Archive for October, 2006

Ray Pritchard writes (in part):

This is my third translation in 30 years of ministry. I started with the NASB in the late 70s, switched to the NIV and have used it ever since. Starting this week, I’ll be preaching from the ESV. These days there are many good translation options, some would argue almost too many. It’s hard to imagine that any modern translation will hold sway like the venerable King James Version did for so many years. Some people lament the fact that we don’t have a unified Bible translation in the evangelical world, but that’s like lamenting that instead of the “Big Three” TV networks that once dominated the scene, we now have hundreds of choices. I’m glad that Bible students have many translations to read, and I’m glad that most of them are available online.

My personal favorites are the ESV, NIV, the NET Bible, NASB, KJV, NLT, CEV, and the Message. I enjoy reading a wide variety of translations/paraphrases because each one gives you a slightly different picture of what the Bible writers were trying to say. I know that some people (lots of people, actually) feel very strongly about their favorite translation. I don’t have a dog in that fight. I’m switching to the ESV because it seems like the right time for me to do it.

Ray Pritchard has also written several Crossway books.

Davide’s Notes has cataloged every mention of an animal in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). The post is pretty technical but strangely interesting once you get into it.

For example:

When considering zoological terms, it is clear that many times we miss a familiarity with animals that was common in biblical times (and in biblical locations). This means that it is sometimes difficult for us to clearly understand even simple figurative meanings. A plain example is the sheep: to people used to tender flocks, or in general to observe sheeps around them, it is fairly natural that this animal might represent the tendency to get lost, to wander around, being exposed to all sorts of dangers. Take Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The similitude was vivid and obvious to the ancient Israelite, perhaps it is not anymore to our modern eyes.

Of note, too, are the details each gospel writer chooses to share or omit. For example:

In the “qui me confitetur” passage (Mt 10:26-33 // Lk 12:2-9), the zoological term used by Matthew and Luke (strouthion, sparrow) is the same. There is a difference in counting, though: Mt 10:29 has “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?”, while Lk 12:6 has “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?” It is possible that Matthew has a reference here to the two small birds mentioned in the ceremonial of purification from leprosy of Lev 14:49ff – and it is possible that Luke wants to show that, if with one assarion (rendered “penny”), a very small coin (the tenth part of a drachma), one can buy two sparrows, with two pennies one can buy not four (2 x 2), but five of them – to stress how little value these birds had….

Note: we transliterated the Greek.

BerBible is a freeware Windows application with the ESV text. It has a simple interface and works well even on older computers. (Still using Windows 95? This program could be the one for you.) A PocketPC version is also available.

The Windows version:

The PocketPC version:

Update: More links:

• Animated slideshows (Windows and PocketPC)