Why the ESV?

I received some questions pertaining to “Bible versions” and my choice to use the ESV (see comments on Be Still… and What?). I decided to address them in a post because there are surely others with the same questions and feelings. Here is a brief overview of my position.

How many Bible versions are out there? Too many. Choosing the "best" one can be overwhelming. It is important to remember that the Bible wasn’t written in English and anything we read in English is going to be an attempt (by scholars in 1611 or 2001) to convey what the original texts and languages say. The “which translation is the best” issue is hotly debated and goes all the way back to which “original manuscripts” are the most accurate. I’m not going to go that far on this site in this setting.

As far as where did the ESV come from, I’ll defer to the ESV site (under Resource Links). The information under the tabs: “About the ESV” and “Translation Details” should answer that question better than I’d be able to do here.

Now for my advice and opinion; there are versions that can work well and suit your preference for simple Bible reading, but if your purpose for choosing a Bible is to study and seek the truth, do your best to track down a version that is a “translation” as apposed to a paraphrase. I would also recommend sticking with one that uses a “word for word” translation approach rather than a “thought for thought” translation. If you don’t plan to learn the original languages you may also want to find a concordance that can assist you in looking into the original word meanings.

The two versions I personally recommend and use daily are: the New American Standard Bible (NASB) which is probably the most literal English translation out there, and the English Standard Version (ESV) which is also highly literal. The NASB doesn’t always read very smoothly because it is so word for word literal, but he ESV manages to retain the King James Version’s (KJV) eloquence, while updating much of its archaic language.

I teach from the ESV for a combination of several simple reasons: its accuracy, its readability and its understandability.

Now we can compare the versions. Verse 6 was referenced so I’ll look at the differences there.
Psalm 46:6 ESV - The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters his voice, the earth melts.
Psalm 46:6 KJV - The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

The Hebrew word translated “nations” and “heathen” is used to refer to a population of people based on various cultural, physical and geographical ties. Often it refers to a national group of Gentiles, which carry’s the implication of being uncultured, pagan and heathen. The KJV often translates this word as “nations” (Gen 10:5, 12:2, 25:23…).

The Hebrew word translated “totter” and “moved” is used to show instability. It is defined and translated in both versions as: slip, totter, quake, shaken, toppled, moved and removed. The ESV translates the word “moved” in 1 Chronicles 16:30, and Psalm 10:6, and “shaken” in Psalm 13:4. The KJV translates it “shaketh” in Psalm 60:2 and “slippeth” in Psalm 94:18.

In this case some context shows that they are basically saying the same thing. There are cases where I’ve researched and drawn the conclusion that one or the other has a “better” translation of a word. There are also cases where I’ve drawn the conclusion that neither has chosen the best English version of the word. The information is out there but sometimes it will take a little more effort to gain a full understanding.

When reading in a good English translation we can usually get a close idea of what the text is saying. I often compare the different versions and cross reference other locations in Scripture where the same word is used before I look to original language definitions. While English Bible’s make great efforts to present the text clearly; it will often be advantageous for us to look at the root of the words in order to understand why they’ve been chosen.

- Tyler

Posted in: Early DoF,Question Responses