2, 6, 7 (pp. 9-11) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“The 2013 revision of the New World Translation includes the name 7,216 times, which is 6 more than the 1984 edition. Five of the additional instances are found at 1 Samuel 2:25; 6:3; 10:26; 23:14, 16.”
The article states the three principles the committee set in the 1940s — sanctify God’s name, translate literally where possible but convey the correct sense where a word-for-word rendering would distort, and use easy-to-understand language. It also records a change in the meaning assigned to the divine name: the 1984 edition said the name means He “causes himself to become the Fulfiller of promises”, whereas Appendix A4 of the 2013 edition says “it is not limited to what he himself chooses to become. It also includes what he causes to happen with regard to his creation and the accomplishment of his purpose.” A footnote to the new meaning adds: “Some reference works present this understanding, though not all scholars agree.”
Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower (study edition), A Living Translation of God’s Word
Confidence note. Opened on the Watchtower Online Library on 19 September 2026 and read in full; the issue was confirmed from the Online Library listing for the study edition of 15 December 2015 and page numbers from the document’s embedded page markers.
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