Differences in translation between so-called literal Bible versions make it quite appropriate to re-evaluate what is meant by the label 'literal'. What do different literal Bible translations have in common? How do they differ? How do we account for possible different concepts of literalness? How is the concept of literalness applied to the making of a Bible translation?

To answer these questions, the author compares three literal Bible translations: the King James Version, the New American Standard Bible and the English Standard Version. For each of these versions, the historical background and the writings of the translators themselves are analysed. The book concludes with a comparison of the three translations in their renderings of selected examples from the Gospel of John.