One of the blogs that I follow casually is the Better Bibles Blog. Ever since I was the only one carrying a non-NASB translation around TMC (and later TMS), I have had to defend my choice of preferred translation. Today I see a post about the ESV and TNIV. I use neither, but both have passionate advocates and attackers, especially in my circles. My prediction is that the ESV will replace the NASB as translation of choice at TMC/TMS by the end of the decade. And the translation principles adopted by the TNIV committee led the school president once to encourage all of the students to mail their NIV Bibles back to Zondervan. John Piper loves the ESV and slams the NIV. Consequently students may tend to choose one over the other solely on the basis of their teacher’s advice, without actually looking at them. Thus I think the following blog by a Bible translator from a different circle might be helpful to some.
If we could decide the merits of the ESV vs. the TNIV solely on the quality of their website technologies and blog currency, the ESV would win hands down. The ESV Internet team is superb. (I wish the English in the ESV were the same; much of it is rather strange.)
Yesterday, however, the TNIV blog posted notice of a new Flash presentation of the TNIV on the Zondervan website. Turn your speakers up and click on the titled boxes on the flash screen.
If you are more concerned about literary quality than technological superiority, my own quantified studies demonstrate that the translation quality of the TNIV is superior to that of the ESV. And as an editor and longtime student of English, I can also easily affirm that the literary quality of English in the TNIV surpasses that of the ESV.
I share this not as a final answer but with the hope that it will encourage some to think more about it before deciding. Maybe too it is possible that both have their strengths and these should be recognized by both sides.
Having recently acquired a TNIV Bible, which I will soon be reading cover to cover, I appreciate this analysis. Could you identify the source of the analysis?
Gordon – yes, it’s listed in the post as well as a link, but it is:
http://englishbibles.blogspot.com/2005/10/esv-vs-tniv.html
Todd, thanks for being open-minded enough on this issue to link to my blog post. Personally, I don’t use either the ESV or TNIV. I prefer other English versions, but it is important to me to be as fair and credible and accurate in evaluating different Bible versions as possible.
Shalom,
Wayne
Hey Todd,
I never met you, graduated from TMC in ’04, but I remember you spoke in chapel one time when I was there. In fact, all I can remember right now is that it was really emotional… I think someone had died. Forgive me that I cannot remember. Anyway, I liked this post so I thought I would comment. Nice to see there is openess being promoted for other translations. And forgive me also that I had judged you wrongly…. heck I dont even know you, yet I categorized you into the typical TMC mold (‘He is a professor of the school, in a different country.. he has to be strict.’) Well, if you even read this I’m not sure you will understand. I came from a different background from most students at Master’s, therefore my sin was sometimes reactionary to the fundamental and conservsative aspects of the school. I also read the other post when a former student wrote you… often I resonate with him. Your response melted my heart. Please forgive me in how I have judged you. I pray your ministry continues to produce fruit in the lives you touch.