Laura wrote: > What is the ISV version? I use e-sword too. It is a very good Bible program. The quotes I post from Scripture come from it.
ISV = International Standard Version Peace be with you. David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida. >From e-sword: International Standard Version v1.2.2 Copyright C 1996-2001 The ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Introduction to the International Standard Version For the last three millennia, the Bible has exercised an unparalleled influence on the lives of individuals and nations. People of faith throughout the centuries have recorded the revelation of God pertaining to the affairs of daily life. The experiences of prophets, kings, and common people have been communicated through the written text of Scripture. Jewish and Christian scholars have been concerned to make sure that the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts would be communicated to each new generation. Even though governments and rulers have attempted to prevent the distribution of the translated Bible in many periods of history, faithful scholars such as John Wycliffe and William Tyndale gave their very lives to translate and distribute the books of the Bible. In every period of revival and renewal in the church, the Bible was central. And now for a new millennium, this major English language translation of the Bible embodies the best results of modern scholarship as to the meaning of Scripture, and it expresses this meaning in clear and natural English. The International Standard VersionR (ISVR), produced for the twenty-first century by The ISV Foundation of Santa Ana, California, offers an exciting opportunity to read and study the Scriptures in a fresh, new way. The ISV is "international" in that slang and regionalisms are avoided, and "standard" in that it is designed for public worship, for church school curricula, for religious publishing, and for both personal and group study. And with the ISV text, study tools, and software readily available to the public via the Internet, the ISV provides new opportunities for in-depth study of God's Word anywhere in the world, by anyone, and at any time. The New Testament you hold in your hands is the first portion of the complete ISV Bible to be made available in print. As the Old Testament books are completed, they can be found on The ISV Foundation's web site at http://isv.org. The Uniqueness of the ISV With so many English language Bible translations available today, the reader is faced with an important question: "What distinguishes the ISV from other Bible translations?" The ISV offers five features that distinguish it from other recent English language translations: 1. The ISV Is a New Translation, Not a Revision The ISV is a totally new work translated directly from the original languages of Scripture and derived from no other English translation. It was produced by Bible scholars who believe that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16 ISV). The ISV takes advantage not only of the most ancient manuscripts available, but also of the most recent archaeological discoveries. The translators of the ISV have selected the English equivalent that most closely reflects the meaning of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. 2. The ISV Is a Computer-Friendly Translation The ISV is the first English Bible conceived, designed, translated, and formatted primarily for a computer-literate generation. It is being produced entirely in a computer aided media (CAM) format. In its electronic format, the ISV is the first Bible translation ever published with version numbers. English language Bible readers who have access to the Internet's World Wide Web may read the ISV under The ISV Foundation's trade name International Standard Version (Internet)R (ISViR) at The ISV Foundation's web site at http://isv.org. The latest electronic version of the ISVi is also available in formats compatible with many contemporary Bible research software programs. Printed copies of the ISV also contain version numbers. (See the reverse of the title page for the version number of this edition.) 3. The ISV Is Sensitive to Poetic Forms in the Original Text The ISV treats subtle nuances of the original texts with special care. For example, several passages of the Bible appear to have been rendered in poetic form when first penned by their authors. The ISV has meticulously crafted these original passages as true poems-thus communicating a sense of their original literary form as well as translating the original intent of the author. As a result, passages that would have been read as poetry by first century readers actually appear in poetic form in the ISV. For example, see Christ's complaint to the Pharisees recorded in Luke 7:32 and 35 (page 5), the Christ Hymn of Philippians 2:6-11 (page 5), the Apostle Paul's description of love in 1 Corinthians 13 (page 5), the Common Confession of 1 Timothy 3:16 (page 5), Paul's Hymn to Christ in Titus 3:4-7 (page 5), Paul's witty quote of the ancient Greek poet Epimenides in Titus 1:12 (page 5), and the "trust-worthy sayings" of Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15 (page 5), 1 Timothy 3:1 (page 5), 1 Timothy 4:8 (page 5), and 2 Timothy 2:11 (page 5). 4. The ISV Is Sensitive to Literary Forms in the Original Text The ISV treats synoptic parallels with special sensitivity. Historical narratives in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were carefully examined in the original Greek text in order to compare each occurrence in the text where the narratives appeared to describe similar instances. Unlike all other English language translations available today, the ISV translates each separate synoptic instance with exact translational parity in each textual occurrence. In those parallel passages where the Greek text occurs with word-for-word synoptic identity, readers will discover that the ISV translates these passages into word-for-word English equivalents. In those parallel passages where the Greek text in the parallel passages approaches, but does not reach, a word-for-word identity, the ISV has adjusted the English language translation to reflect the similar, but not exact, nature of the parallel passages. To the best of our knowledge and belief, this level of translational accuracy has never been attained in any English language translation produced to date. The reader will notice-particularly in the four Gospels and in the Book of Acts-that the ISV usually shifts its style of English composition in order to utilize contractions when translating quoted words of a speaker, even though the ISV generally avoids the use of contractions when rendering historical narratives or written correspondence. The Committee intended that a sense of the informal be communicated when people are speaking and that a sense of the formal be communicated when people are writing. 5. The ISV Is a Literal-Idiomatic Translation The translation theory behind the ISV differs from theories employed in previous Bible translations. Traditionally, two basic methods of Bible translation have been used. The older method (and for many centuries practically the only method used) has been labeled "literal" or "formal equivalent." This type of translation allows readers to identify as fully as possible with the source languages of Scripture and to understand as much as they can of the Bible's customs, manners of thought, and means of expression. The other method is termed "idiomatic" or "functional equivalent." The goal of an idiomatic translation is to achieve the closest natural equivalent in modern language to match the ideas of the original text. Idiomatic translations have little or no concern for maintaining the grammatical forms, sentence structure, and consistency of word usage of the source languages. All major translations of the Bible fall somewhere on a scale between complete formal equivalence and complete functional equivalence. Some of these translations are quite literal (e.g., the King James Version [KJV], the New King James Version [NKJVR], the American Standard Version of 1901 [ASV], the New American Standard Bible [NASBR], the Revised Standard Version [RSVR], and the New Revised Standard Version [NRSVR]). Other translations lean toward the idiomatic end of the spectrum (e.g., the New International Version [NIVR], the New English Bible [NEBR], the Revised English Bible [REBR], the Good News Bible [GNBR], the New Living Translation [NLTR], and the Contemporary English Version [CEVR]). It is clear that each of these methods of Bible translation has its limitations. Competent Bible translators have always recognized that a strictly literal translation of the words of Scripture can be misleading. For example, "the wicked will not stand in the judgment" might be interpreted as proving that evil people actually would not be judged. Hence literalness is not always equivalent to accuracy. On the other hand, the limitations of idiomatic translations are also obvious. Such translations frequently tend to cast the words of Scripture into new molds that convey the ideas in a significantly different spirit or emphasis. Idiomatic translations have, in a sense, a commentary built into them; they represent a choice made by the translators as to what the translators think a passage means. For that reason, an idiomatic translation is easier to read but less reliable for careful study. A good translation will steer a careful course between word-for-word translation and interpretation under the guise of translating. In other words, a good translation will be both reliable and readable. The best translation, then, is one that is both accurate and idiomatic at the same time. It will make every effort to reproduce the culture and exact meaning of the text without sacrificing readability. The ISV Foundation calls this type of translation "literal-idiomatic." Of these three basic types of translation-literal, literal-idiomatic, and idiomatic-the translators of the ISV have, without hesitation, opted for the second. This is not because it happens to be the middle option, simply avoiding extremes, but because the literal-idiomatic translation is the only choice that avoids the dangers of over-literalness and of over-interpretation discussed above. Teaching biblical truth demands extreme fidelity to the original text of Scripture. However, a translation of the Bible need not sacrifice English clarity in order to maintain a close correspondence to the source languages. The goal of the ISV, therefore, has been both accuracy and excellence in communication. How the ISV Is Being Produced The ISV Foundation has provided for the actual work of translating by appointing: . A Committee on Translation, which is overseeing the work of translation from beginning to end, including the supervision of all consultants. These individuals have been selected for their competence in biblical studies and on the basis of an inter-denominational representation of the worldwide Christian community. . A General Editor, who is responsible for organizing and directing the work of the Committee on Translation. The General Editor continually evaluates the project in terms of the quality of the translation and the efficiency with which the work is being pursued. . Associate Editors for the Old and New Testaments, who are especially capable in the biblical languages and exegesis. Associate Editors coordinate all Committee procedures related to their areas of expertise. After the Committee on Translation produces draft translations of the books of the Bible, a select group of Contributing Scholars carefully reviews the drafts and offers suggestions for their improvement. At the same time, an English Review Committee checks the translation for adherence to modern literary and communication standards and suggests stylistic improvements for the consideration of the Committee on Translation. Principles of Translation Used in the ISV The following 27 principles of translation are being followed in producing the ISV. 1. For the Old Testament, the Masoretic text as published in the latest edition of the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia is used as the base text, in consultation with other ancient Hebrew texts (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Samaritan Pentateuch) and ancient versions (the Septuagint, the Vulgate, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Targums). Restraint is exercised in the use of conjectural emendations from the Masoretic Hebrew text. All significant departures from Stuttgartensia, as well as all significant textual variants, are indicated in footnotes. 2. For the New Testament, the 27th edition of the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece and the fourth corrected edition of the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament are the base text. All significant textual variants are indicated in footnotes. 3. The ISV uses literary English, avoiding idioms that come and go, and is as traditional as necessary. Terms such as "justification," "redemption," "atonement," and the Johannine "abide in" formulae have been retained. Where the Committee on Translation determines that a word-for-word translation is unacceptable, a change can be made in the direction of a more current language idiom. In these instances, the more literal rendering is indicated in a footnote. 4. When the text can be understood in different ways, an attempt is made either to provide a rendering in which the same ambiguity appears in English, or to decide the more likely sense and translate accordingly. In the latter case, a footnote indicates the alternative understanding of the text. In general, the ISV attempts to preserve the relative ambiguity of the text rather than to make positive statements that depend on the translators' judgment or that might reflect theological bias. 5. Whenever possible, a short sentence is translated by a short sentence. However, a very long sentence may be translated in two or more sentences, provided the original intent of the text is accurately reflected. 6. Regarding the Greek tenses, the ISV is guided by observing the grammatical nuances of the Greek in conjunction with the language rules of contemporary English. The policy of distinguishing the Greek imperfect tense from the aorist indicative is followed when the distinction is grammatically significant and stylistically acceptable. For example, in addition to the progressive imperfect (e.g., "he was proclaiming"), other possible renderings of the imperfect tense include the inceptive imperfect ("he began to proclaim"), the iterative imperfect ("he used to proclaim"), and the customary imperfect ("he would proclaim"). Where the context indicates that no distinction is being made between the imperfect and the aorist, the aoristic imperfect ("he proclaimed") is used. 7. Special attention is given to the translation of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek conjunctions. They are rendered in ways that best fit the immediate context or omitted in translation without a footnote when deemed pleonastic. 8. In the Old Testament, the traditional "LORD" is used for Yahweh. Where the Hebrew Adonai Yahweh occurs, the rendering "Lord GOD" is used. Most titles of God are translated in the text, with the original title placed in a footnote. 9. A noun may be substituted for a pronoun when it is needed for clarity. In these cases, the literal rendering is placed in a footnote. 10. Characteristic features of the original languages, such as order of words and the structure of phrases and clauses, are to be reproduced in translation wherever possible without sacrificing English style. 11. The use of inclusive language is limited to where the meaning of the original text is inclusive of both sexes, and then only without compromising scholarly integrity or good English style. Specifically: a. The generic use of "he," "him," "his," "himself," etc. may be used to translate generic third person masculine singular pronouns in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Person and number are retained: Generally, singulars are not changed to plurals, and third person statements are not changed to second person or first person statements. b. Substantival participles such as ho pisteuon may be rendered inclusively: "the one who believes," "the person who believes," etc. c. "Man," "mankind," "humankind," "humanity," "people," "human beings," etc. may be used to designate the human race or human beings in general. d. Hebrew zaqar and Greek aner are usually translated "man" or "men." e. The Greek plural noun anthropoi may be translated "people" or "persons" instead of "men." The singular anthropos may be translated "person" or "man" when it refers to a male human being. f. The Greek indefinite pronoun tis may be rendered "anyone," "someone," "a person," "a man," etc. g. Pronouns such as the Greek oudeis may be rendered "no one," "no person," etc. h. When used substantivally, the Hebrew kol and the Greek pas may be rendered "everyone," "every man," or (in the plural) "all people." i. "Son of Man" as a traditional reference to Christ is retained. j. Masculine references to God are retained. k. The Greek plural noun adelphoi is normally rendered "brothers" but may be changed to such expressions as "fellow believers" or "dear friends" in appropriate contexts. l. Hebrew ben and Greek huios may be rendered "child" or "children" and "son" or "sons." m. Hebrew ab and Greek pater may be rendered "parent" or "parents," "ancestor" or "ancestors," "fathers" or "fore-fathers." 12. Because the original languages of Scripture provide no special indication (other than grammatical context, of course) to identify pronouns or predicate nominatives that refer to deity, predicate nominatives and pronouns whose antecedent is God the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit are rarely capitalized. The word "law" is capitalized only when it refers to a specific section of Scripture (e.g., the "Law and the Prophets") or is used as a part of a title (e.g., "Book of the Law"). 13. The serial comma is used before the last item in a series of persons, places, or things. 14. The relative pronoun "which" is used (1) after a comma, (2) in the expression "that which," and (3) in a question. Otherwise, the pronoun "that" is used. 15. For the future tense, the auxiliary verb "will" is used in the New Testament in place of "shall." In the Old Testament, "shall" may be used in contexts where the language is imperatival (e.g., "you shall not murder"). With the simple future, "will" is used. 16. The Hebrew and Greek words traditionally translated "Behold!" are rendered in ways that best fit the immediate context and that best represent contemporary English usage (e.g., "Look," "See," "Suddenly," "Here," "Indeed," etc.). 17. Because the Hebrew and Greek equivalents to the English "It came to pass..." are often only transitional words marking the beginning of a new episode, they are sometimes not reproduced. In other instances, the translator may use a more natural English equivalent (e.g., "It was so," "And then," "Later," etc.). 18. In parallel texts such as the Synoptic Gospels, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles, consistency of rendering is carefully observed. 19. The Hebrew and Greek counterpart for "saying," when pleonastic, may be omitted in translation without a footnote. 20. Marginal notes may include literal renderings (Lit.), alternate renderings (Or), explanatory words or phrases (I.e.), notes on significant textual variants, and other explanatory comments. With textual variants, language such as "the earliest and best manuscripts omit..." or "most manuscripts add..." is avoided. Instead, the following language is used: "other manuscripts lack...," "other manuscripts read...," etc. 21. When the New Testament quotes from the Old Testament, quotation marks surround the quote and a reference to the source of the quotation is footnoted. The sources of New Testament quotations from literature other than the Old Testament are also referenced in footnotes, when known. 22. If additional words are necessary to clarify the sense of the translation, the literal rendering is set forth in a footnote. Alternatively, an explanatory footnote may be added indicating that the original text lacks the additional wording. 23. The Greek term Hades appears to be employed as the equivalent of the Hebrew Sheol, the general realm of the dead. Both terms rarely appear in transliteration; instead, the ISV usually renders these terms as "realm of the dead," "afterlife," or "where the dead are," depending upon context. Departures from this policy are clearly footnoted. The Greek Gehenna is rendered "hell." Tartarus is rendered "lowest hell," with an explanatory footnote. 24. Subheads are used to identify flow of thought and themes. Parallel passages, where they exist, are cited in subheads. 25. Parentheses may be used in the text whenever called for by the sense of the passage. The ISV does not use brackets to indicate disputed verses. Instead, footnotes indicate the absence of such verses in some manuscripts. 26. Poetic passages in both the Old and New Testaments are printed in poetic form. Certain New Testament hymns and sayings are rendered in poetry (e.g., 2 Timothy 2:11-13) (page 5). 27. Quoted statements of speakers may be rendered into English using contractions (e.g., "can't," "won't," "don't," etc.) in order to communicate a sense of natural spoken informality. The use of English language contractions will usually be avoided when translating historical narratives or apostolic correspondence in order to communicate a sense of formal literary composition. 28. Numbers one hundred or less are rendered as words unless they comprise part of an inventory list or census enumeration. Numbers from 101 and above are rendered with Arabic numerals. Measurements are rendered in English units with metric equivalents placed within an explanatory footnote. About The ISV Foundation Triglyph The ISV logo is a triglyph of three historic symbols. The upper symbol is the Menorah. The center symbol is the Magen David ("Star of David"). The lower symbol, the Ichthus, is that of a fish. The Menorah is the traditional symbol of Judaism. The Magen David also became identified with Judaism. Today, it is the official symbol of the State of Israel and appears on its national flag. Early Christians used the Ichthus as an identifying mark between believers. In the Greek language, the word "fish" (IXOYE) is an acrostic that spells out the words "Jesus Christ Son of God Savior." The ISV triglyph is a combination of all three historic images, thus symbolizing the historic roots from which the Church developed. In an informal archaeological dig, a Greek Orthodox monk on Mount Zion, Jerusalem discovered the original triglyph from which the ISV logo is derived. The original triglyph was inscribed on a number of different stones that may have their origin in the Byzantine period, fourth to seventh centuries, A.D. If this claim is accurate, the existence of this triglyph means that the Magen David has existed as a symbol of dispersed Israel from the early Christian centuries. The ISV Foundation claims the image of the triglyph as it appears on the cover of this volume as a trademark to indicate the foundation's exclusive rights to utilize it for use in Bible translations and Bible study tools. These tools include volumes produced by various ministry subsidiaries of The ISV Foundation. ISV Research and Translation Team A team of biblical scholars consisting of the Committee on Translation, a group of Contributing Scholars, and an English Review Committee is developing the International Standard Version. The following are the ISV team members at press time: Committee on Translation George Giacumakis, Jr., Ph.D. - General Editor California State University, Fullerton Edward M. Curtis, Ph.D. - Associate Editor, Old Testament Talbot School of Theology, Biola University David Alan Black, D.Theol. - Associate Editor, New Testament Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Robert A. Morey, D.Min., D.D. Research and Education Foundation Ronald D. Rietveld, Ph.D. California State University, Fullerton William P. Welty, M.Div. Executive Director, The ISV Foundation Contributing Scholars and Their Affiliated Institutions Gleason Archer, Ph.D. Craig L. Blomberg, Ph.D. James A. Brooks, D.Phil. Gary M. Burge, Ph.D. Richard J. Erickson, Ph.D. Harold W. Hoehner, Th.D., Ph.D. Arthur H. Lewis, Ph.D. Malcolm F. Lowe, Ph.D. Scott E. McClelland, Ph.D. Douglas J. Moo, Ph.D. J. Robert Vannoy, Ph.D. English Review Committee John J. Brugaletta, Ph.D. Robert D. Carpenter, M.D. Nicolle A. Danna Charles Missler, Ph.D. Ted Curtis Smythe, Ph.D. Charles R. Welty Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
