We live in an age of abundance in many things. That abundance extends even to biblical translations. As a personal choice, I consult different translations of the Bible. Especially when preparing to teach or preach. Since I don’t speak the original languages that the Bible was written in, consulting different versions allows me to better understand the nuances of the text. It also reveals the different emphases of translations. This is a great blessing. One we shouldn’t take for granted. In this article I explain why the English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK) isn’t merely among the various translations I consult, but is also my Bible translation of choice.
What will you use for personal study and family devotionals? And why?
We all have to make that choice. Each of us will have a primary translation. And it’s an important decision. We need to employ Christian discernment when selecting a primary Bible translation. What will you use for personal study and family devotionals? And why? My family and I use the ESV. Well, more accurately, we use the ESVUK. It’s an Anglicised version of the ESV— as a Nigerian I’m a product of the legacy of the British colonial system. This translation is more than 99% in agreement with the ESV, only it follows the British rules of grammar and spelling. I will use the acronyms ESV and ESVUK interchangably in this article.
Below are four of the reasons I chose the ESVUK over other Bible translations.
1. It’s Easy to Read
The English in the ESVUK doesn’t assume a high degree of education. Nor the possession of a wide English vocabulary. The translators usually choose the easiest English words to convey meaning. Of course, there are technical words, difficult words to understand. But those are left that way because of their significance to the meaning. Where they can simplify, the translators of the ESVUK have done so.
I want a Bible that I can give to almost everyone.
This is a big issue for me. For I want a Bible that I can give to almost everyone. We have young children that we want to be able to read and understand the Bible for themselves. We also have people who visit our home who have limited formal education that we want to be able to read the Bible. The ESV makes that task easier for us.
2. The ESVUK Values Translation Tradition
By “tradition” I mean that the ESVUK follows the language and cadence of traditional English translations. For example, most English speakers know what they expect to see when they read a verse like John 3:16. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Perhaps someone starting a translation from scratch would word that verse differently. But the ESVUK has chosen to follow closely with the way that older English versions and different translations have traditionally translated it.
There is a major advantage to this. It ensures that people familiar with older Bible translations are able to follow more modern versions. We may no longer share a common Bible translation in the English-speaking world. However, it remains important that we retain a shared vocabulary when discussing the Bible.
The ESVUK follows the language and cadence of traditional English translations.
In one preface to the ESV, the translators emphasise this point. They write: “The English Standard Version (ESV) stands in the classic mainstream of English Bible translations over the past half-millennium…Archaic language has been brought into line with current usage. But throughout, our goal has been to retain the depth of meaning and enduring quality of language that have made their indelible mark on the English-speaking world.”
Tradition is important, even though we must not slavishly follow after it. The ESVUK has found a good balance in its efforts to retain that tradition while also avoiding archaisms.
3. The Translators Have Made Their Scholarship Accessible
One of the difficulties for English readers is understanding why the different translation teams translate the same Hebrew or Greek word in different ways. So the ESV does a great job of showing their readers the alternative possibilities for translation. As an example, let’s return to John 3:16. My ESVUK has a footnote, showing that the verse could have been translated: “For this is how God loved the world.” This note allows readers to understand the nuances of the text more thoroughly.
The ESV does a great job of showing their readers the alternative possibilities for translation.
Also in cases where the translators have chosen to use a modern expression to translate a biblical idiom, they include the original idiom in the footnotes. For example, in 1 Peter 1:13 the ESVUK translates an idiom as “preparing your minds for action.” But then the translators quote the original Greek idiom in a footnote: ‘girding up the loins of your mind.’ That way, the readers get the best of both worlds.
The translators of the ESV explain the above in a preface. They write “The footnotes that are included in most editions of the ESV are therefore an integral part of the ESV translation, informing the reader of textual variations and difficulties and showing how these have been resolved by the ESV translation team. In addition to this, the footnotes indicate significant alternative readings and occasionally provide an explanation for technical terms or for a difficult reading in the text.”
4. It’s Widely Available and Used
Finally, when choosing a Bible version it’s important to consider if you’ll be able to replace your current copy or purchase an additional one. The ESV is always among the top selling English Bibles. This is a huge plus. Also since many theological Reformed churches uses the ESV, whenever one travels one is likely to come across the ESV being used in the church visited.
I do hope you are making a well-considered decision and that you read your Bible regularly.
In conclusion, like I said in the beginning, everyone must make a choice regarding their primary Bible translation. These are the reasons why I have chosen the ESVUK. I am aware that many of my arguments could be used to make a case for other versions that share similarly philosophy translations. Whatever your choice, I do hope you are making a well-considered decision and that you read your Bible regularly. And I pray that God’s word would be a blessing to you, all the days of your life.
