Subject: Introducing the English Standard Version |
Bible Note: Introducing The Holy Bible: English Standard Version **************** The English Standard Version of the Bible is the newest translation that has become available. Copyrighted in 2001 by Crossway Bibles, this translation is available for purchase at http://www.christianbook.com. This, being the newest of the new translations, continues the tradition of the Revised Standard Version of 1971, which followed the tradition of the American Standard (1901) and the King James Version of 1611. The translators' goal in this new translation was to carry forward a legacy of faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of accuracy combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression. The English Standard Version, or ESV, is self-described as an "essentially literal" translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. It seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original text. The ESV is based on the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible as found in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (2nd ed., 1983), and on the Greek text in the 1993 editions of the Greek New Testament (4th corrected ed.), and Novum Testamentum Graece (27th ed.), edited by Nestle and Aland. In result, the textual tradition that was used was a "critical text" like most modern translations rather than the Textus Receptus tradition. The ESV utilized a 14 member Translation Oversight Committee that included more than a hundred people that were international in scope and included many leaders in many denominations. In the area of gender language, the goal of the ESV is to render literally what is in the original. In each case, the objective was 'transparency' to the original text rather than translating the text on the terms of our present-day culture, which signals a 'departure' of sorts from the New Revised Standard. The ESV does not, however, go out of its way to capitalize certain pronouns that relate to God or that clearly show a reference to Jesus Christ. It compares in many ways to the NIV in the area of pronoun capitalization. As for "disputed" verses, the ESV follows the same methodology of the NIV by taking a "critical" verse away from the text and placing it on the bottom of the page. Acts 8:37 is the example that I am using here. As for Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53-8:11, the text is placed in double brackets and a footnote is included. The text itself is in paragraph form with headers to introduce a series of paragraphs. The words of Christ are in RED. Here is a "sampling" of some verses from this brand new translation... 1 Samuel 5:11-12 "They sent therefore and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of God of Israel, and let it return to its own place, that it may not kill us and our people." For there was a deathly panic throughout the whole city. The hand of God was very heavy there. The men who did not die were struck with tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven." Proverbs 20:27 "The spirit of man is the lamp of the LORD, searching all his innermost parts." Matthew 17:24-26 "Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life?" Philippians 2:6-7 "who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form," 1 Timothy 3:16 "Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory." I will quote any verse(s) from the ESV or compare it to any other translation upon request. ?*?*?*?*?* What does Nolan think? *?*?*?*?*?* Overall, I like it a lot! I believe that the ESV is in several ways a lot better suited for me than the NRSV and I like it much better then the NRSV, which was the first translation to claim direct lineage from the RSV. I believe that the ESV is a worthy successor to the RSV and it is an excellent translation for use in study as well as for general all-purpose use. It deserves a good look! :-) (2 Thumbs UP!) - Nolan |