Dave Shaw

The excitement is brewing… the long awaited ESV Study Bible will be out in mid-October. As far as Bible translations go, the English Standard Version is arguably the best word-for-word translation today. So what does the ESV offer? Below is a list of some of it’s key features (taken directly from the ESV website - see the link above)

• 25,000-plus notes—focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.

• Over 50 articles—including articles on the Bible’s authority, reliability, and interpretation; on biblical archaeology, theology, worship, prayer, and personal application.
• Over 200 full-color maps—created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color, throughout the Bible.
• 200-plus charts—offering key insights and in-depth analysis in clear, concise outline form; located throughout the Bible.
• 80,000 cross-references—to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes.
• More than 40 new full-color illustrations—including historically accurate reconstructions of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more.

For those who are wondering what sets certain Bible translations apart from others, they can be broadly separated into three categories.

• Word-for-Word translations are those that take the original Greek and Hebrew and aim to translate the each word as best as possible into English. Examples of such translations include the now dated but still excellent King James Version (KJV) and its younger sibling, the New King James Version (NKJV). Also in this category are the accurate but clunky New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the aforementioned ESV. In my mind, what has set the ESV apart is the translation team’s ability to use modern vernacular without losing word-for-word accuracy.

• Dynamic Equivalent translations are those that aim not so much for word-for-word translation, but rather a thought-for-thought translation. Where possible they take the literal meaning of the text and where necessary take liberties in order to convey the original intended meaning. The New International Version (NIV) is the most well known of the Dynamic Equivalent translations and is also the most widely used translation in congregations today. Others include Today’s New International Version (TNIV), an updated version of the NIV; and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) which straddles the bridge between the word-for-word goal of the ESV and the dynamic equivalence of the NIV.

• The final category are the Paraphrase translations. The goal of the paraphrase is to not so much to translate each word, as much as each idea of the original author, and to do so in a way that connects with the modern reader using their colloquialisms. Such Bibles today include the Message (MSG) and the New Living Translation (NLT).

Below is a comparative chart to show the differences. The first is the ESV, followed by the NIV, and concluding with the MSG.

• At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:25-30 (ESV)

• At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:25-30 (NIV)

• Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: “Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You’ve concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that’s the way you like to work.” Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” - Matthew 11:25-30 (MSG).

As you can no doubt see, the difference is dramatic, particularly with the paraphrasing of the MSG. It is wordier than the either the word-for-word or dynamic equivalent, yet it reads beautifully. Ideally I think it is wise for every Bible student to have one of each, and for those who may be reading for the first time, go for one word-for-word translation and one paraphrase translation, reading them side by side for the best possible understanding. My own recommendation is toward the ESV and the MSG which together create a healthy balance of word-for-word accuracy and modern vernacular bringing great insight into the text. Happy Bible reading…