In his RTR article (reproduced elsewhere in this month’s web extra), Allan Chapple judges that the ESV has fallen short of its own objectives, and provides some examples. As promised (in the paper edition of this month’s Briefing), here are some counter-examples, where the ESV is advantageously a few steps more direct in translation than the NIV, while remaining quite readable (that is, where the ESV has achieved its objectives).

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Originally published in The Reformed Theological Review. Reprinted with permission.

My aim is to assess the quality of the English Standard Version of the Bible (ESV). This can be done by comparing the ESV with other translations. However, such a huge task could not be reported adequately within the scope of an article such as this. A more satisfactory alternative is to measure the ESV against what it was intended to be: that is, to compare the final product with the aims of those who produced it. By concentrating on its characteristic features and studying representative passages, even the limited survey possible here will enable us to reach sound conclusions. (more…)