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However, in this case, it might have been better to just keep the New Testament. The Old Testament translation was supposed to be a more accurate translation of the original Septuagint. What it ended up being was a different story. The translators basically took the New King James Version (NKJV) and tried to make it match up to the Septuagint. I have been told, since I don't read Greek (sadly) that they didn't even do this well. The Holy Fathers teach that the Father made heaven and earth through the Son and in the Holy Spirit. Thus, the Holy Trinity made heaven and earth, and the Church sings, “We glorify the Father, we exalt the Son, and we worship the Holy Spirit—the indivisible Trinity who exists as One—the Light and Lights, the Life and Lives, who grants light and life to the ends of the world” (CanonAnd). Other reviewers have mentioned a distaste for the New King James Version and, as someone who also affirms most of the critical methods of modern NT scholarship, I can certainly empathize. Though the NKJV relies on the Textus Receptus (a Reformation Era-variant of Byzantine text-type manuscripts, compiled by Erasmus) and maintains such renderings in the body of scripture, its footnotes are the most comprehensive of any translation. In fact, all variations from the Majority Text as well as the Nestle-Aland/UBS editions (the "Critical Text" based on Alexandrian text-type manuscripts) are comprehensively documented. The overriding benefit to the selection of the TR is that the NKJV retains the same eloquent, familiar phraseology and literary grace that caused its predecessor to leave such an indelible mark on English language and literature ever after. And because it adheres to the principle of formal equivalence in translation, the NKJV maintains a vocabulary and style in accordance with high English--this is not a "dumbed-down" translation like many other popular ones out there. The result is that the Bible reads less like a contemporary novel or a daily newspaper, and more like dignified prose--which is befitting of sacred scripture. Separate from the article on the “Seventy” (from Luke 10:1-17) included in the bulleted list earlier, another section lists all 70 “sent ones” according to Orthodox tradition, the date on the church calendar in which each is commemorated, and references in the New Testament which refer to these early missionary-apostles. There were some things I didn't like about it. For instance, the fact that it used the New King James Version for the New Testament, rather than a more accurate translation.
There are also copious footnotes in the Scriptures. Sadly, most of them are very basic footnotes that don't add a lot to the discussion. I do like the footnotes that tell when specific passages are read during the Church Year. That is definitely a valuable resource, as it helps you put what you're reading in the context of the Church seasons. Also throughout the Bible are various word studies explaining different Biblical terms, which explain Biblical terms and give you references to where you can find out the Biblical basis for those terms. Interestingly, since the New Testament of the OSB is paired with an Old Testament based on the Septuagint—the Bible used by the writers of the New Testament—when the New Testament quotes the Old, the quotations are worded identically, unlike most Bibles with Old Testaments based on the Hebrew text.In addition, readers will find sections included, based upon rabbinical traditions used in the making of the Septuagint, such as Psalm 151 and Job 42:18-22, that are not in other translations. The addition in Job actually does seem to flesh out the book better in my opinion to a more complete ending. The notes to the New Testament are on the whole straightforward and some readers will find them a help in understanding many of the words and ideas in the text. Most of them though are dull and many of them jejune in the extreme. As a friend put it to me, they remind one of the notes to some school editions of Shakespeare. ‘King Lear plans to divide his kingdom between his daughters’, or ‘Hamlet wonders if it would be a good idea to commit suicide.’ In this book we find similar notes all too often, such as that on Luke 16:11: ‘True riches signify spiritual treasures’, or that on Luke 16:25 ‘This conversation is not between God and the rich man, but between Abraham and the rich man.’ The level is that of a not very bright Sunday School class. Critical questions are avoided by simply not being discussed at all. This is unsatisfactory, since many readers will be seeking help on just these questions. What should have been provided is an article setting out clearly how an Orthodox reader of the Bible should approach these problems. The solution adopted here is a further instance of what I call the attitude of the double-headed Byzantine ostrich." [2] The content of the OSB–including annotations, introductions, and articles–is written at a vocabulary level of a high school graduate to communicate “the treasures of the Orthodox biblical tradition with clergy and laypeople desirous of understanding their Christian beliefs and making them accessible to others” ( Introduction). The notes and commentary emphasize the major themes of the Christian faith, giving special attention to the following: God the Father spoke to His Word and Only-begotten Son, through whom He made the light (AthanG). Since the Son, too, is Lord, He is coequal with the Father, and is His Coworker in making heaven and earth. The Old Testament is based on the Septuagint, the ancient translation of the Old Testament that Jewish scholars translated from Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek. As such, the numerical assignment of verses differs from how they are assigned in other translations such as the KJV or NIV. In addition, other books considered by other branches to be apocryphal such as "The Wisdom of Sirach" and the 3 volumes of "Maccabees" for example are included in this version.
In the end, the Orthodox Study Bible is a God-send (quite literally in many senses). If you're less interested in getting to know the "historical Jesus" as portrayed by scholars in most study Bibles, and more interested in meeting with Our Lord and Savior as understood by saints, "Highly recommended" would be an understatement. That said, it was a rewarding experience. I’d read most of the Bible before, but never all of it in one shot. This reading has reaffirmed my love for the Old Testament in particular. Those pseudo-Marcionite Christians (and there are sadly many of them) who ignore the Old Testament, thinking it has somehow been made irrelevant by the New, are frankly practicing a faith with little substance. The Old Testament is the content of our faith; the New Testament—the firstfruits of Scripture—is the spiritual light by which that content is illuminated. The New Testament is entirely submerged in the symbolic economy of the Hebrew Scriptures; and we ought to be as well. Plus, the Old Testament is a fantastic read in its own right: patriarchs, prophets, priests, kings, warriors, mystics, poets, court historians; tales of alluring darkness, mystery, sensuality, and violence; cosmogony, national epic, prophetic lament, and sage advice. It is a literary treasure-house, a gift for the entire human race. For all that you're getting, the OSB's price point is just right for both bonded leather and hard-bound. Also, the publisher has more or less recently come out with a red, genuine leather edition that is significantly pricier, but which sports a beautiful and ornate gold cover design.The Ancient Faith Edition (released 2019) contains the identical content you know and love from the previous, most current release of the Orthodox Study Bible, including the same commentaries, notes, supplemental articles, and full-color icons and maps. The OSB contains a number of study articles that will be helpful not only to Orthodox believers, but also to those outside the Orthodox Church who want to understand this faith tradition better. The Subject Index combines almost 50 article titles along with numerous subjects covered in the articles. Here is a list of the articles contained in the OSB: Some of the notes overstated the obvious. Others demonstrated an unfortunate but understandable mistrust of the theology of other branches of Christianity. Most of the time this was expressed in a diplomatic way; however, it came out more strongly in the commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Be that as it may, many of the notes and study aids were helpful and interesting, particularly those which contained quotations of the Church Fathers or indications of how a certain passage is used in the context of worship. The FIRST EVER Orthodox Study Bible presents the Bible of the early church and the church of the early Bible. Throughout the text are notes at the bottom which explain key points in the verses based upon the consensus of leading Orthodox Bible scholars. These are easy to understand, and, in reading them one can better understand the doctrines and practices of the Orthodox Church --- which I do recommend for anyone interested in learning more about the Orthodox faith.
As someone who, admittedly, is accustomed to Masoretic Hebrew renderings in the OT from my NOAB, adjusting to Septuagint ones is an occasionally surprising endeavor, but always a fruitful one. Since the NKJV OT was the base translation for this particular version of the Septuagint, many beloved passages you're used to are nearly identical; Psalm 23 is a good example that remains virtually unchanged. Others, like Proverbs 3:5 are completely different; showing, instead, a much closer relationship to the deuterocanonical book of Wisdom, chapter 8. Such "Easter eggs" are prevalent throughout the text and make having the Septuagint well worth it, even just for comparative study. This image is filled with symbolism as one would expect in any Orthodox icon. Centered in the image, Jesus stands on the broken gates of Hades, which in their fallen state have formed a cross. Jesus is pulling the parents of humanity, Adam and Eve, from Hades by the wrists and not the hands because the work being done is all his and not theirs. The Orthodox Study Bible was the result of a collaboration between numerous Orthodox scholars, clergy and lay leaders. The initial draft was prepared by the academic community of St. Athanasius Orthodox Academy. Some of the credited contributors of the Orthodox Study Bible project include: For instance, regarding Genesis 1:3, “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (SAAS), the OSB includes this note drawing on the teachings of both Athanasius the Great as well as the Canon of St. Andrew: Well, I actually did it. I read the entire Bible this year. It was something I decided to do on a whim 364 days ago, and I actually followed through with it. I’ve been measuring the passage of the year by crossing off each day’s line in the reading plan I’ve been following, and it’s a strange feeling to get to the end. I should probably have something more substantive to say, but I feel a bit like Forrest Gump after he ran across the country. “I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now.”How can one review a Bible? For me it was a way of getting some insight into the way the Eastern Orthodox Church handles exegesis and theology. And for the most part, the experience was positive.
it found in a number of Orthodox theological dictionaries (e.g., Polny Pravoslavnyy Bogoslovskiy Entsiklopicheskiy An “Overview of the Books of the Bible” presents introductory material about the various sections and kinds of biblical literature. “Introducing the Orthodox Church” will be especially helpful to non-Orthodox readers of the OSB. “How to Read the Bible” presents an Orthodox understanding of reading and interpreting the Bible. I have mixed feelings about this Bible, which deeply saddens me. I really wanted to like this Bible. But like others I have spoken to, they too are a bit disappointed with this Bible. The Orthodox Study Bible started out as the New Testament and Psalms, and with massive funding they started a project to publish the Old Testament with the New Testament. So it is nice to have the full Bible in one volume, especially when so many people publish just the New Testament for the price of a full Bible.
As I mentioned above, the Orthodox Study Bible is suitable not only for Orthodox Christians, but also for anyone interested in the history of the Early Church. I often consider study Bibles a good “first step” in research. A more succinct understanding can be gained from the notes in a study Bible before going on to more detailed resources. If you regularly consult the very popular Ancient Christian Commentary Series, the OSB could function as a first step for research before diving into the ACCS. reprinted in Russia in 1992 from a pre-Revolutionary edition; Dictionary of Orthodox Theology, George H. Demetrakopoulos, New Insightful commentary drawn from the Christian writers and teachers of the first ten centuries after Christ
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