Observations on the NASB2020
This year I decided to try the NASB2020 for my daily read-the-Bible-in-a-year, now that it has interlinear capacity. I find myself getting really annoyed with it. There are so many changes from the NASB95 that seem unnecessary and inconsistent. An example is the Hebrew word hesed. NASB95 was pretty consistent, translating it as "lovingkindness" 75% of the time. NASB2020 is all over the place. For instance, in Exodus 34:6, hesed is translated "faithfulness". In Psalms 104:8, a quotation of Exodus 34:6, hesed is translated as "mercy". Earlier in the same Psalm, verse 4, hesed is translated as "favor".
I did a word study on both versions, NASB95 vs. NASB2020, and this is the result:
I'll keep up my daily reading of NASB2020 for the rest of the year, but I'm going back to NASB95 for study. Maybe next year I'll try the LSB for my daily reading now that it has interlinears. Opinions?
Comments
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Opinions?
Well, it's your translation preference (smiling). I like to watch the LXX, not for accuracy per se (or lack), but rather culture/meaning in an earlier world. The variability suggest highly interpretive. Then, what exactly is 'loving kindness' (eg a mother's?, a ruler's?, a northwest semitic god's?, etc ... the words express more, a modern concept.
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Opinions?
I am a person who doesn't know enough Greek to know the semantic range of the Greek word and therefore, don't know whether or not it should have a narrow or broad range of translations in English. Therefore, simply look at the data, note that it is a very interesting change that might be interesting to explore, remind myself how long my interesting to explore list is and how long it already takes beyond my expected lifespan, and move on. Perhaps, then, I will chuckle at myself for how easily I get distracted from the task at hand. Obviously, if I was proficient in Greek, younger, or one who regularly used an NASB edition, I would have a different reaction.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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I'll keep up my daily reading of NASB2020 for the rest of the year, but I'm going back to NASB95 for study. Maybe next year I'll try the LSB for my daily reading now that it has interlinears. Opinions?
There so many new translations it is hard to keep up with them all. It does seem a lot of people agree with Johnnymac that the 2020 was not an improvement, for various reasons. It will be interesting to watch and see how the LSB does.
As for me, started out with KJV, and after years of juggling the NKJV and ESV, I'm kinda trying to move totally to the ESV for my English, and learn a little Greek. I have finally realized I will never be totally happy with any translation.
As a side note, I think it was the ESV cutting into the NASB sales that caused them to do what they did with the 2020.
Hey you wanted opinions right? [:D]
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Conversely, I chose the NASB 2020 for my Bible read-through last year and was pleasantly surprised with it. I liked that it loosened up its stereotypical "woodenness" for the sake of better flowing English prose.* I liked it so much that I set it has my preferred Bible in Logos, displacing the ESV which had held that spot for probably 20 years.
*Over the years I've grown to value the quality of English more when choosing between different versions. To a large extent it's a matter of taste, but if I want to read the Bible in Greek, well, I'll read it in Greek, not English attempting to be Greek.
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An example is the Hebrew word hesed
the 2nd entry under חֶסֶד in HALOT reveals some of the complexity of this gloss. - https://ref.ly/logosres/hal?art=het.435&off=651
The NIDOTTE entry is 10 pages long, further explaining the nuance - https://ref.ly/logosres/nidotte?ref=HebrewGK.HGK2874
Making Disciples! Logos Ecosystem = Logos10 on Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (Win11), Android app on tablet, FSB on iPhone, Proclaim (Proclaim Remote on Fire Tablet) & FaithlifeTV via Connect subscription.
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Conversely, I chose the NASB 2020 for my Bible read-through last year and was pleasantly surprised with it. I liked that it loosened up its stereotypical "woodenness" for the sake of better flowing English prose.* I liked it so much that I set it has my preferred Bible in Logos, displacing the ESV which had held that spot for probably 20 years.
*Over the years I've grown to value the quality of English more when choosing between different versions. To a large extent it's a matter of taste, but if I want to read the Bible in Greek, well, I'll read it in Greek, not English attempting to be Greek.
As several have said, it is a matter of translation philosophy and what you're looking for. Personally, I'm disappointed by this. NASB has been my preferred study Bible for many, many years because of how closely it followed the structure of the original text. I know enough Greek to be dangerous, but not enough to read the Greek Bible fluently (and my Greek is better than my Hebrew). Public reading is a different issue, but I can deal with a little woodenness when I'm studying. This is an exaggeration for effect, but for me the NASB has effectively been a highly readable interlinear.
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This is an exaggeration for effect, but for me the NASB has effectively been a highly readable interlinear.
I can see the value in that, especially hebrew, where position is often important. It's like clockwork, as translations move everything around for readability, I guess. Simple word equivalents are another issue. Even in modern language translation, they can be a disaster (diplomatic and marriage). I'd assume religious would be similar, especially across thousands of cultural years.
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I have been wanting to peel back the layers on the LSV - Legacy Standard Version to se what's under the bonnet (hood) because it is built on the NASB. Has anyone checked it out yet?
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