Introductory Video

A passion for God’s word. It is the driving force behind the English Standard Version Bible. Founded on the conviction that the words of the Bible are the very words of God, the English Standard Version is dedicated to word-for-word precision and accuracy—a translation that expresses the power and depth of meaning of God’s word.

But this dedication to accuracy is not at the expense of literary excellence. Beauty of expression and readability are among the greatest responsibilities of any translation. The Word of God deserves nothing less.

This unique combination of accessibility and accuracy has produced a translation suited for the needs of every Christian. From scholarly study to personal reading, group worship to family devotions, it is a Bible for all of life.

The English Standard Version stands in the classic stream of “essentially literal” Bible translations that began nearly 500 years ago. In the early 1500s, William Tyndale became convinced that much of the confusion regarding theology was based on the general ignorance of the Bible. It became his mission to translate the Bible from the original Greek and Hebrew, putting Scripture in the hands of the masses, instead of a few privileged clergy.

Despite objections from the Church of England, Tyndale’s New Testament was published in 1526. He managed to translate and publish the first five books of the Old Testament before he was strangled and burned at the stake as a heretic eight years later.

But his final words proved to be prophetic, crying, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes!” Henry VIII eventually approved a version of the Bible that relied heavily on the Tyndale translation. And in 1611, when the King James Version was published, scholars again relied heavily on the work of William Tyndale.

Tyndale had an instinct for short, simple words which communicated, and that’s the part of the English language which still communicates best. The RSV went back to Tyndale’s language, and we go with that same preference for short, simple, punchy words.

The ESV purposefully places itself in the stream of English translations that began with William Tyndale, was enlarged by the King James Version, and was carried forward by the American Standard Version and the Revised Standard Version. Because of this, the English Standard Version relies on the work of those who have gone before and is committed to their tradition of accuracy, simplicity, and beauty of language.

We are standing on the shoulders of all who went before us. We are drawing on commentaries, which roll off the press in great numbers these days. We are drawing on the increased knowledge of the culture of the ancient world, which modern study has given us. We are drawing on the fact that computers now enable us to search the English Bible, the whole of the Hebrew heritage, the whole of the Greek heritage that has come down to us. It makes it a great deal easier for us to handle particular words and make decisions about how best to translate them.

And in all these ways I think the ESV is going to go beyond its predecessors and establish itself as, in effect, the new King James for the 21st century.

Though building on the translations of the past, each word and phrase of the ESV has been carefully weighed against the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek to ensure the greatest possible accuracy and clarity.

The ESV Translation Team included more than 100 people from various denominations and countries.

The fourteen-member Translation Oversight Committee benefited from the work of fifty biblical-language experts who served as translation review scholars.

In addition, the comments from more than fifty members of the Advisory Council were helpful in finalizing the ESV.

And each member of the Translation Team shared a common commitment to the authority, inerrancy, and sufficiency of the Bible as the word of God.

We had a conversation in our committee, actually a fairly intense discussion that went on for well over a half an hour, on whether to translate a particular Greek word but or and. And the Greek word behind that, the conjunction de, could mean but or and, depending on the context. Why did we spend over half an hour trying to figure out whether to put but or and in the English text?

It’s because our committee as a whole is committed to the doctrine that the words of Scripture, in the original language, are the very words of God. And we want to render them in every detail, with as much precision as we possibly can.

Accuracy of translation was, of course, of utmost concern. However, those working on the ESV also shared the desire of William Tyndale, and the translators of the King James Version, to produce an English-language Bible for everyone. The result is a Bible translation that is not only accurate, but readable and memorable, as well.

Well, I hope people will find it a really memorable translation so that they can learn it by heart as we used to learn the Authorized Version by heart. But in more recent years, the Authorized Version has dropped out of use and there have been so many other versions [that] we can never remember exactly what the words of the Bible are. And we’ve made special efforts to make it sound and read easily.

The English Standard Version is being published initially in a Classic Reference Bible format and is available in hardcover, bonded leather, and genuine leather editions.

The ESV Classic Reference Bible includes a number of valuable features to help and encourage the reading and study of the Bible.

• Each book of the Bible begins with an introduction summarizing the central theme and message of the book, as well as the time and setting, and the book’s author.
• This edition of the ESV also includes the most extensive cross-reference system available in a Classic Reference Bible, with more than 76,000 cross-references cited.
• The ESV footnote system provides further information concerning important alternative renderings and nuances of meanings in the original languages.
• Section headings are also provided to help locate important themes and topics throughout the Bible.
• The ESV Classic Reference concordance is also the most extensive available in a Classic Reference Bible, with more than 14,500 references included.
• An eight-page section of full-color maps is also provided, showing key events and places in the Bible, as well as a comprehensive overview of Jesus’ life and ministry.

In addition to these features, each copy of the ESV comes with a free CD-ROM enclosed, containing a wide range of Bible resources and software. Included on the CD-ROM are a fully searchable text of the ESV and the KJV, as well as Strong’s Concordance, the Classic Bible Commentary on the entire Bible, Nave’s Topical Bible, Romans commentary (Preaching the Word series), dramatic audio readings from the ESV, and other valuable Bible resources.

As mentioned earlier, the driving force behind the English Standard Version is a passion for God’s word, that the words of the Bible are the very words of God. Here is God’s message of mercy and salvation; here are the very words of eternal life.

This underscores the solemnity of the translator’s task, that in every respect this must be undertaken in complete dependence upon God. We would therefore gratefully acknowledge God’s gracious provision throughout our work, and would seek to give Him the glory alone.

We are also thankful for the work of everyone on the Translation Team and for the encouraging comments we’ve received from many Christian leaders.

I am keenly anticipating the arrival of the English Standard Version in its completed form, and I warmly commend those who are working hard to get us to that point. I’m sure that many across the country are going to be delighted by the arrival of this wonderful translation.

It creates a translation that we can all use—we can use it from the pulpit, we can use it in the classroom, we can give it to families for their family devotionals, and we can give it to our second-graders. It’s one Bible we can preach from, study from, memorize together as a church family.

The translation of the Bible is both a science and an art. The science is in the accuracy of the translation. But the art is in the beauty of expression. Those who love the Bible will love the English Standard Version, a translation that combines genuine accuracy and faithfulness in translation with the beauty of expression that the Scriptures deserve.

I thank God for the beauty, elegance, objectivity, and accuracy of the English Standard Version. This may be the breakthrough for which we have prayed.

When it comes to researching, when it comes to doing word studies, when it comes to reliability, I want to depend on a translation that’s not only readable, but one that is, indeed, accurate. So I highly recommend the new English Standard Version to you and to your congregation.

And I believe that because of its trueness to the text, and because of its good readability, that long after many of the other translations have gone by the wayside, that the ESV is going to stand as a strong pillar of bringing the word of God not only into the minds, but into the hearts of people, where the Holy Spirit can use it to empower lives to live for Christ, to know more about God, to love Jesus more deeply, and to serve Him more effectively.

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. —Matthew 4:4

Soli Deo Gloria

To God Alone Be the Glory