Tuesday, January 20, 2009

ESV Bible with Apocrypha has Arrived

We just received the new English Standard Version with the Apocrypha. This is the only ESV with the Apocrypha. It is published by Oxford University Press and sells for $25.00 (hardcover only). The preface notes that it "contains the books of the Expanded Apocrypha (1977), including the additional books of 3 and 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151." (p. 1177) The three scholars who worked on it were David A. deSilva (Trustees' Distinguished Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Ashland Theological Seminary), Dan McCartney (Professor of New Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary), and Bernard A. Taylor (Loma Linda University). "The whole was then edited by David Aiken (Ada, Michigan) to achieve consistency throughout." (ibid)

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks interesting! Are you going to be reading it Louis?

Timothy said...

Thanks for the info about the ESV. I have been looking forward to this edition with the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals.

In the product description, it mentioned that this edition included Bible maps, table of weights, and other attractive features. What are these other "attractive features"?

Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Andrew--honestly, I've started reading books of the Apocrypha before and have never gotten very far. I found Tobit and Sirach to be the most interesting.
Timothy--good question. As I look at it there is not much more than what you (the product description) mentioned. From a publisher's perspective though even the type font and binding are considered "features". I do like the cover. There is considerable show-through on the pages from words on the back of the page. There are seven blank pages in the back for notes. Attractive? Hard to say for a blank page.

Unknown said...

Louis, you break my heart! After years of working with the material, I don't see how people can really understand the social, cultural, political, and religious world into which the church was born without a close familiarity with these texts. Besides, the collection as a collection is the church's own "best picks" list of Jewish literature from beyond the Hebrew canon, and as such has exercised ongoing influence on theology, ethics, martyrology, and culture from the "get go." Tolle, lege!

Kind regards,
David deSilva
(author of _Introducing the Apocrypha: Context, Message, and Significance_ [Baker Academic, 2002], which might help stimulate the mental salivary glands as far as this collection is concerned :) )

Anonymous said...

David,

Ouch. I didn't intend to break any hearts. :) Your encouragement has found fertile soil. I will take your book home this weekend and begin again. Perhaps your book is just what I've needed to help my "mental salivary glands." I've already scanned the introduction and am salivating! Thank you!