Thank You For Participating
Regular readers of the ESV Blog have probably noticed it’s been awhile since we last posted. Recent changes here at Crossway have called for some reorganization (hence the blog respite), but we are eager to resume our conversation with you.
Your participation in the ESV Blog has brought about much fruitful dialogue, so thank you for visiting, reading, and commenting. Our interaction with you has been a vital part of what has made—and will continue to make—the ESV Blog interesting and helpful. For now our plan is to post a similarly broad range of content related to the ESV text, but we want to take this opportunity to invite your feedback.
Are there topics you particularly benefit from or enjoy (e.g. translation, the local church, global missions, technology, upcoming Bible editions)?
We invite your comments below (or you can email us at blog@esv.org). Thank you in advance for your input, and we look forward to interacting with you around God’s Word throughout 2009.
December 23rd, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Hello! Personally, I most enjoy your technology posts, and continue to be impressed with all of the great features available. I received an ESV study Bible from my husband for Christmas and am so happy for all the added online features. Thanks for your hard work!
December 23rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Thank you for maintaining the blog. I particularly enjoyed all the “teasers” as we anticipated the release of the ESVSB. I want to let you know that I have not been at all disappointed with the ESVSB.
I particularly like the articles about technology and upcoming editions.
Merry Christmas!
December 23rd, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Hey there,
I appreciate all of the updates on the ESV Bibles and the MP3 posts.
I also would just like to say thank you for the ESV Study Bible! It truly is the most complete study Bible that I have ever seen or used. I also appreciate the online versions as well, very cool!
Blessings
Ron Reffett
December 23rd, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Hi
Basically just what you were doing - liked the heads up on new bible editions the best, especially when I was waiting for a small one without red-letter!
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I would like to see this blog respond to more criticism about the ESV that is posted on other blogs. I think more explanations about what translators opted over a particular wording that others have groaned about (e.g. “at table”, etc) would help clear any misunderstandings. As for the “reclining at table” example, I want to know, why not “reclining at the table”? Why no italics? etc. These are commonly moaned about things that need an explanation. I can think of no better place than the blog itself.
December 24th, 2008 at 5:55 am
Thank you for this blog.
I would like to see you continue to cover all the topics you list in your post. Also I would like to add my thanks for the ESVSB (my copy is sitting under the tree) Having read some of the notes on line I have already communicated some unease with the tone of certain comments in one particular area which received a gracious and rapid response (this is neither the time or place to elucidate further)
I look forward with interest to the further development of the on line ESVSB, and it would be nice if an article was put on the blog covering what the future development of the on line version is likely to entail.
Personally I would not like this blog to turn into a forum for nit picking over minor translation quibbles.
Anyway, Gods grace and blessing on all at Crossway and thank you for all the material that is produced by this amazing company. I look forward to 2009 with great anticipation.
December 24th, 2008 at 9:08 am
I agree with Jonathan about wordings and phrases that need an explanation. I am especially interested in the phrase “dress for action” which appears in Job 38:3 and 40:7, among other places.
In regard to criticisms, it’s important to realize that every Bible translation is going to be flawed because human language is imprecise, and our limited resources and human endeavors will come up short. Every Bible ever translated has been debated, attacked, defended, revised, debated, attacked, etc. The cycle continues. The King James Version was attacked in 1611, just as the NIV, NASB, TNIV, CEV, etc. Every Bible (outside the original autographs) will have strenghts and weaknesses.
December 25th, 2008 at 10:46 am
I want to echo Paul’s and Jonathan’s requests. Thanks.
December 25th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Hi,
I especially enjoyed the updates about upcoming Bible editions and the technology updates. Thanks!
December 27th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Here’s something else I’ve been curious about. Some time ago an entry was posted about “reparagraphing” the Bible, complete with an exercise in Philippians 1. It was a response to another blog that argued in favor of modifying or eliminating the chapter-verse system so that the Bible could be read more smoothly, especially when a single sentence is butchered up across five verses.
I understand that renumbering verses is out since there’s too much extra-biblical material keyed off of the current system. In past correspondence it’s quite clear that Crossway is not convinced that a pure-text Bible (no chapter-verse divisions) would do well in the market. This is in spite of the growing popularity of “The Books of the Bible” released by the International Bible Society in 2007. “The Books of the Bible” is the TNIV Bible with the chapter-verse divisions removed from the text. I’ve also found two other translations (the KJV and ASV) that are sold this way. Also, many college groups, especially Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, conduct manuscript studies with the plain text. The only problem has been that these groups have to produce their own boot-legged copies of the biblical text without chapter-verse divisions.
I don’t mean to sound critical, but I have to ask, why is Crossway ignoring this trend?
December 27th, 2008 at 11:19 am
I would like to see information on upcoming releases for new Bibles and new reference materials.
Keep up the good work!
December 27th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I also would like a place to ask questions about why a particular word or phrase was used in some places. There are several places where the translators have taken a translation that is different from the conventional KJV/NAS/NKJV/RSV, and I would like to learn more from those who chose the translation. (”Newer research shows this is clearly the better meaning?” etc.) Also, there are times that the “essentially literal” character becomes hidden–I have to go to my interlinear or NAS or NKJV to see the parallels, or to confirm the same words are being used in different passages, and it would be informative to know why these were handled in this way.
I like the ESV. But I want to like it more. But I often find I have questions along the lines of “They tranlated this phrase this way in this passage, but the exact same phrase in a different way over in this other passage. Why?”
It would be great to be able to ask these questions. I’d even be okay if the answer were “We struggled with this one for a while …” But from the credentials of the translators, I bet there are usually better answers than that, and we could learn something.
December 29th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
I prefer articles on the subject of translation and upcoming editions.
December 30th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I love your journaling bible, but I like to have the words of Christ in red. Do you make a bible with a wide margin or the journaling bible with the words of Christ in red?
December 31st, 2008 at 7:07 pm
I also would like to know about an ESV bible similar to the 2007 release of the “The Books of the Bible”. A no verses/no chapter version would be a great aid for reading and understanding books in their whole. Anyone else?
January 3rd, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Really would enjoy the topics that would be on translation issues and as well upcoming Bibles( I personally like the single-column paragraph text format of the Personal Size Reference Bible and the ESV Study Bible)
Would love to have the ESV English-Hebrew Reverse Interlinear Old Testament in a hard bound copy…( hint, hint)
February 4th, 2009 at 1:45 am
I would love to have a bible without verse or chapter divisions as well!
February 11th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Hello, I can’t understand how to add your blog ( http://www.esv.org ) in my rss reader
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