Which Modern Bible translation would you recommend for formal study?

[Complete in Thee]

Which MODERN bible translation would you recommend using for formal study at a Theological college? and why?

Thank you

Complete in Thee

 

[Tom 1]

If the college doesn’t stipulate a preferred translation, I think the ESV would be a good option. Apart from being essentially literal, in the tradition of the KJV-ASV-RSV, it has a lot of support in terms of different study editions and software etc. Plus it has a smoother reading style than the NASB (also an ‘essentially literal’ translation), with more attention apparently paid to readability, which could be important over a few years of study. The NET bible, which I looked up after seeing quoted it in another thread here, is handy for checking over alternative translations of words and phrases, useful as a backup.

 

[FireDragon76]

RSV or ESV.

 

[Complete in Thee]

RSV or ESV.

Why?

 

[FireDragon76]

Why?

The RSV has the best and broadest scholarship behind it. The ESV is more or less the same.

 

[Tom 1]

The ESV is a revision of the RSV, which took into account a lot of complaints about the RSV (gender neutral pronouns was one complaint). The ESV differs around 8% in content from the RSV.

 

[Radagast]

The ESV differs in around 8% in content from the RSV.

The ESV is a revision of the RSV that fixes a number of problems and translation errors.

Because of the similarity to the RSV, a common joke is that "ESV" stands for "Extremely Similar Version."

Which MODERN bible translation would you recommend using for formal study at a Theological college? and why?

The ESV would be the most widely used translation for formal study at conservative theological colleges, I would think. In fact, every conservative theological college I've seen uses the ESV (possibly in conjunction with other versions).

Are you indeed planning to go to a conservative theological college? Which one?

 

[HiltiesGwerf]

NASB or ESV

 

[JM]

ESV or the CSB. Both seem to read well and remain faithful.

 

[ezra932]

My WORDsearch Bible i like the CSV

 

[Philip_B]

Like a lot of Anglicans in my part of the world the NRSV has been the translation of choice for some time, thought to be scholarly, and comprehensible. The English it uses is moderately formal which is appropriate for liturgical reading as well.