Evening star., 1946-02-10
Revised Standard
Version of the New
testament


By Members of the Repision
Committee. Thomas Nelson
G. Sons; $2.)
In 1870 the King James Version
Of the Bible was subjected to re-
vision by English scholars under the
authorization of the Convocation OF
Canterbury. The resulting New Tes-
lament was published in 1881 with
the Old Testament following in 1885
A committee of American scholars
had been associated by correspond
! Lence with the English group, but
except when they were approved by
two-thirds vote the American sug-
gestions were relegated to an ap-
pendix. In 1901 the American Com
mittee, ,or its surviving members
brought out Bible in which their
suggestions were embodied, the cor
responding British readings being
In turn, appended. This work has
come to be known as the American
Standard Bible.
In 1928 the International Council
of Religious Education, a body In
which the educational boards of 40
Protestant denominations of the
United States and Canada are as
sociated, appointed a committee to
make further revisions in the
Biblical texts. The committees in
structions were as follows:
I'VE, therefore, define the task of
the American Standard Bible Com
mittee to be that of revision of the
present American Standard Bible in
the light of the results of modern
scholarship, this revision to be de-
signed for use in public and private
worship and to be in the direction
OF the simple, classic English style
OF the King James Version"
Reason for Revision.
In 1882, after two years work,
the committee was suspended for
lack of funds. In 1887 it resumed its
task. The present New Testament
Is the first fruit of its labors.
The reasons for the revision are
set forth by the committee as being
threefold. First, the 1881 English
Revised Version and the 1901 Amer
ican Standard Version were more
like construings than translations
They aimed at achieving a worldly
word repetition of the original text,
with the result that they lost much
Of the beauty of the King James
Version. In the words of Charles
H. Spurgeon, these versions were
strong in Greek and weak in Eng
lish."
Second, there has been a great
increase in scholarly understanding
since the older versions were made.
due largely to the recent discoveries
of archeologists.
Third, the English tongue itself
has changed, SO that many words
used in the older versions have
meanings now quite different from
those they formerly had.
To meet these conditions the COM
mittee bent its chief efforts.
There can be no question that
when the old text has seemed vague
the new one is understandable. If
any modern reader picked up the
Revised Standard Version without
previous acquaintance with its con-
tents he would be able to read
without puzzlement. 1t does seem
however, that the admonition to
keep the changes "in the direction
OF the simple. classic English style
OF the King James Version" has
been interpreted in terms of SIM
piicity rather than classicism. In
other words there is a modernity
to many of the rhythms. The
tendency has not gone so far as to
merit the charge of streamlining
but it has sometimes led to de.
partures from the measure of the
King James style.
To the reader who feels his Bible
IN terms of that measure it will be
apparent. AS for scholarship and
clarity, however, there can be mr.
question that the new text Is su-
perior. NC r