Win an Advance 2017 CSB Large Print UltraThin Reference Bible
Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at 1:38AM I've acquired a second copy of the 2017 Christian Standard Bible (CSB) Large Print UltraThin Reference Bible that was given away to attendees of the 2016 ETS meeting in San Antonio last month. It is still in the box (taken out only to photograph) and all the pages are still stuck together--it's that new! A commentor on my previous blog post claims the Bible is goatskin, but I can't verify this as the ISBN (9781462743223) does not seem to appear anywhere on the Internet.
Regardless, you can enter through the Rafflecoptor widget below. Postage is on me, but please, US entries only.
Click on the images below for a larger view:
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R. Mansfield
Note: Comments are moderated and may take a while to appear.
R. Mansfield
A couple of folks have mentioned having difficulty getting the comment feature to work in getting another entry into the drawing. I'm no expert on Rafflecopter (this is my first time to use it), but I logged in with a different email (if Biff Spunklemeyer wins, we will toss that and go to the next person!) to test things out.
It seems that all you have to do is enter your comment in the actual comments section of the blog and then come back to the Rafflecopter widget and click on the button saying you left a comment. I guess it's working on the honor system. That should be all you have to do. At least it worked for me: Biff Spunklemeyer got an entry and he didn't actually even leave a comment!
R. Mansfield
This giveaway is now over. Thank you to all who entered, and congratulations to Denver H. on your win!
CSB in Faith & Reason
Reader Comments (48)
I am so impressed that my friend is a Bible expert!! And a Bible raffle- I love it!!
Only US entries? What a pity!!!
I like the translation of the HCSB, in general, but am not overly a fan of the extensive use of "yahweh". I read the CSB addresses this a bit.
Wow! Hope I win! This looks amazing!
I realized I didn't answer the question posed in Rafflecopter, so I'll do that here. I've always liked the HCSB's commitment to being as accurate as possible, even when it meant rendering texts differently than how they've traditionally been translated. The obvious example is John 3:16, which I'm pleased to hear has been retained in the CSB. I've also appreciated the HCSB's willingness to experiment with choices such as translating the divine name as "Yahweh" in the text, even though the CSB has moderated some of these decisions (and done away with others entirely).
The main thing that has occasionally troubled me about the HCSB is that it can be a quirky translation at times. While John 3:16 is a positive example of translating a familiar text in a different, but more accurate, fashion, I don't feel the same way about Luke 2:7: "Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough--because there was no room for them at the lodging place." Accurate? Probably. But "feeding trough" and "lodging place" just sound clunky to me, especially when compared to the same text in the NIV: "...and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them." The NIV reads naturally here, where the HCSB sounds as if it's trying too hard to be different.
My hope is that the CSB irons out some of the inconsistency that was present in the HCSB. Don't get me wrong; very often, when I'm working through an exegetical study of a passage in preparation for a sermon, the HCSB delights me with a translation that is so clear and spot-on that I ask: "Why doesn't everyone just translate it like this?" But there are also times when I read the HCSB and think, "Why translate it like that? There are better, clearer ways of rendering that text." I guess that kind of choppiness is present in every translation, but for whatever reason, I feel it more in the HCSB, and I have high hopes that the CSB will moderate some of it.
I have been looking forward to this revision/wholesale revamping of the HCSB for a while now. I've always believed this translation was something truly special, and had the potential to be something that everyone could use and enjoy. For those seeking ESV-level formality with NIV-level readability, the CSB might strike just the right note. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy and start reading. Thanks, Rick, for hosting this giveaway!
Imhave been a fan of the HCSB and have been using it ever since it came out. I'm looking forward to see the changes and updates.
Kevin, in Luke 2:7, the CSB uses the more traditional "manger" instead of "trough" and the more accurate "guest room" instead of "lodging place."
I use a ESV as a daily driver and to teach from, but I really liked the usage of Yahweh and Messiah in the HCSB as I felt it was a great intro into a deeper understanding of the who God is and what is going on with Jesus. I am interested to see what else has changed with the CSB as I am always looking for good "intro" bibles to give new believers or my own young ones as they start reading for themselves.
I miss your bible reviews, I have liked the HCSB for a while. I think it would be better without the "Yahweh"
I couldn't get the comment thingy on the entry app above to work, so I figured I'd leave my comment about the CSB here.
I've always liked the HCSB's use of "Messiah" instead of "Christ," and the use of "Yahweh" instead of "LORD" (even though I think they could have been more consistent with the latter convention). From your previews of the CSB on This Lamp, I understand that the translation committee has gone more traditional with those renderings, so I'm curious to see how it will be distinguished from, say, the ESV. Anyway, it should be interesting to see the finished product.
Rick,
Very nice Bible.
I have pretty limited experience with the Holman Christian Standard Bible, but I use other resources from holman reguraly in my study time.
I like reading through here that I'm not the only one who really liked the HCSB's usage of Messiah and Yahweh, particularly Yahweh. I appreciate some of the clarifications for the reasonings for the changes and can't wait to see the full list of changes and to see how it compares to the HCSB. I go back and forth between HCSB and ESV in my personal reading and teaching and love having them both there as companions. Excited to see how the new CSB is going to fit into that as well!
The HCSB is one of my favorite Bible translations in English. Thank you for sharing this raffled copy! (Couldn't get the Rafflecopter comment to work, so posting my comment here)
I was just looking the other day for how to get a copy of this edition.
I "test drove" the HCSB for a few months as a possible replacement for the NIV but I'm still on the fence. Sometimes I run across a verse that will not sound right to me. For example, in many passages the HCSB substitutes "Happy" for "Blessed". To me, these two words don't convey the same meaning. Also, I'm still not convinced that the use of "Yahweh" is a better substitute for "Lord". I still prefer the HCSB to the ESV which seems to be gaining traction in my church circles. I couldn't get the entry box above to work but I still wanted to give my opinion of the HCSB.
I love the uniqueness of the HCSB with Yahweh, Messiah, slave, capitalized pronouns, etc. but understand how these areas may have hurt sales. I'm looking forward to a wider adoption of the CSB.
If you're having trouble entering a comment, see my addendum to the post above.
I have been reading and reporting on HCSB for 4+ years. Had the privilege of suggesting improvements. Haven't seen CSB yet. As I understand it, they opted to do away with all Yahweh use. My suggestion had been either use it every where or don't use it at all. Looks like they chose the second option.
Wish them well with this update.
I used the HCSB for my main preaching and teaching Bible. I have appreciated
the willingness of the translators to depart from traditional renderings and use
terminology that has been utilized in well-respected commentaries for years.
Thanks for passing on the blessing, Rick!
I'm thinking you should include a free drone with the Bible!
I recently got a HCSB to check it out, and I must say I like how it departs from traditional reading, especially John 3:16. One problem the HCSB had, I believe, is the usage of Yahweh when the sentence does "feel" right. By that I mean, using the LORD would make the sentence sound familiar. However, I don't completely like the CSB removing Yahweh. Anyway, I'm interested in how the CSB will turn out. Thanks for the opportunity at winning a CSB, and keep up the posts!
I had a copy of the HSCB many years ago and never fell in love with the translation. though, at that point, the NIV was the go to translation. :)
Happy to see the HCSB updated/redone. Hopefully making a great translation even better.
Thank you for the Bible give away...very kind. Would make a great Christmas present for my husband. God Bless.