20 this Bible edition that are characterized by the frequent use of the pronouns ‘we’ and ‘you’
and the verb ‘should’.
2.6 Conclusion
Paratext can be described as consisting of all information representing elements that are added to a text by an author, editor or translator in order to materialize the text into a specific
publication. Before one can make an inventory of the various paratextual features of a translation,
one should first describe what exactly the text to be translated includes. In this study the text of the Bible is defined as the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts in the various text editions
that are published and used by the Bible Societies.
39
The characteristics that Genette used to describe paratextual features spatial, temporal, substantial, pragmatic and functional proved useful for the description of paratext
in Bible translation. My description of the possible functions of paratext is more elaborate than Genette’s.
40
The following functions were distinguished: 1. Presentation, subdivided into three aspects: esthetic, distinctive and legalbiographic.
2. Legibility, subdivided into two aspects: distinctive and phatic. 3. Disclosure, subdivided into two aspects: distinctive and metatextual.
4. Informative function, subdivided into three aspects: justification of the translation, furtherance of the comprehension of the text, and furtherance of the studyuse of the
text. 5. Expressive and appellative function.
39
See footnotes 23 and 24.
40
Genette, Paratexts, 12f.
21 The description of paratext according to its characteristics and functions should enable a
systematic way of dealing with paratext. It also facilitates the making of an inventory.
22 3. PARATEXT IN BIBLE EDITIONS PUBLISHED BY BIBLE SOCIETIES
In this chapter I will give an inventory of paratextual features that are found in published Bible translations. Since there is a great variety in Bible publications, I limited myself to
Bibles published by Bible Societies. Bible Societies publish the widest variety of Bible translations and have a fairly coherent strategy. Therefore I give first an overview of the
development of the Bible Societies’ attitude with regard to paratextual elements in Bible translations before turning to the inventory.
3.1 The attitude of the Bible Societies towards paratext
