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Monday
Oct122009

Bill Mounce Joins the NIV Committee on Bible Translation

mounceWriting today in "A Personal Note on the NIV 2011," at Zondervan Academic's Koinonia blog, Bill Mounce announced that he is joining the NIV Committee on Bible Translation. His joining came at the invitation of other CBT memmbers, Douglas Moo and Mark Strauss.

What makes all this very interesting is that Mounce was the NT chair for the English Standard Version. Further, when the TNIV was released, Mounce was one of the original signers of the "Statement of Concern" regarding the TNIV, although he later asked that his signature be removed.

Of course, you'll want to read Dr. Mounce's entire note for yourself, but here are a few items that This Lamp readers might find interesting:

I don’t want anyone to think that I am unhappy with the ESV or that I am "jumping ship." I am not. I thoroughly enjoy reading and studying from the ESV. But if you have been reading this blog very long, you will know that I strongly believe in different translation philosophies, that there is not a "One Size Fits All," and that the translator’s responsibility is to be consistent with that stated philosophy. So I have no trouble looking at the NIV’s translation philosophy and working within those guidelines.

My biggest concern was the gender language, and the mishandling of the TNIV rollout that has been such a problem, and how that could happen again. You should know that I have been absolutely assured that the gender language is truly on the table for discussion, and since so much of the committee has changed, it is not a foregone conclusion as to how this committee will vote. Without that assurance, I could not have joined.

I am not expecting "brother and sister" to go away (nor should it, given the NIV’s translation philosophy), and thankfully "humankind" never occurs in the NIV/TNIV. What an ugly word! But "mankind" continues to be used as a generic term in English, as does "man." I know there are people who disagree with this point, but the fact that it is used generically over and over again cannot truly be debated; the evidence is everywhere.

 

And personally, I use "they" as an indefinite singular. But who knows where the NIV 2011 will go and how I will vote.


Of related interest: "Thoughts & Predictions on the 2011 NIV"

Saturday
Oct102009

HCSB 2009: A Brief Survey of Selected Changes

HCSBAs of this writing, the only way to obtain a copy of the 2009 edition of the Holman Christian Standard Bible is through WORDsearch Bible software. I've had a copy of the updated text for a while but haven't had an opportunity to make a thorough evaluation of the text. I imagine this will be easier to do once it's available in Accordance when I can put the two texts side by side. In the meantime, though, I thought it might be useful to look at selected texts, especially in regard to previous trouble spots.

As mentioned in an earlier post, the 2009 HCSB will neither be designated as "revised" nor as a "second edition." The publisher does not feel that the number of changes to the text are significant enough to warrant a change in designation. New print editions will begin to appear in 2010.

While there are numerous improvements in the 2009 text, unfortunately, some traditional formatting remains in the 2009 HCSB such as capitalized pronouns referring to deity (which can be problematic in certain passages) as well as brackets around words "supplied for clarity for the translators." Personally, I believe the latter, especially, is wholly unnecessary in any translation and certainly so in one deemed as using "optimal equivalence." Fortunately, it's been reported that there are fewer brackets in the new text.

While I've stated before that overall, I believe the HCSB is one of the most technically accurate translations available (see for instance the discussion of John 3:16 in my original review), there were a handful of rather odd renderings in the original HCSB. The most infamous of these was found in Eph 2:2 which I'm glad to report has been changed in the 2009 HCSB:

Ephesians 2:2
2004 HCSB 2009 HCSB
in which you previously walked according to this worldly age, according to the ruler of the atmospheric domain,a the spirit now working in the disobedient.b

aLit ruler of the authority of the air

bLit sons of disobedience
in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens,a the spirit now working in the disobedient.b

aLit ruler of the domain of the air

bLit sons of disobedience


Of course the phrase originally questioned was "the ruler of the atmospheric domain" (τὸν ἄρχοντα τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ ἀέρος], traditionally rendered "the prince of the power of the air" (KJV/NASB/ESV) or "the ruler of the kingdom of the air" (NIV). This phrase is admittedly difficult to convey in English from a standpoint of its original intended meaning. The 2009 text is mildly better, but I still have trouble hearing that from the pen of an ancient writer. The NLT is more helpful here: "the commander of the powers in the unseen world."

Deluge No More
The original HCSB also had an unusual choice for the word traditionally rendered flood (‏מַבּוּל) in regard to the Noah story. The HCSB opted for deluge in ten places: Gen 6:17; 7:6-7, 10, 17; 9:11, 15; 10:1; 11:10. There's nothing technically wrong with the word deluge. It is often the word used in academic circles and is even used in the HALOT entry for מַבּוּל. However, it always seemed strange when read in front of a group at church. No, I'll be honest. It seemed odd when even reading it to myself.

The 2009 HCSB simply renders מַבּוּל as flood. For use in the church, this helps a lot.

Use of Yahweh
The original HCSB broke with most English translations to render the divine name, ‏יהוה, as Yahweh (instead of LORD--all caps) in 75 places: Exod 3:15-16; 6:2-3, 6-7; 15:3; 33:19; 34:5-6; Deut 7:9; 28:58; Judg 6:24; 1  Kgs 18:21, 24, 32, 37, 39; 22:7; 2  Kgs 5:11, 17; 2  Chr 18:6; Ps 68:4; 81:10; 83:18; 143:11; 145:3; Isa 30:27; 40:28; 42:8; 48:2; 51:15, 22; 54:5; Jer 16:21; Lam 3:55; 5:1; Ezek 6:14; 17:21, 24; 20:48; 36:23; 48:35; Dan 9:20; Hos 12:5; Joel 2:26, 32; Amos 4:13; 5:6, 8, 16, 27; 6:8; 9:6, 15; Jonah 1:9, 14; Mic 4:5; 5:4; Hab 1:12; 3:19; Zeph 3:9, 12, 20; Hag 1:14; Zech 14:7, 9; Mal 3:6, 16.

The 2009 HCSB increases this rendering to 504 occurences: Gen 4:26; 12:8; 13:4; 14:22; 21:33; 22:14; 26:25; Ex 3:15-16, 18; 4:5, 22; 5:1-3; 6:2-3, 6-8, 29; 7:5, 16-17; 8:1, 8, 10, 20, 22; 9:1, 13, 27-30; 10:2-3, 7-11, 16-17, 24-26; 11:4, 7; 12:12, 31; 14:4, 18, 25; 15:3, 26; 16:12, 15; 18:11; 20:2, 5, 7, 10-12; 29:46; 31:13, 19; 34:5-6, 14; 18:21; Lev 18:21; 19:12; 21:6; 22:2; 22:31; 24:16; Num 6:24-26; 15:41; 36:2; Deut 1:11, 21; 4:1; 5:6, 9, 11-12, 14-16; 6:3-4, 13; 7:9; 10:8, 20; 12:1, 5, 11, 21; 14:23-24; 16:2, 6, 11; 18:5, 7; 21:5; 26:2, 7; 27:3; 28:58; 29:25; 32:3; Josh 22:22; 24:14, 15, 19, 22, 31; Judg 6:24; 7:18, 20; 10:16; Ruth 1:17; 1 Sam 17:45; 2 Sam 6:2, 18; 1 Kings 5:3, 5; 8:17, 20, 44, 60; 10:1, 9; 11:4, 6, 9; 14:21; 18:21, 24, 32, 36-39; 20:28; 22:8, 15-16; 2 Kings 3:11; 5:11, 17, 25, 28; 18:6; 19:4; 1 Chron 16:2, 8, 10, 29, 36; 17:24. 26; 22:7, 19; 23:13; 29:16; 2 Chron 2:1, 4; 6:7-8, 10-11, 14, 16; 12:6; 13:9-11; 14:11, 13; 15:9; 16:8-9; 18:6-7, 15; 19:4; 20:6, 17, 20, 29; 21:10, 12, 14; 24:18, 24; 28:10; 29:5, 10; 30:1, 5-9, 19, 22; 32:8, 11, 17; 33:4, 12-13, 16-18; 34:21, 23-24, 26, 33; 35:3; 36:13, 15; Ezra 4:1, 3; 6:21; 7:6, 27-28; 9:5, 8; 10:11; Neh 1:5; 9:5-7; 10:29; Job 1:21; Psalm 7:1, 3, 17; 8:1, 9; 9:1, 10; 16:2; 18:31, 49; 20:1, 5, 7; 22:23; 25:11; 29:1-2; 30:4; 33:12, 20, 22; 34:3, 9; 41:13; 46:11; 47:2; 48:8; 50:1; 54:6; 68:4; 69:31; 74:18; 79:5; 80:19; 81:10; 83:16, 18; 86:11; 89:15; 92:1; 96:2, 8; 97:12, 99:2, 6; 100:3, 5; 102:15, 21; 103:1, 22; 104:1, 35; 105:1, 3; 106:47-48; 109:21; 113:1-5; 115:1; 116:4, 13, 17; 118:10-12; 119:55; 122:4, 8; 129:8; 130:1, 3, 5; 135:1-6, 13-14, 19-20; 143:11; 144:15; 145:21; 148:5, 13; 149:4; Prov 18:10; Isa 12:4-5, 7; 24:15; 25:1; 26:8, 13; 30:27; 37:4; 40:28; 42:8; 44:6; 47:4; 48:1-2; 50:10; 51:15, 22; 54:5; 56:6; 59:19; 63:16-17; Jer 3:17; 10:6, 10, 16; 11:21; 12:16; 14:7, 9; 15:16; 16:21; 22:9; 23:6; 26:9, 26:16, 20; 31:6, 35; 32:18; 33:2, 16; 44:16, 26; 46:18; 48:15; 50:34; 51:19, 57-58; Lam 3:55; 5:1; Ezek 6:7, 14; 17:21, 24; 20:48; 36:20; 36:23; 39:6-7; 48:35; Dan 9:20; Hos 2:20; 7:10; 12:5, 9; 13:4; 14:1; Joel 2:26, 32; Amos 4:13; 5:6, 8, 16, 27; 6:8, 10; 9:6, 15; Jonah 1:9, 14; 2:7; Micah 4:5; 5:4; 6:9; 7:17; Nahum 1:11; Hab 1:12; 3:18-19; Zeph 3:2, 9, 12, 15, 17, 20; Hag 1:14; Zech 10:6-7, 11-12; 11:4; 13:3, 9; 14:7, 9; Mal 1:6, 11, 14; 2:2; 3:6, 16

Of course, even this increase in usage of Yahweh is less than 10% the the full number of times the divine name is used in the Old Testament (6828 hits according to a search in Accordance). Compare the HCSB, for instance, with the New Jerusalem Bible, which renders יהוה as Yahweh 6342 times.

Most of this kind of usage comes when there is specific reference to the name of God (Gen 4:26; 12:8; Ex 20:7, etc.) or when the God of the Bible is being contrasted with other gods such as the renewal of the Covenant at Shechem in Josh 24 (see specifically vv. 14, 15, 19, 22, 31) or Elijah's confrontation with the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18:21, 24, 32, 36-39). In these kinds of contexts, the use of Yahweh especially makes sense and has been something I've done for years on my own when reading this texts publicly. It makes no sense in 1 Kings 18:22 for Elijah to say "If the LORD is God, follow him, but if Baal, follow him" since Baal can mean "master" or "lord," too. The contest is between Yahweh and Baal, and the rendering in the HCSB clarifies this. The same can be said for Joshua before the Israelites in Josh 24. Only Yahweh makes sense in v. 15: "But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh” (emphasis added).

By the same token, though, the mixing of LORD and Yahweh in the same verse somehow seems unusual. Consider the following two examples:

"But Jehoshaphat said, 'Isn’t there a prophet of the LORD here? Let’s inquire of Yahweh through him.'” (2 Kings 3:11) 
"So they called out to the LORD: 'Please, Yahweh, don’t let us perish because of this man’s life, and don’t charge us with innocent blood! For You, Yahweh, have done just as You pleased.'” (Jonah 1:14)


Somehow the mixing of LORD and Yahweh seems a bit unusual as if to suggest they're two separate words in the underlying Hebrew. Or take for example Psalm 119. יהוה occurs 24 times in Psalm 119 (1, 12, 31, 33, 41, 52, 55, 57, 64–65, 75, 89, 107–108, 126, 137, 145, 149, 151, 156, 159, 166, 169, 174), but Yahweh only occurs in v. 55 because "name" is specifically mentioned.

A Few Others
More comparisons will have to come later, but I did take a moment to look at the HCSB page over at the Better Bibles Blog. In the comments, a number of people suggested certain phrasings/renderings in the 2004 text that could be improved. Of course, these are varied opinions, and not everyone would agree that each suggestion is valid. Nevertheless, I decided to take a quick scan through those suggestions to see if any had been updated in the 2009 text. There weren't really very many that have been changed (and if you don't see it below, it remains the same), but besides Eph 2:2 and the issue over the choice of deluge, I found these:

Genesis 4:1
Adam knew his wife Eve intimately, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the LORD’s help.” Adam was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the LORD’s help.”

Proverbs 11:8
The righteous is rescued from trouble;
in his place, the wicked goes in
The righteous one is rescued from trouble;
in his place, the wicked one goes in.

1 Peter 2:6
For it stands in Scripture:

Look! I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and valuable cornerstone,
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame!
For it is contained in Scripture:

Look! I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored cornerstone,
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame!

Revelation 1:12
I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me. When I turned I saw seven gold lampstands, I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven gold lampstands,

1 John 3:17
If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but shuts off his compassion from him—how can God’s love reside in him? If anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his |need|—how can God’s love reside in him?

1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, get your minds ready for action,  being self-disciplined, and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


A number of chapter comparisons between the 2004 and 2008 editions have been posted at the Christian Insight website. Robert Jimenez has written a number of posts about the 2009 HCSB on Inquiring Minds. Also, a special HT to Robert for alerting everyone to the new HCSB website, HCSB.org (you'd think that Lifeway would send out emails to HCSB supporters about this). Will Lee at Anwoth has an interview with Dr. Blum, the general editor of the HCSB, specifically about the second edition. And, of course, the ETS paper Dr. Blum presented last year comparing the HCSB to other translations was based upon the changes found in the 2009 text.

Again, once the 2009 text is available in Accordance, changes will be easier to determine, when I can set the 2004 and 2009 texts side by side and run Accordance's comparison feature. And, of course, I look forward to getting a print copy of the 2009 HCSB text in hand--even if that doesn't occur until 2010! What about you? Anyone else with a copy of the 2009 text? What other changes stand out to you? Anything significant? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

Saturday
Oct102009

Mobile Blogging Test

This post was sent from my iPhone.

Friday
Oct092009

Procrastination

Friday
Oct092009

Comments Policy

erasmus(same as before)

I think it may be helpful to suggest a few simple policies for posting comments.

1. BE COURTEOUS.
If everyone will follow this simple rule, the other two will take care of themselves. You don't have to share my point of view. Debate can be fun. But politeness is a characteristic of civilized behavior. TRUE tolerance is the ability to disagree without going to war, but we should be polite and respectable of one another at all times.

2. DON'T MAKE IT PERSONAL.
Name-calling and impolite labeling are unnecessary. Further, besides being discourteous, name-calling displays one's inability to adequately articulate a point of view.

3. KEEP IT CLEAN.
A wide variety of people read this blog--people of all ages. My MOM reads this blog! Please keep your comments rated G to PG.

4. DON'T BE A TROLL.
Disagreement is both tolerated and welcomed. But don't come here JUST to disagree with everything said. That becomes not only annoying, but boring. A troll is defined on the Wikipedia as "a person who enters an established community such as an online discussion forum and intentionally tries to cause disruption, often in the form of posting messages that are inflammatory, insulting, incorrect, inaccurate, absurd, or off-topic, with the intent of provoking a reaction from others."

WordPress is set to alert me to any new comments, so I read them all. I value your opinions. Please respect these guidelines. Violators will be tolerated up to a time (with the exception of #3), but then will be banned without warning if unacceptable behavior persists.

Thanks!

Wednesday
Oct072009

All New THIS LAMP Coming (VERY) Soon to This Spot

Older posts will become "Classic This Lamp" and will remain where they are at http://homepage.mac.com/rmansfield/thislamp

Please be patient as I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing in WordPress.

My thanks to Joel Watts for getting me set up.



Monday
Oct052009

Review: The NET Bible

netNOTE: This review has been a long time coming. I promised it well over a year and a half ago (two years ago?), but wanted to spend more time using the translation before writing about it. In August, 2007, I used the NET Bible exclusively for teaching and preaching in an attempt to familiarize myself with it even more. However, at the end of this time, I still felt I wasn’t ready to write the review. Then, in 2008, after beginning to write the review, the RapidWeaver file underlying This Lamp became corrupted and I lost all my work going back to October of the previous year. All work already published online I was able to recreate, but posts in progress were completely gone including my review of the NET Bible. In 2008, I spent another block of time using the NET Bible in near exclusivity to other translations when in public--this time for a period of approximately three months. Now, we're in the final quarter of 2009. I use the NET Bible regularly, but perhaps not as much as I could. And with the presumed release of the second edition in 2010, I partly wonder if a review of the first edition is even warranted. However, I remain enthusiastic about this translation and desire it to get as much exposure as possible. Although no translation is perfect, I do believe the NET Bible is an accurate translation, buoyed by the best set of textual notes I’ve ever seen in any Bible, period. It’s not as widely known as more “mainstream” translations, but I write this review with the hope of changing that. And I suggest that if any of my readers haven’t already done so, they should really give The NET Bible a try.

 I personally know of only one person (Internet acquaintances excluded) who carries the NET Bible as his primary Bible... and I gave it to him. When the NET Bible First Edition (2005) was released, I eventually ordered a print copy (I already had it electronically in Accordance) and gave my “Second Beta Edition” print copy to a friend whom I meet for breakfast regularly. At the time he was carrying the NASB (and before that, the NKJV), but now whenever we meet for any kind of study or discussion about the Scriptures, he has his NET Bible. And he doesn’t bring it because I gave it to him; he carries it to church as well. His most profound testimony about the NET Bible goes something like this: “Every time our pastor goes into detail about what the original languages actually say, I look down at my NET, and it already says it, right there in the text.” Before some of you ask, his pastor preaches from the ESV. I suggested that my friend tell his pastor to switch to the NET Bible and potentially cut his sermons down by a third in length.

Allow me to offer another anecdote. In January of last year, a reader of This Lamp contacted me concerned over the TNIV reading of Job 16:20 (which happens to be word-for-word identical in the NET) as opposed to what he read in the ESV:


Job 16:20

RSV/NRSV/ESV

NET/NIV/TNIV
My friends scorn me;
my eye pours out tears to God,
My intercessor is my friend
as my eyes pour out tears to God;

 

The translation in the TNIV and NET Bible is not original; it can be found three decades ago in the NIV Bible, and in the Jerusalem Bible before that. However, to answer the question in the email required me to look beyond simple comparisons of translations or even a quick scan of the Hebrew. This kind of question usually sends someone to the commentaries and other reference works. But I’ve also found that in situations such as this, the notes in the NET Bible are quite helpful as a "first stop." To me notes in a study Bible should never be the final word on an issue, but much like a good encyclopedia, they should acts as a starting point in research. Over the last couple of years, whereas I might have turned to a commentary regarding translational differences described above or Metzger’s Textual Commentary for issues related to variants in the New Testament, I actually find myself looking in the notes of the NET Bible first (easily done in Accordance on my always-with-me MacBook Pro). I’ve found when looking for answers to these kinds of questions in the NET Bible, that it’s a rare occasion when I do not find what I am immediately looking for. And these notes are often amazingly complete. Consider the NET Bible’s explanation of Job 16:20, quoted above:


tn The first two words of this verse are problematic: ‏מְלִיצַי רֵעָי‎ (mélitsay re’ay, “my scorners are my friends” ). The word ‏מֵלִיץ‎ (melits), from or related to the word for “scorner” (‏לִיץ‎, lits) in wisdom literature especially, can also mean “mediator” (Job 33:23), “interpreter” (Gen 42:23). This gives the idea that “scorn” has to do with the way words are used. It may be that the word here should have the singular suffix and be taken as “my spokesman.” This may not be from the same root as “scorn” (see N. H. Richardson, “Some Notes on lis and Its Derivatives,” VT 5 [1955]: 434-36). This is the view of the NIV, NJPS, JB, NAB, as well as a number of commentators. The idea of “my friends are scorners” is out of place in this section, unless taken as a parenthesis. Other suggestions are not convincing. The LXX has “May my prayer come to the Lord, and before him may my eye shed tears.” Some have tried to change the Hebrew to fit this. The word “my friends” also calls for some attention. Instead of a plural noun suffix, most would see it as a singular, a slight vocalic change. But others think it is not the word “friend.” D. J. A. Clines accepts the view that it is not “friends” but “thoughts” (‏רֵעַ‎, rea’). E. Dhorme takes it as “clamor,” from ‏רוּעַ‎ (rua’) and so interprets “my claimant word has reached God.” J. B. Curtis tries “My intercessor is my shepherd,” from ‏רֹעִי‎ (ro’i). See “On Job’s Witness in Heaven,” JBL 102 [1983]: 549-62.

A note such as the above I find extremely helpful. The translational issue is explained. But beyond that, other interpretive alternatives are given as well as sources for further study (something other study Bibles rarely do). I rarely find this level of detail in study Bibles, but this kind of note is very much the norm for the NET Bible.

The notes in the NET Bible are organized around four categories: "translators’ notes (tn), study notes (sn), text-critical notes (tc), and map notes (map)." As seen in the note above with the reference to the article in The Journal of Biblical Literature, many of the extended notes have sources listed from academic books and journals so that a reader can pursue a subject further. Such references to external sources are extremely rare in study Bible notes.

A Representative Passage. The NET Bible can fairly be considered a median translation, literal when possible, but dynamic when necessary. I would place it slightly right of the NIV on the scale from formal on the left and dynamic on the right, but others may disagree.

Readers of This Lamp will know that I often praise the HCSB because of its technical accuracy. The same can usually be said of the NET Bible. I want to take a moment to look at the 23rd Psalm because I taught this passage at church yesterday and it's fresh in my mind. I was teaching from the HCSB, but aware that this passage is so familiar in the KJV, I was careful to compare differences in phraseology with the KJV, while keeping the Hebrew text as standard (it was kind of like biblical juggling). Granted, Psalm 23 in the KJV is unparalleled in terms of literary beauty. It's the translation I used to memorize this Psalm as a child, and it will always be with me. Having said that, however, the NET Bible, like the HCSB offers a clearer picture of what David was actually saying when he composed the psalm. And the NET Bible may even be better than the HCSB in this passage. I had limited time this past week for my preparation, but looking at the passage now in the NET Bible, it may have simply been my loss not to use it with my class yesterday.











































PSALM 23

KJV

HCSB

NET Bible
The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
The LORD is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
The LORD is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He takes me to lush pastures,
he leads me to refreshing water.
He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
He renews my life;
He leads me along the right paths
for His name’s sake.
He restores my strength.
He leads me down the right paths
for the sake of his reputation.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear |no| danger,
for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.
Even when I must walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff reassure me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil;
my cup runneth over.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
You prepare a feast before me
in plain sight of my enemies.
You refresh my head with oil;
my cup is completely full.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
as long as I live.
Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days,
and I will live in the LORD’s house for the rest of my life.

 

 

 

Take, for instance, v. 1b. Much has been written about the KJV's "I shall not want" as a phrase that no longer communicates the intent of the writer. Essentially, David is saying that he will not be in need of anything because Yahweh is his shepherd. The KJV can be misinterpreted by contemporary audiences to mean, "I follow God and I won't want anything." The HCSB renders this more accurately with "there is nothing I lack," however, the NET Bible's active voice in "I lack nothing" is simple, straight to the punch and makes for a slightly clearer understanding.

 

In v. 2a yes, ‏דֶּשֶׁא can be literally translated "green," but that's not quite the point, and one that might be missed by readers in more fertile areas, such as many places in North America. The NET Bible's "lush" pastures captures the intended meaning much better for a contemporary western reader.

 

On the other hand, the accuracy of the NET Bible's "refreshing" (‏מְנוּחָה) waters in 2b may be debatable. In the analogy of a shepherd and his sheep, from my understanding, it's the quiet or still waters--as opposed to more treacherous, rushing water--that provides a sheep the safety of receiving refreshing water.

 

The KJV's rendering of "he leadeth me in paths of righteousness" (3b) is not technically inaccurate; however, it strays from the metaphor of the shepherd and sheep. ‏צֶדֶק‎/tsedeq is most often translated as righteousness, but it can also be translated right as seen above in both the HCSB and NET Bible. The use of right paths retains the metaphor of the shepherd leading sheep down the correct, well known paths to safe pasture. The application of this for the reader is that Yahweh does, in fact, lead one on paths of righteousness. The connection would be more clear to the original readers, of course, but "right paths" helps to retain David's original implication and preserve the overlying metaphor.

 

I spent time yesterday explaining that "for his name's sake" meant "for the sake of his reputation." Perhaps if I'd just used the NET Bible yesterday to begin with, I wouldn't have gone overtime!

 

In v. 4d, the NET Bible breaks with the traditional "comfort" with "your rod and your staff reassure me." There is a textual note that explains the change: "The Piel of ‏נָחַם‎ (nakham), when used with a human object, means 'comfort, console.' But here, within the metaphorical framework, it refers to the way in which a shepherd uses his implements to assure the sheep of his presence and calm their nerves. The underlying reality is the emotional stability God provides the psalmist during life threatening situations." I concur with the NET Bible translators, especially having to take the time yesterday to explain the same thing.

 

The NET Bible's "You prepare a feast before me in plain sight of my enemies" (5a-b) much better communicates the meaning than simply preparing "a table." I also like "in the plain sight" rather than "in the presence of" as it more accurately communicates the meaning of the original text.

 

I also took the time yesterday to explain that "You anoint my head with oil" (5c) related to the practice of using oil to freshen one's skin and protect it from the dry weather of Israel. The NET Bible captures this idea of hospitality with "You refresh my head with oil." Granted, some of the Davidic aspect of the symbolic anointing of the king may be lost (something that would not have been lost by the original readers), but "refreshing" keeps with the second metaphor of the psalm, that of the lavish hospitality shown to an honored guest.

 

"My cup is completely full" is another one of these technical accuracies over against the KJV's "my cup runneth over" or even the HCSB's "my cup overflows." According to the NET Bible's note with this section, "The rare noun ‏רְַָויָה‎ (révayah) is derived from the well-attested verb ‏רָוָה‎ (ravah, “be saturated, drink one’s fill” ). In this context, where it describes a cup, it must mean “filled up,” but not necessarily to overflowing."

 

Granted, the NET Bible does not have the literary beauty of the KJV (neither do most modern translations), but for the modern reader, it is much more clear in its representation of the biblical text and its original meaning. The examples above, especially with the explanatory detail of the accompanying notes, demonstrate why I recommend the NET Bible to every student of the Bible. Even if it is not used as one's primary translation, it is an excellent comparative companion Bible for understanding a biblical passage.

 

 

 

 

 

History and Purpose of the NET Bible. As with any translation, to get a sense of background and purpose for the text, I highly recommend reading the preface and introduction of the NET Bible (see also Hall Harris' "Early Origins of the NET Bible"). The NET Bible's origins go back to a meeting at SBL in 1995 in which a group of scholars got together to discuss the need for a translation of the Bible to be used in electronic form on the internet. It may be difficult for some folks to remember the "wild west days" of the world wide web, back in the nineties, but it was very unclear at that time how copyright laws of standard Bible translations applied to use on the internet. For the most part, this was also before modern translations of the Bible were easily accessible on sponsored websites.

 

NET, is both an acronym for "New English Translation" and a play on 'net, short for internet. Early editions of the NET Bible were released as "beta" editions with the first beta released in 2001 and the second in 2003. This makes me wonder why the first "final" edition was called a "first edition" when released in 2005. In keeping with the pattern earlier established, it could have been called "1.0" with the next edition released as "2.0" and so forth. According to the introduction of the NET Bible, "The biblical text of the NET Bible itself will be revised in five-year increments beginning in 2010... ."

 

The translators of the NET Bible make the claim that "we posted the NET Bible on the Internet when no other major modern English Bible translations had done so ... but after 10 years, the NET Bible is still the only major modern translation that can be downloaded for free in its entirety and used seamlessly in presentations and other documents." They basically take a "YES" position in regard to permission to use the NET Bible in publications or on the internet for "the vast majority of requests." This is called a "Ministry First" permissions policy.

 

Although the NET New Testament is based upon the NA27 Greek text, the translators opted for alternative readings 126 times (by my count), indicated in the notes by a double dagger [‡].

 

A glance at the translators' page in the NET Bible displays a heavy influence from Dallas Theological Seminary. Thus, the NET Bible surprises one at times when it is not as traditional as preconceptions might suggest. One such example is in 1 Tim 2:5 which is mentioned in the next section. Another is in Isa 7:14 where the NET, like the NRSV translates ‏עַלְמָה‎/almah as young woman instead of virgin:




"For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel."


 

This rendering is surprising after all the ink used over the past few decades regarding young woman vs. virgin. Of course, to most readers--even very conservative ones--who are familiar with the underlying issues of the relationships among the Hebrew Bible, LXX, and New Testament, the use of young woman is really a non-issue. But the average conservative Christian is not always aware of these issues. Even the translators of major recent versions (ESV, HCSB, NLT, TNIV) have retained the more traditional virgin in Isa 7:14. I'm certain that the translators of these other version are well-familiar with the issues surrounding the passage, but my guess is they are more concerned about the potentially negative response from the Bible reader who doesn't understand the change in wording or underlying issues. The memory of controversy surrounding the original 1952 RSV is, evidently, not distant enough.

 

Nevertheless, this is where the advantage of the NET Bible's extensive footnotes come into play. I've never seen anyone, after having the issue explained, still reject the use of young woman. Here is the NET Bible note for "young woman":




Traditionally, “virgin.” Because this verse from Isaiah is quoted in Matt 1:23 in connection with Jesus’ birth, the Isaiah passage has been regarded since the earliest Christian times as a prophecy of Christ’s virgin birth. Much debate has taken place over the best way to translate this Hebrew term, although ultimately one’s view of the doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ is unaffected. Though the Hebrew word used here (‏עַלְמָה‎, ʾalmah) can sometimes refer to a woman who is a virgin (Gen 24:43), it does not carry this meaning inherently. The word is simply the feminine form of the corresponding masculine noun ‏עֶלֶם‎ (ʾelem, “young man”; cf. 1 Sam 17:56; 20:22). The Aramaic and Ugaritic cognate terms are both used of women who are not virgins. The word seems to pertain to age, not sexual experience, and would normally be translated “young woman.” The LXX translator(s) who later translated the Book of Isaiah into Greek sometime between the second and first century B.C., however, rendered the Hebrew term by the more specific Greek word παρθένος (parthenos), which does mean “virgin” in a technical sense. This is the Greek term that also appears in the citation of Isa 7:14 in Matt 1:23. Therefore, regardless of the meaning of the term in the OT context, in the NT Matthew’s usage of the Greek term παρθένος clearly indicates that from his perspective a virgin birth has taken place.


 

Ultimately, renderings such as those found in Isa 7:14 and 1 Tim 2:5 (below) in the NET Bible speak to the translators' faithfulness to the original language texts over and above any bias rooted in traditionalism or ideology.

 

 

 

"Gender Accuracy." I can't remember whether I first came across the term "gender accuracy" from the NET Bible team or in the preface of the TNIV. Regardless, the translators explain the terms in this manner: "With the NET Bible our concern was to be gender-accurate rather than gender-inclusive, striving for faithfulness to the original biblical texts while at the same time seeking to attain accuracy in terms of current English style." The end result is a Bible translation that is more inclusive than the ESV or HCSB, but less so than the NRSV, NLT, or TNIV.

 

So, for instance, the NET Bible will render ἀδελφοί/adelphoi in Romans 1:13 (and other similar verses) as "brothers and sisters" as do the NLT and TNIV. The ESV merely offers a footnote explaining why "brothers and sisters" is a valid translation for the context, but the HCSB offers no note at all.

 

The NET Bible renders ἄνθρωπος/anthropos in 1 Tim 2:5 as humanity: "For there is one God and one intermediary between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, himself human" because the emphasis is not on Jesus' maleness in this verse, but his identification with the human race.

 

On the other hand, the NET Bible is less inclusive than translations like the NRSV, NLT, and TNIV in verses such as Rev 3:20 (a notoriously difficult verse to make gender inclusive):























Rev 2:20 (emphasis added)
Ἰδοὺ ἕστηκα ἐπὶ τὴν θύραν καὶ κρούω· ἐάν τις ἀκούσῃ τῆς φωνῆς μου καὶ ἀνοίξῃ τὴν θύραν, [καὶ] εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ δειπνήσω μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ.

NRSV

NLT

TNIV
NET Bible
Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me. Listen! I am standing at the door and knocking! If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come into his home and share a meal with him, and he with me.


In the above example, the NRSV changes the pronoun from third to second person to avoid a masculine pronoun. The NLT does this and then paraphrases the last part of the verse in avoidance of a masculine pronoun. The TNIV employs the informal "singular they." But the NET Bible chooses none of these options and offers a more traditional masculine universal so as to keep the pronoun in third person. I doubt they're concerned as much about the pronoun's gender as they are with changing the person number of the pronoun.

Weaknesses. Almost everyone who spends time with the NET Bible comes away praising its 60,932 notes, but reviews of the translation itself seem to be mixed. My feeling has been that the translation itself falls a bit flat on my ears, somewhat like the original NIV. Having said that, however, I find that the more I use the NET Bible, the more it grows on me.

According to the Net Bible's preface, the translation is intended to be "readable and accurate and elegant all at the same time." Dan Wallace often refers to the NET Bible as elegant--see here and here). I have no dispute with the characteristics of readable and accurate. The issue of elegance probably leaves the most to be desired. But I may not be the right person to judge as I rarely consider modern translations to be all that elegant (the REB is certainly an exception).

Any translation can be nitpicked, and that is not my goal here. Sometimes certain phrasings stand out. I've noticed that for the traditional phrase "fear the LORD," the NET Bible uses three different phrases according to context: (1) fear the LORD, (2) revere (or reverence for) the LORD and (3) respect (or respect for) the LORD. Of course, the phrase can be difficult for a modern audience. I always say that both "healthy" and "unhealthy" fear exists for God, and the Bible is usually referring to the former. "Respect the LORD" in Hag 1:12 seems to lack impact. I find these kinds of "weak" phrasings now and then in the NET Bible in which I believe the translation could be a little bit stronger, but it's not a prevalent issue.

Like the ESV and the HCSB (2009 text), the NET Bible rephrases Rom 16:7 so that Andronicus and Junia are not among the apostles, but rather as ones known to the apostles, breaking with traditional understanding of the verse as well as church history/tradition. The issue, of course, is whether or not Junia--a woman--could be considered an apostle. Many older translations even changed her name to Junias (a masculine name) in avoidance of this issue. History says very little about Andronicus and Junia, although most tradition comes from the Eastern Church who refers to her as "equal to the apostles."

Ultimately, there's not enough history to definitively say. I have high regard for Dan Wallace and his scholarship, but even after reading his article on the subject (twice), I'm still not convinced of the validity of changing "among the apostles" to "known to the apostles." And I say that as a complementarian, but as one not threatened by the idea of a female apostle any more than I'd be threatened by a female judge (such as Deborah, Judges 4-5) or a female prophet (such as Huldah, 2 Kings 22:14 or the daughters of Philip, Acts 21:8-9).

Also the note for "day" (‏יוֹם/yom) in Gen 1:5ff leaves no room for the days of creation as anything other than literal 24 hour periods, in spite of many conservative Christians who would hold to an interpretation of long eras for the days of creation. I don't begrudge the translators the right to their own interpretation, but to not even mention other options surprises me, especially since it is often done elsewhere.

I've heard others claim before that some of the notes in the NET Bible have somewhat of a Dispensational flavor at times. I admit that I have not come across any that do in my use of the NET Bible. Overall, with a couple of exceptions noted above, I find the notes to be very balanced.

In the printed edition of the standard NET Bible (the edition with the full set of 60,932 notes), the layout of the biblical text leaves something to be desired. While there is paragraphing, every verse also has its chapter number, too. So John 3:16 has the full "3:16" in front of the text as do all other verses. Thus, it looks somewhat like a text exported from a computer and then not cleaned up. More than likely this was the case. The "Reader's Edition" has the same quality, but the text was cleaned up for the Greek/English diglot.

Another (very minor) nitpick of mine relates to the titles of biblical books used on their initial pages. The font is called "Papyrus" on my Mac. Somehow, it seems a bit out of place in my printed copies of the full edition and the Reader's Edition (it is not used in the diglot). I get that it's being used because the Bible is an ancient document, but somehow it comes across to me as a bit amateurish on the part of the publishers.

The NET Bible's maps are actually spectacular satellite images of the Holy Land with an overlay of site designations. While these are magnificent images, and help to remind the reader that the events of the Bible took place in an actual terrestrial location, they aren't as much use for actual study. Due to their nature as satellite photos, the pictures' orientation (that is, the direction in which they are turned) often presents the map in a direction other than vertical north. When I've had the printed edition of the NET Bible with me, I've often had to borrow someone else's Bible with more traditionally laid out maps to get a better bearing on geographical issues.

Various Editions. As seen at the Bible.org store webpage, the NET Bible comes in a variety of editions: First edition with full 60,932 notes, a Reader's Edition with fewer notes, a Greek/English diglot, a compact edition (also with fewer notes), an audio Bible, and electronic versions. And, as already mentioned, the NET Bible can be downloaded for free.

I most often use the NET Bible in Accordance (which I notice is not listed on Bible.org's online store listing electronic editions). However, I also have made fairly regular use of the print copies I have. I had a copy of the second beta edition early which I gave away after the full first edition was published. I've carried this first edition with me a number of times, and have taught from it in public. A better option for public use is the Reader's Edition which has a very large font (11 pt.) and much fewer notes than the regular edition. The Reader's Edition I have was given to me by an employee of Bible.org a while back, and I have both taught and preached from it publicly. All other editions of the NET Bible, I have paid for on my own.

The Greek/English diglot New Testament is by far the best diglot of any I've ever seen or used. The Greek text is the standard Nestle-Aland 27th edition, but with large print. The English text has a very readable print as well, larger than the regular edition, and perhaps larger than the Reader's Edition. There is room in the margins for personal notes, especially at the bottom of pages.

I have found it very interesting that with the printed editions of the NET Bible I have, all three have a separate set of notes. The Greek/English diglot's set of notes is intriguing because just as the Greek New Testament's apparatus will compare the accepted text with variants, the English text in the diglot often has notes comparing other English translations as well explanations bridging the text from Greek to English.

An example of the differences in notes between these editions can be illustrated in John 2:4:
















Jesus replied,10/-/3 "Woman,11/j/- why are you saying this to me?12/-/4 My time13/k/5 has not yet come" (John 2:4, NET Bible)

Standard Edition (with 60,932 notes)

Reader's Edition

Greek/English Diglot
10 tn Grk "and Jesus said to her."

11 sn The term Woman is Jesus' normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus' use here? It probably indicates that a new relationship existed between Jesus and his mother once he had embarked on his public ministry. He was no longer or primarily only her son, but the "Son of Man." This is also suggested by the use of the same term in 19:26 in the scene at the cross, where the beloved disciple is "given" to Mary as her "new" son.

12 tn Grk "Woman, what to me and to you?" (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι (ti emoi kai soi, gunai) is Semitic in origin. The equivalent Hebrew expression in the Old Testament had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say "What to me and to you?" meaning, "What have I done to you that you should do this to me?" (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his, he could say to the one asking him, "What to me and to you?" meaning, "That is your business, how am I involved?" (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) implies merely disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood here as better fitting the context (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).

13 tn Grk "my hour" (referring to the time of Jesus' crucifixion and return to the Father).

sn The Greek word translated time (ὥρα, hōra) occurs in John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28, 29; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:25; and 17:1. It is a reference to the special period in Jesus' life when he was to leave this world and return to the Father (13:1); the hour when the Son of man is glorified (17:1). This is accomplished through his suffering, death, resurrection (and ascension — though this last is not emphasized by John). John 7:30 and 8:20 imply that Jesus' arrest and death are included. John 12:23 and 17:1, referring to the glorification of the Son, imply that the resurrection and ascension are included as part of the "hour." In John 2:4 Jesus' remark to his mother indicates that the time for this self-manifestation has not yet arrived; his identity as Messiah is not yet to be publicly revealed.
j Grk Woman, what is that to me and to you? (an idiom)

k Grk hour
3 Grk "and Jesus said to her" (so NASB, NRSV)

4 Grk "Woman, what to me and to you?" This is an idiom meaning "We have nothing to do with one another," or "Why bother us!" (cf. BDAG 275 s.v. ἐγώ). The equivalent Hebrew expression in the OT had two basic meanings: (1) "What have I done to you that you should do this to me? (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21; 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) "That is your business, how am I involved?" (2 Kgs 3:13; Hos 14:8) Option (1) implies hostility, while (2) merely implies disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood from the context here (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).

5 Grk "my hour" (so RSV, NAB, NASB, NRSV), referring to the time of Jesus' crucifixion and return to the Father.


A Bible in Need of Widespread Exposure. I’ve never seen the NET Bible in any bookstore whether independent or chain, Christian or non-Christian. Every once in a while, I hear of a store carrying the NET Bible, but this has always been in an independent store in which the owner or Bible buyer was familiar with the NET Bible. Most people I know who use the NET Bible at all, use it on the internet or through Bible software. But that’s not enough. I would really like to see the NET picked up by some national distributor so that more people could be exposed to this translation. Many of the people I recommend Bibles to at church prefer to look at a selection at a store at least as a first step toward buying a Bible.

An enterprising individual--whether starting a church or simply organizing a new group Bible study--could buy a number of NET Bibles (there are offers for buying them in "packs" on the Bible.org store website) and create a common base translation for all involved.

Ultimately, I recommend the NET Bible--especially the standard edition with 60,932 notes--to all believers. The detailed notes are clearly one of the best first stops (and in many cases will be final answer) in asking questions of the biblical text. The more I've used the NET Bible, both personally and publicly, the more I both like and respect it. My original "top ten" list of Bible translations is now dated. At the time, I didn't know the NET Bible well enough to include it, but if I were making the list over today, I'd easily place the NET Bible in the top five.


See also

NET Bible on Bible.org
NET Bible Store
NET Bible Revolution Blog

Thursday
Sep242009

Review: Holy Bible: Mosaic (NLT)

Stop #3 on Tyndale House's Holy Bible: Mosaic Blog Tour

both-bindings-2Long ago, the body of Christ recognized that the Canon of Scripture is closed. Thus, no matter how inspiring a Christian voice can be—such as Martin Luther King Jr. in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"—we don't tack that on in our Bibles somewhere after the Book of Revelation. I understand that. But at the same time many contemporary Christians completely miss out on the voices of other believers from the past two millennia since the Bible was written. Often this comes from simply not having an easy way to access them.

I'm sometimes guilty of such "chronological snobbery" myself. When preparing to teach a passage from the Bible, I tend to only look at articles, reference works, and commentaries written in the last fifty years of so—if even back that far. I mean, surely contemporary writers have consulted previous thought, right? Well, probably not. And I don't want to say I dismiss the past. I regularly read from historical Christian voices for other purposes—sometimes curiosity, sometimes for devotional purposes and always with a deep respect. But the average believer in my circles tends not even to do this. And for many of my peers, one might think that Christendom didn't really begin until the Reformation.

mosdefin2

So now, along comes Holy Bible: Mosaic from Tyndale House Publishers (already most seem to be referring to this Bible as "the Mosaic Bible" or "Mosaic NLT." I'll probably do the same). The title of this Bible comes from the definition of a mosaic itself. As described in the "Mosaic User's Guide:

Mosaics are curious things. Bits and pieces of stone and glass that on their own may be interesting, but only fleetingly so. Together, however, those pieces form images that move us in unexpected and profound ways. From the simplest forms to the most complex, it is the combined effect of tiles arranged in their diversity that brings about something much greater than the sum of its parts. ... But as Christians, we are part of something much larger than simply the here and now. We are part of a mosaic—a patchwork of people, places, times, and cultures—that depicts one person: Jesus Christ. ... The purpose of this Bible is to provide a way to encounter Christ on every continent and in every century of Christian history. ... [Y]ou will find an extensive block of weekly meditations that draw on the collective wisdom of the global church across two thousand years of history, which will engage your heart and mind and guide you back into God's life-changing word.


And that's what the Mosaic Bible does: it incorporates Christian voices from two thousand years of history and from all over the world. These voices are collected into a series of readings that are organized around the Christian year. Now, I'll admit up front, that growing up in Southern Baptist churches, I've never formally celebrated the Christian year in any meaningful way. When Kathy and I moved to Kentucky, I noticed that many of the Baptist churches recognized Advent, and a small few observed Lent, but most did not. In fact, I only observed Lent—in a very clumsy way, miind you—for the first time this past year. But as I've grown older, as I've learned more about Christian history, I've had more desire to engage myself with many of the Christian traditions of ages past—and those traditions that many Christians still observed today. I don't think that's "non-Baptist" of me. What I do think is that often in an attempt to emphasize God's grace over the church's traditions, we've been guilty of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Traditions can be very healthy. They can help ground us and give meaning for the days as we express our faith.

The Mosaic Bible is divided into two sections. The first contains a year's worth of readings and reflections around the Christian year. These aren't "daily" readings, although they could certainly be broken up into that. Rather, they are readings for the week to keep one focused on Christ. It's interesting to me that these readings are held in a separate section from the biblical text. But really, this is a good idea. It separates them from holy Scripture so that no one might be confused as to what is God's word and what is from human thought. The readings are printed on a cream colored paper and include color images of Christian art from ancient mosaics to modern treatments.

epiph6_chinese2-2Just as the readings represent a wide diversity from history and location, so does the artwork. I was especially struck by the painting on p. 80 shown to the left. It is a depiction of the parable of the Lost Son by an unknown artist in Hong Kong. This image goes with the readings for Epiphany, week 6: "Seeking and Saving." And yet, the nature of the painting itself, with Asian style and imagery reminds us that Christianity isn't limited to our own culture and thought.

I've suggested to the folks at Tyndale House that the section of readings could be published as a separate book all by itself. They are keeping this idea under consideration. However, in the meantime, there will be a separate Mosaic book for Advent readings as well as one for Lent.

Continuing with the mosaic theme, two sections called "tesseraes" are included at the end of the readings. The first lists all the many sources for the Christian voices in the order of the weekly readings. The second lists these same sources in chronological order. Want to spend the next ten or twenty years reading through Christian history? Here is your list of names to begin.

In regard to the the layout of the biblical text, the Mosaic Bible may be the best reference Bible yet released with the second edition NLT text. A two-column format is used with center collumn cross references. Included within the cross references are selected words studies to 100 Hebrew and 100 Greek words as previously seen in the NLT Study Bible. If the first portion of Christian readings could be contained in a publication on its own, there's no reason why the biblical text wouldn't work as a Bible by itself as well except for the occasional reading icon in the margin.

I'd reported a few months back that the NLT Mosaic Bible is almost a wide margin Bible. There are wider margins on the outer edges of the pages, but unfortunately, there is no space for writing next to the inner columns of text. Thus, if you're one of the many who long for a wide margin NLT Bible, this isn't it, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

Last night I took this Bible with me for the class I was teaching at IWU. I found the text easy enough to read from with my students. Granted, the Mosaic Bible is more suited for personal use and meditation, but it's still good to know it could be used for public proclamation if one wanted to do so.

As seen in the picture at the top of the page, the NLT Mosaic Bible comes with two covers. One is a multicolored hardback with the Apostles Creed on the back. The other is is a "deluxe edition" with an imitation leather cover. From what I've seen in pictures, the latter is the one I would recommend and will eventually get for myself (it's only about $10 more on Amazon). For whatever reason, I simply prefer a leather Bible or one that at least looks leather. I'm tempted to take the Mosaic Bible with me as I go on my church's men's retreat this weekend, but I probably won't unless I can find the deluxe edition in time.

Nevertheless, I commend to you the Holy Bible: Mosaic to use for your personal use and devotion. I think I'll wait until Advent, but I imagine I will use the weekly meditations over the coming year as they're intended. For anyone who doesn't want to wait, but wants to jump in right now, a schedule is kept on the Mosaic website. And in case you're wondering, Martin Luther King Jr's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" is quoted on p. 251 as part of the 15th week of Pentecost. The theme? Justice.


Win a Copy of Holy Bible: Mosaic from Tyndale House Publishers and This Lamp

For This Lamp's part of the Mosaic "blog tour," general editor Keith Williams will be responding to your questions in the comments. He's willing to do this for more than just today. So leave a question for him in the comments of this post for him to answer. I'll let folks participate until the end of the week. Then I'll compile a list of the individual names of persons asking questions and have a drawing on Sunday. The winner will receive a new hardback copy of the Holy Bible: Mosaic. The only persons excluded from the contest are those who have already received a free copy from Tyndale House.


Useless Trivia About the Mosaic Bible

I promised that I would have information about the Mosaic Bible that (to my knowledge) has not been repeated anywhere else. Well here it is: according to the metadata of the sample PDFs, Holy Bible: Mosaic was created in Adobe InDesign for Windows. Even though I'm a Mac user (and have my own copy of Adobe InDesign CS3 for the Mac), I will try not to hold this Bible's Windows origins against it.


For More information on the Mosaic Bible...





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Monday
Sep212009

HCSB Minister's Bible to Receive Updated Text in Early 2010

This post has been transferred from the original This Lamp website. The original publication date was September 21, 2009.

A little over two years ago, I posted my review of the HCSB Minister's Bible. At the time, while impressed with the idea of the Bible, I was somewhat disappointed in the thinness of its pages which tended to curl after heavy amounts of writing in the margins. Nevertheless, I've found myself coming back to this Bible over and over, using it for teaching as well as its specific purposes such as weddings and funerals. Currently, I'm using the HCSB Minister's Bible for our study on the Psalms I'm teaching in our Sunday morning Bible study at church.

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I like the HCSB Minister's Bible because the text is not rushed. There is plenty of room for notes such as can be seen from the page spread from the book of Hebrews above. In texts such as this one, there's a nice amount of space for writing notes in the margins. Poetic passages, such as in the Psalms where I am currently teaching, offer ample space for notes. Another thing I've learned after using this Bible off and on for three years is that although the pages often do initially curl after writing on them, they flatten out in a short of amount of time. So my initial criticism turns out to not be that big of a deal in the long run. Nevertheless, I would certainly not object to slightly thicker paper in the next edition.

Speaking of next editions, a couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about upcoming editions of HCSB Bibles that will receive the updated (2009 copyright) text (see "'Revised' HCSB Printed Texts Slated for 2010"). Missing from the list of upcoming 2009 text Bibles was theHCSB Minister's Bible. Well, I'm very excited to report that this Bible is currently being updated to the new 2009 text. In fact, the newHCSB Minister's Bible should appear shortly after the release of the Apologetics Study Bible for Students which is set to be released in February, 2010. So, we can probably start looking for an updated HCSB Minister's Bible in Spring, 2010.

Moreover, I've been told than unlike the previous edition which only came in one genuine leather binding, the new HCSB Minister's Bible will arrive in two different bindings. At the ETS meetings last year, Lifeway showed off a "Limited Edition" of the HCSB Minister's Bible with a handcrafted cowhide cover prepared by the nonprofit Biblias Abba ministry of the Generation 3:16 church in Mexico City. I've been told that the high end genuine leather edition of the new HCSB Minister's Bible will be "much the same or possibly identical" to the Limited Edition shown last year.

On the less expensive end, an edition with a "leather-like" cover made of polyurethane will be offered. This will be good news to those who didn't want to buy the current edition at $75 as this imitation leather edition will presumably be at a lower price. No pricing has been announced for either edition, although the "Limited Edition" shown last year had a price of $149.99. Of course, the Limited Edition was never actually sold in stores.

Regardless, the HCSB Minister's Bible is my primary HCSB, and I look forward to obtaining the new edition with the 2009 copyright text next year.




BONUS TO THIS POST: UNBOXING PHOTOS OF THE "LIMITED EDITION" HCSB MINISTER'S BIBLE

As mentioned above, the Limited Edition HCSB Minister's Bible was never sold in stores although a price of $149.99 was placed on the side of the box. A very limited number were created primarily as a "marketing piece" and given to authors and a few other folks. There is not a separate ISBN designated to this Bible, but according to the copyright page, it shares its ISBN with the regular edition selling currently.

I was very fortunate a few days ago to receive one of the very last of these Bibles that had not yet been distributed. This is such a beautiful Bible, with a gorgeous, handcrafted cowhide cover that so far I've been afraid to take it from the house, and I certainly haven't written in it (yet). It may very well be the nicest Bibles I've ever held (and I've held LOTS of Bibles).

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The front of the box.

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The back of the box.

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A very nice note from the person who sent me the Bible.

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A note about the Biblias Abba ministry and the women who prepared the cover of the Bible. Also note that the Bible itself was wrapped in two separate sheets of black paper.

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The above picture does not do the cover of the Bible justice. It is so incredible soft, and dare I say--it smells good, too!

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Like the regular edition, the sewn binding allows this Bible to lay open flat.

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The spine of this edition simply says "Holy Bible." Note the wheat symbol, presumably representing John 4:35b as quoted on the back of the box: "Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest."

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The picture above is a bit out of focus, but shows the regulard edition next to the Limited Edition. The Limited Edition is slightly taller due to a greater overlap of the leather at the edges.

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The four pictures above show how very flexible this cover is. It feels good in the hand and holds a solid balance which is important for public proclamation.

The Limited Edition HCSB Minister's Bible stands as a monument to high end quality Bibles characterized by master craftsmanship. Since the forthcoming new editon of the Bible has been said to be like this Bible or very similar, I look forward to obtaining one next Spring. In the meantime, I have this one for use, or if I can't bring myself to take it with me, I can continue to use my copy of the regular edition.
Friday
Sep182009

Review: Cambridge NLT Pitt Minion Reference Edition Bible

This post was originally published on September 17, 2009 on the original This Lamp website and has been moved to this location. Please redirect any links here.

When I was in college, I worked in a Christian bookstore where we had the audacity to demonstrate the quality of Cambridge Bibles by suspending them in the air holding onto a single page. When it comes to quality and craftsmanship, Cambridge beats all other publishers, hands down. Therefore, I was very pleased to receive in the mail today a dark brown goatskin ("real Morocco") Pitt Minion Bible in the New Living Translation.

Cambridge has been publishing Bibles since 1591, and Pitt Minion Bibles were introduced in the 1930s. Cambridge publishes a number of Bibles in the Pitt Minion style: KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, and now the NLT.

For those who keep up with such things, this Bible has the 2007 second edition text of the NLT.



If you're looking for a high-quality, sewn-binding NLT, you won't find anything better than the Cambridge Pitt Minion NLT.



The back of the box claims that "The NLT Pitt Minion Reference Edition Bible continues the Cambridge tradition, now using a stylish modern font which combines utility and elegance. The result is a classic Bible for the twenty-first century produced in a remarkably comapct yet readable form." Yet any hint of modern characteristics is only subtle at best.

At first glance, this Bible looks and feels like something you'd find in the bureau drawer of an old time preacher from a previous generation. That's the beauty of the Pitt Minion style. It has a classical air to it. Even upon opening its pages, it seems to have more in common with the kind of Bibles that my grandparents would have carried than one I would find on store shelves today.



The cover is made from goatskin. It is flexible, but still more firm than the cowhide cover of the Renaissance Leather TNIV Reference Bible. It feels good in the hand and would make a good Bible to preach from, assuming the type is not too small for the preacher's eyes.



To get an idea for the size of the Pitt Minion NLT, see the picture below where it sits on top of the NLT Study Bible. This Bible is only 7.8 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches. It hearkens back to a day when books were often "hand-sized." Compare for instance any volume in the Loeb Classical Library or even the International Critical Commentary (not counting recent editions such as the volume on the Pastorals). The Pitt Minion's dimensions fits in with these books in size and in the way they fit in one's hand. It can easily be carried with a few other books or placed in a bag or even a purse.

In every sense, this is a compact, ultra-thin Bible. Yet unlike most Bibles of this sort, the NLT Pitt Minion is sturdy and made from high quality materials. One won't have to worry about pages becoming unglued five years down the road.



As seen below, the NLT Pitt Minion has smyth-sewn India paper pages. The sewn binding allows the Bible to lay flat, in spite of its small size. Although the pages have a golden gilded edge, one can easily see a shade of red when the pages fan out. Note also two ribbons for easily marking one's spot for either personal reading or public proclamation.



Generally, I don't care for red lettering in Bibles. However, it somehow seems appropriate in this particular Bible. I do notice however, that the red is a darker color than the bright red used in similar Bibles a generation ago.

A center-column reference runs through the middle of a two column text. NLT textual notes are presented at the bottom of the second column.

There is a mild level of bleed through of text from the underlying page, but it's at a minimum as with other Pitt Minion Bibles. The underlying type is not distinct enough to be a distraction as is often found in some thinline Bibles.



Also included is an NLT Dictionary/Concordance following the book of Revelation. This is more detailed than one might imagine at over 115 pages in length. A set of maps as well as a detailed index to the maps follows the concordance. In keeping with the traditional style of the Pitt Minion Bible, these maps, although up-to-date, reflect a look that also reminds one of Bibles from an earlier era. This is not meant as a criticism, but rather I appreciate the consistent style of this Bible from beginning to end.



As with most things in life, one gets what one pays for. Thus, this is not an inexpensive Bible. The suggested retail price on the edition I received (ISBN: 978-0-521-75921-2) is $129, although it is available at well under $100 from most discount book outlets on the internet. Yet, in an age in which even Bibles have seemingly become disposable consumer items, the NLT Pitt Minion is made to withstand the test of time. Odds are, it will outlast its user because of its quality binding and materials. Therefore, when seen from the perspective of a Bible designed to last throughout one's entire life, the price tag should not be seen as a negating factor.

From my perspective, the only reason this Bible won't be suitable for some readers is due to its small 7 pt. print size. All Pitt Minion Bibles use this smaller type. And although the particular typeface in this edition is more readable than the type used in some previous Pitt Minion Bibles, some may decide to go with a different Bible containing larger print for regular use.

Overall, though, I commend this NLT Pitt Minion Reference Edition Bible to you for use in both personal reading and proclamation. In one binding a 21st century translation is combined with the style and quality of previous generations. Don't be surprised if someone seeing you with this Bible assumes you're carrying the KJV. If this happens, simply read a few verses out loud to demonstrate the contemporary and conversational quality of the New Living Translation text, but don't be surprised if your Bible doesn't get a few second glances.