Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 9/30/2008

Question
QUESTION: Dear Thurman

Of the different Christian Bibles that are written in English;
a) What is the names of those Bibles?
b) How does those Bibles differ for each other?

Thank you in advance.

Allen

ANSWER: Dear Allen,

Thank you for your question about the different versions of the Bible.

There are many versions, with new ones coming out every year. It would be impossible for me to tell you all of them. But here are a few.

King James Version (KJV)—Translated in 1611 by a group of scholars, at the request of King James of England. It is a very reliable translation, in most part, and has been used as a standard Bible by the church for almost 400 years. It is also referred to as the Standard Version. Many people feel that it is the only reliable version, and shun any other version as unreliable.

New International Version (NIV)—Translated by a group of scholars from different churches and different countries, as its name “International” suggests. It is very reliable in the most part, and much easier to read than the KJV. I use this in most of my study and in the answering of questions.

New American Standard Version (NASV)—Perhaps the most accurate version, as it sticks very closely to the original text. But its accuracy leads to a difficulty in reading, as it sticks so closely to the original that it takes on the feel of the ancient language, which is much different than ours. I’ve used it, but find it laborious to read.

Revised Standard Version (RSV)—Very accurate. Many Bible scholars use it in their study and preaching because of this. As it’s name implies, it is a revision of the Standard Version—the name given to the KJV. It is much more readable in modern language than the KJV, but it is even more accurate than that historic version.

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)—The name implies that it is a new, updated edition of the RSV, but it is much different in its approach to the original text. It has more than 800 mistranslations in its text. But it is very readable, and at least one scholar feels it’s the best version out there. I don’t know where the mistranslations are, but if you should use it, you would do well to compare it with other translations.

The New King James Bible (NKJV)—This is a revision of the KJV, with the idea of keeping closely to the reading of KJV but revising the language enough so as to make it easier to read. The scholars who revised it kept close to the original languages. And since we have many more manuscripts that have been discovered than were available to the translators of the KJV, the version is more accurate than its predecessor. Many preachers use this version as it sounds more like the KJV and is more acceptable to those who “swear” by the KJV.

The best way to study is to compare the different versions. In this way you can get a more accurate idea of what the original text implies.

There are many more—scores—of translations, versions, even paraphrases (This applies to versions in which one scholar puts into his own words what he thinks the Bible is saying. These are, for the most part, good and very easy to read, but they would not be reliable as a study Bible.)

Thanks again for your question. I wish you God’s blessing as you continue to study His word.

Always be ready for Jesus to come.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
Thurman@PettyPress.com
Check out my website www.PettyPress.com where I’ve placed 18 books, 40 Bible study guides, and much more.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Thuman

If there is anything wrong with the following, or if there is other Bibles; Please, let me know.  How can I make the following list better?

I am trying to put together, a list of Christian Bibles done in English, And old-old Bibles.  (also to keep  the different groups of bible together; Calthlic bibles have more books in them than ; other bibles.

Thank you in advance for any help, you can give me on this.


Abbreviations for this article;
   New Testament only = NTO
   Old Testament only  = OTO
   Revised          = Rev
   Jehovah's Witnesses = JW
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Ancient versions;

The Septuagint Version,  in Greek text, in about 285 B.C..
The Samaritan Pentateuch,  in Samaritan characters, about ?
Peshitta or Syriac, in Syria, in about first or second century.
The Vulgate, in Latin text, in about 400 A.D..
The Masoretic Text, in Hebrew text, in about 500-950 A.D..

_______________________________________________
Early Copies;

The Codex Sinaticus, in about the fourth century.
The Codex Vaticanus, in about the fourth century.
The Codex Alexandrinus, in about the fifth century.

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The following is a list of the Christian Bibles in English and the about date that the Bible came out;

The Original Bible Project          ?
Wycliffe          1380
Gutenberg Bible          1456
Tyndale Bible          1525-1530
Coverdale          1535
Matthew's Bible          1537
The Great Bible          1539
The Geneva Bible          1560
The Bishops Bible          1568
Rheims          1582
Douay-rheims Bible          1610
King James Version          1611
Challoner's Revision of the Douay-Rheims Bible 1752
Quaker Bible          1764
Thomson's Translation          1808
Webster Bible          1833
Brenton's English Translation of the Septuagint (OTO) 1851
James Murdock's Translation of the Syriac Peshitta  1852
Young's Literal Translation          1862 (revised 1887, 1897)
Emphatic Diaglott       (NT)          1864
Darby Translation          1871 (NTO))
Sinai and Comparative New Testament 1881
English Revised Version          1885
Weymouth New Testament          1890  (revised 1912)
Darby Bible          1890
American Standard version          1901
Rotherham's Emphasized Bible          1902
The Twentieth Century New Testament 1902
Weymouth New Testament          1903
Ferrar Fenton Bible          1903
Godbey's translation of the New Testament   1904-1911
International Standard Version          1915
Moffatt's New Translation          1924
Centenary New Testament          1924
A New Translation          1926   (NT 1913)
Goodspeed Version          1927
Lamsa Bible          1933
Wycliffe Bible          1934?
An American Translation          1935
American Standard Version (JW)        1944
New American Bible          1944
Revised Standard Version N. T.         1946 Old Testament 19
New English Bible          1946
Bible in Basic English          1949
New World Translation (JW)          1950
Revised Standard Version          1952 (revised 1971)
The Four Gospels (NT) by Penguin     1952
The Authentic New Testament          1955
Living Bible          1956
Phillips New Testament in Modern English and Four Prophets 1958
Berkely Version          (1959 ? 1958)
Modern Language Bible          1959  (revised 1969)
Children's King James Version          1960
The Simplified New Testament         1961
Wuest Expanded Translation (NT)     1961
Beck Bible          1963  (revised 1976)
The Amplified Bible          1965  (revised 1987)
Bible in Basic English          1965
Good News Bible          1966;    1976
The New Testament: a New Translation       1968
Bible in Worldwide English  (New testament)1969
The Modern Langue Bible          1969
Cotton Pacth Version          1970
New English Bible          1970  (revised 1989)
King James II Version of the Bible   1971
The Living Bible          1971
New American Standard Bible         1971, (revised 1989 ?)
The Story Bible          1971
The Bible in Living English  (JW)      1972
Today's English Version          1974,  (revised 1993)
Good News Bible          1976
An American Translation          1976
The FourGospels  (NT) by Marrow   1977
New international Version          1978
Simple English Bible          1978
New King James version          1979
Simole English Bible          1980
New King James Version          1982
Green's Literal Translation          1985
The Original New Testament          1985
New life Bible          1986
McCord's New Testament Translation of the Everlasting Gospel 1988
God's New Covenant (NT)          1989
Revised english Bible          1989
Jewish new Testament          1989
Easy-to-Read Version          1989
New revised Standed Version          1990
21st Century King James Version          1991
New Century Version          1991
The Unvarnished New Testament          1991
Clear Word Bible          1992
The Message          1993
The Scriptures          1993
Twenty-first Century King James Version  1994
The Clear Word  (SDA)          1994
Contemporary English Version          1995
God's Word          1995
The Five Books of  Moses (Fox) (OTO)      1995
New International Reader's Version         1996
New Living Translation          1996  rev 2004
New International Version Inclusive Language Edition  1996
Orthodox  Jewish Bible          1996
The New Testament by Lattimor          1996
Complete Jewish Bible          1998
New International Reader's Version         1998
Third Millennium Bible          1998
Modern King James Version          1999
American King James Version          1999
The Common Edition New Testament       1999
Analytical-Literal Translation (NT)          1999?
King James 2000 Version          2000
English Jubilee 2000 Bible          2000
Updated King James Version          2000
Holy Scriptures Version          2001
Easy English Bible          2001
English Standard Version          2001
The Message          2002
Comfort-able King James Version          2003
A Voice In The Wilderness Holy Scriptures  2003
The Apostles' Bible          2004
Holman Christian Standard Bible          2004
The Five Books of Moses (Alter) (OTO)       2004
Today's New International Version          2005
New Cambridge Paragraph Bible          2005
The Compleye Apostles' Bible          2005
A Conservative Version  (NTO)          2005
The Bible with Sources Revealed          2005
AV7 (New Authorized Version)          2006
Ancient Roots Translinear Bible (OTO)       2006
Restored Name King James Version In Internet Version Only  2006
Orthodox Study Bible          2008

World English Bible          in progress
The Free Bible          in Progress
Modern American Standard Version          in progress

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Apocrpha Bibles, Roman Catholic/ Catholic, translations;

Westminster Bible          1936
Spencer New Testament          1941
Confraternity Bible          1941
Knox's Translation of the Vulgate          1955
Kleit-Lilly New Testament          1956
Jerusalem Bible          1966
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition      1965-1966
New American Bible          1970
New Jerusalem Bible          1985
Christian Community Bible          1986
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Editio 1989
Catholic Public Domain Version          In Progress
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Deuterocononical Bibles, Septuagint translations;

Brenton's English Translation of the Septuagint  1851
The Apostles' Bible          2004
The Eastern Orthodox Bible          2007
New English Translation of the Septuagint          2007
_______________________________________________________

Allen

Answer
Dear Allen,

I had no idea when you wrote me that you had anything like this list. This is really out of my field, and I don't think I could add anything to your list. However, I thank you for sharing this list with me. It may help me in answering the question of someone else.

Thanks again.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
Thurman@PettyPress.com