Bible Question: What are the differences between the New Revised Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible? |
Bible Answer: Greetings prayon! :) The New Revised Standard Version is a new translation that was completed in 1989 and seeks to incorporate the most recent advances in Biblical scholarship while updating the text of the original Revised Standard. Its 'reasons' (stated in its Preface of page ii of the Harper-Collins NRSV Study Bible) for a new translation include: (a) the acquisition of still older Biblical manuscripts, (b) further investigation of linguistic features of the text, and (c) changes in preferred English usage. The NRSV uses basically the same Greek and Hebrew sources as the NASB, showing critical renderings much like the way that the NIV shows them- by taking them out of the actual text (instead of putting them in brackets like the NASB) and displaying them in a footnote at the bottom of the page. See Acts 8:37, John 7:53-8:11, 1 John 5:7, Mark 16:9-20. The NRSV remains essentially a formal standard equivalence translation with "Paraphrastic renderings ... adopted only sparingly, and then chiefly to compensate for a deficiency in the English language- the lack of a common gender third person singular pronoun." The translators of the NRSV sought to include gender inclusive language within the text without distorting the meaning of the text or altering the historical situation of ancient patriarchal culture, resulting in a more 'precise' translation. The NASB differs in this philosophy of 'precision' by not addressing or adhering to gender inclusiveness, regardless of the sensitiveness of linguistic sexism. Also the NRSV states, "no attempt was made to generalize the sex of individual persons." The NRSV, like the NASB95, does not include archaic pronouns such as 'Thee', 'Thou', etc.. It also states, "one will not expect to find the use of capital letters for pronouns that refer to Deity", which is a contrasting philosophy of translation from the NASB that does capitalize personal pronouns when pertaining to Deity. The translators of the NRSV hoped "to preserve all that is best in the English Bible as it has been known and used through the years".. My opinion? The NASB remains more literally accurate than the NRSV and I believe that it sounds better, flows better, and reads smoother, especially when reading from the NASB95 Update. I use the NRSV from time to time, but it has not gained my affections or even come anywhere remotely close to the place that the NASB has obtained in my heart as my foremost translation of choice! :) You have some excellent questions here! Nolan |
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Questions and/or Subjects for Bible general Archive 1 | Author | ||
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Makarios | ||
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Hank | ||
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MGB | ||
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dbost | ||
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dbost | ||
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Ben M | ||
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prayon | ||
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Makarios | ||
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roverjbh99 | ||
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Hank | ||
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Hank | ||
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taby815 | ||
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prophet |