Great translations, but King James Bible is the word of God. The numerical patterns in it are out of this world, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, check stuff from "Truth is Christ" for example the newest one "7 Terrifying Patterns ONLY Found in the King James Bible" and this one is a closer look at one of them which is absolutely mind blowing "URGENT! New Discovery in FIRST and LAST Verses of the King James Bible! [2023]"
Two of my favorite Bible scholars! Wow. So glad to hear your support of NIrV and NLT for young readers or those with reading difficulties. I have an adult daughter with disability and love them both for her. But I ended up choosing NLT because I couldn't find an adult-looking NIrV Bible that didn't have children's pictures on the cover and pages. So yes, appearance and typography matters! 😀
The title A More Sure Word: Which Bible Can You Trust by R. B. Ouellette is recommended. The book is understandable by non scholars and helps Bible believers to appreciate and evaluate the issues surrounding modern Bible versions.
I really appreciate this! Mark is not only knowledgeable, but communicates so well that even not-so-educated people can follow! I soooo appreciate the reassurances that all of the translations are acceptable. Sometimes you’re almost paralyzed by not knowing which translation is accurate or reliable, and being afraid of choosing the wrong one. You all put that fear to rest. Thank you!
When I first got saved and really wanted to get into the Hebrew and Greek I was gifted a NASB Hebrew -Greek Keyword Study Bible. It was so helpful and still one of my favorite Bibles. 13 years later, I'm reading and studying out of my CSB Everyday Study Bible and loving it.
@@paultrosclair1775 every Bible has been a fraud for years now. The true Bible will say the lion lays down with lamb. The Lord's prayer is forgive me my trespass as I forgive those who trespass against me. Those Bibles dont exist anymore.
Loved this interview. I use the CSB for my daily reading, and I have an ESB, NET and NIV (1984) right next to it. I usually find that checking other translations is more helpful for me than checking a study bible's notes or a commentary.
Thank you for having Mark Ward as a guest, he’s a voice of reason in the translation world. I hope that viewers will take his advice to check out the NET translation notes. They are an amazing resource, especially for understanding translation differences.
Twelve years ago, my husband, who grew up with the King James Version and has been using the ESV for years, offered me as my first Bible the NLT. Reason; I’m Francophone, highly inquisitive. The 2006 edition had a synopsis before every book, with the author, date written and content, giving me a good, simple, concise overview before I would start a specific book. Since then I started learning Hebrew, I’m almost finished the One Year NLT Chronological Study Bible, first time reading the Bible start to finish, and I’m marvelled by it all. In so, I do agree with Mark Ward that what ever Bible brings the character of GOD and the story to life is at the end the Bible that one might want to read. As a side bar, interestingly enough, if we talk about strict translation, in Psalm 150:3 in all the English versions I checked, it reads that it is the blast of a “trumpet”, as in the Hebrew Bible/Tanakh/Miqra we read the “shofar”, in the NLT it it the blast of the ram’s horn, which is a shofar. So all in all although not viewed by scholar as the most academic, in my book it has served the biggest purpose to bring me closer to GOD.
If you are interested in background information and notes that help understand the text, try reading a Scofield Refernce Bible. Originally in 1907, revised 1917, and reissued in 1976 and the New Scofield Bible with a new genaration of translators/editors. It has been the standard reference Bible for the past 50 years and longer in some circles.
When watching these types of videos, I ALWAY fast forward to the content regarding the Bibles. However, DR.Mark is extremely well-informed, genuine, and sincere with his approach. I was compelled to listen. I'm definitely subscribing to his channel!
Great show! At our church we’ve really taken a liking to the NLT. The NLT filament Bible that allows you to pull up commentary notes on every page has been really helpful. It’s a great idea using an app. Also, all the NLT bibles coming out have nicely sewn bindings. Win win!
Thanks, always for an interesting topic. I feel The NetBible is a forgotten translation. I love how it allows us to understand the reasoning behind and challenges of translating the Bible.
This is good stuff gentlemen. I am largely on the same page. My personal favorite for preaching and study is the NASB 2020. I grew up with the NASB and think they did a faithful job of updating the translation. I also like the ESV, CSB, NKJV, and NET a lot and use them all fairly regularly. I bought my kids the CSB because of its readability. The CSB and NKJV are my personal favorite for devotional reading. We are very blessed to have so many good options today.
Nice comment! I've been searching for another version to use other than the kjv. I'm leaning towards the nasb now. I understand the 3 versions of it. I'm wondering, which updated version would you say is best over all? I'm leaning towards the 95 middle one. Seems like the best overall. Also, because it's more "literal," how hard is it to understand the whole meaning of a passage or context of a verse? Thanks, God bless you! ❤
1. I love Mark Ward. First, if I recall correctly, his (now famous) video on Bible typography was my first exposure to him and it was music to my ears! I couldn't agree more with everything he said in that video. Beauty can and should help foster better Bible reading. Second, after watching his typography video, I purchased and read his book Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible. I think it's the best book on the KJV Only debate since James White's and Don Carson's books on the KJV over a generation or two ago. Third, along with others (e.g. Dave Brunn, Don Carson, Mark Strauss), I find Ward to be a wonderfully winsome voice of reason when it comes to Bible translation debates. He's scholarly without being snobby, he's unifying without being cloying or truth-compromising, he's clear and well spoken without being showy or flashy, he's cool and level headed without losing compassion and affection in his desire to see more come to Jesus and the Bible. A true scholar and gentleman. And faithful brother in Christ. 2. I'm from the same or nearly the same tribe as Mark Ward is: biblically and theologically conservative, evangelical, Reformed, a big fan of Vern Poythress and John Frame (I didn't know Ward was behind the Poythress-Frame website until recently!), and so forth. And I have always loved the KJV. So it probably comes as no surprise to say that my Bible crush, if I had to pick only one, would likewise be the ESV aka the Elect Standard Version. ;) I see the ESV as the best modern heir of the Tyndale-KJV tradition of Bible translations. 3. However, I honestly love multiple Bible translations including almost all the ones Mark Ward listed. I think I'd like the NKJV "the least" mainly because of textual critical concerns (e.g. I lean CT, not MT/TR). But like Mark Ward, this is a very trivial point for me. I'd be grateful even if the NKJV was the only available English translation today. 4. Lately I've been quite impressed with the CSB. It's an outstanding translation. In particular I love how it doesn't fear breaking with tradition where warranted (e.g. John 3:16, "instruction" for "law" in many cases), though I wish the CSB hadn't reverted back to LORD for the Tetragrammaton but stuck to the HCSB's translation or transliteration. I agree with most of Mark Strauss' review of the CSB in Themelios. 5. That said, I tend to group the CSB in the same camp as the NIV 2011. I know people often say the NIV 2011 is more functional than formal, whereas the CSB strikes the "optimal" balance between formal and functional, but I think this is much of a muchness. I see the NIV 2011 and the CSB as both striking the "optimal" balance between formal and functional. Or, alternatively, I suppose one could conclude both the CSB and the NIV 2011 are more functional than formal. Again, I don't see a huge difference in translation philosophy between the two. However, if there must be a difference between the CSB and the NIV 2011, then I suppose I'd say the CSB is a less gender-controversial NIV 2011 or something along those lines. That is, both the CSB and NIV 2011 are accurate, clear, and natural, very readable. I think the NIV 2011 tends to use the third person plural as a singular pronoun (they, them) more than the CSB which tends to use the more traditional third person masculine singular pronoun (he, him), and I tend to favor the CSB in this regard, but overall I don't see it as a deal breaker or anything. Plus, I don't think the NIV 2011's CBT was at all motivated by a political agenda (e.g. woke feminism). Rather several CBT members (Doug Moo, Bill Mounce, Karen Jobes) have in fact stated the contrary. They've stated it was strictly linguistic concerns primarily centering around our changing English usage, spoken and written. That said, I would in fact favor the CSB when it comes to the debatable translations like Phoebe as a "deacon" (Rom 16:1) and "assume" authority (1 Tim 2:12). But I also don't think the NIV 2011's translation choices are as atrocious as many in my tribe seem to think it is. I disagree with the NIV 2011, but I don't think the NIV 2011 is utterly indefensible let alone trying to twist and change God's words or the like. 6. I haven't read the NASB in its entirety, but I have read significant portions and representative verses and passages in it. I like the NASB in all its recent incarnations: NASB 1995, NASB 2020, and LSB which is apparently John MacArthur's "perfected" NASB. I don't really see significant differences in these incarnations of the NASB. I think it's good we have moved away from the thees and thous of the NASB 1995 though. Overall I like the NASB, it's a kind of crib on the biblical Hebrew and Greek, but if I had to pick a translation that's closer to being a crib on the biblical languages, then I think I'd opt for the Lexham English Bible (LEB). Oh, and I don't know if Mark Ward still shares these concerns today, but I appreciate his article "A Rising Tide Sinks All Boats: The Legacy Standard Bible and Stewarding the Church’s Trust" posted on Evangelical Textual Criticism. 7. I admit I don't really care much for the NET Bible as a translation. But I absolutely love its full notes. The notes are an amazing window into all the issues mentioned thus far - textual criticism, translation choices, etc. And it's all freely available online! Other online Bibles I've recently been impressed with are the Step Bible (the brainchild of David Instone-Brewer at Tyndale House in Cambridge) and the very unique TIPs Bible (Translation Insights and Perspectives). 8. I've also been pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the NLT. Of course, I knew the NLT was clear and natural, extremely easy to read for most average readers, but I was surprised to find it accurate too. I haven't read all of it, however, so I'll have to keep reading it as I have time. 9. I don't know much about the Message at all. I've never read it. 10. Not that I know much, and certainly far less than Mark Ward and other scholars like him, but I find the more I learn the biblical languages, the less dogmatic I am about Bible translations in English or any other language. 11. I hope I'm not nitpicking. Apologies in advance if so! At 10:30 I believe that's the Heirloom Heritage, not the Heirloom Legacy as Mark Ward says in the video (e.g. the headings are in the main text, not off to the side in the margins as the headings are in the Legacy). Regardless, both the Legacy and the Heritage are my absolute favorite layouts for the ESV, though I prefer the Heritage slightly more. That's because the Heritage has a smaller footprint, more space between the lines, and fewer words per line, each of which combined makes for an aesthetically pleasing reading experience for me. The Heritage also seems more portable to me since it's a mid-sized Bible, whereas the Legacy is a large-sized Bible. By the way, there are TruTone versions of both the Legacy (I own a TruTone Legacy) and the Heirloom (forthcoming early next year) that are far more affordable than the beautiful Heirloom editions of the Heritage and the Legacy.
@@HarryNicNicholas Oh I didn't know Ezekiel 23 was missing! Is this in an older version of the Heirloom Legacy or the Heirloom Heritage or something else?
The CSB is also more willing to break away from the KJV tradition than the NIV is (e.g., John 3.16, where language drift regarding the word "so" has resulted in misunderstanding, and the CSB gets it right).
@@fnjesusfreak Absolutely! The CSB is a very good translation. Especially on verses like John 3:16 as you point out. That said, I was surprised to learn the NLT (which I'm reading now) also gets John 3:16 right. At least as far as I know (which isn't much so I could easily be mistaken), the CSB and the NLT are the only major modern English translations that get John 3:16 right.
@@philtheo A lot of them get it very wrong because "so" does not mean the same thing as in 1611 (think of the phrase "thus and so"). The verse isn't saying "God loved the world so much that he sent..." - but more "God loved the world by sending..." or maybe even "God's love for the world was THAT he sent..." - something very different. The equivalent in the Spanish Reina-Valera and the NBLA, "De tal manera amó Dios al mundo..." is unambiguously correct.
I think everyone should have a MAIN bible translation they study from. A go to bible for daily use. Then a supplement Bible translation for variety or to help you grasp difficult text better. I've presently left the NIV after DECADES w/ it. I now use the ESV and use the NLT as a supplement. The ultimate goal would be to find one of these 7 translations mentioned, read and grow in the understanding of the Lord. I do think churches (pastors) should preach from a more word for word-based text. I'm glad my pastor preaches from the ESV.
That part. I have the KJV but as I keep learning about how the Europeans corrupted several things such as the image of the people in the bible and the KJV alone, I've been reading the Ethiopian bible and other bibles connected to Hebrew text. 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to show yourself approved". It's a thing.
Love Mark - what a legend! Admire him mostly for dealing with an area of debate where the Duning-Kruger effect parades itself in the comments section daily - what a man to have such patience in dealing with it all. Thanks for having him on the channel and for being a wonderful host.
I love the NLT so much. I’ve read the ESV for years and love it, but I found that when I began reading the NLT scripture just felt like water to my spirit and soul. I feel like I had to humble myself to read this translation, but I’m so glad I did. 🤍
I really feel the NLT also speaks to my heart and soul when I read it. Now of course I like the ease of study resources for the KJV and it has its strengths and its weaknesses of course, but I also enjoy the ESV to read aloud. It has good journaling Bibles and all sort of cover options. My favorite is the ESV verse-by-verse in the leather. It’s about $90 and just as floppy and soft as any premium goatskin cover. Half the price!! And it has nice margins, at least an inch and a half. Excellent translation. But the NLT!! My FAVORITE! I just decided to read the Bible through again using the NLT and Professor Horner’s Bible reading plan. Check it out! And thanks for speaking up about the NLT. More people should know about it and try it and not be scared of it. It IS a TRUE translation. Check out the introduction to the NLT included in all NLT bibles. Love it!
@@XwynntopiaXI have an ESV & NLT side by side when reading. When I hit a confusing passage I read the NLT to check its meaning. It’s so we written for ease of understanding I might even switch to it. It’s such a joy to read. I use Grant horners bible reading plan , I love it ! Really brings together all the connections
I prefer more word for word translations. I use the ESV. For those who are new to the faith, I always encourage them to read the NLT, very easy, solid translation. I will often refer to it, too, when I want an easier rendering of the text. The only translations I don’t recommend to people are the Passion translation and the Message. Great discussion.
I can already hear the KJV only crowd preparing to type the amount of reasons why they don't trust other bibles. Meanwhile I just collect them all. Except the New world translation...we don't talk about that one.
it is funny as KJV fans don't know how many books there are in the KJV ... it is. 73! They certainly don't know why publishers print a shortened version of 66 books.
One important reason that the New World Translation maybe should be talked about is that it introduces millions of people every month to their first hands-on experience with the bible. It already has been printed in over 240 million copies and in over 210 languages and was the first complete bible in sign language. It is a very common and mainstream bible.
Thank you for this Sean. Great to see you recover. I pray that you will be 100% in good health before IDC 2024 here in Manila. Last 2020, we were blessed by God through your father's messages. God bless you.
Why is it your number 1? I'm genuinely curious. I am switching to the ESV this year, with some hesitation as the language can be very wooden and clunky sometimes. I've not been comfortable with the NIV since it's changes in 2011. So I've decided to try to leave it.
For those curious, the academic standard is the NRSV (newly the NRSVue)-scholars heartily recommend this packaged within the _New Oxford Annotated Bible_ (5th edition). As in the video, another excellent scholarly resource is the NET Bible for the superb notes.
I like the Revised NJB, study Bible Edition as well as the New Oxford Annotated. I just got my hands on Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible. I like the KJV for the beautiful English. The translators improved on the original in many places, making it more lyrical - in many cases they made improvements so the translation reflected what God would have written if he were a better writer.
@@ballasog I'll need to check it out! I know Tolkien was the primary translator of the original JB's French-sourced Jonah, so it's a cool piece of history. And Robert Alter's Hebrew Bible is fantastic. His book "The Art of Bible Translation" is a lovely little love letter to the KJV, and as he describes it his own translation is an attempt to do what the KJV alone tried to do-highlight the literary sophistication and artistry of the received texts.
If someone is wary about the skeptical tone of some notes in the NOAB but still wants something with a more academic slant, they should consider the NRSV edition of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. (Hopefully, they will release it in the updated edition soon.) Another good option is the Baylor Annotated Study Bible, which includes the Apocrypha in the back (though without any corresponding notes, sadly). The NRSVue doesn't have any study Bibles yet, but the SBL Study Bible should be out later this month. If it's anything like its immediate predecessor (the HarperCollins Study Bible), it may make the NOAB look like the ESV Study Bible by comparison, but it should still be useful in spite of its secular bent.
Isaiah 7:14 is all wrong. It does not say a virgin gave birth like all the other translations. I have also heard it that it tries to soften Gods rebuke to homosexuality. The passage I am referring to is 1 Corinthians 6:9. Instead of saying homosexuals that it disapproves of it says male prostitutes. I am sure most of the Bible is fine but those parts are not correct.
I’m so grateful for this. I started with the NIV as a new Christian, but have bounced around to many translations over the years. I’m currently reading through the Bible specifically looking for everything it has to say regarding men, women, family, etc and I went with the NIV in this quest because it did seem to use gender neutral language for passages that were gender neutral and gendered language when it needed to be gendered. I’m glad that I was accurate in that assessment. The number of translations can be overwhelming, but I am so grateful for them to get more clarity in what the writers were trying to convey.
Thank you Sean and Dr. Mark. You answered so many questions for me as I've been looking for a different Bible version that KJV & NKJV, which I grew up with.
Really wonderful interview W/Dr Ward. His personality is so calming as he imparts lots of information on a very important topic! Thank you for offering this teaching!
Thank you for sound advice on biblical versions. My mother has adopted the ONLY KJV mantra. Although, I don't fight her about it, it is so wonderful to be able to share these resources in case it comes up naturally. Bless Mark and his ministry. And as alasys thank you, Sean. I am praying for your health and blesings!!❤
Mark Ward is an impressive Bible scholar....I too was raised in a "King James Only" tradition, but went to a college where I was exposed to other translations. This talk was informative and helpful.
This interview was fantastic! Growing up as a Southern Baptist PK, Mark helped me understand ways of defeating division I’ve experienced all of my life. Also, our 23 year old son is not walking with the Lord right now, and has had many questions about different translations. This was very helpful in how to answer his questions!
At rock bottom in my life, reading Ecclesiastes in the NLT literally saved my life. That and the Spirit opening my eyes to see. Even now with several translations, reading that book in that version still brings back that initial gratitude towards my Creator being so merciful and forgiving, knowing I did NOT deserve it at all. Thank you guys for a clear and understandable breakdown of the nuances between the different versions. Just another blessing He keeps providing. (Just like the first Libronix study software I bought that has grown into Logos!)
Sean, thanks for having Mark on your channel. I’m subscribed to his channel and appreciate the work he does. I love different Bible translations and have certain ones that I go to for clarification, ESV, NKJV, NIV, and even though I’m college educated, the NLT has been my daily driver for a number of years. But I think come the first of the year, I’m going to give the CSB a try. I hope you are feeling better.
This was great. I love my NIV Bible because it has huge margins for notes & journaling plus it’s spiral bound so it lays flat. My daughter has a NLT that I love for her because it has break off devotional type pages & pages of applications of principles that young girls might face. I instantly went and downloaded a CSB and NET translation on my Bible app. The NET is seriously jam packed with notes. So helpful!
Thank you so much for breaking this down. The bibles I have in my house and use are CSB, ESV, NASB and the NLT so I love to know I’m on track and I 100% have found them all useful for different seasons of my life.
It's always interesting to see evangelicals prioritize word for word translation over thought for thought. It's as if they don't understand the purpose and function of words. Words are tools that serve ideas and concepts. The concept/idea is the master, the words are the servants/tools. Anyone who grew up bilingual knows instinctively that accurate translation of words rarely gives us accurate translation of meaning. The cart before the horse idiom comes to mind.
I agree. I have been studying Islam and they have a belief that if you haven't read the quran in Arabic, you haven't read the quran. Every other "translation" is just a translated meaning. You can't recite it in English or pray in English (or any other language except arabic). That made me think about the gift of tongues in the NT when the apostles started speaking in other languages. I think that is so important as a distinction for Christianity. The Word is not limited by language. We can see truth in creation. God speaks in so many ways that fighting over "goes" vs "walked" is just silly.
The value of a so-called word-for-word translation is that it serves as a baseline for understanding why thought-for-thought translations may disagree. For instance, consider 1 John 5.6. If I read it in the NLT, it says, "And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross-not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony." But the CEV says, "Water and blood came out from the side of Jesus Christ. It wasn't just water, but water and blood. The Spirit tells about this, because the Spirit is truthful." If you're unaware that the Greek text itself doesn't specify which "water" and which "blood" John means, then you're likely to be confused as to why these two versions are so drastically different here. But then you look into the more formal NRSV, and what you see is this: "This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth" (cf. NASB). And now it's obvious that the NLT and CEV are giving educated guesses, not definitive interpretations of the text.
@@19king14 Agree ! For deeper study it is wise to use multiple translations, and when you chose what translations to use it is wise to use at least one formal (word for word) translation and one functional/dynamic (thought fro though) translation. This helps with balance of understanding. The problem with just using a formal translation is when it comes to cultural idioms in which the actual meaning is obscured because of a lack of understanding the cultural background during the particular time period. I often use an experience I had with my Japanese roommate to make the point. While introducing the board members of our school, one lady was introduced as a "Home Maker". Later, my Japanese roommate commented that it was incredible that that older, petite, lady was involved in construction of building houses. Literally the words "Home Maker" meant "someone who makes homes". He had an understanding of the literal meaning of the words, but missed the actual meaning of what was said because he did not understand the cultural idiom in how the words were used. It was good for him to have someone who actually understood that an idiom was being used and what that idiom meant. Same way with our translations; it is good for someone to translate the actual intent of the meaning of the text of Scripture, instead of just the literal words of the text. What good is it if we understand the various words used in Scripture, but miss the actual meaning of what the Scripture intended to communicate ? That is why it is best to use both a formal and dynamic translation.
I found the HCSB/CSB thru Selwyn Hughes daily study "Every Day with Jesus" and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is fresh and penetrative with the text, if I can say that is a thing. The parsing of the daily readings is particularly good, I've never made it thru a Bible in a year set up before, but I'm on my fourth year with this one and haven't tired a bit of it.
This was so fascinating and helpful - thankyou. I have several versions I use and it was good to hear they 'made the list'! And as a fellow typography nerd I appreciated Mark's remarks on beauty and readability!
Recently, I have been listening to an audio NLT version. I have enjoyed listening to it as I’ve done my work during the day I wouldn’t use it as my study Bible, but I appreciate it’s freshness.
@mlward038, I've got a 1984 NIV that I have worn thin because of the perceived issues with the newer NIV translations (NIV only because that is what I grew up on as a baby Christian of the 80s). It's good to hear the NIV is not as bad as I thought. Glad to see you hold up that NKJV at the beginning as I've always liked the NKJV version. I don't know why. I got a small/portable one as a gift from my sister decades ago and just always enjoyed reading it.
Great interview Sean! For Mark, I have been a formal equivalent guy, born with KJV heritage. But, this year my wife and I are listening to the bible for the year with our church. We are really enjoying listening to the NIV/UK, narration by David Suchet. God’s words are breathed out and we have been blessed by His Word.
Also, your Dad and/or you came to Real Life Ministries In Post Falls, ID and spoke many years ago now, which was wonderful. Opened my eyes and heart to apologetics!!
Great video! Some of Mark's top recommendations are mine too; ESV, NASB and the NET more for the notes than the Bible translation itself (of course the biblical text is good too). The 61,000 or so notes in the NET very much endorses the so-called 'Arian slant' of the NWT which is good since such important notes and topics are almost avoided in many evangelical circles.
In my personal study, I make use of a New Living Translation (NLT), and in my seminary schooling, I make use of an English Standard Version (ESV). I enjoyed this film because it simplified the process of explaining why the various translations are not literal and can be trusted. I use a NLT in my personal studies and an ESV in my seminary training. I appreciated this video because it simplifies the explanation of why the different translations can be trusted and are not heretical.
Thanks for a great hour! I was a little surprised that KJV didn't make the list. Recognizing the language anachronisms, it is still a solid translation. On the other hand, most folks that aren't KJV only have moved to NKJV or ... I was also a little surprised you didn't discuss a couple of the major manuscript branches. Choosing a manuscript as primary is a huge early step in translation. But still - thank you for a great discussion.
Perhaps because while the 2nd or 3rd most popular version in north America: it has long been recognised by scholars as among the worst translations. King James directed there be no footnotes or clarification that were in other editions at the time around uncertainty words or sources of codixes. Oh King James made it a capital offence to publish the KJV without the aprocrapha which Bibles at the time included. It was not till the 1820s that the British and Foreign Bible society opted to publish a shortened version as they felt this would be popular and cheaper. Thus, almost everyone these days thinks they are reading the KJV when they aren't. The more scholarly rigorous versions tend to be unpopular so publishers less bother with them.
@@Leo_Wadsworth thank ... I find it a fascinating topic. Oh I feel folk ought read, study text they feel best for them. It is no one else's business what folk prefer
@@holdfast5332 the writing is certainly sublime. Although there are folk that find it obscure and less able to determine what it meant. The KJV itself has been subject to reversion over centuries. Eg Jesus spelt with a J emerged in early 1800 century. Prior to that it was spelt with an I. If read in original language most would struggle to comprehend. Kinda like Roman Catholics longing for Latin. Beautiful rendition but devoid of meaning.
Thank you for your clarification of Bibles. I noticed you didn't mention the Amplified version. This is the one I use with Strong's Concordance. God bless you.
I love KJV but of late I have transitioned to NIV and more recently NLT I wanted a lay flat bible while was speaking in church couldn’t find a lay flat in KJV or NIV IN the Christian bookshop so ended up with a NLT and I love it. THANK YOU FOR an informative discussion
Thank you so much for such a wonderful talk. This has been very helpful in directing readers to get into the Word and takes away prejudices for particular versions. May God bless you and your ministry all the more.
For preaching I am using the Legacy Standard Bible. For youth group we are using New Living Translation. Elder of the church uses the translation they are most comfortable with: LSB, NIV 84, NKJV, and ESV.
I have multiple Bible apps on my phone and I LOVE the ability to read the Bible and easily switch between virtually any translation and see how those words are translated between each version. Usually it is very similar, but in many cases it is helpful to see an NLT translation when I am otherwise reading the KJV or NKJV. I also like to cross reference with ESV and NET. Those are my 4 go to translations. I have a beautiful audio bible in NKJV so I am going through that cover to cover now, both listen and reading simultaneously. Then I use NLT the most to cross reference for simplicity. I have since been convinced ESV and NET are probably “the best” translations to use now, but my NKJV audio bible is sooooooo good with narrators and background sound, it pulls me in so well. I really enjoy it.
I am leery of some translations and tend to use word-for-word as a plumb line. That said, my regular reading bible is ESV. But when I do more in-depth bible study, I use a quadripartite parallel bible which includes: NASB, KJV, Amplified and NLT. I read the studied passage in all of them, which allows my brain to wrestly more fully with the meaning rather than getting lost in repetitive reading. If there is a conflict, which is rare, I go with the NASB. The NLT usually lacks detail. But I also have NKJV, CSB, Dickson's Analytical, and Geneva (1560).
One thing I often wonder is why more of us don’t use translations of the Septuagint for our Old Testament as it better fits with that of the early church.
The only reason that verses were "deleted" from the NIV is because the man who created the verse numbers in the first place (Robert Estienne) was working with the Greek text assembled by Erasmus in the 1500s, which tended to have longer readings than those found in the earliest extant Greek copies of the New Testament. These verse numbers will have been around for 500 years as of 2050, but the Church went without these verse numbers for nearly 1500 years.
Sorry, I'm going to be a pedant. Could I ask Mark if he has a preference between the NASB 1995 and NASB 2020? Great conversation and video, thanks both.
Brothers, and comment readers: in many places I find the NKJV to be more literal than the NASB. One example is Romans 6:6 where "old man" is turned into "old self" in the NASB. In many places (like this verse) the NASB has a footnote that gives the literal, and the NKJV simply has the more literal in the text. A wonderful advantage of the NKJV is that it is the ONLY bible (I believe) which shows in footnotes the differences between the two families of manuscripts. See all the "NU" etc. footnotes. And it does read at least as well as if not better than the New American Standard.
It's the old ἄνθρωπος, or old person. It's a term for a member of the species, regardless of sex. So the NKJV is misleading here: Paul isn't assuming that only males can be united with Christ in his death and resurrection. The NASB isn't being less literal by recognizing that a Greek word cannot always be translated with the same English word. (But if you insist on translating it this way, you'll be happy to find that the LSB has modified the NASB to say "man" here.)
As long as we can all agree the original Hebrew and Greek should be our fundamental standard, I think we should read an assortment of bibles to see how other people may be reading the same verses we read. I've heard KJV-only people say the English supercedes the Greek and Hebrew. That's just crazy.
Dr. Ward was one of my Sunday school teachers back in our Mount Calvary days, I miss his fellowship. Perhaps one day he'll drive through Ohio and stop by to visit Pastor V. Glad you know him, Sean.
I taught Attic and Koine Greek to classics students in Europe for 25 years. I would stick with the KJV only because some (like the Amplified) will get people into trouble. Just one example: Christ said to the thief, "I tell you, this day you shall be with me in paradise." The comma is misplaced and this translation supports Augustine's Neo-Platonic view of the afterlife. Christ was a Jew, and he really said, "I tell you this day, you shall be with me in paradise," with "I tell you this day" being a Jewish solemn promise (also quoted in Deuteronomy). We don't talk like that, because we're not first-century Jews. We're looking at the Bible through Greco-Roman eyes, and translators are not looking at the text through Jewish eyes either.
The KJV says, "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." So it is coming from the same "Neo-Platonic" view as the version you quoted. In fact, all of the major versions read this way.
@@MAMoreno I know it adds the Platonic view of the afterlife, but newer translations sneak works into the gospel of faith in Christ. An example is James, where newer translations are trying to create a heretical doctrine of "genuine saving faith" evidenced by works, even though James refers to faith in the Jewish Shema and not the blood atonement of Christ. (James writes to Messianic Jews, not the Body of Christ.) Faith is pisteou, and from Aristotle to Xenophon it just means mental assent, an agreement that an argument presented is true (Aristotle being the most succint).
Kjv isn't the translated from the most accurate and oldest manuscripts though. Newer translations, niv, esv, nasb etc. Use older and more accurate transcripts than the kjv. The kjv isn't bad, but there are errors, and these others are not only easier to read, but more accurate as well.
I'm really leaning towards that version to read. I was raised and still use the kjv. What updated version of the nasb is best? And what particular printing do you use? I know the clarion is reccomended by the person in this video. Thanks!
Ive studied 16-20th century linguistics since i was like 14 or 15 yrs old, i work in medicine and am somewhat fluent in Latin, and I have an extensive english vocabulary. But the first bible i chose to read was the NIrV, because i wanted to really understand all of it, and a simplistic reading level with the accuracy of the NIV was important for me to really grasp every concept the bible has to offer. I love the eloquent wording of the NKJ, but for new Christians, it's the best approach to read the most simplistic bible first. You will instantly understand every passage without question. Then, once every message in the bible is completely grasped, move on to others. It made a really big difference in my understanding of God's message and my appreciation of Christianity
Only Indo-European languages can be translated "formally". Languages in other linguistic families structure their morphology, grammar and syntax so differently, that formality is not possible. In these languages, translators must pay attention to original information, both expressed and implied, and then express that information in a way that avoid losing information or importing extraneous information.
Good point about it being just syllables without understanding, I appreciate the idea of using the version that brings you to understand God’s story. 😊
You should listen to their video on all the bad bible translations. He explains why KJV is NOT a good translation anymore. In short, English today is very different from English at that time. 1. You do not speak that way. 2. Nobody you know speaks that way. 3. Nobody alive speaks that way. 4. There are many words in English from that time that have a completely different meaning in English today. Either consider a NKJV or ESV.
I also love KJV and believe that is truly inspired by God. While the other versions like NIV and ESV and others are distorted translations and even demonic
No problem if you are used to it, however, most people today, cannot understand that English . And many would simply put the Bible down. Language has changed. Even College students have a hard time with it. Sad, but 100 years ago, an 8th grade education was Far better than 12 years, plus College, in today’s world.
@@PrayAndStudyTheBible The Textus Receptus: This is what many get hung up on. Well, the NKJV, and the MEV [ Modern English Version] both strictly follow the T.R. I suggest you read the entire 42(?) page Introduction to the Authorized King James Bible. It was written BY the Translation Team of the KJV. THEIR thoughts and insights. Absolutely fascinating.
@jeffking4176 as a romanian native I understand that English enough to be saved by faith without works, and meditate God's Word. Not understanding ,,that" English is just a pretext
"Great Bible Translations"
1.NKJV @ 7:03
2. ESV @ 9:10
3. NASB @ 11:41
4. CSB @ 15:37
5. NIV @ 19:04
6. NET @ 25:01
7. NLT @ 28:44
Honorable Mentions
@ 31:50 NASB20, LSB, MSG, BSB
Bible for new believers: CSB @ 34:00
Bible for kids: NIRV, NLT, ESV, NASB @ 34:39
Bible for pastors and students: ESV, NASB @ 36:11
Great translations, but King James Bible is the word of God. The numerical patterns in it are out of this world, and if you don't know what I'm talking about, check stuff from "Truth is Christ" for example the newest one "7 Terrifying Patterns ONLY Found in the King James Bible" and this one is a closer look at one of them which is absolutely mind blowing "URGENT! New Discovery in FIRST and LAST Verses of the King James Bible! [2023]"
Two of my favorite Bible scholars! Wow.
So glad to hear your support of NIrV and NLT for young readers or those with reading difficulties. I have an adult daughter with disability and love them both for her. But I ended up choosing NLT because I couldn't find an adult-looking NIrV Bible that didn't have children's pictures on the cover and pages. So yes, appearance and typography matters! 😀
It’s CSB not CSV
@@ewxlt Noted and changed, Thanks!
The KJV, the standard for English readers and speakers for 400 years even to this day, is noticeably absent.
Mark Ward has been a real blessing in my life. Scholarly, a great communicator, winsome, balanced. Thanks for having him on your channel.
The title A More Sure Word: Which Bible Can You Trust by R. B. Ouellette is recommended. The book is understandable by non scholars and helps Bible believers to appreciate and evaluate the issues surrounding modern Bible versions.
"winsome" - do you know what the word means?
@@HarryNicNicholas " generally pleasing and engaging ..." and that's exactly what I meant.
Not to mention a snazzy dresser. Wow-wee!
@@HarryNicNicholas Hairy-Nick: We are waiting for other boot to drop... (from you)
I really appreciate this! Mark is not only knowledgeable, but communicates so well that even not-so-educated people can follow! I soooo appreciate the reassurances that all of the translations are acceptable. Sometimes you’re almost paralyzed by not knowing which translation is accurate or reliable, and being afraid of choosing the wrong one. You all put that fear to rest. Thank you!
This is by far the most thorough, thoughtful, intelligent and scholarly discussion on Bible translation. Thank you.
When I first got saved and really wanted to get into the Hebrew and Greek I was gifted a NASB Hebrew -Greek Keyword Study Bible. It was so helpful and still one of my favorite Bibles. 13 years later, I'm reading and studying out of my CSB Everyday Study Bible and loving it.
The problem is, you are using a critical text greek. The critical text is a fraud.
@@paultrosclair1775 every Bible has been a fraud for years now. The true Bible will say the lion lays down with lamb. The Lord's prayer is forgive me my trespass as I forgive those who trespass against me. Those Bibles dont exist anymore.
Loved this interview.
I use the CSB for my daily reading, and I have an ESB, NET and NIV (1984) right next to it. I usually find that checking other translations is more helpful for me than checking a study bible's notes or a commentary.
Thank you for having Mark Ward as a guest, he’s a voice of reason in the translation world. I hope that viewers will take his advice to check out the NET translation notes. They are an amazing resource, especially for understanding translation differences.
NET is a must-have.
Twelve years ago, my husband, who grew up with the King James Version and has been using the ESV for years, offered me as my first Bible the NLT. Reason; I’m Francophone, highly inquisitive. The 2006 edition had a synopsis before every book, with the author, date written and content, giving me a good, simple, concise overview before I would start a specific book.
Since then I started learning Hebrew, I’m almost finished the One Year NLT Chronological Study Bible, first time reading the Bible start to finish, and I’m marvelled by it all.
In so, I do agree with Mark Ward that what ever Bible brings the character of GOD and the story to life is at the end the Bible that one might want to read.
As a side bar, interestingly enough, if we talk about strict translation, in Psalm 150:3 in all the English versions I checked, it reads that it is the blast of a “trumpet”, as in the Hebrew Bible/Tanakh/Miqra we read the “shofar”, in the NLT it it the blast of the ram’s horn, which is a shofar. So all in all although not viewed by scholar as the most academic, in my book it has served the biggest purpose to bring me closer to GOD.
If you are interested in background information and notes that help understand the text, try reading a Scofield Refernce Bible. Originally in 1907, revised 1917, and reissued in 1976 and the New Scofield Bible with a new genaration of translators/editors. It has been the standard reference Bible for the past 50 years and longer in some circles.
When watching these types of videos, I ALWAY fast forward to the content regarding the Bibles. However, DR.Mark is extremely well-informed, genuine, and sincere with his approach. I was compelled to listen. I'm definitely subscribing to his channel!
Great show! At our church we’ve really taken a liking to the NLT. The NLT filament Bible that allows you to pull up commentary notes on every page has been really helpful. It’s a great idea using an app. Also, all the NLT bibles coming out have nicely sewn bindings. Win win!
Thanks, always for an interesting topic.
I feel The NetBible is a forgotten translation. I love how it allows us to understand the reasoning behind and challenges of translating the Bible.
46:26
What a great conversation. Thanks so much!
Thank you very much Sean, great time. would be good to have Mark back.
Thanks you both for this video. I appreciate the details, conversation and information. God bless
I have the apologetics study bible for students and LOVE it! Such an excellent tool for the tool box.
This is good stuff gentlemen. I am largely on the same page. My personal favorite for preaching and study is the NASB 2020. I grew up with the NASB and think they did a faithful job of updating the translation. I also like the ESV, CSB, NKJV, and NET a lot and use them all fairly regularly. I bought my kids the CSB because of its readability. The CSB and NKJV are my personal favorite for devotional reading. We are very blessed to have so many good options today.
Nice comment! I've been searching for another version to use other than the kjv. I'm leaning towards the nasb now. I understand the 3 versions of it. I'm wondering, which updated version would you say is best over all? I'm leaning towards the 95 middle one. Seems like the best overall. Also, because it's more "literal," how hard is it to understand the whole meaning of a passage or context of a verse?
Thanks, God bless you! ❤
I really appreciate this guest and how clear and specific his explanations are. His knowledge is extremely helpful, thanks for sharing!
This was such a good conversation on such a helpful topic. Thankyou! 😊
You bet!
Yes!! Please bring him back , his content is just pure gold I have learned so much from Dr Mark Ward .
1. I love Mark Ward. First, if I recall correctly, his (now famous) video on Bible typography was my first exposure to him and it was music to my ears! I couldn't agree more with everything he said in that video. Beauty can and should help foster better Bible reading.
Second, after watching his typography video, I purchased and read his book Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible. I think it's the best book on the KJV Only debate since James White's and Don Carson's books on the KJV over a generation or two ago.
Third, along with others (e.g. Dave Brunn, Don Carson, Mark Strauss), I find Ward to be a wonderfully winsome voice of reason when it comes to Bible translation debates. He's scholarly without being snobby, he's unifying without being cloying or truth-compromising, he's clear and well spoken without being showy or flashy, he's cool and level headed without losing compassion and affection in his desire to see more come to Jesus and the Bible. A true scholar and gentleman. And faithful brother in Christ.
2. I'm from the same or nearly the same tribe as Mark Ward is: biblically and theologically conservative, evangelical, Reformed, a big fan of Vern Poythress and John Frame (I didn't know Ward was behind the Poythress-Frame website until recently!), and so forth. And I have always loved the KJV. So it probably comes as no surprise to say that my Bible crush, if I had to pick only one, would likewise be the ESV aka the Elect Standard Version. ;) I see the ESV as the best modern heir of the Tyndale-KJV tradition of Bible translations.
3. However, I honestly love multiple Bible translations including almost all the ones Mark Ward listed. I think I'd like the NKJV "the least" mainly because of textual critical concerns (e.g. I lean CT, not MT/TR). But like Mark Ward, this is a very trivial point for me. I'd be grateful even if the NKJV was the only available English translation today.
4. Lately I've been quite impressed with the CSB. It's an outstanding translation. In particular I love how it doesn't fear breaking with tradition where warranted (e.g. John 3:16, "instruction" for "law" in many cases), though I wish the CSB hadn't reverted back to LORD for the Tetragrammaton but stuck to the HCSB's translation or transliteration. I agree with most of Mark Strauss' review of the CSB in Themelios.
5. That said, I tend to group the CSB in the same camp as the NIV 2011. I know people often say the NIV 2011 is more functional than formal, whereas the CSB strikes the "optimal" balance between formal and functional, but I think this is much of a muchness. I see the NIV 2011 and the CSB as both striking the "optimal" balance between formal and functional. Or, alternatively, I suppose one could conclude both the CSB and the NIV 2011 are more functional than formal. Again, I don't see a huge difference in translation philosophy between the two.
However, if there must be a difference between the CSB and the NIV 2011, then I suppose I'd say the CSB is a less gender-controversial NIV 2011 or something along those lines. That is, both the CSB and NIV 2011 are accurate, clear, and natural, very readable. I think the NIV 2011 tends to use the third person plural as a singular pronoun (they, them) more than the CSB which tends to use the more traditional third person masculine singular pronoun (he, him), and I tend to favor the CSB in this regard, but overall I don't see it as a deal breaker or anything.
Plus, I don't think the NIV 2011's CBT was at all motivated by a political agenda (e.g. woke feminism). Rather several CBT members (Doug Moo, Bill Mounce, Karen Jobes) have in fact stated the contrary. They've stated it was strictly linguistic concerns primarily centering around our changing English usage, spoken and written.
That said, I would in fact favor the CSB when it comes to the debatable translations like Phoebe as a "deacon" (Rom 16:1) and "assume" authority (1 Tim 2:12). But I also don't think the NIV 2011's translation choices are as atrocious as many in my tribe seem to think it is. I disagree with the NIV 2011, but I don't think the NIV 2011 is utterly indefensible let alone trying to twist and change God's words or the like.
6. I haven't read the NASB in its entirety, but I have read significant portions and representative verses and passages in it. I like the NASB in all its recent incarnations: NASB 1995, NASB 2020, and LSB which is apparently John MacArthur's "perfected" NASB. I don't really see significant differences in these incarnations of the NASB. I think it's good we have moved away from the thees and thous of the NASB 1995 though. Overall I like the NASB, it's a kind of crib on the biblical Hebrew and Greek, but if I had to pick a translation that's closer to being a crib on the biblical languages, then I think I'd opt for the Lexham English Bible (LEB). Oh, and I don't know if Mark Ward still shares these concerns today, but I appreciate his article "A Rising Tide Sinks All Boats: The Legacy Standard Bible and Stewarding the Church’s Trust" posted on Evangelical Textual Criticism.
7. I admit I don't really care much for the NET Bible as a translation. But I absolutely love its full notes. The notes are an amazing window into all the issues mentioned thus far - textual criticism, translation choices, etc. And it's all freely available online! Other online Bibles I've recently been impressed with are the Step Bible (the brainchild of David Instone-Brewer at Tyndale House in Cambridge) and the very unique TIPs Bible (Translation Insights and Perspectives).
8. I've also been pleasantly surprised by the accuracy of the NLT. Of course, I knew the NLT was clear and natural, extremely easy to read for most average readers, but I was surprised to find it accurate too. I haven't read all of it, however, so I'll have to keep reading it as I have time.
9. I don't know much about the Message at all. I've never read it.
10. Not that I know much, and certainly far less than Mark Ward and other scholars like him, but I find the more I learn the biblical languages, the less dogmatic I am about Bible translations in English or any other language.
11. I hope I'm not nitpicking. Apologies in advance if so! At 10:30 I believe that's the Heirloom Heritage, not the Heirloom Legacy as Mark Ward says in the video (e.g. the headings are in the main text, not off to the side in the margins as the headings are in the Legacy).
Regardless, both the Legacy and the Heritage are my absolute favorite layouts for the ESV, though I prefer the Heritage slightly more. That's because the Heritage has a smaller footprint, more space between the lines, and fewer words per line, each of which combined makes for an aesthetically pleasing reading experience for me. The Heritage also seems more portable to me since it's a mid-sized Bible, whereas the Legacy is a large-sized Bible.
By the way, there are TruTone versions of both the Legacy (I own a TruTone Legacy) and the Heirloom (forthcoming early next year) that are far more affordable than the beautiful Heirloom editions of the Heritage and the Legacy.
it's so great that there is a new bible, the old one was crap wasn't it, is ezekiel 23 still in this one?
@@HarryNicNicholas Oh I didn't know Ezekiel 23 was missing! Is this in an older version of the Heirloom Legacy or the Heirloom Heritage or something else?
The CSB is also more willing to break away from the KJV tradition than the NIV is (e.g., John 3.16, where language drift regarding the word "so" has resulted in misunderstanding, and the CSB gets it right).
@@fnjesusfreak Absolutely! The CSB is a very good translation. Especially on verses like John 3:16 as you point out.
That said, I was surprised to learn the NLT (which I'm reading now) also gets John 3:16 right. At least as far as I know (which isn't much so I could easily be mistaken), the CSB and the NLT are the only major modern English translations that get John 3:16 right.
@@philtheo A lot of them get it very wrong because "so" does not mean the same thing as in 1611 (think of the phrase "thus and so"). The verse isn't saying "God loved the world so much that he sent..." - but more "God loved the world by sending..." or maybe even "God's love for the world was THAT he sent..." - something very different.
The equivalent in the Spanish Reina-Valera and the NBLA, "De tal manera amó Dios al mundo..." is unambiguously correct.
I’m gonna say, the best translation is the one a person will actually read and study.
This comment should be pinned. 💪
I think everyone should have a MAIN bible translation they study from. A go to bible for daily use. Then a supplement Bible translation for variety or to help you grasp difficult text better.
I've presently left the NIV after DECADES w/ it. I now use the ESV and use the NLT as a supplement.
The ultimate goal would be to find one of these 7 translations mentioned, read and grow in the understanding of the Lord.
I do think churches (pastors) should preach from a more word for word-based text. I'm glad my pastor preaches from the ESV.
The problem with that generalization is that someone would read the Passion, Message, or New World Translation
That part. I have the KJV but as I keep learning about how the Europeans corrupted several things such as the image of the people in the bible and the KJV alone, I've been reading the Ethiopian bible and other bibles connected to Hebrew text. 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to show yourself approved". It's a thing.
Thank you so much for this interview! I will certainly look up Mark Wards Channel or Website.
Love Mark - what a legend! Admire him mostly for dealing with an area of debate where the Duning-Kruger effect parades itself in the comments section daily - what a man to have such patience in dealing with it all. Thanks for having him on the channel and for being a wonderful host.
I love the NLT so much. I’ve read the ESV for years and love it, but I found that when I began reading the NLT scripture just felt like water to my spirit and soul. I feel like I had to humble myself to read this translation, but I’m so glad I did. 🤍
I really feel the NLT also speaks to my heart and soul when I read it. Now of course I like the ease of study resources for the KJV and it has its strengths and its weaknesses of course, but I also enjoy the ESV to read aloud. It has good journaling Bibles and all sort of cover options. My favorite is the ESV verse-by-verse in the leather. It’s about $90 and just as floppy and soft as any premium goatskin cover. Half the price!! And it has nice margins, at least an inch and a half. Excellent translation. But the NLT!! My FAVORITE! I just decided to read the Bible through again using the NLT and Professor Horner’s Bible reading plan. Check it out! And thanks for speaking up about the NLT. More people should know about it and try it and not be scared of it. It IS a TRUE translation. Check out the introduction to the NLT included in all NLT bibles. Love it!
@@XwynntopiaXI have an ESV & NLT side by side when reading. When I hit a confusing passage I read the NLT to check its meaning. It’s so we written for ease of understanding I might even switch to it. It’s such a joy to read. I use Grant horners bible reading plan , I love it ! Really brings together all the connections
I prefer more word for word translations. I use the ESV. For those who are new to the faith, I always encourage them to read the NLT, very easy, solid translation. I will often refer to it, too, when I want an easier rendering of the text. The only translations I don’t recommend to people are the Passion translation and the Message.
Great discussion.
Thanks for the great insights on translations. Your information helped clarify many questions and provided how to's.
Went and subscribed just 10 minutes in to Mark's channel. Anytime that talks about the Bible like that i want to hear what they have to say!
I have passed this video on. Thanks for your wonderful explanation of the Bibles.
Thanks for sharing!
I can already hear the KJV only crowd preparing to type the amount of reasons why they don't trust other bibles. Meanwhile I just collect them all. Except the New world translation...we don't talk about that one.
NLT, ESV, NIV, NASB, NKJV
it is funny as KJV fans don't know how many books there are in the KJV ... it is. 73! They certainly don't know why publishers print a shortened version of 66 books.
Or the Passion Translation, which is a fake translation. Avoid it at all costs.
One important reason that the New World Translation maybe should be talked about is that it introduces millions of people every month to their first hands-on experience with the bible. It already has been printed in over 240 million copies and in over 210 languages and was the first complete bible in sign language. It is a very common and mainstream bible.
Also The Passion Bible is bad and there are others.
Thank you for this Sean.
Great to see you recover.
I pray that you will be 100% in good health before IDC 2024 here in Manila. Last 2020, we were blessed by God through your father's messages.
God bless you.
ESV #1 for me always! Excellently done.
Why is it your number 1?
I'm genuinely curious.
I am switching to the ESV this year, with some hesitation as the language can be very wooden and clunky sometimes. I've not been comfortable with the NIV since it's changes in 2011. So I've decided to try to leave it.
@@TheSaintFrenzy Do yourself a favor and get the NRSVue. It reads much better and is a cut above the rest.
For those curious, the academic standard is the NRSV (newly the NRSVue)-scholars heartily recommend this packaged within the _New Oxford Annotated Bible_ (5th edition). As in the video, another excellent scholarly resource is the NET Bible for the superb notes.
I like the Revised NJB, study Bible Edition as well as the New Oxford Annotated. I just got my hands on Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible.
I like the KJV for the beautiful English. The translators improved on the original in many places, making it more lyrical - in many cases they made improvements so the translation reflected what God would have written if he were a better writer.
@@ballasog I'll need to check it out! I know Tolkien was the primary translator of the original JB's French-sourced Jonah, so it's a cool piece of history. And Robert Alter's Hebrew Bible is fantastic. His book "The Art of Bible Translation" is a lovely little love letter to the KJV, and as he describes it his own translation is an attempt to do what the KJV alone tried to do-highlight the literary sophistication and artistry of the received texts.
If someone is wary about the skeptical tone of some notes in the NOAB but still wants something with a more academic slant, they should consider the NRSV edition of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. (Hopefully, they will release it in the updated edition soon.) Another good option is the Baylor Annotated Study Bible, which includes the Apocrypha in the back (though without any corresponding notes, sadly).
The NRSVue doesn't have any study Bibles yet, but the SBL Study Bible should be out later this month. If it's anything like its immediate predecessor (the HarperCollins Study Bible), it may make the NOAB look like the ESV Study Bible by comparison, but it should still be useful in spite of its secular bent.
Isaiah 7:14 is all wrong. It does not say a virgin gave birth like all the other translations. I have also heard it that it tries to soften Gods rebuke to homosexuality. The passage I am referring to is 1 Corinthians 6:9. Instead of saying homosexuals that it disapproves of it says male prostitutes. I am sure most of the Bible is fine but those parts are not correct.
I’m so grateful for this. I started with the NIV as a new Christian, but have bounced around to many translations over the years. I’m currently reading through the Bible specifically looking for everything it has to say regarding men, women, family, etc and I went with the NIV in this quest because it did seem to use gender neutral language for passages that were gender neutral and gendered language when it needed to be gendered. I’m glad that I was accurate in that assessment. The number of translations can be overwhelming, but I am so grateful for them to get more clarity in what the writers were trying to convey.
NIV is not a good interpretation
@@coffee735 what is your support for this claim?
In spanish, Italian, bibles have gender distinction. This is so helpful when it comes to study bible truth.
Thank you Sean and Dr. Mark. You answered so many questions for me as I've been looking for a different Bible version that KJV & NKJV, which I grew up with.
For those of us who enjoy that Old English, the Geneva Bible is my favorite.
Really wonderful interview W/Dr Ward. His personality is so calming as he imparts lots of information on a very important topic! Thank you for offering this teaching!
I really enjoyed the interview with Dr. Ward. Does he hae a teaching bible class? If so, I would love to be a part of a bible study class by him.
I love 2K Denmark. I really struggle with reading, but 2K Demark typesetting is perfect.
Love the reference and honor given to Josh McDowell!!! Thank you for sharing that personal info, Mark Ward!
I had to scroll through comments… still have chills, I looked at the name, then the backstory, Josh’s son… memories… God is Good❤️✝️❤️
Thank you for sound advice on biblical versions. My mother has adopted the ONLY KJV mantra. Although, I don't fight her about it, it is so wonderful to be able to share these resources in case it comes up naturally. Bless Mark and his ministry. And as alasys thank you, Sean. I am praying for your health and blesings!!❤
Mark Ward is an impressive Bible scholar....I too was raised in a "King James Only" tradition, but went to a college where I was exposed to other translations. This talk was informative and helpful.
This interview was fantastic! Growing up as a Southern Baptist PK, Mark helped me understand ways of defeating division I’ve experienced all of my life. Also, our 23 year old son is not walking with the Lord right now, and has had many questions about different translations. This was very helpful in how to answer his questions!
Terrific conversation. I really appreciate the topic and hope that you guys will do more of this. Thank you and may God bless you both.
At rock bottom in my life, reading Ecclesiastes in the NLT literally saved my life. That and the Spirit opening my eyes to see. Even now with several translations, reading that book in that version still brings back that initial gratitude towards my Creator being so merciful and forgiving, knowing I did NOT deserve it at all.
Thank you guys for a clear and understandable breakdown of the nuances between the different versions. Just another blessing He keeps providing. (Just like the first Libronix study software I bought that has grown into Logos!)
I appreciate the depth & great performance in this vid
I used to be a bit of a NKJ but I am in love with the ESV and NASB now and love them! I am excited to hear what else you guys say x x x
NLT for variation and NIV for simplicity
it's so great that there is a new bible, the old one was crap wasn't it, is ezekiel 23 still in this one?
Sean, thanks for having Mark on your channel. I’m subscribed to his channel and appreciate the work he does. I love different Bible translations and have certain ones that I go to for clarification, ESV, NKJV, NIV, and even though I’m college educated, the NLT has been my daily driver for a number of years. But I think come the first of the year, I’m going to give the CSB a try.
I hope you are feeling better.
it's so great that there is a new bible, the old one was crap wasn't it, is ezekiel 23 still in this one?
This was great. I love my NIV Bible because it has huge margins for notes & journaling plus it’s spiral bound so it lays flat. My daughter has a NLT that I love for her because it has break off devotional type pages & pages of applications of principles that young girls might face. I instantly went and downloaded a CSB and NET translation on my Bible app. The NET is seriously jam packed with notes. So helpful!
have you read ezekiel 23:14 yet?
Thank you so much for breaking this down. The bibles I have in my house and use are CSB, ESV, NASB and the NLT so I love to know I’m on track and I 100% have found them all useful for different seasons of my life.
It's always interesting to see evangelicals prioritize word for word translation over thought for thought. It's as if they don't understand the purpose and function of words. Words are tools that serve ideas and concepts. The concept/idea is the master, the words are the servants/tools. Anyone who grew up bilingual knows instinctively that accurate translation of words rarely gives us accurate translation of meaning. The cart before the horse idiom comes to mind.
I agree. I have been studying Islam and they have a belief that if you haven't read the quran in Arabic, you haven't read the quran. Every other "translation" is just a translated meaning. You can't recite it in English or pray in English (or any other language except arabic).
That made me think about the gift of tongues in the NT when the apostles started speaking in other languages. I think that is so important as a distinction for Christianity. The Word is not limited by language. We can see truth in creation. God speaks in so many ways that fighting over "goes" vs "walked" is just silly.
The value of a so-called word-for-word translation is that it serves as a baseline for understanding why thought-for-thought translations may disagree.
For instance, consider 1 John 5.6. If I read it in the NLT, it says, "And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross-not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony." But the CEV says, "Water and blood came out from the side of Jesus Christ. It wasn't just water, but water and blood. The Spirit tells about this, because the Spirit is truthful."
If you're unaware that the Greek text itself doesn't specify which "water" and which "blood" John means, then you're likely to be confused as to why these two versions are so drastically different here. But then you look into the more formal NRSV, and what you see is this: "This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth" (cf. NASB). And now it's obvious that the NLT and CEV are giving educated guesses, not definitive interpretations of the text.
@@MAMoreno I agree. There is good in functional translations, but many of them can and do go too far. It's best to have both functional and formal.
@@19king14
Agree ! For deeper study it is wise to use multiple translations, and when you chose what translations to use it is wise to use at least one formal (word for word) translation and one functional/dynamic (thought fro though) translation. This helps with balance of understanding.
The problem with just using a formal translation is when it comes to cultural idioms in which the actual meaning is obscured because of a lack of understanding the cultural background during the particular time period.
I often use an experience I had with my Japanese roommate to make the point. While introducing the board members of our school, one lady was introduced as a "Home Maker". Later, my Japanese roommate commented that it was incredible that that older, petite, lady was involved in construction of building houses. Literally the words "Home Maker" meant "someone who makes homes". He had an understanding of the literal meaning of the words, but missed the actual meaning of what was said because he did not understand the cultural idiom in how the words were used.
It was good for him to have someone who actually understood that an idiom was being used and what that idiom meant.
Same way with our translations; it is good for someone to translate the actual intent of the meaning of the text of Scripture, instead of just the literal words of the text.
What good is it if we understand the various words used in Scripture, but miss the actual meaning of what the Scripture intended to communicate ?
That is why it is best to use both a formal and dynamic translation.
I found the HCSB/CSB thru Selwyn Hughes daily study "Every Day with Jesus" and have thoroughly enjoyed it. It is fresh and penetrative with the text, if I can say that is a thing. The parsing of the daily readings is particularly good, I've never made it thru a Bible in a year set up before, but I'm on my fourth year with this one and haven't tired a bit of it.
I have used NIV since the 1980's its my favorite. Thanks for the information on translations.
same, If people want to use KJV let them use it, but they shouldn't demonize other translations.
This was so fascinating and helpful - thankyou. I have several versions I use and it was good to hear they 'made the list'! And as a fellow typography nerd I appreciated Mark's remarks on beauty and readability!
Recently, I have been listening to an audio NLT version. I have enjoyed listening to it as I’ve done my work during the day I wouldn’t use it as my study Bible, but I appreciate it’s freshness.
@mlward038, I've got a 1984 NIV that I have worn thin because of the perceived issues with the newer NIV translations (NIV only because that is what I grew up on as a baby Christian of the 80s). It's good to hear the NIV is not as bad as I thought.
Glad to see you hold up that NKJV at the beginning as I've always liked the NKJV version. I don't know why. I got a small/portable one as a gift from my sister decades ago and just always enjoyed reading it.
Amen... me too
I really love the BSB wish it got more love. My current combo are the NASB95 and the BSB. 🙏
Great interview Sean! For Mark, I have been a formal equivalent guy, born with KJV heritage. But, this year my wife and I are listening to the bible for the year with our church. We are really enjoying listening to the NIV/UK, narration by David Suchet. God’s words are breathed out and we have been blessed by His Word.
Awesome!
I read the KJV, because the Lord has blessed me with dyslexia and it’s the only version that flows better when I read it. 😊
I love this! Many people say the KJV is “dated and hard to understand” but it is actually so beautiful and very readable for an educated reader!
Also, your Dad and/or you came to Real Life Ministries In Post Falls, ID and spoke many years ago now, which was wonderful. Opened my eyes and heart to apologetics!!
Yes we did. I love RLM!
Great video! Some of Mark's top recommendations are mine too; ESV, NASB and the NET more for the notes than the Bible translation itself (of course the biblical text is good too). The 61,000 or so notes in the NET very much endorses the so-called 'Arian slant' of the NWT which is good since such important notes and topics are almost avoided in many evangelical circles.
I'm very glad to hear from you my brothers in Christ Jesus. There are some very good bibles translations. May God bless you all.
In my personal study, I make use of a New Living Translation (NLT), and in my seminary schooling, I make use of an English Standard Version (ESV). I enjoyed this film because it simplified the process of explaining why the various translations are not literal and can be trusted. I use a NLT in my personal studies and an ESV in my seminary training. I appreciated this video because it simplifies the explanation of why the different translations can be trusted and are not heretical.
Thank you so much! Really appreciate this. I heard your Dad back in the 70s and loved his books.
Thanks for a great hour! I was a little surprised that KJV didn't make the list. Recognizing the language anachronisms, it is still a solid translation. On the other hand, most folks that aren't KJV only have moved to NKJV or ... I was also a little surprised you didn't discuss a couple of the major manuscript branches. Choosing a manuscript as primary is a huge early step in translation. But still - thank you for a great discussion.
Perhaps because while the 2nd or 3rd most popular version in north America: it has long been recognised by scholars as among the worst translations. King James directed there be no footnotes or clarification that were in other editions at the time around uncertainty words or sources of codixes. Oh King James made it a capital offence to publish the KJV without the aprocrapha which Bibles at the time included. It was not till the 1820s that the British and Foreign Bible society opted to publish a shortened version as they felt this would be popular and cheaper. Thus, almost everyone these days thinks they are reading the KJV when they aren't.
The more scholarly rigorous versions tend to be unpopular so publishers less bother with them.
@@russellmiles2861 Thank you - I understand your perspective.
@@Leo_Wadsworth thank ... I find it a fascinating topic. Oh I feel folk ought read, study text they feel best for them. It is no one else's business what folk prefer
@@holdfast5332 the writing is certainly sublime. Although there are folk that find it obscure and less able to determine what it meant. The KJV itself has been subject to reversion over centuries. Eg Jesus spelt with a J emerged in early 1800 century. Prior to that it was spelt with an I. If read in original language most would struggle to comprehend. Kinda like Roman Catholics longing for Latin. Beautiful rendition but devoid of meaning.
@@holdfast5332 you try read the Bible in Latin or in late Middle English... It is meaningless
Thank you for your clarification of Bibles. I noticed you didn't mention the Amplified version. This is the one I use with Strong's Concordance. God bless you.
I love KJV but of late I have transitioned to NIV and more recently NLT
I wanted a lay flat bible while was speaking in church couldn’t find a lay flat in KJV or NIV IN the Christian bookshop so ended up with a NLT and I love it.
THANK YOU FOR an informative discussion
Thank you so much for such a wonderful talk. This has been very helpful in directing readers to get into the Word and takes away prejudices for particular versions. May God bless you and your ministry all the more.
I came to find the "the best Bible translation is the one that is read" comment
Unless you’re reading a bad one
Mark Ward is great. Promoting reading translations that people of all reading levels can understand is great.
The Berean Standard Bible has become my favorite for the last year and a half. It's moved past the NIV, the NASB, and the NKJV in my life.
great to hear that there are better bibles, the first one was crap.
Love mine
Found this very helpful & encouraging to go with what I learn best from & some for memorization. Thanks so much!
For preaching I am using the Legacy Standard Bible.
For youth group we are using New Living Translation.
Elder of the church uses the translation they are most comfortable with: LSB, NIV 84, NKJV, and ESV.
I have multiple Bible apps on my phone and I LOVE the ability to read the Bible and easily switch between virtually any translation and see how those words are translated between each version.
Usually it is very similar, but in many cases it is helpful to see an NLT translation when I am otherwise reading the KJV or NKJV.
I also like to cross reference with ESV and NET.
Those are my 4 go to translations.
I have a beautiful audio bible in NKJV so I am going through that cover to cover now, both listen and reading simultaneously.
Then I use NLT the most to cross reference for simplicity.
I have since been convinced ESV and NET are probably “the best” translations to use now, but my NKJV audio bible is sooooooo good with narrators and background sound, it pulls me in so well. I really enjoy it.
I am leery of some translations and tend to use word-for-word as a plumb line. That said, my regular reading bible is ESV. But when I do more in-depth bible study, I use a quadripartite parallel bible which includes: NASB, KJV, Amplified and NLT. I read the studied passage in all of them, which allows my brain to wrestly more fully with the meaning rather than getting lost in repetitive reading. If there is a conflict, which is rare, I go with the NASB. The NLT usually lacks detail.
But I also have NKJV, CSB, Dickson's Analytical, and Geneva (1560).
One thing I often wonder is why more of us don’t use translations of the Septuagint for our Old Testament as it better fits with that of the early church.
Great interview! Thank you!
What about those NIV Bible verses deleted by a publisher that bought Zondervan that became controversial?
The only reason that verses were "deleted" from the NIV is because the man who created the verse numbers in the first place (Robert Estienne) was working with the Greek text assembled by Erasmus in the 1500s, which tended to have longer readings than those found in the earliest extant Greek copies of the New Testament. These verse numbers will have been around for 500 years as of 2050, but the Church went without these verse numbers for nearly 1500 years.
Fabulous information and so helpful in navigating all the translations! Thank you!
Sorry, I'm going to be a pedant. Could I ask Mark if he has a preference between the NASB 1995 and NASB 2020?
Great conversation and video, thanks both.
A fine question, but I don’t yet have an answer. I just haven’t been able to read all the way through the 2020.
@@wardonwords no worries Mark, thanks for your answer, the video and all you bring to the church. Many blessings from 'the other side of the pond'.
My favorite is the NASB 77 haha 😅
Excellent video, both of you. Well done, superlative info.
Brothers, and comment readers: in many places I find the NKJV to be more literal than the NASB. One example is Romans 6:6 where "old man" is turned into "old self" in the NASB. In many places (like this verse) the NASB has a footnote that gives the literal, and the NKJV simply has the more literal in the text. A wonderful advantage of the NKJV is that it is the ONLY bible (I believe) which shows in footnotes the differences between the two families of manuscripts. See all the "NU" etc. footnotes. And it does read at least as well as if not better than the New American Standard.
It's the old ἄνθρωπος, or old person. It's a term for a member of the species, regardless of sex. So the NKJV is misleading here: Paul isn't assuming that only males can be united with Christ in his death and resurrection. The NASB isn't being less literal by recognizing that a Greek word cannot always be translated with the same English word. (But if you insist on translating it this way, you'll be happy to find that the LSB has modified the NASB to say "man" here.)
Thank you Sean. May God bless you.
To me the NKJV is more accurate & readable than the NASB
Man, I love listening to Mark Ward!
Mark Ward is absolutely right. Use the bible version that you need to understand it. The Bible is useless if you don't understand what you read.
Well said.
What is truly needed is translations in other languages. There are so many who need the word.
Yes. There is a dearth of translations, let alone good translations, in languages other than English.
As long as we can all agree the original Hebrew and Greek should be our fundamental standard, I think we should read an assortment of bibles to see how other people may be reading the same verses we read.
I've heard KJV-only people say the English supercedes the Greek and Hebrew. That's just crazy.
That's literally Ruckmanism - Peter Ruckman taught that the KJV was reinspired and contained new revelation.
@@fnjesusfreak I'll have to study him. People don't believe me that this viewpoint exists
@@mombythesea2426 Google: ruckman mistakes advanced revelation
Dr. Ward was one of my Sunday school teachers back in our Mount Calvary days, I miss his fellowship. Perhaps one day he'll drive through Ohio and stop by to visit Pastor V. Glad you know him, Sean.
I do believe I will!
I'm a chinese. I seldom go to church.But I want to read bible.Which version would you recommend ？ thank you.
NKJV 😊
CSB
NKJV
Why is the NASB always described as “wooden”? What does that mean?
Why don’t you just quit arguing and use a Hebrew bible? Get the words from the real source .
Very interesting and informative. I would also assume they would be even more varied across other language translations.
I taught Attic and Koine Greek to classics students in Europe for 25 years. I would stick with the KJV only because some (like the Amplified) will get people into trouble. Just one example: Christ said to the thief, "I tell you, this day you shall be with me in paradise." The comma is misplaced and this translation supports Augustine's Neo-Platonic view of the afterlife. Christ was a Jew, and he really said, "I tell you this day, you shall be with me in paradise," with "I tell you this day" being a Jewish solemn promise (also quoted in Deuteronomy). We don't talk like that, because we're not first-century Jews. We're looking at the Bible through Greco-Roman eyes, and translators are not looking at the text through Jewish eyes either.
The KJV says, "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." So it is coming from the same "Neo-Platonic" view as the version you quoted. In fact, all of the major versions read this way.
@@MAMoreno I know it adds the Platonic view of the afterlife, but newer translations sneak works into the gospel of faith in Christ. An example is James, where newer translations are trying to create a heretical doctrine of "genuine saving faith" evidenced by works, even though James refers to faith in the Jewish Shema and not the blood atonement of Christ. (James writes to Messianic Jews, not the Body of Christ.) Faith is pisteou, and from Aristotle to Xenophon it just means mental assent, an agreement that an argument presented is true (Aristotle being the most succint).
Kjv isn't the translated from the most accurate and oldest manuscripts though.
Newer translations, niv, esv, nasb etc. Use older and more accurate transcripts than the kjv.
The kjv isn't bad, but there are errors, and these others are not only easier to read, but more accurate as well.
I love the 1599 Geneva Bible. The notes by the great theologians are helpful.
NASB all the way. Most accurate word for word translation. It’s not a complicated translation at all.
I'm really leaning towards that version to read. I was raised and still use the kjv. What updated version of the nasb is best? And what particular printing do you use? I know the clarion is reccomended by the person in this video.
Thanks!
@@Thecaptain1898NASB 2020 is the latest so it may be for you.
Ive studied 16-20th century linguistics since i was like 14 or 15 yrs old, i work in medicine and am somewhat fluent in Latin, and I have an extensive english vocabulary. But the first bible i chose to read was the NIrV, because i wanted to really understand all of it, and a simplistic reading level with the accuracy of the NIV was important for me to really grasp every concept the bible has to offer. I love the eloquent wording of the NKJ, but for new Christians, it's the best approach to read the most simplistic bible first. You will instantly understand every passage without question. Then, once every message in the bible is completely grasped, move on to others. It made a really big difference in my understanding of God's message and my appreciation of Christianity
Only Indo-European languages can be translated "formally". Languages in other linguistic families structure their morphology, grammar and syntax so differently, that formality is not possible. In these languages, translators must pay attention to original information, both expressed and implied, and then express that information in a way that avoid losing information or importing extraneous information.
Such a great video thank you for this! Praise God for you both
You bet!
Sean I am praying for you right now because your face tells me that you may be ill.❤
He had an update a few days back. He had lost a lot of weight and ended up having surgery and he is on the mend. Shalom
Good point about it being just syllables without understanding, I appreciate the idea of using the version that brings you to understand God’s story. 😊
I believe KJV is the best!!
You should listen to their video on all the bad bible translations. He explains why KJV is NOT a good translation anymore.
In short, English today is very different from English at that time.
1. You do not speak that way.
2. Nobody you know speaks that way.
3. Nobody alive speaks that way.
4. There are many words in English from that time that have a completely different meaning in English today.
Either consider a NKJV or ESV.
I also love KJV and believe that is truly inspired by God. While the other versions like NIV and ESV and others are distorted translations and even demonic
No problem if you are used to it, however, most people today, cannot understand that English . And many would simply put the Bible down. Language has changed. Even College students have a hard time with it. Sad, but 100 years ago, an 8th grade education was Far better than 12 years, plus College, in today’s world.
@@PrayAndStudyTheBible
The Textus Receptus:
This is what many get hung up on. Well, the NKJV, and the MEV [ Modern English Version] both strictly follow the T.R.
I suggest you read the entire 42(?) page Introduction to the Authorized King James Bible. It was written BY the Translation Team of the KJV. THEIR thoughts and insights.
Absolutely fascinating.
@jeffking4176 as a romanian native I understand that English enough to be saved by faith without works, and meditate God's Word. Not understanding ,,that" English is just a pretext