The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum A new Bible translation

Anyone ever heard of the Holman Christian Standard Bible? Our Sunday School cirriculum uses it as it's text and it just hit the shelves this month I think. My pastor has been excited about it for some time. I picked up a copy on Saturday and, frankly, I like it. I'll put some quotes from it here in case someone hasn't seen it before.

Those verses you posted do sound good. I don't know Greek so I would have to trust the translators. A brother at church had that Bible and called it the Baptist Bible, I wonder what he meant, exactly. I am always more wary of extra translations and paraphrases, knowing that there are some that take advantage of the language details and change the meaning. Kalled2Preach, could you post John 3:16 also, for my own curiosity, Exodus 21:22? Do you know any other verses that have noteworthy clarifications?

Ben

"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His *One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
The word with the star before it has a bullet by it which takes you to a glossary in the back with notes on what that word means. In this case, the phrase is "One and Only" and it says this of the phrase: "Or One of a kind, or incomparable, or only begotten; the Greek word can refer to someone's only child such as in Luke 7:12; 8:42; 9:48. It can also refer to someone's special child as in Hebrews 11:17".

"When men get in a fight, and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born [prematurely], but there is no injury, the one who hit hit her must be fined as the woman's husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment" Exodus 21:22
The word in brackets has bottom brackets in the text itself which mean that the word was placed there by the translators to help clarify the meaning of the passage. After this particular word there is a footnote which reads, "Either a live birth or a miscarriage".

I can't think of any other verses off the top of my head right now.

Thanks a lot. I especially like the way John 3:16 is clearly stated and includes the extra note.

The second verse as I understand is important to the abortion issue. Whether the word means "born prematurely" or "miscarriage" is important, as some, seeing that it may mean "miscarriage" and the punishment being a fine, and not death, would say that the baby in the womb is less than human.

I guess to understand what is meant by the word you'd have to know the culture or something. I'll put that verse again and the context it is in. Maybe that will help.

[color:"0000FF"]When men get in a fight, and hit a pregnant woman so that her children are born [prematurely], but there is no injury, the one who hit her must be fined as the woman's husband demands from him, and he must pay according to judicial assessment. If there is an injury, then you must give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, bruise for bruise, wound for wound.[/color] Exodus 21:22-25

Yes, one of my professors taught that the word was actually "miscarriage" and that the NASB translators fudged the the translation just to avoid the potential debate on that verse. I don't remember his explanation for the consequences/punishment in this verse, but I do remember it had much to do with the surrounding cultures or something. He explained it well, but since I can't remember his explanation the "surrounding cultures" things sounds weak. I don't know, it just seems to beg me to infer stuff that I shouldn't without right knowledge! I think this professor would know what he's talking about, so I trust him.

Based on those few quotations, this translation seems OK, but I wonder what the pressing need is for yet another version of the Bible. Cynic that I am, I would suspect that it has more to do with Holman's desire to compete in the Bible 'market' than to fill some gap in the edification of God's people.

The only new Bible version that I would like to see produced is a modern language, word-for-word translation based on the Majority Text. [I assume that this version is based on the Critical Text]

Blessings,
Steve

Ben asked,



My understanding is that the Holman Christian Standard Bible is the brainchild of an educational committee within the SBC. The translation is supposedly solid but I wonder if anyone has seen any study notes from this Bible?

Here is a quote from the first page of the introduction. It is about the textual base for the HCSB.


I don't know if that helps.


I don't know what their desire is or their motive apart from what I've heard and what the introduction says. And unless someone from the inside says otherwise, I guess we more or less have to take Holman at their word.

I, personally, don't know what the pressing need for a new Bible is, but at least they are translating the Bible into a zillion different renditions rather than Hitler's Mein Kampf.

The only notes I have on the Bible are the translation notes and such from the copy of the book itself. One that I kinda liked was the one about the word "foreknew" in Romans 8. I'll post the verse and then the footnote.

[color:"0000FF"]For those He *foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.[/color] Romans 8:29 (HCSB)

*From eternity God knew His people and entered into a personal relationship with them.

Personally, I see no need for yet ANOTHER translation of the Bible into English. There are far too many now as it is. This "footnote" I find objectionable as it doesn't give the true meaning of the text and in particular the word, "foreknow". It is best understood as "foreloved". It isn't that God simply "knew beforehand", but that He, from all eternity chose to predestinate, out of love, a people for His own glory. (cf. Eph 1:4ff) Secondly, the text does not say that God "entered into a personal relationship with them"! Where did THAT come from? The text speaks of God's purpose, having foreloved a certain people He predestinated them "to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that the SON would be "the firstborn . . .".

Am I too picky? You bet....!! We are dealing with the inspired, infallible and inerrant Word of God, not some novel. If Holman wants to sell a Bible to me, it had better be 1) faithful to the text, and if it includes notes 2) doctrinally sound. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

In His Grace,

I don't refer to the notes at the bottom of most Bibles anyway (unless it is a study Bible). I just put it there as an example of how it defines some words.

I think that particular note could be a whole lot worse than it is and seems more close to what the text is teaching than how some people interpret it.

I am not in any way saying this particular translation is superior, as I do not think that it is. But from comparing it with other texts, I find it to be much more accurate than some of the versions out there today.

Here's one of them from my favorite: <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/ClapHands.gif" alt="" />

1 Cor. 2:14 (ESV)
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Of the translations I use, ESV is my favorite as well.

I will say, though, that I hope that the HCSB takes the place of the NIV (if the ESV doesn't). The HCSB is so much more literal than the NIV, which is why I am willing to use it and read it.

I was told that the NKJV used the Majority text.

Tom