I'm a little late to the controversy, but this little book got Peter Enns (PhD in Hebrew Bible, Harvard) fired from his position at Westminster Theological Seminary. Here's a post trying to detail the issues involved. He now has a blog, and here's an interview posted by another blogger. Once I've had a chance to read it, I may get around to making a post on it. On scanning the controversy, it simply brought to mind a book I read a long time ago that I think is somewhat apropros:
Given the current economic climate, there are undoubtedly people on a tight budget. Here's a blog started by a couple of high school teachers who decided to see if they could survive with on just what they could buy for $1 each day. On their blog you can find video of TV stories/interviews by FoxNews and Inside Edition.
BibleWorks 8 is due out in December. Since BW7 was released in early 2006, it's been about 3 years. If you have a PC, this is really all you need to tackle the original biblical (and related) texts. If you want to build an electronic library, you might want to consider Logos.
The full version costs $349 while there are also a number of upgrade packages which start at $149 if you're upgrading from version 7. There's a special price of $20 for those who have just recently purchased version 7 (after October 15th) directly from the folks at BibleWorks (good only through Dec. 24th).
It looks like the system requirements have been shaped with the new netbooks in mind, which have a smaller screen resolution (typically 1024 x 600).
Though the overall look is familiar, they've revamped the user interface some. Take a look at the analysis window, for instance:
Here's a list of the full contents, with new items in blue. Some of the highlights include an updated Hebrew Bible database (4.10 from 4.4), the Greek Pseudepigrapha, tagged, and with English translation, the TNIV, as well as Jouon-Muraoka's and Waltke-O'Connor's Hebrew grammars, now both included free (they were previously available as add-on modules).
The ESV Study Bible has been out for awhile now and the reviews are generally favorable, at least from its target market -- Evangelicals. Here's a useful roundup of reviews. Sales have been healthy, and the ESV Study Bible is already headed for its third printing.
Be that as it may, the one complaint that most have at least mentioned in passing is that it's simply too heavy to lug around, although the child to the left apparently doesn't seem to think so.
Thankfully, the folks at Crossway have announced plans to release it in electronic form across as many platforms as possible, including Mac, PC, and the various handheld devices available nowadays.
Predictably, Olive Tree software is already working on a beta. I got my hands on one a few days ago and it's already quite functional and promises to be infinitely more handy than the actual book version, at least as far as carrying it around goes.
I'm very glad to have it, and I doubt that I'll actually ever purchase the book version.
It looks like it's Obama's night all the way. I'm personally a bit skeptical of the guy since I have a nagging feeling that he'll turn out to be another Jimmy Carter (i.e., the last time a Democratic President swept to power in the wake of an unpopular war).
With the U.S. elections slated for Tuesday, I know Americans have probably been urged to go out and vote by just about everybody from every possible angle. However, I just recently came across an appeal NOT to go out and vote that I thought was interesting:
... Tuesday is Election Day and, though Brawling Hibernian is an avowedly apolitical blog, I did want to make a point. No doubt, you have all been inundated with a continuing guilt trip from the media about getting out there to vote on Tuesday (MTV, I'm looking in your direction). I would like to make a slightly different request. If you have been following the issues and the candidates and actually have a solid understanding of both, you should absolutely go out and vote. However, if you don't follow politics closely and are only voting because the cast of Gossip Girl told you to, please stay home. Voting is a right, not an obligation and if you don't know what you're doing, you shouldn't be there. Let me put it another way, owning a gun is also a right, but I don't remember the last, "Everybody Get a Gun!" ad campaign. You know why? It would be irresponsible. Not everyone should own a gun. Same deal applies to voting. I'm Brawling Hibernian, and I approve this message
I've frequently been appalled by people I know who go out and vote based on watching a few political debates and the news on TV for the two or three months running up to election day.
And then I hear about those who vote based on less than that, and I'm truly horrified.
I therefore second Brawling Hibernian's appeal. Please, for God's sake, if you don't know what you're doing, in the name of all that's holy, don't let the fate of the free world be affected by your uninformed decision. It's not only your right NOT to vote, it's your OBLIGATION not to.
A new beta of Olive Tree Software's Bible Reader was released with the NA27 and BHS loaded on it. Both texts have bugs. In fact, the NA27 is barely functional (more importantly for me, the BHS works fine). However, I'm still thrilled to see the first steps being taken towards a fully functional Hebrew and Greek text on the iPod.
Here are some pictures of the BHS and NA27:
As you can see, both the Hebrew and Greek fonts are very clear and easy to read. The font sizes are adjustable and the texts work in landscape mode, so if you like really large fonts, you won't get stuck with 1 or 2 words per line.
With the addition of the BHS and NA27, as limited as the functionality currently is (no search/morphology yet), Bible Reader nevertheless warrants a place on my dock bar since I plan on using it quite a bit.
Sorry about the lack of posts. I have a project coming near completion and have been busy the last several weeks. I can now see light at the end of the tunnel, however, so in the near future I'll be back blogging on what I consider a regular basis (i.e., one or two posts a week).
Before I get to Bible Reader though, I must say that if I didn't know how to read the biblical languages (and if Olive Tree hadn't offered me this free beta!), I would definitely go with BibleXpress since it easily offers the best value for the money.
So far BibleXpress has five English translations: ESV, NASB, NRSV with Apocrypha, KJV, and ASV. Ben Spratling (the developer) is also attempting to get the NIV, the Message, the NLT, and a Greek NT and LXX, which would be added as a free update. All of this for the very reasonable price of $30. Go ahead and compare this value with any other bible program that offers a comparable set of core modern translations and texts that isn't tethered to the Internet in some way.
The same five translations already offered by BibleXpress (i.e., ESV, NASB, NRSV, KJV, and ASV) would cost $62.75 on Bible Reader when purchased individually, and this is without factoring in the additional translations that Ben Spratling will be adding for free at some point. In light of this, I think that those Christians who had the gall to complain about BibleXpress's initial purchase price are simply empty-headed.
Having said all that, since I can read the biblical languages, however, I will be adopting Bible Reader as my main bible app for the iPod Touch. While BibleXpresswill eventually offer a Greek NT and LXX, it is highly unlikely that Ben Spratling will be able to offer the morphological data to go with these texts, and besides which, the Hebrew Bible isn't in the plans to this point and of all the potential texts available, that's the most important to me.
It appears that Olive Tree Software has a solution to the problem of combining all the various translations and texts into one program. On my beta version of Bible Reader, there is a way to access the store and my Olive Tree account to download translations and texts. On my beta version of Bible Reader, I have the following translations:
Bible in Basic English*
English Standard Version
Green's Literal Translation*
Holman Christian Standard
JPS Tanakh
King James Version
New American Bible
New American Standard Bible.
New English Translation (with limited notes)*
New International Version
New King James Version
New Living Translation (2nd ed.)
New Revised Standard Version
Revised Standard Version
The Message
Today's New International Version
Young's Literal Translation
In order to purchase all these translations individually it would cost you just under $225 (* indicates a free translation). If you omit the KJV and Young's Literal translation which are very cheap ($5 and $2, respectively), the average price for the individual translations runs to about $18 each. The good news is that Olive Tree Software will offer many of these translations in combination in a variety of packages, bringing down the cost considerably (indeed they have already begun to do so).
Overall, this beta version (4.02.024) is remarkably bug free (it's the fourth one I've received). There are still a lot of formatting issues for many of the translations, but they are aware of them and are in the process of smoothing those out.
When I got my first bible app, I didn't really expect to use it much. Initially, I refused to bring it to church, since I thought it would be a distraction to those around me, but I noticed that there were quite a few others around me who actually use some sort of portable electronic device for not only referring to the bible, but also to take notes (there's a high yuppie quotient at my church).
So I started bringing it along with me on Sundays. The great thing is that I now have a lot of different translations at my fingertips. This comes in handy because at my church there is no standard translation used by everyone, though a couple of pastors appear to be partial to the ESV.
This can be rather problematic since it's quite rare for the same pastor/person to preach two Sundays in a row (and forget about three Sundays in a row, which almost never happens). For one thing, we have four pastors at our church. In addition, several members of the congregation have attended seminary (I can think of 6 off the top of my head, and I know there are others I can't think of at the moment) and are often called on to speak (I fall in this category). We also regularly have outside speakers as well. In fact, this past September we had four different outside speakers giving the sermon on four successive Sundays.
This generally means a different translation is used each Sunday, even if it happens to be the same pastor, since I've noticed that some of the pastors like to use different translations on different occasions.
In the past I simply had to follow along in my ESV regardless of the translation used by the pastor. So, for instance, when Eugene Peterson's The Message was used, as is sometimes the case (a couple of the pastors were students of his), trying to follow along in my ESV was next to useless. This is no longer a problem, thanks to Bible Reader.
Anyways, since it is a beta, rather than lauding the numerous things that the Bible Reader does right, I figure it would be far more useful to offer constructive criticism. Here are a list of some modest improvements in the interface that I would like to see:
Adjustable margins. I put my iPod Touch in a leather flip case that protects it. However, one drawback is that the protective leather tends to crowd the edge of the screen. This means that the biblical text runs right up against the leather edges, becoming a distraction.
Optional red letter text. It's nice that the font color can be changed. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the red letter text. It stays red no matter what color you change the surrounding text to. Of course, you can change the font to Dark Red, and Jesus' words will be indistinguishable from the rest of the text. However, looking at all that red text is simply annoying.
I'm not sure the verse chooser (which I like a lot) needs to go down to the verse level. I'd like to see this as an option you could toggle on and off.
There has to be a better way to switch chapters rather than scrolling downwards through the text to the next chapter. Perhaps a sideways swipe to change chapters could be implemented. Ben Spratling's BibleXpress already has such a feature.
There should be an easier way to change font sizes, rather than going to the setup menu. Perhaps a pinching motion on the screen could be implemented. Ben Spratling's BibleXpress already has such a feature.
The folks at Olive Tree have finally begun to release bible packages over iTunes. They have also offered free and/or early release products to bloggers willing to blog about their software.
Needless to say, I signed up immediately. I've managed to get the beta loaded up on my iPod Touch and it appears to be working fine, so I think I did it right (it was a might complicated for this non-techie).
Here's a list of what I've found on the beta version of BibleReader:
Bibles: 21st century KJV, ASV, Amplified Bible, Darby's New Translation, ESV 07 (i.e., the update), ESV (i.e., the original), French Darby 1991, German Luther Bible 1912, International Standard Version, Italian Bible, JPS Tanakh, KJV, Modern KJV, New Century Version, NET Free, NIrV, NIV, NKJV, NLT, Phillips NT, RSV, The Message, TNIV, Weymouth NT, Wuest NT, Young's Literal Translation.
Commentaries: Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown; Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary.
Cross References: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
eBooks: 22 mostly older works of a pastoral and/or devotional nature, 9 by F. B. Meyer and also includes classics like Pilgrim's Progress and Foxe's Book of Martyrs.
There are a few big translations that are missing (NASB, NRSV, HCSB and the major Catholic versions), but they are apparently in development. They are planning on releasing almost everything available on Palm and Windows Mobile for the iPhone (potentially over 500 resources). We can therefore expect originallanguage tools like those available on these other platforms. My hope and expectation is that they'll eventually get around to releasing something like the Scholars Collection for the iPhone.
I'll have a review or two in the next week to ten days, after I've had a chance to toy with it. For now, go and read Rick Mansfield's review of Olive Tree's offerings so far.
BTW, If you are thinking of purchasing one of Olive Tree's packages (they have a free Bible Reader and an ESV package so far), you might want to hold off a bit while Olive Tree resolves some issues with Apple.
Right now, if you buy a package, and then decide to add more texts to it, you'll end up with two or more separate apps instead of one app with both text packages in it. This is because Apple insists on all apps being sold through iTunes. There's a good explanation of what's happening in the Olive Tree forums here.
The long and short of it is that you might want to wait until Olive Tree offers a package with everything you want already included in it so that you don't end up with multiple apps on your iPhone/iPod Touch screen instead of one master app with everything in it. Probably, the issue will be resolved so that it won't matter, but Apple can be pretty stubborn (read: "pigheaded") about such things so I'd advise people to wait to see what happens.
Here are a few Apps you might want to check out from Apple's new App Store. To find these apps, simply type in the bolded/italicized terms in the search field and it should be the first item in the results list:
The aforementioned BibleXpress will soon have version 1.1 update available with many improvements in the user interface. BTW, ignore the negative reviews on the iTunes store; it basically boils down to a bunch of Christians whining that the program is too expensive. On the contrary, I believe that for the number of translations being made available (eventually), the price is very reasonable. The biggest disappointment so far is that the program is buggy, but that is apparently being rectified.
AcroBible is selling individual translations. So far just the ESV ($17.99) and KJV ($9.99) are available. This program makes these translations available offline. While the interface is more polished than BibleXpress' (I've only purchased the ESV and am quite pleased with it), I'd still go with BibleXpress since it will offer many more translations for only $29.99 (ESV, NASB, NRSV, ASV, and several others), and the interface is undergoing many improvements and refinements (none of whom are yet available, unfortunately). BTW, the fact that AcroBible is selling individual translations for as high as $17.99 should give some Christians a clue that it's not cheap to produce these apps, especially given licensing fees.
If you're interested in original language texts for the iPhone/iPod Touch, go to Olive Tree's website and fill out the questionnaire.
All of Shakespeare's plays are available in a free offline app. It's very buggy at the moment (scrolling works only intermittently), but it's rather cool to have the bard's works at your fingertips whenever you want.
There are a number of books available for purchase at $0.99 a pop, but these can all be obtained for free if you know where to look. There's a great little program called Stanza, through which you can download most if not all these 99 cent titles for free.
Finally, you should check out Rick Mansfield's post lamenting the lack of decent bible apps.
Logos has had an alpha release of a Mac version of their bible software for some time now. Here's a video of the program in action.
For the last couple of years, I've toyed with the idea of switching over to a Mac. However, I have several thousand dollars tied up in my Logos Bible Software and hundreds of dollars in BibleWorks, which would be rendered essentially useless if I switched.
However, if this Mac version is all its cracked up to be, this obstacle might well be removed (at least with regards to Logos, which is more important to me, as I have much more money invested in this program). It looks as if the licences from the PC version of Libronix' electronic texts can be transferred over to the Mac version. Once the life cycle of my PC laptop is over (probably another year or so), I may very well make the switch.
The idea of having access to Accordance in its native environment (in addition to Logos) is definitely a plus. I could have the best of both worlds.
If you have any suggestions with regard to laptop models and word processing programs (along with tips on any other useful software) I would appreciate it if you'd leave them in the comments.
I've finally got the iPod Touch 2.0 update and I've purchased BibleXpress.
This is a very preliminary look (I don't even consider it a review) at this app, which puts various translations (ESV, NRSV, NASB, among others) on your iPhone or iPod Touch so you can access them offline.
All I have so far is the ASV and the NRSV (the 1.0.1 update hasn't made it to the App Store yet I guess). As you might expect in a first edition, the program itself is a little rough around the edges. Even so, I think the program is worth the cost ($29.99).
These are a list of issues/suggestions for improvement that I've found after fiddling with it for a half hour [Update: I emailed Ben Spratling, the author of the program, and he responded to each of these points. I'll simply cut and paste his response--the blue text--under each of the points.I've appended a few responses to his comments in purple.]:
The NRSV includes the Apocrypha (thumbs way, way up) but is missing 4 Maccabees 4--yes the entire chapter (thumbs down). It appears that this might represent a wider issue since Colossians 4 is also missing in the NRSV. Looks like the issue has been addressed though. [#1 This is actually a systematic error that affected a few other chapters. It has been fixed in version 1.0.1.]
There doesn't appear to be any paragraph breaks within the chapters of the NRSV, which is a real shame. I view proper paragraphing as a huge issue. Ever try reading a huge block of text without paragraph breaks in a blog? Not much fun. [#2 The missing paragraphs are a format confusion, they *should* have been fixed in version 1.0.1.
The poetry formatting is another concern entirely. The iPhone's small screen and the ability to resize text makes most of the poetry formatting just use up valuable screen space. I'll take note that you mentioned it.] [My response: perhaps once landscape mode is included, the space issue will no longer be a problem in terms of line length.]
The ASV does appear to preserve paragraph breaks but it depends to a large extent on the precise size of the font used (btw, the easy adjustability of font size is a real plus). At many font sizes the paragraph breaks are unrecognizable. In fact, the line breaks in the ASV are really odd depending on the font size, breaking in the middle of sentences and verses with plenty of space left on the line. Sometimes, depending on the font size, the line break will come after one word for no apparent reason (not the end of a sentence or end of a verse). [#3. The ASV data files I have do not include accurate paragraph information, those are the built-in linebreaks from the files. It will be very difficult for me to manually rewrite the entire ASV with corrected paragraphs. The currently copyrighted translations do include paragraph information, and that should be correctly displayed.] [My response: I don't think the ASV is a big deal; I wouldn't waste time, effort, and money on fixing this.]
There appears to be no simple way to browse text across chapters. Perhaps a side swipe could be programmed to flip between chapters in the same translation. [#4 this is a technical issue on Apple's end. In order to display formatted text, I have to use a "webview" which does not receive touch events that are visible to my proram. While they have suggested a fix, it is very difficult, and will take a lot of coding and testing to confirm it has no bugs. I have been working on that feature for 6 weeks.]
The line spacing is thrown off slightly whenever there's a verse number because the numbers are in superscript but not any smaller than the biblical text. This is a problem in both translations. [#5 this is actually an error in Apple's code. We're attempting to design a workatound.]
This isn't really a problem, but rather a missing feature I wish it had: there's no landscape view. This could be useful if for no other purpose than to include some context in search results rather than just a list of references, though they are linked to the texts themselves. [#6 This is another error in apple code that is suppossed to handle autorotation "automatically.". Unfortunately that automatic code assume certain designs that don't fit my application. I have spoken personally with the software engineer who wrote that code, he confirmed it is an error, and promised me he would personally see to it that it is corrected. Until that time, or I can design a workaround, let me assure you that that the errors it caused are much worse than not having landscape at all. Landscape is something I'm committed to for the future.]
I find it strange that the Apocrypha is placed after the book of Revelation, which is rather counterintuitive. I would have put it between the Old and New Testament. [# 7 this is the order in which the books are listed in their data file. Not being an avid reader of the apocrypha myself, the only oddity I noticed is that even the books within the apocrypha don't appear to be in order! Although it did strike me as odd that these books would be placed after the new testament, not all books in the Bible are arrange in chronological order.]
Ben appended this final summary comment as well:
While the first feature update will address certain contractual obligations, like italics, small caps, red lettering and footnotes, I think you'll find I am able to address many of your requests, but the time frame of overcoming bugs in Apple's code is always undetermined.
[It sounds as if Ben is working hard to fix the problems in the program. I look forward to the day when the major issues are addressed.I'd only ask that he make the red lettering a feature that can be turned on and off.]
The program does do many things well but at this point, I feel it's important to highlight some of the problems in the hopes that some of them will get addressed. When I've had more time with the program after its several updates, I'll have a proper review up. It'll contain a far more balanced accounting at that time.
Despite these shortcomings, I'm still pleased to have the program on the whole, since the price is fairly reasonable and it means I'll (eventually) have access to several fine bible translations even when I'm offline. Any of the major problems I expect will be addressed in time.
It's open right now. You have to download iTunes 7.7 first though. The iPhone 2.0 update is available right now, though if you're using the old iPhone I would be cautious. The iPod Touch 2.0 update is not available yet, and will cost $9.95 when it is [Update: It's now available, technically, but good luck getting access to it. Apple is really messing up the launch of the app store. People are having all sorts of problems accessing the 2.0 firmware update].
There are about 500 apps available right now, with approximately 125 of them free and most of the others priced under $10.
One is a promising bible app called BibleXpress created by Ben Spratling for $29.99. The translations available so far include the ESV, ASV, NASB (1995), and NRSV as well as a couple of Spanish translations (LBLA is available now; NBLH is slightly delayed).
Other translations will be added as free updates. Apparently, candidates for inclusion are the NIV, the Message, the KJV, and the NLT. The only other translation that I really wish it had is the JPS Tanakh, though the HCSB and the NET bible would be nice too.
You can do searches and write notes in it. Once I've purchased a copy I'll write a review.
Update: I emailed the author to suggest the JPS Tanakh as one of the translations he might add. He couldn't promise anything since he's got a limited number of slots. If you have any translation suggestions of your own, you can email him here: support@biblexpress.com.
He verified that this app doesn't require an internet connection to access the bible translations in question (i.e., the translations are directly on the iPod Touch/iPhone). I had been wondering why the program (version 1.0) was so small (4 MB as listed in iTunes) but apparently he has five updates in the pipeline, presumably waiting for the thumbs up from the App Store. The next update (1.0.1) increases the size of the program from 4MB to 9.3MB, which indicates that the size of the program will increase exponentially as translations are added. The 1.0.1 update includes the NASB, ESV, and a Spanish translation (LBLA). The NRSV and ASV are available in the initial version (1.0).
The author of the program is also very interested in any feedback on the program itself. If you do purchase it and have thoughts on how it can be improved, please either respond to him directly through his website (email: support@biblexpress.com) or leave a note in the comment section of this or any other relevant post I make on this program and I'll pass it along to him.
Update II: There's also another program available on iTunes called YouVersion.com by LifeChurch.tv which boasts an impressive lineup of translations (many more than BibleXpress), but it's an online program (check comment #68) which means you need a wireless connection of some sort.
On the other hand, it's free. They are looking into making the translations available offline, but they'll start with the public domain translations first and then try to get licences for the others. Unless the organization underwrites the costs, though, I doubt they'll be able to keep this program free when it starts adding translations that require licensing fees.
In the recent past, I've actually encouraged my fairly conservative students and fellow parishioners to burn their NIVs. They usually laugh, and then I tell them I'm only half-joking.
So why is this heir to the NIV on my list? To tell the truth, mostly to round out my top five; generally speaking, I only use the other four translations on the list. I do like this translation somewhat better than its predecessor (maybe only because I've mellowed with age) but obviously that isn't saying very much.
Cons Almost from the moment I started learning Greek and Hebrew as an undergrad, I've felt that the NIV was a paraphrase, albeit restrained, masquerading as a real translation. It does succeed in being readable but sacrifices far too much in doing so for my taste.
I have nothing against paraphrases, mind you, and have occasionally recommended them to those whose reading skills are challenged. For instance, I think this is a good translation for children since it's written at a grade 7 or 8 level. I was given an NIV as a child and found that much easier to read than the KJV I had been using. I also increasingly come across English-as-a-second-language students nowadays and I think the TNIV is a fine compromise between readability and "accuracy" for such students. However, do the rest of us really need such a dumbed-down translation? I really don't think so.
The issue of gender-neutrality is part and parcel of the theory of translation that lies behind the TNIV. Given its translation philosophy, it makes sense for the TNIV to employ gender neutrality. However, since I prefer literal translations, I dislike the gender-neutrality of the TNIV, but it's just part of my overall dislike of dynamic equivalent translations, rather than anything particular against gender-neutrality (the NRSV is also on this list).
Then there's the theologically tendentious translations that plague all evangelical editions (e.g., Red Sea instead of Sea of Reeds in Exodus 13-15; virgin instead of young woman in Isa 7:14). Thankfully, the alternative translations are typically footnoted. I simply privilege the footnotes above the main text in such situations.
Pros There are two basic reasons why this translation has made this list:
R. Mansfield's arguments about catering to the audience. I occasionally preach. Since the bibles in the pews at my church are almost invariably the NIV, and the TNIV is reasonably close to the NIV, I've resolved to use the TNIV on such occasions. It's really a matter of convenience for the congregation, more than anything else. For teaching situations, I'd always insist on a more literal translation. As for my own personal use, I do try to work my way through the bible in a different translation each time, so if I start running out of translations, I may give this one a try some day, but it's doubtful, given the plethora of new/revised translations produced in the last 10 years.
It doesn't hurt that they published quite a nice edition recently, and an even nicer edition of the TNIV Reference Bible is on the way. I appreciate publishers who go the extra mile to produce a bible in an attractive format. The folks at Zondervan have definitely been listening to what a significant segment of the customer base wants and have responded admirably. In my book, that is reason enough to purchase a copy of this translation.
Editions Worth Having Of the various (cheap) editions that have been published, theTNIV Reference edition is the only one really worth having. If you don't already own it, and don't mind spending extra for a nice edition, I'd wait for the new deluxe leather edition that is due out in December. TNIV Reference Bible, bonded leather ($23.09 at Amazon) TNIV Reference Bible, renaissance leather($62.99 at Amazon, available in December)
Rick Mansfield has some information, including photos, on a new edition of the TNIV Reference (see also this earlier post by TC Robinson). The basic difference appears to be an extra ribbon marker, and a premium leather cover for the MSRP of $99 and is due out this November.
I'm not a huge fan of the TNIV translation, and since I already own the original TNIV Reference and am generally happy with it, I doubt I'll splurge for this deluxe edition; though if the reviews rave about how supple the leather is, I may break down.
Addendum: Here's a link to Zondervan's page detailing information about this edition. It states that the release date is this December.
Addendum II: Amazon has it available for pre-order at a price of $62.99. For that price, I really might go for it. I'll still wait for some reviews to come in though.
Addendum III: Rick at This Lamp is teaming up with Zondervan to give away 10 of these deluxe editions. It's only available to gatekeepers (pastors and teachers) in the USA who use the TNIV as their main translation. That rules me out on all three counts.
Making lists of one's favorite bible translations appears to be the thing to do on blogs such as this, so here's mine. I'll do it in a series of posts, ranking my top five, with a follow up post or two discussing some of the translations that didn't make my list and a few comments on why they didn't.
For this introductory post, I'll limit myself to discussing some of the criteria I used in judging these translations.
Main Criteria
(1) Fidelity to the source text combined with readability (which I distinguish from what translation theorists refer to as transparency).
There's an old Italian saying that translators often like to quote in their prefaces: traduttore, traditore or "the translator is a traitor" (or more literally and thus less treacherously, "translator, traitor"). If this is true, and anyone who knows more than one language knows that there's a great deal of truth in this saying even if it may be an exaggeration, then every bible translation is the fruit of treachery.
My general preference in a translation is to be as literal as possible while still maintaining as much readability as possible within this framework.
More than anything, since I can read Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, and have spent almost all of my adult life studying the bible, I don't really need or want a translator telling me what a Hebrew or Greek idiom "really" means by couching it in a contemporary equivalent.
(2) Audience
In Albert Pietersma's introduction to NETS (p. xiv), he cites Nida and Taber on the three main audiences for any translation of the bible:
It is usually necessary to have three types of Scriptures: (1) a translation which will reflect the traditional usage and be used in the churches, largely for liturgical purposes (this may be called an "ecclesiastical translation"), (2) a translation in the present-day literary language, so as to communicate to the well-educated constituency, and (3) a translation in the "common" or "popular" language, which is known to and used by the common people, and which is at the same time acceptable as a standard for published materials.
I like the emphasis on audience since it acknowledges the need for different types of translations for different people/purposes, so I'll address this matter with each of my favorite translations since I often use different translations for different purposes.
(3) Availability in a nice reader-friendly format
Also a big factor in this list is the wide availability of nice editions for any given translation. Features I look for include black letter, single column, paragraph format, on paper that has minimal bleed-through, with sewn bindings that lay flat and accompanied by an affordable price tag (i.e., under $50 including taxes and shipping).
I am realistic however, and understand that I won't get everything I want in a bible for a cheap price. None of the editions I own is ideal.
I include this because translations are meant to be used, not simply admired in isolation from the form in which it will come packaged. What use is good content (a fine translation) if it doesn't come in a correspondingly good form (a nice edition)? Not much if you ask me.
I simply won't use a translation that I can't find published in an attractive format that doesn't include most of the features I listed above. I don't find that the quality of the translations differs all that much on the top end. They all have their own peculiar flaws as well as their own peculiar strengths. Therefore, format often makes the difference for me.
This list is highly personal. I'm not making any grandiose claims for any of these translations as far as which is better or worse, except as it pertains to me (see criteria #2). All of the translations on my list have their problems. While I will often engage in some mild hyperbole in the posts to come, I actually do appreciate how tough it is to produce a good translation.
In the posts to come, I've not only ranked my favorite bible translations but have included the date of publication of the version of the text that I use in brackets.
My Top Five Bible Translations: #5 TNIV (2004) My Top Five Bible Translations: #4 My Top Five Bible Translations: #3 My Top Five Bible Translations: #2 My Top Five Bible Translations: #1
The recent HarperCollins editions were where I looked first. The Standard and Go Anywhere editions are frankly huge disappointments. (I saw both in a bookstore; it unfortunately didn't carry the NRSV XL.)
The Standard has terrible bleed-through problems, making it unusable for anything longer than a quick check of a verse or two. It's a shame, really, since it is in single column format (though the poetic sections are in double columns to save space, which leads to chopped up poetic lines).
If anything, the Go Anywhere is even worse, since it still has bleed-through problems and is printed in dual columns. As Bertrand rightly points out, the format screams single column, but the dunces at HarperCollins are blinded by bible-making tradition. In addition, though it is supposed to be portable, it is actually quite unwieldy to handle.
I don't have a picture of the Go Anywhere, but this is the NASB Compact Reference, which is similarly ridiculous in insisting on double columns, resulting in columns averaging a paltry 6 words per line.
Based on a few reviews I gathered from the web from the usual suspects (Iyov and Bertrand, plus the reviews on Amazon and CBD, I chose the NRSV XL because it appeared from these reviews that this edition avoided the worst of the problems associated with the other two.
Since these other bloggers have reviewed this edition already, I'll simply post some pictures along with some brief comments underneath.
For the sake of comparison, I've lined it up with the ESV Personal Size Reference on the left and the TNIV Reference on the right. The NRSV XL with Apocrypha measures 8 1/8" wide x 8 1/4" high x 1 1/2" thick. The form factor takes some getting used to, but I actually like it. The only real problem I have with it is that you can't just flip the page over without a second thought (you have to be careful) like you can with most other bibles, since the pages tend to want to curl back over on itself.
Here are the same three bibles stacked with a view of the bindings. The large font and the addition of the Apocrypha make this a rather thick bible, even with the very thin paper, which unfortunately allows for a little too much bleed-through for my taste.
Despite my afinity for single columns, this particular edition would look silly in such a format. I'd say each column averages a respectable (though sub-optimal) 9 words per line. The font is nice and clear at 13 pt and the spacing of the lines does not feel cramped. Here's a look at the poetic sections. Unfortunately due to the large font size, the lines are often chopped up. Still, though I don't need a large font (I can comfortably make out the ESV Deluxe Compact type), it's a nice change of pace.
The binding is craft sewn, whatever that is. I presume that it isn't as good as smyth sewn, but it does allow this bible to lie completely flat in the middle and I expect that the binding will last a whole lot longer than a glued one.
Towards the ends of the bible, one side will hang in mid-air. This is a shot of the book of Jude. When held in one open hand (i.e., without a thumb or pinky holding it open), you can have it open at Genesis 1 or Revelation 22 and it won't close on you.
A few random notes and then some final comments:
One great thing about the NRSV is that you can purchase editions that include the full Apocrypha, as this one does. The editions with the Apocrypha are tan, the Catholic edition is green and the Protestant edition is brown.
The binding is a faux leatherette type material that is rather stiff but looks like it will last a few years of regular use. As noted above, it does nevertheless allow the bible to lay relatively flat due to the wide pages.
Thankfully, as with most NRSV bibles, this is a black letter edition.
It has one ribbon marker that isn't overly thick (at just over 1/4"), but isn't as thin as in some other bibles.
As alluded to above, there are two main problems with this edition:
I find the bleed-through a trifle distracting, though it isn't anywhere near as bad as in the Standard edition. This is much more of a problem in the poetic sections where there is a lot of blank space around the text; the narrative sections aren't much of a problem at all as far as I'm concerned (the bleed-through isn't any more distracting than in most bibles in the narrative sections; I believe this is due to the large print which is quite effective in drawing attention away from what can still be clearly seen on the other side of the page).
You have to be rather careful when flipping the pages because of the extra width; the pages tend to want to curl over rather than naturally lie flat when flipped.
Some suggestions for improvement:
Thicker paper. The bleed-through is borderline unacceptable for me in the poetic sections.
A slightly smaller font so that you can get the optimal 12 words per line, which would also lead to fewer chopped lines in the poetic sections. Since this would also save space, it could be used for thicker paper.
The concordance (about 50 pages) needs to go. Why do bible makers insist on including one? It's a waste of space/thickness in the bible. Use it for thicker paper instead.
An extra ribbon marker would be nice. And thicker paper too, please.
I'm quite a fan of the NRSV translation on the whole, though it's not as literal as I'd like. I think it's a shame that it appears to be well on its way to being relegated to a small niche (academics and the ever dwindling mainline denominations).
At one time I used to use the NRSV almost exclusively (for serious work, I'd often lean on the NASB), but I don't any longer. In those days, I was happy with a hardcover pew edition (without even the Apocrypha included), but I've gotten much pickier over the years, as my eyes have been opened to what is available in bible editions.
The one huge drawback of the translation, and the single biggest reason I don't use it much anymore except (more recently) when reading the LXX in English (thanks to NETS) and in ecumenical contexts (which for me, nowadays, is typically limited to academic conferences, like SBL), is it's been very poorly served by its various publishers.
This edition goes some way to addressing this, since it's quite nice, but it isn't good enough for me to switch away from the editions I mentioned above for day-to-day use, especially since I like most of those translations (i.e., TNIV excepted) as much as I do the NRSV. I'm still glad I bought the NRSV XL, however, since the large print is a novelty to me (it's the only large print version I own), and it contains the Apocrypha.
The iPhone (3G!) is finally coming to my part of the world, and as I contemplate the wisdom of purchasing one (along with the baggage that comes with it in the form of a 3 year contract at no doubt outrageous monthly premiums), I eagerly await the expected flood of 3rd party applications that will finally be released (early July) in a form that isn't tied to a wireless connection of some sort (i.e., cellular or internet). (For examples of what's available right now on an iPhone or iPod Touch that is tethered to some sort of connection, see this post by Mark Bertrand and this one and this one by Rick Mansfield.)
I'm particularly interested in bible software, of course. I'm not sure how much use I'd really get out of it (I can't imagine myself using my Touch in church or in a classroom or devotions), but I'd like to have it just because it would be cool to be able to look things up at a whim no matter where I happen to be at the moment.
I'm sure we'll see a variety of translations made available, but what I'd really love to see is the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament (27th ed.) on my iPod Touch, with as many goodies included as possible (tagged for quick lemma searches, parsing, diglots, etc.). Of course this assumes that the iPhone will eventually support Hebrew which it apparently does not yet do.
What would be really outstanding is if some enterprising bible software company (esp. Logos or BibleWorks) would make available some of their other primary texts (Josephus, LXX, Philo, Pseudepigrapha, DSS, etc.) available as well, even if it was only in English. But that's probably asking for too much.
In my first post, I promised I'd write a review of the new translation of the Septuagint when I got it, but I see that Iyov has already beaten me to the punch, and since I don't think I'll have much to add, I'll probably renege.
I have received another book in the mail in the meantime, however. It's what I'm sure will be an absolutely wonderful book by James Kugel, one of my favorite scholars, entitled How To Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture Then and Now. From the brief time I've spent with it, it appears that he will be addressing the issue of traditional belief and historical critical method while providing a survey of the Hebrew Bible. Kugel is ideally suited for such a task since he's a practicing Orthodox Jew as well as a widely respected scholar.
Kugel has written many, many important books and journal articles, but one volume in particular should be of broader interest (than merely those in the scholarly world, I mean): The Bible As It Was. This is a book that brings together various snippets of texts from the Second Temple period through early Christian and rabbinic writings that interpret 25 core stories from the Pentateuch (15 from Genesis) in some very interesting ways, usually addressing some perceived problem in the text. It's an excellent guide to the way that ancient readers read the bible.
A final note: unlike most bible scholars, Kugel has a gift with words (he's a published poet) so, though this is a long book, it should be a pleasure to read. He has the ability to explain complex ideas in clear, accessible, interesting prose, that is mostly jargon free.
For further information on Kugel and this book in particular, see his website here.
I'm not an American, but I usually get interested in American politics during the run-up to national elections.
I find Obama a fascinating candidate, mostly because of the phenomenon that he represents (hope?), no doubt aided by the fact that we know very little about him (voters tend to fill in the blanks with their own wishes and desires).
I'm too old and cynical to buy into the hype though; I much preferred Clinton for the nomination because she just seems much tougher than Obama, a quality I think is simply crucial in a political leader.
In my own country, the leader of the opposition is not unlike Obama in the fact that he is a professor, but he is also a complete wimp, allowing everyone (especially power brokers within his own party) to run roughshod over him. The example of Socrates, Thucydides, Xenophon, and a few others from a bygone era notwithstanding, I think the two (intellectual and wimp) tend to go together. (I say this as someone who is well on the road to becoming an "intellectual" and is a certifiable wimp to boot; but I wouldn't vote for me as president either.)
This will sound terrible because of the following statement's unstated assumptions and implications, but I do think it would be good for America if Obama does win the presidency, though not because I think he'd be a particularly good president (I actually half expect another Jimmy Carter [= a naif]), but because it would help the US get past the whole race thing.
However, it's clear that Obama's securing of the nomination has brought out the crazies... in the Democratic party (hat-tip Politico):
"Fred Hobbs, a state Democratic Party Executive Committee member representing part of Davis’ district, said he understands why Davis is not endorsing Obama and is “skeptical” of the Illinois senator himself."
“Maybe [it’s] the same reason I don’t want to — I don’t exactly approve of a lot of the things he stands for and I’m not sure we know enough about him,” Hobbs said when asked why he thought Davis wasn’t endorsing Obama. “He’s got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be.”
I assume he's talking about Bill Ayers (one of the founders of the Weathermen) and Bernardine Dohrn, both of whom were indeed terrorists (apparently still unrepentent) during the turbulent 60's and 70's, when a lot of stupid young people did a lot of stupid things. Both now live in Chicago (they're married) where they apparently ran into Obama a few times. However, Obama's relationship to them appears to be limited to serving on the same board as Ayers at a charity and running around in the same social/intellectual circles in the Chicago (Hyde Park) area. Hardly justification for labelling or implying that Obama is a terrorist or terrorist sympathizer.
The more worrying aspect of Obama's associates, it seems to me, is his pastor of 20 years, Jeremiah Wright, precisely because they were so close for so long. He sounds like a race baiter of the worst kind to me; you have to wonder what it says about a person who attended a church like Wright's for 20 years.
Wright's sermons are simply inflammatory race-mongering and not a little crazy (note all the conspiracy theories). Have a gander at this ABC news story:
Here's some more raw footage:
Happily, Obama has now renounced Wright and left his church. I only hope it was for the right reasons.
I've never played golf in my life (I'm not counting pitch & putt courses or the driving range), so I'm not much of a golf fan. I am, however, a Tiger fan. Ever since he destroyed the field at the Masters in 1997, I've been hooked. I guess you can say I'm a fan of excellence, and whatever Tiger is, he is excellent.
Today, Tiger had one of his more amazing rounds, which is saying a lot, since he's had quite a few over the course of his career. NBC is providing footage of all of Woods' shots, round by round. Take a look at the long eagle putts on 13 and 18, as well as the amazing (flukey) birdie on 17.
Woods is a perfect 13 for 13 when holding at least a share of the lead after 54 holes in majors, which is simply unprecedented due to the enormous pressure on a final round leader in such tournaments. He's up one shot heading into tomorrow's finale, which doesn't bode well for his fellow golfers' chances.
BTW, this year's US Open is being held at Torrey Pines, where Woods has already won 6 times. By all rights, the US Open looks as if it's Tiger's, but there's the not so little issue of his knee which was definitely giving him trouble throughout the day. It should make things interesting.
Addendum: Here's video of Woods' three amazing shots from the 3rd round:
Addendum: Round 4, 18th hole, another one for the ages:
Sometimes it take a non-scholar to show scholars how to effectively put together a translation of a book written thousands of years ago so that it will have maximum impact on a modern audience.
This is what Robert Strassler has accomplished. He doesn't have any scholarly credentials to really speak of. He doesn't have tenure at a university and doesn't even read Greek or Latin. Yet he has produced the English editions to own of first Thucydides (The Landmark Thucydides, 1996) and now Herodotus (The Landmark Herodotus, 2007). Additional volumes on Arrian (2010), Polybius (2009), and Xenophon (2012) are forthcoming in the next few years.
What makes these editions special is the extra helps for the reader that he included. To draw a comparison with another series that aims to aid the reader, the Arden Shakespeare provides an extensive introduction and copious notes to the text of each play. However, while a few photos are included, they are typically photos of the various famous actors who have played the parts in question. In other words, true visual aids are few and far between, and most of what is included doesn't really help you understand what's happening in the play.
Well, what the Arden Shakespeare series is to serious Shakespeare readers, the Landmark series is to readers of Greek historiography (which I hope he expands to include Latin historiographers), only more so. This is not only because the Arden series has its competitors in the Oxford and Cambridge editions when it comes to Shakespeare, while the Landmark series stands alone with respect to Greek historiography, but also because the Landmark series contains wonderful, highly-detailed maps along with other visual aids (charts, timelines, useful illustrations and photos) to help the reader. In addition, he has organized a highly detailed system that enables a reader to quickly ascertain where and when any part of the narrative takes place, as well as very useful paragraph summaries in the margin, along with many other useful features (like incredibly detailed useful indexes, numerous appendixes on background, a glossary, and numerous detailed notes).
The Landmark Thucydides contains over 100 maps (most are a full page) embedded directly into the text (approximately one map every 5.5 pages). You literally almost never have to flip more than 3 or 4 pages either way to get to a map that details exactly what you need to know to make sense of the narrative. For the Landmark Herodotus, Strassler upped it to 127 maps embedded in the text (approximately one map every 5.7 pages). These maps and other visual aids make reading these books much more fruitful, since the myriad of names, dates, and places can be quite confusing. If you are at all interested in these Greek historians, you need to get your hands on these editions.
Which brings me to the real subject of this post. Too often in the past, the producers of study bibles have taken the Arden Shakespeare approach: that is, aids that are dominated by text (i.e., detailed introductions plus copious notes). It looks like things are beginning to change. The people behind the ESV Study Bible (coming in October) have apparently gone to the trouble of embedding over 200 full color maps within the biblical text, along with numerous diagrams, illustrations, and over 200 charts. I'd say it's about time. Study bibles dominated by text are simply boring. A study bible chock full of visual helps is the next logical step. The potential in such a study bible is enormous if done correctly.
If you'd like to see a sneak preview of the ESV Study Bible, Mark Bertrand has photos of a mock-up made by the ESV people who displayed it at a recent conference. It's only the gospel of John bound over and over again to approximate the size of the actual study bible, but it gives you the basic idea. Most of the specs on the binding and format line up with what I like in a bible (i.e., single column, paragraph format, black letter, sewn binding, a wide variety of covers to choose from, etc.).
There's only a couple of things I worry about, based on the photos of the mock-up: (1) the text appears to sink into the gutter far too much (I suspect this is just a problem with the mock-up -- I wonder if the mock-up has a glued binding; but it would be a deal-breaker for me if the mock-up is a true indication of what the inner margins will look like); (2) there appears to be more bleed through than I would have hoped for.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this study bible, because, despite the fact that I'll almost certainly not like a lot of what's in the footnotes (it appears to be heavily slanted in the Reformed/Baptist vein to tell from the buzz in the blogosphere), this appears to represent a quantum leap in the evolution of study bibles, which should be encouraged and supported.
I only hope that the HarperCollins people take note of what the ESV Study Bible has (likely) accomplished and incorporate some of the same insights the next time they publish a revision of their Study Bible.
One final note: I echo Mark Bertrand's enthusiasm and appreciation for the work that went into the website displaying the ESV Study Bible and the openness with which they've shared the details of the binding and format of the editions being released. I wish more bible publishers would be as diligent in putting out information about their bibles.
(Addendum: I should have known that Iyov would beat me to the punch on the Landmark series; see his post here).
I love diglots, but have found it difficult to find good ones. Needless to say, Interlinears don't count, since, though they often include an English translation in the outside column, it is more properly a language tool rather than a real bible. For one thing, the interlinear English distracts attention away from the original text, and for another, the English translation in the outside column is usually treated as an afterthought, with no care given to its presentation. It's hardly a bible that one would curl up with and read for either pleasure or devotional purposes.
So when I saw a post by Iyov taking to task Christian publishers for not producing more diglots, and Christians for not making more use of diglots, I not only had to sadly agree with his point, I thought I'd do my part to help remedy the latter by displaying the advantages of one particular Hebrew-English diglot that I've loved ever since I first purchased it in the hopes that a few more Christians will consider buying one.
The New Testament is fairly well-served by the GBS edition that contains the Nestle-Aland 27th and the RSV and now the NET diglot (which I don't have yet, but they don't exactly make it easy, do they?). The former's existence, in particular, is fairly well known among Christian seminarians, I think, so I won't bother discussing the features of that edition. The only thing I'll say about the GBS edition is that I wish those folks would update the RSV and take out all the archaic thee's and thou's, since I doubt it would take much work in this age of computers (the archaic grammar I don't mind at all), or alternatively, use the NRSV as the English translation.
And now that there's a new translation of the Septuagint out, I imagine that it's just a matter of time before we see a new diglot. Anything's got to be better than the old Brenton one.
However, to finally get around to the subject of this post, the best Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) diglot I've seen is the one published by the Jewish Publication Society in four editions: pocket, student, cloth, and leather. I have two of the four (pocket and cloth) and wish that I had sprung for the real leather version when it was still in print (at the time, I was a poor graduate student and couldn't justify the extra dough).
(Addendum: David Stein, the original managing editor and co-designer of these editions left a comment below informing me that these are also available in electronic format--a PDF-based e-book--here.)
These have been around awhile (like the NASB Classic Companion I reviewed here), but since I haven't noticed anyone else giving it the Bertrand/Mansfield treatment, I thought I'd have a go.
The JPS Tanakh (Tanakh is a Hebrew acronym for Torah-Prophets-Writings = Christian Old Testament), for those who aren't familiar with it, is a fairly literal translation of the Masoretic Text (the version of the Jewish scriptures that the rabbis preserved). It isn't as literal as the NASB or even the ESV since it can be rather idiomatic in places (often it simply replaces an original Hebrew idiom judged to be unclear with something more contemporary that approximates it's meaning). I'd roughly equate it to the NRSV in terms of literalness.
Since it is a Jewish bible, it scrupulously follows the Masoretic Text (i.e., the Leningrad Codex, and as such is nearly but not quite identical to BHS), ignoring other texts and textual traditions in the text itself, though it does take note of textual variants, including possible emendations, in footnotes (unfortunately transliterated).
The cloth edition is quite a hefty volume (10 1/4" x 7 1/8" x 2 1/4"), while the leather edition is even larger.
For size comparison purposes, here is the TNIV Reference stacked on top of the JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh: Cloth edition. You can see the latter is quite a lot thicker.
The dark blue padded cover is very nice. It's essentially a hardback covered in a spongy faux-leather type material. It feels a lot like the covers on those old gi-mongous KJV family bibles that everyone used to own. The page edges are gilded with gold and there is one blue ribbon included.
Here they are side by side. The TNIV Reference is on the left, while the JPS Tanakh is on the right.
The text is presented in two parallel columns with English on the left and Hebrew on the right.
The text lays flat, even at Genesis 1.
The font is a nice size (I'd estimate about 10 pt.) with uncommonly generous spacing between each line. Lines average about 8 or 9 words in English. The Hebrew font is clear and easy to read, even the vowels and cantillation marks.
The Hebrew tends to be more compact than the English so the verses don't quite match up in the bottom half of each page, but I'm glad they didn't chop up the verses to simply match them up. It would have de facto turned this bible into one of those dreaded verse-by-verse editions. The editors have, however, gone to the trouble to re-align the text at each chapter and kept the Hebrew and English within one verse of each other at the bottom of each page.
The overall presentation is beautiful to look at and easy on the eyes, though I often wish that they had devoted each entire page to a single column, paragraph formatted text, English on one page and Hebrew on the facing page (like the GBS New Testament diglot), and that is lined up at every new paragraph, rather than dividing the page into columns and lining it up at every chapter as they did.
One of the few defects that mars this edition is some moderate bleed-through (If you click on one of the above images and blow it up, you can see what I mean). It isn't really any worse than the TNIV Reference or the ESV Personal Size Reference though, so if you can put up with it in those bibles, I daresay you won't find this appreciably worse. Another defect is that you don't get much in the way of margins.
I'm no expert in bindings, but I'd hazard a guess from the above picture that it's sewn, though I can't be sure.
One drawback for Christians, is that the chapters and verses in this edition follow the Masoretic Text and thus won't always match up with what most are used to in the Old Testament. When reading alone this won't be a big deal, but in a group setting (e.g., bible study or following along in a sermon) this could be an annoyance (especially in books like the Psalms). Those who don't mind the KJV might appreciate Aron Dotan's Parallel Bible Hebrew-English Old Testament published by Hendrickson, since it preserves the Christian book order and versification (it's about to be re-printed).
Another feature of this bible that some will view as a drawback, but I view as a huge advantage (especially for Christians) is the order of the books, which generally follows the Leningrad Codex with a few concessions to the order of books found in most Hebrew printed editions. It could give Christians a fresh perspective on the Old Testament (e.g., Daniel is found among the Writings in the Tanakh, and not among the prophets, as in the Christian OT, and the Deuteronomistic History can be found intact, without the intrusion of Ruth).
Everything considered, I don't think you can go wrong with buying this edition, especially if you don't already own a copy of the NJPS translation, which you should have anyways.
If this edition is too large for you, the student edition and the pocket edition are still available for purchase.
However, I'm sad to say that I can't recommend the student edition. I saw it several years ago when it had just been printed (at the annual Society of Biblical Literature convention), and it had a very bad gutter problem. You had to pry the bible wide open to read the text which went right into the spine. I imagine that they've fixed it by now, but I'd have a look first to make sure. I was told by the JPS spokesperson at the exhibit that year that they'd be fixing it in the next print run (at the time, he said it would come in a matter of months), but when I checked again a couple years later, it still hadn't been fixed from what I could tell.
Here's a video I found of what looks like the student edition. At one point he opens it upand shows the text. Either the gutter problem isn't as bad as I remember it or they've somewhat alleviated the problem. To me, it still looks like the binding pinches the text too much in the gutter though. Too bad, since the size represents a good trade-off between form and function.
On the other hand, if you can get past the odd shape (6" x 4" x 1.75") of the "pocket" edition (you'd have to have pretty large pockets), it's quite functional. The layout is exactly the same as the cloth edition, only with smaller print, which is comparable to the print of the original ESV compact editions (not the deluxe compact). It retains the nice line spacing of the cloth edition though this extra space could have been used to increase the font size if they had gone to the trouble of specially formatting the bible for this edition.
The text block itself is almost exactly the same size in both editions since they both have the exact same number of pages. The slight difference in thickness is accounted for by the fact that the cloth edition has a very thick padded cover.
For those with poor eyesight, though, the Hebrew vowels and cantillation marks might be a little tough to make out. Also, the text does tend to run just a bit too far into the gutter (but not as badly as the student edition and just about par for the course in the current bible-making climate) and it still has the same moderate bleed-through problems as the cloth edition. (I tried to take a picture with my crappy camera but I can't get a decent one that isn't one big blur.)
All in all, though, I'm quite happy to have this small edition to lug around as the cloth edition is more or less anchored to my desk.
Oh yeah, one last thing: it doesn't exactly lay flat.
(Addendum: Iyov has posted some related thoughts here. I look forward to his posts on other Hebrew-English diglots.)
Here's a list of the full contents, with new items in blue. Some of the highlights include an updated Hebrew Bible database (4.10 from 4.4), the Greek Pseudepigrapha, tagged, and with English translation, the TNIV, as well as Jouon-Muraoka's and Waltke-O'Connor's Hebrew grammars, now both included free (they were previously available as add-on modules).
The ESV Study Bible has been out for awhile now and the reviews are generally favorable, at least from its target market -- Evangelicals. Here's a useful roundup of reviews. Sales have been healthy, and the ESV Study Bible is already headed for its third printing.
Logos has had an alpha release of a Mac version of their bible software for some time now. Here's a video of the program in action.
I've finally got the iPod Touch 2.0 update and I've purchased BibleXpress.
It's open right now. You have to download iTunes 7.7 first though. The iPhone 2.0 update is available right now, though if you're using the old iPhone I would be cautious. The iPod Touch 2.0 update is not available yet, and will cost $9.95 when it is [Update: It's now available, technically, but good luck getting access to it. Apple is really messing up the launch of the app store. People are having all sorts of problems accessing the 2.0 firmware update].
In the recent past, I've actually encouraged my fairly conservative students and fellow parishioners to burn their NIVs. They usually laugh, and then I tell them I'm only half-joking.
I don't have a picture of the Go Anywhere, but this is the NASB Compact Reference, which is similarly ridiculous in insisting on double columns, resulting in columns averaging a paltry 6 words per line.
For the sake of comparison, I've lined it up with the ESV Personal Size Reference on the left and the TNIV Reference on the right. The NRSV XL with Apocrypha measures 8 1/8" wide x 8 1/4" high x 1 1/2" thick. The form factor takes some getting used to, but I actually like it. The only real problem I have with it is that you can't just flip the page over without a second thought (you have to be careful) like you can with most other bibles, since the pages tend to want to curl back over on itself.
Here are the same three bibles stacked with a view of the bindings. The large font and the addition of the Apocrypha make this a rather thick bible, even with the very thin paper, which unfortunately allows for a little too much bleed-through for my taste.
Despite my afinity for single columns, this particular edition would look silly in such a format. I'd say each column averages a respectable (though sub-optimal) 9 words per line. The font is nice and clear at 13 pt and the spacing of the lines does not feel cramped.
Here's a look at the poetic sections. Unfortunately due to the large font size, the lines are often chopped up. Still, though I don't need a large font (I can comfortably make out the ESV Deluxe Compact type), it's a nice change of pace.
The binding is craft sewn, whatever that is. I presume that it isn't as good as smyth sewn, but it does allow this bible to lie completely flat in the middle and I expect that the binding will last a whole lot longer than a glued one.
Towards the ends of the bible, one side will hang in mid-air. This is a shot of the book of Jude. When held in one open hand (i.e., without a thumb or pinky holding it open), you can have it open at Genesis 1 or Revelation 22 and it won't close on you.
The iPhone (3G!) is finally coming to my part of the world, and as I contemplate the wisdom of purchasing one (along with the baggage that comes with it in the form of a 3 year contract at no doubt outrageous monthly premiums), I eagerly await the expected flood of 3rd party applications that will finally be released (early July) in a form that isn't tied to a wireless connection of some sort (i.e., cellular or internet). (For examples of what's available right now on an iPhone or iPod Touch that is tethered to some sort of connection, see this post by Mark Bertrand and this one and this one by Rick Mansfield.)
In my first post, I promised I'd write a review of the new translation of the Septuagint when I got it, but I see that Iyov has already beaten me to the punch, and since I don't think I'll have much to add, I'll probably renege.
He subsequently published a fuller edition, Traditions of the Bible: A Guide to the Bible As It Was at the Start of the Common Era. This edition contains all that is in The Bible As It Was, but also includes a lot of extra material, making the meat of the respective books almost twice as big (though much more than twice as expensive!).
I'm not an American, but I usually get interested in American politics during the run-up to national elections.
I've never played golf in my life (I'm not counting pitch & putt courses or the driving range), so I'm not much of a golf fan. I am, however, a Tiger fan. Ever since he destroyed the field at the Masters in 1997, I've been hooked. I guess you can say I'm a fan of excellence, and whatever Tiger is, he is excellent.
Sometimes it take a non-scholar to show scholars how to effectively put together a translation of a book written thousands of years ago so that it will have maximum impact on a modern audience.
Well, what the Arden Shakespeare series is to serious Shakespeare readers, the Landmark series is to readers of Greek historiography (which I hope he expands to include Latin historiographers), only more so. This is not only because the Arden series has its competitors in the Oxford and Cambridge editions when it comes to Shakespeare, while the Landmark series stands alone with respect to Greek historiography, but also because the Landmark series contains wonderful, highly-detailed maps along with other visual aids (charts, timelines, useful illustrations and photos) to help the reader. In addition, he has organized a highly detailed system that enables a reader to quickly ascertain where and when any part of the narrative takes place, as well as very useful paragraph summaries in the margin, along with many other useful features (like incredibly detailed useful indexes, numerous appendixes on background, a glossary, and numerous detailed notes).
Which brings me to the real subject of this post. Too often in the past, the producers of study bibles have taken the Arden Shakespeare approach: that is, aids that are dominated by text (i.e., detailed introductions plus copious notes). It looks like things are beginning to change. The people behind the ESV Study Bible (coming in October) have apparently gone to the trouble of embedding over 200 full color maps within the biblical text, along with numerous diagrams, illustrations, and over 200 charts. I'd say it's about time. Study bibles dominated by text are simply boring. A study bible chock full of visual helps is the next logical step. The potential in such a study bible is enormous if done correctly.
For size comparison purposes, here is the TNIV Reference stacked on top of the JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh: Cloth edition. You can see the latter is quite a lot thicker.
Here they are side by side. The TNIV Reference is on the left, while the JPS Tanakh is on the right.
The text lays flat, even at Genesis 1.
I'm no expert in bindings, but I'd hazard a guess from the above picture that it's sewn, though I can't be sure.
The text block itself is almost exactly the same size in both editions since they both have the exact same number of pages. The slight difference in thickness is accounted for by the fact that the cloth edition has a very thick padded cover.
Oh yeah, one last thing: it doesn't exactly lay flat.
