The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is very popular in academic circles today. The main reason is the ecumenical foundation and focus of the translation work. In the syllabi of a vast numbers of college courses that have any association with religious studies, in particular Jewish and Christian, students are likely asked to purchase The New Oxford Annotated Bible.
From the NRSV website,
The ecumenical NRSV Bible Translation Committee consists of men and women who are among the top scholars in America today. They come from Protestant denominations, the Roman Catholic church, and the Greek Orthodox Church. The committee also includes a Jewish scholar.
This ecumenical foundation is what truly sets this translation apart from others. There is virtually zero opportunity for the whole of the translation to become riddled with (or even polluted by) one particular perspective or bias; unlike The Message or maybe even the English Standard Version (possibly, but we will get to the ESV at another time).
The NRSV is essentially a literal translation, a.k.a. formal equivalence (that’s the “As literal as possible” part), but makes adjustments and allocations for idioms and current cultural statements (and that’s the “as free as necessary” portion). The language is fairly formal, as you would find in most literal translation projects, and especially as found in your typical study Bible. For example, let’s look at John iii.1-3:
NRSV: Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
New American Standard (NASB): Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
New Living Translation (NLT): There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
You can hear the formality in the NRSV, comparable to what you see in the NASB. You can also see how different the text flows compared to the NLT. Staying true to presenting a literal translation, the NRSV does not put forth a commoners English translation.
The NRSV team’s goals were four-fold:
The last one is found in cases like James i.2: “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind…” The original text literally reads αδελφοι μου, my brothers. And my brothers is what we find in a majority of the translations for years. But the NRSV team wanted to bring out the natural, contextual usage of the phrase αδελφοι μου by rendering the translation “My brothers and sisters.” That’s not necessarily gender neutrality. It is properly representing the targeted audience of the author.
And let’s see how they translated John iii.16, a text I also turn to when I pick up a new translation, just to see how they decided to render the Greek meaning here.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
That is ok. Not spot on, but better than many others. I like everyone who believes there instead of the often and incorrectly used whosoever. Whosoever is simply a bad English translation. Not because in and of itself whosoever is wrong, but because that term is misunderstood by the majority of today’s English readers. I wish they had not used God so loved. Again, this will be misread by many. They will think this is talking in a quantitative way, as in how much God loves; when, truly, this is talking in a qualitative way, speaking about the way that God loved. But, alas.
Overall I like the translation. I greatly appreciate the ecumenical work involved. For a study Bible, the NRSV is a great resource to have at your disposal. The New Oxford Annotated Bible (see above) is an excellent text to have in your collection. I will mention this, though: if you struggle with reading assessments and notations that hold to a conclusion different than the typical orthodox views (especially the dogmatic ones), then you will have a hard time with this particular study Bible. Not the translation itself, but that study Bible. For example, the introduction to 2 Peter argues against Peter being the author. I was blessed enough to have a good friend hand his over to me before he and his family went oversees. I do not, however, recommend the NRSV for everyday reading or for use in sermons or teachings (unless the NRSV happens to be the best choice; just depends on the context and situation). The English is not all that comfortable for simple reading. When I’m trying to read a short passage to my kids, I find myself changing the English rendering on the fly in order to make it hearable, if that’s a word.
And, let’s be honest, anything with the name Bruce M. Metzger on it has immediate credibility.
Also, see the comments at the Better Bibles Blog NRSV entry. Very beneficial.
