Orthodox Study Bible - Complete edition

[Christophoros]

We would like to take this opportunity to give you a status report on the Orthodox Study Bible: The Septuagint / Old Testament Project with study notes.

All the participants in the project - translators, study aid authors, editors, and our publisher, Thomas Nelson - are committed to producing an accurate, faithful, and readable Bible, including all of the Books of the Septuagint Old Testament Bible missing in the present day English Bibles and Roman Catholic Vulgate.

Special emphasis has been applied to the integrity of the translation, ensuring that these texts are rendered into the most accurate and appropriate English. The study aids and notes have been composed, edited, and revised to convey the tradition of the Orthodox Church. The page layout and flow of text has been scrutinized to ensure that even the more mechanical aspects of the book will enhance its readability and usefulness. These attributes - accuracy, faithfulness, and utility - form the cornerstone of our work.

All other aspects of this project have been subordinated to them, including the schedule.

As we write this message, the final pieces of the new Orthodox Study Bible have been sent to the publisher, where they are being formatted, typeset, printed, bound, packaged, and made ready for distribution. Though we do not know all that is yet to come, we do believe the new Orthodox Study Bible, Old and New Testament, will be available for purchase by Spring 2008.

Posted: January 26, 2007

http://www.lxx.org/

[John Charmley]

This is excellent news.

I could not help noting what it says on the website, not least (tongue going firmly into cheek here) in the light of the 'American Orthodoxy' thread:

Our mission...

Produce a complete Orthodox Study Bible: Septuagint and New Testament, with truly Orthodox notes for 21st century North Americans.


... now THAT'S what I call 'American Orthodoxy'!

Glad the rest us can read American.

In Christ,

John

[Sunny]

Dear Christopher,
Could you tell me what the crosses at the ends of some verses represent? Does it refer to something prophetic? Does it mean we should cross ourselves?
Those were my 2 guesses!
Sunny

[Elzabet]

Dear Christopher,
Could you tell me what the crosses at the ends of some verses represent? Does it refer to something prophetic? Does it mean we should cross ourselves?
Those were my 2 guesses!
Sunny

The crosses at the end of the verses mean there is a note in the bottom margin in reference to that verse. It took me a few minutes to figure that out too. ~smile~

[Sunny]

Thanks Elzabet, that's a big help!
Sunny

[Bob Kovacs]

I wonder what it will look like, and what editions will be available.

[Stephanos Nikopolis]

When they say "appropriate English ... for 21st Century north Americans", I hope they mean modern English, and not 17th Century English which, to me at least, is an utterly foreign language (better the ancient Greek).

Can anyone reassure me on this point? Anyway, I'm sure many people, myself included, look forward to this addition and will purchase it.

God bless them in their work!

[Kris]

When they say "appropriate English ... for 21st Century north Americans", I hope they mean modern English, and not 17th Century English which, to me at least, is an utterly foreign language (better the ancient Greek).
Can anyone reassure me on this point?

The English used will be that of the NKJV (i.e. modern English) according to the translators. Text samples are available from www.lxx.org if you wish to look for yourself.

[Stephanos Nikopolis]

Thanks, Kris, I have noted the website and written to them asking whether they have a reservation or notification list.

If not, I hope Monachos.net will blast the announcement through to those subscribed to the eNewsletter as soon as it is published and available.

[Elzabet]

When they say "appropriate English ... for 21st Century north Americans", I hope they mean modern English, and not 17th Century English which, to me at least, is an utterly foreign language (better the ancient Greek).

Can anyone reassure me on this point? Anyway, I'm sure many people, myself included, look forward to this addition and will purchase it.

God bless them in their work!

I have the NT of the OSB and it is very readable!

[John Charmley]

Dear Kris,

Thanks for letting us know.

Those of a more scholarly bent will be able to let us have the low down on this, and I know there were some queries about the NT - but like Elzabet, I have found it a great aid to my spiritual life, and am very grateful to those who have laboured in the vineyard to produce it.

In Christ,

John

[Sophronia]

We use this New Testament here in our parish for epistle and gospel readings. As a reader I can say that I love it very much and am looking forward to the Old Testament to be completed. Meanwhile we use NKJV for those readings.

[Rick H.]

Dear Kris, and All,

Thanks for the link. I am interested in bibliology, in terms of the translation and transmission of the scriptures. And, I am familiar with the translators of the NKJV (friends with, and almost neighbors with one of the major translators, and an editor of the Old Testament -- who's contribution includes, but is not limited to, the entire book of Psalms!).

However, as I begin to check into the study bible project, I do not see any of the credentials listed for the key players in this project? Usually, in a bio section or a "Who we are section" for a new bible version, the credentials/degrees in the respective language studies are shown at least for the editiors.

As I begin my research with the Project Director and General Editor for the Orthodox Study Bible, Jack Sparks, I can trace him back to his early days at UC Berkley, when he was with Campus Crusade, but I cannot see any language training, Hebrew or other in his background. Possibly, there is another site that shows the training and area of focus for some of the editors?

I understand the LXX is written in Greek, but I am wondering if there is any consideration of the Hebrew text, by any Orthodox Hebrew scholars, as a part of this present project/process? Knowing the "boiler plate" that the OSB is using is the NKJV--which is based on the Hebrew--I am trying to get a foothold here in a way that is not possible by viewing the link. Any further help, as I begin my research here is greatly appreciated.

Your fellow learner In Christ,
Rick

[M.C. Steenberg]

The OSB LXX was translated by quite a large group of people (myself included) in a project spanning several years. Some of these people were academic translators (like myself, Fr Cyril), others 'lay translators', others native speakers, etc. None of us (certainly not me) have seen the finished product, so I've no idea what the final flow looks like.

INXC, Matthew

[Robert Hegwood]

I'm about as far as an expert on such things as one can get, but I given that the LXX is considered the baseline text for the OT in the Orthodox church I doubt there will be much in the way of reference to the Hebrew. This is because I've been given to understand that the Masoretic text is a post Christian redaction of a very narrow and sometimes abberant textual tradition that was chosen largely because it was not as friendly to a Christian reading.

The Hebrew textual tradition that underlies the LXX is not longer with us. If it was it would no doubt carry a great deal of weight, but it is not and the LXX is considered the heir of that textual tradition.

What the OSB is trying to do with regard to the OT is to establish an LXX normalized text of the OT, not a full new tranlation per se. The scriptures available in ostensibly Orthodox lands and cultures already have such texts established as the Scripture used by the Church; no such LXX based translation of sufficient accuracy and quality exists in the English language.

The NKJV seems to be a good bridge text in that it follows the high quality English present in the KJV with sufficient modernized usage to make clear the more obscure usages of the KJV. The OSB project is using this foundation to bring forth a reverant, elegant, but readable text in English that conforms to the Orthodox texutal tradition and interpretive norms. So this is not a full blown new translation effort and has different editorial and scholarly needs than what one might expect for an entirely new translation.

[Father David Moser]

The OSB LXX was translated by quite a large group of people (myself included) in a project spanning several years. Some of these people were academic translators (like myself, Fr Cyril), others 'lay translators', others native speakers, etc. None of us (certainly not me) have seen the finished product, so I've no idea what the final flow looks like.


One of the clergy of my own acquaintance (he was in a neighboring parish until recently when he was transferred to California) is one of the editors of the project. Fr Patrick is very much Greek scholar (he also did some the initial translation himself) and just to talk with him is to get some glimmer of how complex the whole project is. It should be completed by the end of the year but I guess the best attitude is to expect it when you see it.

I personally am disappointed that the "modern" English of the NKJV will be used as it lacks the poetry, flow and beauty of the original KJV. However, the "modern English" translations certainly have a place for personal reading and study - but the more elevated Cranmerian English is better for liturgical use.


Fr David Moser

[Kris]

LXX Assignments
Please send updates to postmaster@lxx.org.




Board of Directors
Honorary Chairman Metropolitan PHILIP Saliba
Member Fr. Richard Ballew
Member Fr. Jon Braun
Member Fr. Peter Gillquist
Member Fr. Jack Sparks
Member Fr. Gordon Walker
Member Fr. David Ogan
Member Mr. Paul Goetz
Editorial Staff

Project Director
Fr Jack Sparks

Associate Project Director
Fr Richard Ballew

Director of Development
Fr Peter Gillquist

General Editor
Metropolitan Maximos (Pittsburgh)

General Editor
Fr Michel Najim

General Editor Fr. Eugen Pentuic
General Editor
Fr Jack Sparks

Translators

Genesis Fr. Richard Ballew
Exodus
Fr. Patrick Reardon

Leviticus
Fr. Jon Braun

Numbers Martin McGinty
Deuteronomy
Cyril Shartz

Joshua
Fr. David Hester

Judges
Mickey Hodges

Ruth Peter Bouras

I Kingdoms = I Samuel Theron Mathis
II Kingdoms = II Samuel Theron Mathis
II Kingdoms = I Kings Stephen (Bob) Holley
IV Kingdoms = II Kings Stephen (Bob) Holley
I Paralipomenon = I Chronicles Mickey Hodges
II Paralipomenon = II Chronicles Mickey Hodges
I Esdras Cyril Shartz
II Esdras (including Nehemiah) Fr. Daniel Griffith
Tobit Peter Bouras
Judith Cyril Sharts
Esther Peter Bouras
I Maccabees Mickey Hodges
II Maccabees Matthew Steenberg
III Maccabees Cyril Shartz
IV Maccabees Cyril Shartz
Psalms Dr. Don Sheehan
Job Fr. Michel Najim
Proverbs of Solomon Stephen (Bob) Holley
Ecclesiastes Cyril Shartz
Song of Songs Cyril Shartz
Wisdom of Solomon Peter Bouras
Psalms of Solomon Mickey Hodges
Wisdom of Sirach Mickey Hodges
Hosea Matthew Steenberg
Amos Cyril Shartz
Micah Cyril Shartz
Joel Cyril Shartz
Obadiah Matthew Steenberg
Jonah Matthew Steenberg
Nahum Cyril Shartz
Habakkuk Cyril Shartz
Zephaniah Cyril Shartz
Haggai Cyril Shartz
Zechariah Peter Bouras
Malachi Peter Bouras
Isaiah Cyril Shartz
Jeremiah Rev. Samuel Miller

Baruch Cyril Shartz
Epistle of Jeremiah Cyril Shartz
Lamentations Joel Kalvesmaki
Ezekiel Fr. Patrick O'Grady
Daniel Matthew Steenberg
Song of the Three Children Matthew Steenberg
Susanna Matthew Steenberg
Bel and the Dragon Matthew Steenberg
Commentators
Genesis Fr. Richard Ballew
Exodus
Fr. Patrick Reardon

Leviticus
Fr. Jon Braun

Numbers Fr. Richard Ballew
Deuteronomy
Mark Kern
Joshua
Fr. Titus Fulcher
Judges
Cyril Shartz
Ruth Fr. Chris Wojcik
I Kingdoms = I Samuel Fr. John Reeves
II Kingdoms = II Samuel Fr. John Reeves
II Kingdoms = I Kings Stephen (Bob) Holley
IV Kingdoms = II Kings Stephen (Bob) Holley
I Paralipomenon = I Chronicles Fr. Gregory Rogers
II Paralipomenon = II Chronicles Fr. Gregory Rogers
I Esdras Dn. Michael Gillas
II Esdras (including Nehemiah) Fr. Christopher Wojcik
Tobit Dn. Moshe Zorea
Judith Shaun Daugherty
Esther Fr. Christopher Wojcik
I Maccabees Fr. Gregory Rogers
II Maccabees Fr. Thaddeus Wojcik
III Maccabees Fr. John Peck
IV Maccabees Dr. David Lewis
Psalms Fr. Patrick Reardon

Job Fr. Michel Najim
Proverbs of Solomon Fr Jack Sparks

Ecclesiastes Andrew Copeland
Song of Songs Fr. John Peck
Wisdom of Solomon Fr. Philip Armstrong
Wisdom of Sirach Fr. Gordon Walker
Hosea Fr. John Peck
Amos Fr. Bartholomew Wojcik
Micah Fr. David Sedor
Joel Joel Kalvesmaki
Obadiah Matthew Steenberg
Jonah Fr. Isaiah Gillette
Nahum Fr. David Sedor
Habakkuk John Stamps
Zephaniah Fr. Joseph Corrigan
Haggai Fr. David Sedor
Zechariah Gregory Gray Smith
Malachi Fr. John Elias
Gregory Gray Smith
Isaiah Fr. John Morris
Jeremiah Fr. Nathan Kroll
Joel Kalvesmaki
Baruch Joel Kalvesmaki
Epistle of Jeremiah Joel Kalvesmaki
Lamentations Joel Kalvesmaki
Ezekiel Fr. George Gray
Daniel Fr. Bill Calderoni
Translation Committee

Translation Chairman
Cyril Shartz

Pentateuch Chairman
(Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges)
Fr. Richard Ballew

Historical Books Chairman
(Kingdoms, Chronicles, Esdras, Maccabees)
Stephen (Bob) Holley

Poetic Books Chairman
(Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Wisdom of Solomon,Wisdom of Sirach) Joel Kalvesmaki
Prophecy Chairman (shorter books - Minor prophets, Baruch, Lamentations, Letter of Jeremiah) Matthew Steenberg
Prophecy Chairman
(longer books - Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel)
Fr. Patrick O'Grady
Narrative Books Chairman (Ruth, Job, Esther, Tobit, Judith) Fr. Michel Najim
Footnote Writers Fr. Jon Braun

One Page Articles Dr. David Ford
Choosing Icons and Illustrations Fr. John Peck
Jeffery Little
One Page Articles

Chairman Dr. David Ford
Co-Editor Fr. Theodore Petrides
CREATION Mark Kern, Fr. Mike Barclay
MEANINGS OF THE OT COVENANT Fr. Mike Barclay
THE SABBATH AND THE EIGHT DAY Mark Kern, Fr. Mike Barclay
THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL Mark Kern
TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS (DIAGRAM)
Mark Kern

GIVING OF THE LAW
Mark Kern

MARY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
Mark Sedrak, Laurent Cleenewerck

PERSONAL APPEARANCES OF CHRIST IN THE OT
Mark Kern, Fr. Benjamin Henderson

ANCESTRAL SIN John Lamberes, Mark Kern, Fr. Mike Barclay
THE MAJOR PROPHECIES OF CHRIST IN THE OT Fr. Stefan Zencuch
TYPOLOGY Deborah Kane, Fr.Stefan Zencuch
THE OT SACRIFICE Mark Sedrak, Mark Kern
THE OT CANON Laurent Cleenewerck, Fr. Allyne Smith
MELCHIZEDEK Fr. John A. Peck, Mark Kern
WHAT IS THE SEPTUAGINT? Fr. Allyne Smith
CHRIST OUR PASSOVER Dr. David Lewis
THE FEAST OF PENTECOST Edward Moore
SACRAMENT AND SYMBOL Edward Moore
THE TRINITY IN THE OT Deborah Kane,
Spiros Michalitsianos
IMAGERY IN THE TEMPLE Unassigned
GLOSSARY Fr. John Morris
OUTLINES AND INTRODUCTIONS Fr. Donald Hock
Margaret Hock
Center Column References
Nicholas Tentzeras
Nancy Tentzeras
Proofreading

Renie Carr
Beryl Hamilton
Fr. Christopher Wojcik
Administrative
Steve Ackley
Mark Mellis
Kelly Gracy
Joe Gracy

[Nicolaj]

Dear Brethren!

As I can read from the list above, I see many names which are wellknown throughout the orthodox community. And I am far away from America.
The Orthodox Study Bible was given to me as gift by the Steve and Bill from our life in Christ Podcast and it has always been a good and helpfull companion through the years.
I am looking forward for the whole edition and am sure it is made in faith and wisedom. May the Lord bless those who where able to contribute their piece for the whole of the orthodox family.

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

[Christophoros]

FYI: Yesterday I received an e-newsletter from Conciliar Press which states "Announcing for February 2008: The Long-Awaited Complete OSB with Old Testament! Watch for updates from Conciliar Press." No further information in the newsletter or website, but definitely good news.

7 months to go...

[Peter Heffner]

I am new here, so please redirect me if this has already been asked.

I have two questions.

One is that on the LXX.org website, it appears that there may be a preference for using proper names derived from late, Hebrew Masoretic manuscripts. For example, Yeshua seems to be preferred over the Greek Iesous/Jesus. Wouldn't it take considerable work in advanced historical linguistics to reconstruct these names as they <i>may have been</i> ca 200 BC? Remember, the Masoretes only lately added vowels, and we know they got an enormous number of those vowels and various 'h'-sounds wrong, if we compare them to the Greek which did have vowels ca 200 BC, when the original Hebrew still existed.

So my first question is: have the editors of the OSB decided definitively whether to use the traditional names as they are in the original Greek or to reconstruct them from Medieval Hebrew?

The second question is: Will the prophetic "Second Book of Esdras" be published?

Thank you!

In Christ,
Peter

[Christophoros]

Discounted pre-publication orders are now being taken for the complete Orthodox Study Bible at the following website, with a February 2008 ship date:

http://orthodoxstudybible.com/

[Nina]

Discounted pre-publication orders are now being taken for the complete Orthodox Study Bible at the following website, with a February 2008 ship date:

http://orthodoxstudybible.com/

Wow that looks beautiful! Thank you for posting it!

[Nicolaj]

This is great news! I will try to purchase one. God's blessings for all the people involved in this huge project!

Christos voskrese! Nicolaj

[Anthony]

The bad news is that the pre-order form does not seem to accept orders from outside the USA. I have asked for further information, and will get back here when I receive it.

[Paul Cowan]

This from the articles page (http://orthodoxstudybible.com/articles/rediscovering_old_testament_christianity/)of the website. If I am breaking some kind of copywrite rule, please delete this post.


Rediscovering Old Testament Christianity
by Matthew C. Steenberg

As the third Christian millennium dawns, the Church of Christ has entered into an age of reflection and reminiscence. The religion that began on quiet desert sands with the words of a sacrificial God and spread like wildfire to every corner of a rapidly growing world has entered a time of historical reflection and antiquarian curiosity. Christianity, divided among thousands of varieties that call themselves by the same name yet preach radically different doctrines, has come to long for the purity of an earlier age, in which the divisive voices of a fallen humanity had not begun to tear themselves away from the pure and undefiled garment of Christ.

This is not the first such “reminiscent phase” in the maturation process of the people of Christ. In the early fourth century, when the holy Emperor and Equal-to-the-Apostles, Constantine the Great, permitted the open practice of Christianity in the Roman Empire and the Church of the Persecution began to surface as the Church of the State, pious believers feared the dilution of Orthodox praxis and self-sacrifice that arose in the free Church, hearkening to earlier days as examples of the true Way.

Today, two full millennia later, similar sentiments abound. The human story since those early days has been full of advances and growth, but has also seen the saddening effects of abundant sin. Now, as the One Church of Christ sits in the midst of a fragmented Christian world, pious souls once again yearn for that early time when Christ’s footprints were still fresh upon the soil and the Church lived as He had founded it.

Such a quest to recapture the spirit and devotion of the early Church can be beneficial to the modern world, so long as it does not overly idealize the past or fail to appreciate the ongoing promise of Christ’s presence in the Church and His assurance of her continued spiritual growth. Yet there are dangers that must be avoided in such reflections.

Perhaps the most poignant of these, and unfortunately the least avoided by many Christian groups, is the desire to recapture the faith of the earliest Christians by creating a Church “based on the New Testament.” This aim, as noble as the intentions behind it may be, fails to appreciate the fact that the earliest Christians—those held up as pillars of Orthodoxy and great saints to be emulated by all—understood themselves entirely differently. Far from being a Church “of the New Testament” (which in any case did not exist as such during the first centuries of the Church), the early Christians understood themselves to be the people of the Covenant, of the ancestral and eternal promises of God—of what the world now terms the Old Testament.

The Church of the Old Testament
Here was the Scripture of the early Church, the Scripture read by the Incarnate Lord, the Scripture quoted by the Holy Apostles and their successors. Here was the source of models and examples for the Church of Jesus Christ, such that St. Clement of Rome could write in the late first century, “Let us turn to every age that has passed, and learn that, from generation to generation, the Lord has granted a place of repentance to all such as would be converted unto Him” (First Epistle of St. Clement of Rome to the Corinthians, 7).

In the writings of this great and inspired bishop, as well as in the writings of all the early Fathers and Mothers of the Church, the Incarnation of Jesus Christ was the next, great and miraculous step in the sanctification and redemption of humankind—a sanctification begun millennia before in the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Moses; in the holy covenant of God with His chosen people. It was in the context of this history that the early Christians lived, and within its midst that they understood Christ as living, acting, and redeeming. St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons in the late second century, exemplifies this understanding when he says of the Apostles that “they exhorted [the people] out of the prophets, that the Christ whom God promised to send, He sent in Jesus, whom they crucified and God raised up” (St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, iii.12.2).

“Out of the Prophets"—-out of the sacred Scriptures known now as “old"-—together with the histories, genealogies, legends, revelations, and promises that comprise the holy texts of the first Covenant, the early Church drew its own traditions, understandings, methods of prayer, liturgical practices, and hopes for the future life. Out of these texts it drew images of Christ, for through the grace of the Holy Spirit it understood the whole Old Testament as the very foundation of genuine Christianity—a Trinitarian work guiding the faithful to a right understanding of their Trinitarian God. The Old Testament was from the first seen as the great contextual source from which God’s continued leadership of His Church would be drawn, and in which it would be rooted.

If this, then, was the great textual source for that laudable era in Christian history, then it must also be the source of context and focus for a contemporary Church desirous of a return to the richness of that very era. The holy texts of the New Testament, the lives and writings of God’s great saints, the conciliar teachings of the holy Church and the counsel of her bishops must not be seen as a replacement for the Scripture called “old,” but as its extension and fulfillment. These newer elements of Christian Tradition are truths that cannot be understood without a deep, inner and faithful understanding of and love for the Scripture from which they all have flowed: the Old Testament of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

St. Ignatius expressed this divine reality in the late first or early second century:

If any one preaches the one God of the law and the prophets, but denies Christ to be the Son of God, he is a liar, even as also is his father the devil, and is a Jew falsely so-called [...] If any one confesses Christ Jesus the Lord, but denies the God of the Law and of the Prophets, saying that the Father of Christ is not the Maker of heaven and earth, he has not continued in the truth any more than his father the devil, and is a disciple of [the heretics], not of the Holy Spirit (Epistle of Ignatius to the Philadelphians, 6 [longer version]).

It is the belief of St. Ignatius, of all the Fathers, and of the whole Church that Christianity is none other than the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, borne to new heights through the renewal to life of God’s Incarnate Son.

The Christian Old Testament
The Old Testament known to the first centuries of the Church—that of the Septuagint text—was in many ways quite different from that known today by the majority of English-speaking Christians. The Orthodox Church, however, has always maintained that the older Septuagint text is the Christian Old Testament. It is here alone that the full message of the first Scriptures concerning the Trinity, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and salvation can be found.

St. Irenaeus, already mentioned, wrote that “the Apostles [...] agree with this aforesaid translation, and the translation harmonizes with the tradition of the Apostles” (St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, iii.21.3), and Justin Martyr would write that “not to [the Jews] but to us [Christians] does the doctrine of the [Septuagint] refer” (Justin Martyr, Address to the Greeks, 13).

Sadly, however, discovery of these doctrines has long been limited to those capable of reading either classical Greek, or archaic and largely inaccurate English versions. But in the present day, with multiple projects underway to render the Septuagint Old Testament into accurate contemporary English (including one project being realized within the Orthodox Church itself—see the report by Fr. Jack Sparks on page 11 of this issue), Christians of the English tongue are soon to be presented with a new and certainly God-given opportunity to rediscover their own Old Testament—-and find therein the “books relating to our [the Christian] religion” (Justin Martyr, op. cit.).

The Christianity of the Old Testament
What shall this rediscovery present to the contemporary Christian who, perhaps for the first time, sets eyes on the oldest version of the Old Testament in his or her own language? For Orthodox readers, a new clarity comes to much of Church doctrine when one is at last able to study and absorb the Scriptures from which it was formulated. This will also be the case for Roman Catholics, as the Old Testament canon of this body bears much similarity to that of the Orthodox Septuagint. For Protestant readers, the Septuagint will pose a unique challenge: how to read and understand an Old Testament containing multiple passages—and a collection of entire books—which have never been included in the Protestant canon, but which for two thousand years have been the official Old Testament Scriptures of Orthodox Christianity.

Renewed discussion on foundational Christian ideas cannot help but be a side effect of burgeoning interest in the Septuagint, as this ancient version addresses with some clarity issues that are often obscure (and thus, sadly, historically considered open for interpretation among various Christian bodies) in the Hebrew versions. It is on these very issues that many of the doctrinal discussions of modern Christianity have been based.

Prayer for the Dead
While space and the nature of this article prevent any full examination of the theological issues the Septuagint elucidates, mention of a few such issues will demonstrate the point at hand. First among these is prayer, concerning which there is much witness borne in the Hebrew Old Testament (1 Kings 8:22–53; Psalm 17; Daniel 9; etc.), as well as the New (Matthew 6:1–14; Philippians 1:3–11; James 5:13–20; etc.).

Yet when questions began to arise, early in the Church’s life, concerning prayer for and with those who have fallen asleep in Christ, the issue seemed to become more complicated. This remains so for many of the non-Orthodox churches, especially those subscribing to the notion of sola scriptura and finding in Scripture an absence of clear support for this practice. Yet for the Orthodox, there is substantial support of prayer for the dead not only among the extra-scriptural writings of the Fathers and the various Councils, but also in the Scripture of the Old Testament itself.

The book of 2 Maccabees, included in the Septuagint canon of Scripture from the earliest days of the Church, speaks explicitly of this idea on a number of occasions. Perhaps most notable is the reference to Judas Maccabeus and his men praying for their fallen comrades after a sorrowful defeat in battle:

For if [Judas] were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, that they might be delivered from their sin (2 Maccabees 12:44, 45).

One witnesses in these verses not only a defense of the acceptability of prayer for the dead, but also a powerful confession of faith in the resurrection, even before the days of Christ. It is on account of this pending resurrection, and in the hope that his beloved companions will attain to the Kingdom in its time, that Judas prays for his fallen soldiers. To this day, the Orthodox Church continues in the same tradition, praying on behalf of those who have fallen asleep that sins may be forgiven, and “that the Lord will establish their souls where the just repose...where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting” (from the Orthodox burial service; cf. Isaiah 35).

The Church’s ancient tradition of prayer for, with and to the departed—which in the Hebrew versions of the Old Testament finds only vague and somewhat tenuous support—discovers firm and solid grounding in the Septuagint version; and let us not forget that this version is the eldest, and that which was the original Old Testament of Christianity. It is little wonder, then, that contemporary churches based on a different edition of the Scriptures are challenged to find support for this older view in their own texts, and thus have formulated doctrines that differ quite markedly from it. Renewed interest in and accessibility to the Septuagint provides clarity to this traditional practice.

Faith and Works
Another issue upon which substantial light is shed by the textual tradition of the Septuagint version is that of the relationship between works and faith. Dispute over this issue has been formative in the whole history of Christianity in the West since the days of the Protestant Reformation in the mid-sixteenth century; yet in the whole course of Orthodox history it has never played such a major—much less a divisive—part. Even the distinction between faith and works is a false distinction in Orthodox thought, for they are understood as two aspects of a dynamic whole that is the virtuous and holy life.

Though the holy James the Just states precisely this ("faith without works is dead,” James 2:17), such New Testament references have been open to much dispute in modern days. Yet for Orthodox Christians, the Old Testament provides overwhelming confirmation in the Septuagint version. The story of Susannah, included as a preamble to the Book of the Prophet Daniel, describes the virtue of a holy life, which is able to overcome—through the action of the divine grace of God—even the slanders of the malicious.1 One sees clearly the interaction of a deeply rooted belief in God (the so-called “faith” of many traditions) and the living out of life in accordance with the fervent expectation to which that belief gives rise ("works"). Neither the belief nor the action alone is the source of the rich and holy life of Susannah or Daniel, but rather the dynamic interaction of the two, woven into a single garment of personal virtue by the grace of God.

So, too, in the lives and words of the holy Prophets of the Old Testament. These great saints, whose message Christ came not to abolish but to perfect and fulfill (cf. Matthew 5:17–20), teach of belief that leads to action, and action that in turn fosters belief. Thus it is with Jonah, whose lack of devoted belief led to three days in the belly of a whale (Jonah 1:1—2:11 LXX; 1:1—2:10 in the Hebrew versions), and whose lack of servant action led to a restless night beneath the shade of a gourd (Jonah 3:1—4:11).

Thus does Micah’s firm belief in the deliverance and future salvation of the Lord lead him to cry out in anticipation of that day in which His chosen people shall “rise up” and act in righteousness (Micah 7:8–13). Thus does Zephaniah stare upon a fallen people and long for the return of the true character of human life, in which “all the people may call upon the name of the Lord and serve Him shoulder to shoulder” (Zephaniah 3:9).

All throughout the Scriptures of the Old Testament, and especially as they are clarified in the Septuagint version, one sees the devout life exemplified as the dynamic interaction of action and belief, of true faith that is in fact both “faith” and “works"—and transcends each of these much-abused terms. So can the holy Apostle Paul echo the words of the Prophet Habbakuk (in Greek, Avakoum) and proclaim that “the righteous shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11; Habakkuk 2:4), not in the least contradicting James’ notable “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).

So, too, does an understanding of the holy life and the true character of relationship with God as is exemplified in the teaching of the Old Testament, help bring restored meaning to the words of the Savior Himself, whose statements akin to “your faith has saved you” (Luke 7:50) do not outweigh, but rather stand in harmony with His repeated exhortations to “go,” “proclaim,” “serve,” “follow,” “love."2

The witness of the Old Testament is that the dialectic between faith and works is in fact a false dialectic, a false problem, a misunderstanding of a fundamental issue. Life in the Holy Trinity—and this is ultimately what the whole of the Old Testament is about—is one of complete being, belief as well as action, centered upon the will of a loving and creative God.

Returning to the Old, Rediscovering the New
As the living Body of Christ enters into its third millennium, it is faced with the many questions accumulated through its two thousand years of growth. It stands at the dawn of a new age, a new generation, anticipating with joy the many blessings to come, yet sorrowing at the sad divisions and dilutions already present in a world called “Christian.” It glances back to its early days, now long past, and wonders with longing, “Shall we ever again be one?”

More and more, it is becoming evident that unity among a much-fractured Christian people can only be faithfully and healthfully restored through a fresh embrace of the essential Christian truths. To this end, a renewed interest in the truly Christian Old Testament—the Scriptures foundational in the formation of the doctrines containing these very truths—will be an essential tool. In an era ripe for the teaching of truth, we must not forget the message of the holy Apostle Paul, that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine” (2 Timothy 3:16)—nor that by “Scripture” the Apostle refers specifically to the Old Testament.

Here is the message of truth that contains the witness and teaching of the Christian Church. Here is the revelation of Jesus Christ, of the Holy Spirit and the gracious Father upon which the New Testament builds and the teachings of the Church are founded. Here is the instruction leading to righteousness and holiness, to the sanctification of humanity and the world that Christ’s glorious life, death and Resurrection provide. Here is the message of Life that makes all things new, paradoxically bound in the pages of a covenant called “Old,” ready to proclaim that Life to a needy world.

Matthew C. Steenberg is a Marshall Scholar at the University of Oxford, England, and a Ph.D. candidate in early patristic theology and Church history. He is also the operator of Monachos.net, a website that focuses on patristics and monasticism.

1 In the Septuagint canon, the story of Susannah forms the preamble or “foreword” to the Book of Daniel, immediately preceding the first chapter of that book. Pending the publication and widespread accessibility of the Septuagint in English, the story of Susannah can be found in English Bibles containing the so-called “Apocrypha,” where it is known as The Book of Susannah, The Story of Susannah, or simply Susannah.

2 Cf. Luke 5:14; 9:57–62; 18:1–8, and a host of other passages in which the healing of the lame, sick and suffering by Christ is proclaimed on account of faith that has shown itself in action (e.g. the persistent widow), and is urged to promote continued virtuous action into the future (e.g. “Go, and sin no more").



Dear Deacon Matthew,

If I ever get the chance to meet you, I hope you will honor me with an autograph. Nice plug for Monachos.net BTW.

Paul

[Linda]

Mr. Steenberg,

I read your review on amazon.com and I have read other somewhat critical reviews of the OSB.

What is your final analysis? Is there a better alternative or is this the best of what is currently available?

Thank you

[Andreas Moran]

The OSB will not be useful for liturgical readings in those places which use traditional liturgical English (including the monastery here in Essex, and, I suppose, the Diocese of Sourozh).

[Father David Moser]

The OSB will not be useful for liturgical readings in those places which use traditional liturgical English (including the monastery here in Essex, and, I suppose, the Diocese of Sourozh).

This is true, and it was a regrettable decision by the publisher not to use traditional language (from what I am told it was the publisher's decision, not the decision of the translators and Church people). However, it will still be useful for personal study and reading, especially when one considers the fact that this is one of the few texts of the Septuagint translated into English)

Similarly, the Holy Apostles Convent two volume New Testament is also wonderful resource but the language is so clumsy that it too is not suited for liturgical reading, however it is a good reference for personal study and reading.

I think we have to be careful not to ignore those resources that are there simply because they do not use the traditional language to which many of us have become accustomed to for Church reading. Liturgical reading is probably only a fraction of the reading of scripture that we should be doing.

Fr David Moser

[Nina]

This is true, and it was a regrettable decision by the publisher not to use traditional language (from what I am told it was the publisher's decision, not the decision of the translators and Church people).
Fr David Moser

Since the most important people did not have a say, should we boycott it then? Who is the publisher, please?

[Father David Moser]

Since the most important people did not have a say, should we boycott it then? Who is the publisher, please?

The publisher is Thomas Nelson - one of the largest publishers of Bibles in the US at least. And no, why should you boycott it? The publisher is putting up the money and they made a business choice (albeit, one that was ill advised in my opinion) based on their experience with publishing different translations of the Bible that they thought would bring the highest number of sales. I have no problem with that - its the way American (and for the most part international) business works. But that's no reason to deprive yourself of the opportunity to have the Scripture available to you in English (although since you presumably read Greek it is less of an issue in your case - but for those of us who are language impaired, it is a very valuable opportunity)

Fr David Moser

[Nina]

The publisher is Thomas Nelson - one of the largest publishers of Bibles in the US at least. And no, why should you boycott it? The publisher is putting up the money and they made a business choice (albeit, one that was ill advised in my opinion) based on their experience with publishing different translations of the Bible that they thought would bring the highest number of sales. I have no problem with that - its the way American (and for the most part international) business works. But that's no reason to deprive yourself of the opportunity to have the Scripture available to you in English (although since you presumably read Greek it is less of an issue in your case - but for those of us who are language impaired, it is a very valuable opportunity)

Fr David Moser

Yes, because I know how the business works and not only here but all over the world, I wanted to know if I should spend the money for purchasing several of them as gifts.

[Andreas Moran]

At any rate, we have the LXX Psalms from HTM. I understood they were working on the rest of the LXX. I think their LXX Psalms is very good, though perhaps trying a little too hard here and there. At the monastery here, they use the KJV for readings in church but modify it to reflect the LXX. It's a pity we can't one definitive version for use in church but I suppose no agreement on which version will ever be reached.

[Christophoros]

One thing to keep in mind with Bibles published by large Protestant publishing houses like Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, etc., is that if economic conditions justify it, they can easily take the OSB study notes and publish them with the KJV or any other translation. So, sufficient support (meaning purchases) of the OSB could lead to a "KJV Edition" in the future.

[Father David Moser]

One thing to keep in mind with Bibles published by large Protestant publishing houses like Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, etc., is that if economic conditions justify it, they can easily take the OSB study notes and publish them with the KJV or any other translation. So, sufficient support (meaning purchases) of the OSB could lead to a "KJV Edition" in the future.

But we don't want a "KJV Edition" since the whole point of this publication is a new translation of the Septuagint OT text. Going back to the KJV would be a step backwards.

Fr David Moser

[Anthony]

For anybody interested, the publishers have informed me that shipping overseas is possible but costs at least $30 + customs.

[Christophoros]

But we don't want a "KJV Edition" since the whole point of this publication is a new translation of the Septuagint OT text. Going back to the KJV would be a step backwards.

Fr David Moser

That's true... However, the Septuagint OT in the Orthodox Study Bible is based on a NKJV template. I wonder how hard it would be for Thomas Nelson to adapt the changes to a KJV template. I imagine it wouldn't be difficult, except for the portions of the Anaginoskomena which weren't in the KJV to begin with.

[Father David Moser]

That's true... However, the Septuagint OT in the Orthodox Study Bible is based on a NKJV template.

What do you mean here? Are you saying that the translators simply compared the NKJV with the Septuagint text and then just adjusted those parts that were in disagreement? I suppose that some of the translators did that, however, the person that I have spoken with who did some of the translating was telling me that he retranslated from scratch. I will be seeing him again in a week and so I'll ask about the process.

Fr David Moser

[Kris]

What do you mean here? Are you saying that the translators simply compared the NKJV with the Septuagint text and then just adjusted those parts that were in disagreement? I suppose that some of the translators did that, however, the person that I have spoken with who did some of the translating was telling me that he retranslated from scratch. I will be seeing him again in a week and so I'll ask about the process.


Bless Father,

This is from LXX.org


Q: Is the LXX project a complete translation of the Septuagint into modern English? It seems like that would be a much larger project than I see here.

A: You see as thorough a translation as that to be found anywhere. We are taking the New King James Version as a starting point -- "boilerplate" you might say -- and changing it everywhere it is different from the Septuagint. The result will indeed be a Septuagint translation.


Naturally the Deuterocanonical books would have been translated from scratch since they are not included in the NKJV.

[Father David Moser]

Bless Father,

This is from LXX.org


Naturally the Deuterocanonical books would have been translated from scratch since they are not included in the NKJV.

Thanks, I will ask Father about this when I see him next week. He worked on the translations of the prophets which were already in "full form" in the KJV so he should be able to tell me more about his process.

Fr David MOser

[Stuart Dunn]

To those interested in saving money, you can order the Bible by clicking here (http://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Study-Bible-Ancient-Christianity/dp/0718003594/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/103-4939508-9574265). It's available at Amazon, initially cheaper than the other site, as well as free shipping.

[M.C. Steenberg]

As one of the translators of the OSB myself, I can certainly confirm that it was not an 'updating' of the NKJV, though this was the concept on some people's minds at the beginning (I regret that it is still found on-line!). It was quickly determined that this was not desireable.

INXC, Dcn matthew

[Stuart Dunn]

I do have a question. Was the NT and Psalms re-done at all from the original Orthodox Study Bible or is it just a verbatim copy in the new one?

[Christophoros]

I don't know about the New Testament, but the Psalms would have changes based on the Septuagint rendering... One thing I noticed on the sample pages posted on the OSB website is a change in format. The original "New Testament and Psalms" edition of the OSB used the center-column references which are integrated with most NKJV Bibles. These are absent from the Genesis and Psalm pages posted on the official website. The references are particularly valuable in finding corresponding readings in other verses. I wonder if they changed the format in the New Testament as well; if they did, a useful resource would disappear. But if they retained the center-column notes in the NT only, it might make an odd pairing with the OT format.

[Robert Rager]

I do have a question. Was the NT and Psalms re-done at all from the original Orthodox Study Bible or is it just a verbatim copy in the new one?

In an interview on Ancient Faith Radio, one of the things Fr. Peter Gillquist said was that they added more patristic quotes to the NT commentary.

http://ancientfaith.com/specials/interviews/

[Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim]

On the sample page for Psalm 2:

http://orthodoxstudybible.com/samples/psalms/P1/

Vs. 3 reads "let us break their bands" rather than "bonds".

I hope these types of mistakes have been corrected before the release date.

Kyrillos

[Stuart Dunn]

Bands might be as acceptable as bonds...I am not a translator by any stretch of the imagination, but I thumbed through some other translations and "bonds" was chains, ropes, cords, etc...so perhaps bands is an acceptable term.

[Olga]

The Greek Septuagint of the segment of Ps 2:3 reads as follows: Diarrixomen tous desmous auton (I can't get polytonic Greek to show up properly ...). The word desmous is unambiguous. It means, to use a quaint expression, "ties that bind". Hence it can be translated as bands, bonds, fetters, etc.

[Andreas Moran]

'Band' and 'bond' are synonymns. My dictionary says that they come from a Middle English word which could be spelled as 'band' or 'bond', and (in the plural) means shackles, bonds, fetters. The equivalent Old Norse word is 'band'. 'Band' meaning some kind of strip of cloth wrapped around things has a different etymology. 'Δεσμα' is translated in the KJV as 'bands' in, e.g. Luke 8:29 and Acts 16:26.

[M.C. Steenberg]

I tend to think of 'bands' as the more traditional English expression of the idea ('and he brake their bands asunder' is a common enough phrase); and I personally feel it a slightly more accurate nuance on the meaning of the narrative.

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Andreas Moran]

A colleague of mine, a distinguished professor of human rights law, entitled his recent book, 'To loose the bands of wickedness', a quote from somewhere in the Book of Isaiah. 'Bands' does seem to have, as Matthew hints, a particular resonance.

[Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim]

Thank you for those responses! Please forgive me, I jumped the gun in assuming it might have been a typo..."bands" just sounded a little unsusual to my modern ears.

Kyrillos

[Theopesta]

May I share with my poor experience:

1- (AKJV) "Let us break their bands asunder"
(YLT) ‘Let us draw off Their cords, And cast from us Their thick bands.’
(Leeser) "Let us break asunder their bands, and cast away from us their cords."

(HNV) "Let’s break their bonds apart, and cast their cords from us."
(Darby) Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us!


2- the Hebrew word of Band is: moser according to strong no. {04147} it means band or bond.

3- pool commentary:
bands, which they design to put upon our necks, that they may bring us into subjection
onlinebible.net

4- Cambridge Dictionary:
band (STRIP) noun [C]
a thin flat piece of cloth, elastic, metal or other material put around something to fasten or strengthen it.

With all Kind Regards
In One Christ

[Anthony]

Thank you for those responses! Please forgive me, I jumped the gun in assuming it might have been a typo..."bands" just sounded a little unsusual to my modern ears.

Kyrillos

Mine too, for what its worth. But we are not supposed to use modern English when talking about Orthodoxy. ;)

[Stephanos Nikopolis]

Mine too, for what its worth. But we are not supposed to use modern English when talking about Orthodoxy. ;)

I have just had a chance to pre-order, thanks to those responsible for making the announcement a few weeks ago.

I just wanted to address the use of English question.

I believe we should keep in mind that native English-speaking Orthodox come from many different backgrounds.

For example, for many people of Anglo-Saxon and/or Protestant background, 16th-17th Century English is holy language, but for someone from, say, Mediterranean background, that type of English is utterly foreign and may need a translation. For me, it is easier to understand the Septuagint Greek or a Latin Vulgate translation from the 4th or 5th Century.

These are just two examples, we can list many others.

We can all make criticisms of the translation: just in the sample passages provided on the website, I noticed in one or two Psalms the use of "shall" and in others the use of "will". To me even "shall" is foreign, but, again, to others it is part of the tradition of holy English language.

In short, it is probably safe to assume that no translation can please everyone. Nonetheless, I believe we all need to be grateful that we have such a valuable resource produced by Orthodox workers in the vineyard.

God bless you all in this Christmas season.

[Anthony]

Dear Steve,

Thank you for your comments. I should perhaps explain that the comment you quote was ironic, following from an earlier discussion of the language question which got a bit heated. (I will try to avoid this kind of quip in future.) I am actually in favour of the use of modern English, or at least against the intolerance which some people show towards it.

I'm sure in any case we will all agree with you in being thankful for this new resource. I for one am looking forward to it.

Anthony

[Christophoros]

It appears the release date for the OSB has been pushed ahead once again. Several online suppliers - Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christian Book Distributors - have revised their release date from February 12th to June 17, 2008.

[Paul Cowan]

Swell, (dripping with sarcasism). Everytime I pay a vendor in full for services to be rendered, I get put on the back burner. It seems those that pay after services are renderd get more prompt attention. Yes, I prepaid for my copies.

Oh well, all the more sweet when it does arrive I suppose.

Paul

[Effie Ganatsios]

I tried to find the Orthodox Study Bible (New Testament) in a few of the Orthodox churches in Victoria, Australia and couldn't, mainly because we only found one open! My sister is going to continue trying to find it for me.

The fact that the Orthodox churches in Melbourne are closed to the public after the liturgy ends, made a disagreeable impression on me. There might be good reasons behind this decision but I thought churches were for the faithful.

I also saw that the Archdiocese of Victoria has some very, very expensive cars in its possession.

At least our churches here stay open all day ............the expensive cars are another matter. Our Metropolitan just bought himself one of the most expensive cars you can buy here. Who pays for all these toys?

Effie

[Christophoros]

It appears the release date for the OSB has been pushed ahead once again. Several online suppliers - Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christian Book Distributors - have revised their release date from February 12th to June 17, 2008.

This week I spoke to Conciliar Press about the release date of the OSB. Their representative said it is still scheduled for release on February 12 but will be available only through Conciliar Press. Other outlets such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble will receive the OSB later in June.

[Stephanos Nikopolis]

This week I spoke to Conciliar Press about the release date of the OSB. Their representative said it is still scheduled for release on February 12 but will be available only through Conciliar Press. Other outlets such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble will receive the OSB later in June.

Can you clarify? Does that mean that those who "pre-ordered" directly from the Conciliar Press website will receive their OSB sometime in February?

Thanks

[Christophoros]

Can you clarify? Does that mean that those who "pre-ordered" directly from the Conciliar Press website will receive their OSB sometime in February?

Thanks

Yes. She told me those who pre-ordered through Conciliar Press should get their copies in February (assuming there are no problems in the next month with the printing), but those who ordered through Barnes and Noble or other booksellers will not receive theirs until June, due to a later delivery date to outside sellers.

[Stuart Dunn]

I too noticed a June 23rd release date when I placed my order with Amazon in January. I assumed so many people had already pre-ordered. Therefore, the amount they themselves had on pre-order had already been gone through so that was when their next shipment was coming in. So I decided to cancel the order, so I could add a book to it that was temporarily out of stock. By doing so I got free shipping on the book if they ever do get it back in stock, and if they don't I still get my Bible shipped separately whenever it becomes available. To the main point of this post though. When adding the Bible back into the cart (along with the other book) I noticed that, the estimated shipping date was no longer June 23rd, but it was now February 18th. So perhaps, Conciliar Press changed their mind, or Amazon paid a hefty fee to them to get an earlier release date (but not compete with those who already ordered from Conciliar) and crush their online competition of Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc. (I'm getting a Master's in Business. Can you tell? :)) Not telling anyone to buy from Amazon, if they have already ordered from Conciliar. But if you are going with a 3rd party merchant it's no tax, free shipping, and 5% off pre-orders (gotta order before February 12th). Whenever, I get mine I will be happy :)

[Christophoros]

I'll be curious to see when those who pre-paid directly through Conciliar Press will receive their OSB. Some bookstores already have them - I received mine from St. Tikhon Seminary Bookstore today after placing an internet order last week.

[Marianthy]

I ordered mine through Amazon...the price was really great for a leather bound copy...I got a pre-order discount, an additional 5% off free shipping and no tax..the shipping estimate says June 23rd though...I wonder if that will change once they receive my money order.

Marianthy

[Stuart Dunn]

I ordered mine through Amazon...the price was really great for a leather bound copy...I got a pre-order discount, an additional 5% off free shipping and no tax..the shipping estimate says June 23rd though...I wonder if that will change once they receive my money order.

Marianthy

It looks like the leather shipping date is different from the hardcover. I'll let you know when I receive the hardcover. It could just be an error on the hardcover date. Good luck with receiving yours earlier than June 23rd.

[Paul Cowan]

<tapping foot on the floor>

Some folks here have theirs, my parish bookstore just got 6 cases! If they are shipping early, where's mine?

<still tapping foot on floor>

Paul ^;^

[Chris S.]

As of last night (Feb 11), it was still possible to pre-order leather bound copies from Conciliar Press. In fact, taking a look at the website right now, it still looks feasible.

I placed my order last night with Conciliar Press in anticipation that I would receive it quicker than from Amazon. I haven't seen any charges to my credit card - but it hasn't been 24-36 hours yet.

Possibly they're shipping these first come, first serve. Logical.

[Stuart Dunn]

Amazon pushed my shipping estimate back to April 14th. Time to practice patience.

[Chris S.]

I contacted Conciliar Press today, and they said it would be a couple weeks before the leather bound editions were being shipped.

[Patrick Lee]

I contacted Conciliar Press today, and they said it would be a couple weeks before the leather bound editions were being shipped.

We received our first case of leatherbound yesterday. Our first case of hardcover arrived last week.

[Paul Cowan]

<tapping foot on the floor>

Some folks here have theirs, my parish bookstore just got 6 cases! If they are shipping early, where's mine?

<still tapping foot on floor>

Paul ^;^

I contacted Concilar Press since my foot was starting to get sore. They said since they had not yet gotten the leather bound and my order was one of each, they were holding it until they got the whole order. I then got a e-mail from UPS that they will arrive by the 26th.

I don't care if they are missing something. I am anxious to start reading it. Even if it is on ultra thin rice paper.
Paul

[Olga]

.... just don't sneeze too hard, Paul. :))

[Michael Astley]

As one of the translators of the OSB myself, I can certainly confirm that it was not an 'updating' of the NKJV, though this was the concept on some people's minds at the beginning (I regret that it is still found on-line!). It was quickly determined that this was not desireable.

INXC, Dcn matthew

Dear Fr Dcn Matthew,

Thank you so much for this. I was delighted when I first read your post, having laboured for such a long time under the impression that was simply LXXised NKJV. I followed the link to contact the webmaster on the LXX.org website, (which is the site that has, for some time, carried the information that the OSB Old Testament is simply corrected NKJV), and asked if this was simply an oversight. I received a reply from a priest who said that he had left the project some years ago for personal reasons. As he was still the webmaster of that site, I simply assumed that this is why it hadn't been updated to reflect what you said.

However, I have since received a communication from a lady who said that her parish priest was originally asked to translate Exodus, but that his translation was laid aside in favour of an updated version of the NKJV rendering of Exodus instead. Also, now that the OSB has finally been released, the website of the Conciliar Press, (where I was pleased to find an article by you), also states:


When explaining the LXX Project, inquirers commonly ask about how the translators did their work. It was done by taking the New King James Version of the Bible as a starting point and changing it everywhere it differed from the Septuagint, with the result being a new and thorough translation.

Please know that I do not mean to question your knowledge of the inner-workings of this project, in which you have been closely involved, but I'm sure that you understand the confusion caused by this conflicting information, some of it quite recent.

Please would you, or anybody else, (especially those who have already received copies of the OSB and are able to do side-by-side comparisons with the NKJV text), be able to confirm for certain one way or the other? Thank you so much.

Pax,
Michael

[Christophoros]

From The Orthodox Study Bible Introduction, page XI:

"The contributors used the Alfred Rahlfs edition of the Greek text as the basis for the English translation. To this base they brought two additional major sources. The first is the Brenton text, a British translation of the Greek Old Testament, published in 1851. The availability of this work, and the respect accorded it, made it an obvious choice as a source document. Secondly, Thomas Nelson Publishers granted use of the Old Testament text of the New King James Version in the places where the English translation of the LXX would match that of the Masoretic (Hebrew) text. The development team at St. Athanasius Academy carefully studied these sources, along with other documents, to produce an English Old Testament suitable for the project. The organization of the Old Testament books, that is, their canonical order, was taken from The Old Testament According to the Seventy, published with the approval of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. The first edition was released in June, 1928. The Old Testament text presented in this volume does not claim to be a new or superior translation. The goal was to produce a text to meet the Bible-reading needs of English-speaking Orthodox Christians."

[Michael Astley]

From The Orthodox Study Bible Introduction, page XI:

"The contributors used the Alfred Rahlfs edition of the Greek text as the basis for the English translation. To this base they brought two additional major sources. The first is the Brenton text, a British translation of the Greek Old Testament, published in 1851. The availability of this work, and the respect accorded it, made it an obvious choice as a source document. Secondly, Thomas Nelson Publishers granted use of the Old Testament text of the New King James Version in the places where the English translation of the LXX would match that of the Masoretic (Hebrew) text. The development team at St. Athanasius Academy carefully studied these sources, along with other documents, to produce an English Old Testament suitable for the project. The organization of the Old Testament books, that is, their canonical order, was taken from The Old Testament According to the Seventy, published with the approval of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. The first edition was released in June, 1928. The Old Testament text presented in this volume does not claim to be a new or superior translation. The goal was to produce a text to meet the Bible-reading needs of English-speaking Orthodox Christians."

Aha!

Thank you, Christophoros. It seems that the actual method wasn't quite as straightforward as either a fresh translation or an amended NKJV text. That helps.

Pax,
Michael

[Jim McQuiggin]

Much of this reminds me of what I've usually noticed on the title page of King James Bibles: "translated out of the original tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and revised".

Jim

[Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim]

Can someone tell me why Proverbs 22:6 in the existing English translations (Masoretic) is missing/non-existent in the Orthodox Study Bible Text (Septuagint)?

Fr. Kyrillos

[Olga]

The Greek Septuagint omits this verse. Why, I have no idea, other than it may appear elsewhere in Proverbs. Transpositions do happen.

[Christophoros]

http://www.bombaxo.com/blog/?p=512

After so long a time, we now have, within the space of a year, two complete English translations of the Septuagint, the Old Testament of the early Church, and still the Old Testament for Orthodox Christians. One is a scholarly edition, the New English Translation of the Septuagint, published by Oxford University Press and typically referred to as NETS ($19.80 at Amazon; thanks Iyov!). I’ve written about this translation previously. Now there is also the St Athanasius Academy Septuagint, the trademarked (!) name of the Old Testament included in the new Orthodox Study Bible: Ancient Christianity Speaks to Today’s World published by Thomas Nelson Publishers (the New Testament translation included is the New King James Version, which was likewise the “boilerplate” used as a guide to the translation of the Septuagint, in a role analogous to that of the NRSV for NETS). The OSB is available in both a hardback and a “genuine leather” edition, and least expensively from Amazon (hardback only is available for pre-order; available now in hardback and “leather” from Conciliar Press). As I’ve already described the NETS, I’ll now briefly review the new Orthodox Study Bible (henceforth OSB) and proceed to a comparison of these two welcome translations.

First, as is patently indicated by its title, the OSB is a study Bible intended primarily for an English-reading Eastern Orthodox Christian audience and other English readers with an interest in Orthodoxy. At the bottom of each page are notes of varying lengths, though tending toward brevity, rather like those of the Oxford Annotated Bibles. There are various single-page study articles interspersed throughout both Testaments, covering subjects like Ancestral Sin, Sacrifice, The Tabernacle, Types of Mary in the Old Testament, and so on. There are likewise a number of different full-color pages including reproductions of various icons, which the Orthodox are well-known for. A number of different articles and helps are likewise included: Acknowledgments, Special Recognition, an introduction, a page listing the Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant Old Testaments, a page of abbreviations of patristic authors and materials used in the notes, “Overview of the Books of the Bible” by Bishop Basil (Essey) of Wichita and Mid-America, “Introducing the Orthodox Church,” “The Bible: God’s Revelation to Man” by Bishop Joseph (al-Zehlaoui) of Los Angeles and the West, “How to Read the Bible” by Bishop Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia, a “Lectionary” which is not precisely the actual liturgical lectionary of the Eastern Orthodox Church but is intended for a devotional reading schedule, a glossary of terms and phrases used in the notes, pages of morning and evening prayers, indices to the annotations and study articles, the traditional list of The Seventy Apostles (see Luke 10), and a set of full-color maps. Throughout the OSB, each book of the two Testaments is given an introductory section including Author, Date, Major Theme, Background, and Outline. All this indicates therefore a volume of satisfying heft, and of a great variety of resources typical of study Bible of our day and age.

I have not delved deeply into the OSB yet, but can give some initial impressions. First, there are various pearls of patristic wisdom strewn about in the notes, with attribution only by abbreviated name, not by work. There could have been more, which would rather have been appreciated, of course, but at the very least citations should have been included, whether for a quotation or for the more vague sorts of allusions worded by the annotators. Otherwise, the notes are fairly consistent in following a Christocentric interpretation in the Old Testament, the traditional Orthodox approach which makes for such rich hymnography. When, however, they drift into mere summary of the sections above, they are rather jejune and entirely unnecessary.

The icons are a mixed bag of quality. There are some beautiful ones: a the Three Holy Youths in the Furnace from a mural at Vatopaidi Monastery, Mount Athos dated 1312; The Transfiguration by Photi Kontoglu; and St John the Forerunner by Father Gregory (surname not given). The rest are of varying quality, some being quite sentimentalizing, some veering toward mere painting. A consistenly better collection of icons could have been presented, as our holy icons are treasures of the Church and there are hundreds of recognized works written in great sanctity and also recognized to be of great artistic value. This was also a complaint of the icons included in the first Orthodox Study Bible: New Testament and Psalms. Astonishingly, all of the icons presented in that earlier volume, several of which received complaints regarding their quality, were included in this volume, along with a few others.

My copy is the “genuine leather” edition, with gilt-edged pages. Apparently these days, “genuine leather” means what used to be called “bonded leather.” The cover of this one feels more like cardboard, of much lesser quality than even the first OSB, which wasn’t of great quality at all. And the binding is glued, not stitched, which is truly unfortunate (and cheap). In combination with this, the margins are miserly, so that the text veers into the gutter (where the pages meet in the middle of the open book). The print is, however, comfortably large, though the line spacing seems a bit cramped. Each page is two-columned, fully justified (that is, both sides of the text block meet the edges of the columns). I would have this OSB rebound with a better quality cover, but the glued binding and small margins would result in it being unusable, as the gutter problem would grow even worse once sewn. Nice. There is only one register (the bound-in ribbon bookmark) unlike the old OSB which included two. The page edge gilding is the spray-on kind that is already leaving little flecks of gold everywhere. So, as an example of bookbinding, I would not rate the OSB well.

The use of the New King James Version in the New Testament is still an issue. For the amount of time this translation was in process (roughly ten years since I first started following it), an entire New Testament translation based on Constantinople’s Ecclesiastical text could have been easily produced. Instead, we have this translation based on the hybrid Textus Receptus, and Byzantine readings noted in the translation as readings of the “M-Text” and readings from the Nestle-Aland/UBS text noted as the “NU-Text.” With all the effort put into producing the Septuagint translation, a little more to produce a translation of the Ecclesiastical text would have been appreciated. As it stands, therefore, this “Orthodox Study Bible” is only half Orthodox: in the Old Testament only. A few quotations of Church Fathers in the notes doesn’t fix the NT.

The order of the books follows the traditional Orthodox order, except in mysteriously placing the Prayer of Manasseh not after the Psalms, where the Odes would normally be, but as the last column on the last page of 2 Chronicles, where it appears to be a part of chapter 36. Then there is the confusion of the two Ezra books and Nehemiah. In the Septuagint, it is usually the case (as in NETS; also see here) that there is 1 Esdras, the alternate partial Chronicles/Ezra-Nehemiah book, and then the Hebrew Ezra and Nehemiah books are combined as 2 Esdras, with 23 chapters. The OSB inexplicably has 1 Ezra (the 1 Esdras above), 2 Ezra (Hebrew Ezra), and Nehemiah. Though I do recall this as an option among Greek treatments of the titles of these books, it’s not as common as the other. In Daniel there is a serious problem with the page headers. At the beginning of Daniel is, as is proper, the book of Susanna, and at the end, Bel and the Serpent. Unfortunately, the page headers take the verse of Susanna as the chapter of Daniel, so the header on page 1237, the second page of Susanna/Daniel, reads “Daniel 41″ and the next page “Daniel 42.” At the end of the book, page 1261 has the header “Daniel 21″ and the next page “Daniel 22.”

So, the OSB appears to be at the very least a step in the right direction, and I do expect myself to warm to it to a certain degree, but its shortcomings are real and inexcusable. I know quite a number of people worked on this Bible for a long time. It should have been better. It could have been better. Why is it not better?

Now I’d like to look at the two Septuagint translations in comparison. The NETS is, of course, a scholarly effort of great erudition, designed for use as an academic tool. The OSB is designed for use as devotional reading. For this reason, the OSB doesn’t include translations of the variant texts in Joshua, Judges, Esther, and Daniel, for instance, but rather opts for what is (more or less) the Ecclesiastical text. As I mentioned above, the OSB used the NKJV as a base for its translation, just as the NETS used the NRSV. In this first comparison, therefore, I’ve chosen Sirach 44.1-5, as something not contaminated by boilerplate usage of the NKJV.

OSB Sirach 4.1-5:Let us now praise honored men and our fathers. The Lord established His great glory And majesty from the beginning through them. There were those who ruled in their kingdoms And were men renowned for their power, Giving counsel through their understanding And proclaiming prophecies. There were leaders of the people by their counsels And understanding of learning for the people, Wise in their words of instruction.

NETS Sirach 44.1-5 Let us now praise famous menand our fathers by descent. The Lord created much glory, his majesty from eternity. When they ruled in their kingdoms, men also became noteworthy through power; when they counseled with their intelligence, when they announced through their prophecies, when they led the people by deliberations and with understanding of a people’s scribal art—wise words there are in their instruction.

Notice how the OSB simply does not flow, and only really makes sense after having read the NETS version. This is caused by relying too strictly on a very literal translation method. See how with very little change, the NETS flows so much better. What, for instance, is “understanding of learning for the people” in the OSB supposed to connote? The Greek is και συνεσει γραμματειας λαου, which is much better rendered by NETS as “understanding of a people’s scribal art.” The issue in the OSB appears to lie in the RSV being used as a base text in this instance (”understanding of learning for the people”) rather than the more clear NRSV (”knowledge of the people’s lore”), which is informed not merely by Greek Sirach, but the Hebrew fragments, the key phrase here being חכמי שיח בספרתם. NETS is the best of the set on this front.

Now we’ll go to an old favorite, Psalm 22 (23 in the Masoretic and English numbering tradition), and see what the OSB and NETS have done. I provide the Greek text first, so you can compare for yourselves.

Greek Psalm 22 (23) Κύριος ποιμαίνει με, καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει.εἰς τόπον χλόης, ἐκεῖ με κατεσκήνωσεν,ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀναπαύσεωςἐξέθρεψέν με,τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐπέστρεψεν.ὡδήγησέν με ἐπὶ τρίβους δικαιοσύνηςἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ.ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ πορευθῶ ἐν μέσῳ σκιᾶς θανάτου,οὐ φοβηθήσομαι κακά,ὅτι σὺ μετ’ ἐμοῦ εἶ·ἡ ῥάβδος σου καὶ ἡ βακτηρία σου, αὐταί με παρεκάλεσαν.ἡτοίμασας ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν ἐξ ἐναντίας τῶν θλιβόν των με·ἐλίπανας ἐν ἐλαίῳ τὴν κεφαλήν μου,καὶ τὸ ποτήριόν σου μεθύσκον ὡς κράτιστον.καὶ τὸ ἔλεός σου καταδιώξεταί με πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς μου,καὶ τὸ κατοικεῖν με ἐν οἴκῳ κυρίου εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν.

OSB Psalm 22 (23) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord to the end of my days.

NETS Psalm 22 (23) The Lord shepherds me, and I shall lack nothing. In a verdant place, there he made me encamp; by water of rest he reared me; my soul he restored. He led me into paths of righteousnessfor his name’s sake. For even if I walk in the midst of death’s shadow, I will not fear evil, because you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comforted me. You prepared a table before me over against those that afflict me; you anointed my head with oil,and your cup was supremely intoxicating. And your mercy shall pursue me all the days of my life,and my residing in the Lord’s house is for length of days.

First one notices, shockingly, that the OSB does not translate the Greek at all. It is, in fact, the precise text of the New King James Version for Psalm 23, a translation of the Hebrew psalm, of course. The only alteration toward the Septuagint is at the very end, and even there it is quite wrong: “to the end of my days.” εἰς μακρότητα ἡμερῶν does not mean “to the end of my days” but rather, as NETS rightly has it “for length of days,” a circumlocution for “forever.” The intention seems to be “not to rock the boat” by providing a translation that is too different from what people are accustomed to, even when the (supposedly!) underlying text of the Septuagint is quite different than the Hebrew. As some monarch somewhere has sometime undoubtedly said, “We are not pleased.”

So, for me, NETS will remain my English Septuagint of choice, and it will remain the English Septuagint that I recommend to others, without reservation and with whole-hearted, honest enthusiasm. I’m not particularly fond of “study Bibles” in any case. I am particularly not fond of those claiming to be something they aren’t (in this case a complete translation of the Septuagint), and with a supposedly sanctifying veneer of Orthodoxy about them. Don’t get me wrong: I love Orthodoxy, entirely and wholly; it is my life. But slapping the word Orthodox onto a Bible which is insufficiently representative of the richness and beauty of the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, even at the level of its own language, does absolutely nothing for me, and in fact makes me rather angry. This Orthodox Study Bible could have been better and should have been better. Why was it not better?

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

I read this review. On the face of it it seems quite convincing in its criticism of the OSB.

At this point I would appreciate, not so much another point of view about the OSB, as an actual defense of it.

This is a very important matter since so many are already purchasing this version in hopes that it is finally the English version we can use for the Church. Most read the version they are given in trust without having any of the critical skills to know otherwise.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Father David Moser]

This is a very important matter since so many are already purchasing this version in hopes that it is finally the English version we can use for the Church.


As you recall, from our conference last fall, iirc, the consensus seemed to be that this was acceptable for private use - but that the "modern language" prevented its use in the Church Services.

Fr David Moser

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

As you recall, from our conference last fall, iirc, the consensus seemed to be that this was acceptable for private use - but that the "modern language" prevented its use in the Church Services.

Fr David Moser

I was thinking though, specifically, more along the lines of the criticisms contained within the blog quoted above.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[M.C. Steenberg]

As one of the translators of parts of the OSB, I can say with all honesty that I don't know of its overall quality, as I've not yet seen it. But I'm going to a launch event tomorrow in London. Following that I hope I'll be able to speak to it (to what end we shall see!).

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Christophoros]

Here is an "initial impressions" review done by T.R. Valentine which has appeared on several websites:


I received my copy Saturday.

IMO, it is very good the books of the OT were arranged in canonical order (as done by the Greeks). But I wish they had rearranged the NT in the canonical order (as done by the Greeks) at the same time. Oh well.

I /really/ dislike the ugly font used in the running header -- zeroes are wider than the capital letter O; ones look like a capital I. The font used for the text has far too high an x-height: lower case letters are about 3/4 the size of capital letters instead of 1/2. But I can live with ugly. The content is far more important.

I was checking to see if εκκλεσία was translated as 'church'. To my delight, it was rendered 'church' in Psalm 21 (vv. 23, 26); Psalm 25 (vv. 5, 12); Psalms 34:18; 39:10; 67:27; and 88:6. I wish they had maintained that rendering for the remainder of the psalms, but for some reason did not in Psalm 106:32 and Psalm 149:1.

The word εκκλεσία was also translated as 'church' in Job 30:28, Proverbs 5:14, and Lamentations 1:10. I really wish they had also used 'church' in the 23rd chapter of Deuteronomy (vv. 2, 3, 4, and 9) and Joel 2:16, but, alas, they did not.

When I was checking to see the rendering of εκκλεσία in the four books of Kingdoms, I ran into a problem finding the verses. So I started digging into verse numbering.

What a mess!

The standard numbering of the books of the Old Testament are, like it or not, based on the Masoretic text.

The ΖΩΗ (ZOE) text I have adapts to this by skipping verse numbers where the Church's text does not have the equivalent of the Masoretic. Thus, in 1 Kingdoms, the ΖΩΗ (ZOE) text numbers the first eleven verses of chapter 17 which basically parallel the Masoretic text, then skips numbers 12 through 31, numbers verses 32 through 40 which parallel the Masoretic text, skips verse 41, numbers verses 42 through 49 which parallel the Masoretic text, skips verse 50, numbers verses 51 through 54, and omits numbers 55 through 58. (Note: the ΖΩΗ (ZOE) text includes the omitted verses from the Masoretic text in footnotes rendered in a distinct font.)

When there are verses present in the Church's text that are not in the Masoretic text, the ΖΩΗ (ZOE) edition numbers verses with added letters. Thus, in Chapter 2 of 3 Kingdoms, it numbers the first 35 verses which parallel the Masoretic text, and then numbers the following verses 35α,35β, 35γ, 35δ, ... 35μ, 35ν, 35ξ. The next verse is numbered 36 as is the parallel verse in the Masoretic text.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint basically uses the same numbering system as the ΖΩΗ (ZOE) text, but instead of appending letters it has no verse numbering (effectively making 3 Kingdoms 2:35 a great long verse!).

The Orthodox Study Bible doesn't follow either of these methods. Insteadit uses what is, IMO, the worst possible method. It numbers verses sequentially regardless of the standard numbering of verses. Thus, wherethe Church's text does not have text which parallels the Masoretic text, the Orthodox Study Bible ends up with few verse numbers than other editions. For instance, 1 Kingdoms 17:32 in the ΖΩΗ (ZOE) text and the Brenton translation and 1 Samuel 17:32 in the NASB, is rendered in the OSB as 17:12! The same thing is done where there are additional verses, only this results in more verse numbers than other editions. For instance, what the ΖΩΗ (ZOE) edition counts as 35, 35α, 35β, 35γ, 35δ,... 35μ, 35ν, 35ξ, 36 is counted in the OSB as verses 35 through 49. So 3 Kingdoms 2:36 in the ΖΩΗ (ZOE) text and the Brenton translation and 1Kings 2:36 in the NASB becomes 3 Kingdoms 2:50.

Like I said, it is a mess. Worse, there is no 'conversion table' that will allow a reader to find the equivalent of a verse found in any other translation/edition. Perhaps some enterprising soul(s) will create a webpage with a conversion table.

====

In looking at 1 Kingdoms chapter 17 (the story of David and Goliath), I found two things which bothered me. The OSB has a verse 29 which parallels 1 Samuel 17:50 in the same place as it appears in the Masoretic text, but that verse DOES NOT EXIST in the Church's text. I wonder if someone, working from the NKJV Old Testament (which was used as this project's boilerplate), inadvertently left that verse in.

The second thing was the OSB's note to 1 Kingdoms 17:4 -- 'Goliath is over nine feet tall.' This would be true if one is following theMasoretic text which gives Goliath's height as six cubits and a span (a cubit being about 18 inches makes six cubits approximately equal to nine feet), but the Church's text -- properly translated in the OSB -- gives Goliath's height as FOUR cubits and a span (which works out to about six feet plus a 'span', i.e. about 6'4" instead of 9'4")! It appears notes from the NKJV Old Testament may have been retained without checking.

The icons included in the OSB are quite good (and traditional). The Lectionary will be very useful. Of course, the patristic comments are important. The Index to Annotations looks like it will be helpful, but I haven't had much chance to look through it.

Back to looking at the OSB.

[Mourad Mankarios]

What I find frustrating and for the life of me cannot understand is why the translators of the OSB decided to change the verse numbering in certain parts of the OSB? Wouldn't it have been better to indicate substractions or additions through some other method while consistently using the currently recognised numbering scheme of verses in the Bible which is also used I believe by the far majority of other Bible translations.

[Richard Collins]

I've got it and I like it!

It's simply excellent to have an OT based on the LXX and with 'apocryphal' texts incorportated. I like the Icons and the Study notes. As one who has converted from a very strong biblical tradition (Reformed Conservative Evangelicalism) it feels like I am able to retain the best of this tradition whilst drinking from the fullness of Orthodoxy.

[Rick James York]

MODERATOR'S NOTICE: The following message has been posted by an account engaged in on-line identity fraud. The member 'Rick James York' is identical to members 'Rostislav' and 'John M.' The current post, made before discovery of this fact, is being retained in order to preserve the flow of threads; but readers should be aware of this case of multiple identity.


I've got it and I like it!

I recently purchased the OSB New Testament and Psalms.

Is it worth it for me to acquire the new version with the OT included for both the OT content and the NT & Psalms content?

Or is it only really useful to me for the OT content, seeing I already have the version I purchased?

James

[Yuri Zharikov]

The publisher is Thomas Nelson - one of the largest publishers of Bibles in the US at least. And no, why should you boycott it? The publisher is putting up the money and they made a business choice (albeit, one that was ill advised in my opinion) based on their experience with publishing different translations of the Bible that they thought would bring the highest number of sales. I have no problem with that - its the way American (and for the most part international) business works. But that's no reason to deprive yourself of the opportunity to have the Scripture available to you in English (although since you presumably read Greek it is less of an issue in your case - but for those of us who are language impaired, it is a very valuable opportunity)

Fr David Moser

I have not read through the whole thread, so forgive me for any double posting. I too have started looking into the new OSB and it appears that at least in some respects in is not up to standard. Apparently better versions of an English Orthodox (Septuagint) Bible are available.
See here for a brief critique of the OSB: http://www.bombaxo.com/blog/?p=512

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

For those still looking into the new Orthodox Study Bible (I only got mine yesterday) the blog Ora & Labora presently has the most rigourous review of this edition that I have come across so far -but from a critical point of view. This review is also helpful since it is ongoing. Also since it is a blog it allows for other reviews, both positive & negative.

I am still however looking for a rigourous review of the OSB from a positive point of view. A nice review appeared this morning (linked to the Ora & Labora blog) that was positive. But it was more along the lines of this Bible with its own commentary should not be seen as replacing Patristic commentaries; & it encourages one to attend the services and to read the Fathers. Good comments yes; but almost any edition could be approached in this way. The many other versions we have had for many years already have been approached in this way.

The main point however is that this version along with the new NETS version both present themselves as versions of the LXX. For us as Orthodox Christians this is obviously paramount since this basically is the first time we have had access in English to what we hope to be the Church's text. Not going into the issues of how these editions are technically presented (ie how the books are bound, paper & print quality, etc) along with the quality of the patristic commentary, I think we need a better understanding of how the OSB stands in itself as an edition of the LXX (perhaps comparison with the NETS would be helpful).

What I have most in mind is that many of us (I for sure) have little grasp of what the LXX actually is as a Church text. I know we often think of the LXX as if it was one standard text, existing in its original in Greek that we then should just go to and translate. Basic investigation however reveals that our ecclesiastical/liturgical editions were never just one edition of the OT Bible. And in fact most editions (eg the Moscow editions) rely to some extent on non-LXX editions having at some point referred to the Hebrew.

What I think is most needed then at this time is a sober and critical presentation first of what the LXX is. What is its history in terms of versions; in terms of influences from non- LXX (or non-Greek) sources? Does this openness (or lack thereof) to other influences provide us with precedent for the OSB?

There is a real and legitimate desire right now with the appearance of the OSB to discover the answers to these questions. However since most of us do not have the critical skills to answer such questions we must rely on others. Many other issues are being discussed, proper in their own light. What needs to be more firmly addressed however & then clearly explained is what is the LXX for the Church and how does this relate to the OSB?

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Mourad Mankarios]

Well it appears that Fr Dcn Matthew attended a launch for the Complete Orthodox Study Bible about 2 weeks ago and has promised to report back with his findings. So it'll be interesting to see what the conclusion will be and if another edition will follow quickly on the heels of this most recent edition, making modifications or adjustments in those areas which have received criticism.

[Mourad Mankarios]

It seems that in many places where the NKJV uses the term 'Justice' the OSB has opted for the term 'Judgment'. However, the latter seems somewhat awkward in light of the context of many of the passages where it is used.

Could someone please shed some light on the original Greek/Hebrew and perhaps the cultural/religious significance of such terms and how they properly fit or are to be interpreted in the contexts in which they are used.

Thanks

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear all,

I realise I've been asked for my own thoughts on this volume, perhaps given that I was involved in some of the translations.

I only received my copy of the complete volume two weeks ago at the launch in London, which was the first time I'd laid eyes on the finished product. As such, I'll need to spend some time with it before I'm able to speak to its overall quality, characteristics, etc. I'll try to post some initial reactions within the next four or five weeks; but I'd rather actually read the volume for a while, than simply speak on impulse first reactions.

Very best,

INXC, Dcn Matthew

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Dear all,

I realise I've been asked for my own thoughts on this volume, perhaps given that I was involved in some of the translations.

I only received my copy of the complete volume two weeks ago at the launch in London, which was the first time I'd laid eyes on the finished product. As such, I'll need to spend some time with it before I'm able to speak to its overall quality, characteristics, etc. I'll try to post some initial reactions within the next four or five weeks; but I'd rather actually read the volume for a while, than simply speak on impulse first reactions.

Very best,

INXC, Dcn Matthew

Thank you for this.

In the meantime I have begun using both the NETS and OSB versions for the liturgical readings. Since the daily services these are read at are only attended (for my poor powers of vision anyway) by a lone priest monk and at times his cat the advantage is that these readings can be done out loud and assessed in this kind of setting. Ultimately after all this is the question we most seek to answer- how these versions fit into the overall setting of the Church.

In any case without having any of the critical skills necessary to give a deeper assessment I can say that the OSB has a clarity to it that I appreciate. I checked this against the NETS to see if this was from following the modern tendency to try to clear up all ambiguity. But OSB compared to NETS at first sight anyway seems only a slight change in this direction. It wasn't objectionable.

Of course a week or so is only a short period of time to go on. But still it's enough of a beginning I think to allow some first thoughts from a 'normal everyday parish priest'.

A lot of the most fervent criticisms of the OSB so far have been on the score of the patristic commentary provided. Perhaps this is personal but I am not looking for a Patristic commentary within the Biblical text anyway. I would find this distracting from the reading of the Scripture and would rather go to a Patristic commentary as a distinct way of meditating on the meaning of what the Scripture said. Again, this could be only personal, but I do question the helpfulness of intext commentary anyway.

Apart from this and questions of what is suitable liturgical English, so far I have found this a suitable version to use in whichever way is appropriate according to the jurisdiction or church one is part of.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Paul Cowan]

The folks at Concilar press are very nice and when I told them I had not received my order it came within the week. I have not actually started to read the text yet. I don't know if anyone else has yet, but I have read all the support material outside "The Bible". The introductory pages and the appendices and related pages in the back.

I really appreciate the authors going into such detail about the Faith. I can see myself giving this to my family and saying "Here, this is what I believe and why." I did catch a couple of typos in the back and if anyone at Concilar or Tom Nelson wants to know where they can ask me.

What struck me as funny was the part on "How to Read the Bible" is in the BACK of the book. Alot of good it does back there. I really enjoyed blinding Leah with the gold trim. She made me stop. Took all the fun out of it. :)

Regardless of how accurate it all comes down to, I appreciate the team that put this Bible together. It is more True than any other version I have ever had. If updates and corrections are made, fine. For now, I have enough to read and wrap my brain around.

Paul

[Mourad Mankarios]

In doing some reading and comparing the Septuagint translation to my NKJV Masoretic translation, and while putting aside all arguments to originality, authenticity, corruption, authority, etc I would have to say that I find the NKJV Masoretic translation much more endearing than the septuagint translation. In actual fact I find that the Septuagint text in many places seems quite awkward and unusual and it would seem that the Masoretic text is superior in its clarity and eloquence.

I was wondering how others thought of the Septuagint translation (OSB, NETS, etc) and its appeal when compared to translations of the Masoretic text (NKJV, NRSV, etc)?

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

In doing some reading and comparing the Septuagint translation to my NKJV Masoretic translation, and while putting aside all arguments to originality, authenticity, corruption, authority, etc I would have to say that I find the NKJV Masoretic translation much more endearing than the septuagint translation. In actual fact I find that the Septuagint text in many places seems quite awkward and unusual and it would seem that the Masoretic text is superior in its clarity and eloquence.

I was wondering how others thought of the Septuagint translation (OSB, NETS, etc) and its appeal when compared to translations of the Masoretic text (NKJV, NRSV, etc)?

For clarity I am already finding the OSB to be very good. I haven't given enough time to the NETS version to give a fair assessment of it on that score.

The NETS version however, from what I understand, is an attempt at what the LXX originally said, rather than an ecclesiastical version which in some cases could be an exegesis on the original.

A good example of this is Gen. 1:2 which in the NETS version has, "and a divine wind was being carried along over the water", while the OSB has "The Spirit of God was hovering over the water".

As far as liturgical use goes a good discussion is needed about which version to use. In cases like Gen 1:2 however I would say that what the OSB has is much to be preferred.

In Christ- Fr Raphael

[Maria Murray]

Christ is Risen!
I am only beginning to learn about the OT canon and LXX so forgive me if this question has an obvious answer. Perhaps there are other textual chapter variations throughout the OSB, but I just came across the differences in the book of Jeremiah. For example,

KJV: Jeremiah 31:33
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
OSB (SAAS) Jeremiah 38:33
For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will surely put my laws into their mind and write them on their hearts. I will be as God to them and they shall be my people.

I tried to trace where the differences begin, and it appears to be in chapter 25, around verse 13, where the KJV text becomes different and the rest of the book cannot be quoted with the same chapter/verse as OSB(SAAS).

Can anyone please explain why? I am sure this is part of a larger issue.

[Justin Farr]

I got a copy yesterday when I visited a different parish! I really like it so far! I am really bummed that they got rid of the center cross references, and there seems to be fewer icons, and they pages are noticeably thinner than my other Bibles. But I love the good sized font, the many articles scattered throughout, passages that are marked for specific Church readings, and the fact that the OT is from the LXX! :)

[Effie Ganatsios]

I received my copy of the Orthodox Study Bible today. It was sent to me from Australia by a childhood friend.

It is absolutely beautiful. The paper is very fine, the printing is quite large - I have noticed that in my old bible the words seem to be getting smaller each year..........

And it's bound in a wonderful aromatic maroon leather with gold imprinting. I have the Thomas Nelson edition.

Beautiful.

I especially like the section for morning and evening prayers.

I think the only thing I miss are the footnotes at the bottom of each page in my old bible. They provided information about different translations of certain words, and also references to other passages which dealt with the same subject.

What dear, dear friends I am blessed with. Thank You God.

Effie

I forgot to mention the apocrypha chapters in the Old Testament. I had already downloaded some of them from the Web, but it makes a difference having them in my bible.

[Andreas Moran]

I have noticed that in my old bible the words seem to be getting smaller each year..........

Effie, these days, they print everything smaller and makes roads steeper.

[Effie Ganatsios]

steeper roads

Andreas, I live on top of a hill and a doctor, years ago, said that the only thing I needed to do to stay in good health was walk down to the town centre each day and then walk up my hill to my house.

Right! I would like to see him do this.......

This hill is definitely getting steeper each year.

I have a card that says on the cover...... after fifty, our bodies change in many ways...... Open the card and it says..... Thank God, our eyes also change............

The above quote is from memory.... which, by the way, is also going downhill.... on a really steep hill.....

[Olga]

Middle age is when everything hurts. And what doesn't hurt doesn't work. :))

[Andreas Moran]

We know there is red martyrdom and white martrdom, and the Celtic Church had green martyrdom. I propose there should be a grey martyrdom. This is for those who patiently and even with thanks endure the infirmities of middle and old age. Especially relevant in our times when (in western countries) our life expectancy is so much greater than in former times. I want a crown for cheerfully accepting that they print things smaller and makes hills steeper these days, and things hurt or don't work.

[Effie Ganatsios]

I want a crown for being polite when 30 year old men call me "auntie" - a form of polite address to elderly ladies. I should say middle aged ladies.

I am particularly irritated when handsome 30 year olds call me this.................................

Effie

[Alice]

I want a crown for being polite when 30 year old men call me "auntie" - a form of polite address to elderly ladies. I should say middle aged ladies.

I am particularly irritated when handsome 30 year olds call me this.................................

Effie

It is a funny thing in Greece--I find it nice and respectful that young people call me 'Kyria Aliki' and infact, it is much nicer than in the U.S. where everyone is on purely first name basis (no matter what the age difference), but on the other hand...it makes one terribly aware of their 'middle age'!!! :-(

Regards,
Alice

[Andreas Moran]

So far as I can tell, the Russian use of the patronymic isn't quite so age-related and does preserve the formality which we abandoned in England. Thus, for example, I address a similar-aged person I know at church as 'Alexander Andreyevich'. It seems nice to me.

[Olga]

So far as I can tell, the Russian use of the patronymic isn't quite so age-related and does preserve the formality which we abandoned in England. Thus, for example, I address a similar-aged person I know at church as 'Alexander Andreyevich'. It seems nice to me.

There is no equivalent title of Mr or Mrs in the Russian tradition. Everyone, irrespective of age difference, can be properly referred to by their first name and patronymic. Though children may, as they do in Greek custom, call an older person uncle/aunty and their first name.

[Paul Cowan]

I want a crown for being polite when 30 year old men call me "auntie" - a form of polite address to elderly ladies. I should say middle aged ladies.

I am particularly irritated when handsome 30 year olds call me this.................................

Effie

Miss Effie,

When I deal with "older" women to show them respect whether they are married or not, I call them Miss (name). It suits all needs and occassions, especially down here in the south.

I feel I can not make you irritated since I am not handsome nor 30.

[Effie Ganatsios]

That sounds good, Paul!

The picture in my head (probably from films I watched in the past). A delicate little old lady, dressed in pastel, filmy, lacy dresses. Probably wearing a pearl necklace she inherited from her grandmother. Lavendar scent wafting in the air around her. Well bred and with a sweet voice.

Delicately sipping a mint julep in the afternoon on her verandah.

Or gulping half a dozen when fed up with her image.




Effie

p.s. Paul have you read A Municipal Report by O Henry?
One of my favourites.






Yes, yes, definitely me

[Olga]

Effie, you may be inspired by this little poem:

WARNING (by Jenny Joseph)

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

[Effie Ganatsios]

Olga, I liked your poem.

And there is a lot of truth in it. The older you get the more comfortable you feel, the more you rely on your own judgement and don't really care that much about what other people think. As long as you are OK with your conscience.


The strangest thing is that you become "invisible". I don't know if this is good or bad, but it is very comforting. I love being invisible.

Effie