HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible: Digital Text Edition Kindle Edition

When I first began reading the Bible in earnest, I used the NIV (New International Version). The NIV is a very good translation. It took a lot of criticism in the beginning, largely I believe, because it was such a break from the then tradition of biblical translation. However, it’s been a number of decades and a lot of the KJV (King James Version) Only crowd have died off. Many many more translations have been produced and the NIV has more or less fallen out of the popular spotlight though it is still quite popular. Anyway, that’s the one I read at the time. Using that Bible, I read through the New Testament a handful of times and the minor prophets and a few other Old Testament books here and there.Then I heard about the ESV (English Standard Version). It gained some sexiness in the mid 20-oughts. Add to that, the Crossway covers (very sexy) and that was the first Bible I bought. They had a free Kindle version too, which was nice. Mark Driscoll also endorsed it along with a number of the Calvinist crowd. But reading through the Bible, I started noticing some liberties being taken, especially in numerology. People do complain about versions and the conversion of the word “man” to “people” but that’s not really what I’m after. What I started noticing was that certain phrases or words were translated in ways other than the original text warranted. It was things like in Exodus 20:6 where it says “showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me.” In the foot notes it says “or to the thousandth generation.” A simple interpretation of a thought, yes, but when you mess with numbers in the Bible, you are missing with contextual meanings. Can’t do that. “Thousand” is used a number of times in the Bible and specific meaning can be drawn from its usage.Compare the NIV: “but showing love to a thousand [generations] of those who love me.”Compare the HCSB: “but showing faithful love to a thousand [generations] of those who love Me.”These make interpretations too, but they keep the terminology and they demonstrate what they’re doing while they’re doing it. No footnotes. Well, the NIV left out steadfast/faithful.Another problem I have with many modern translations of the Bible is the traditional lack of translation of God’s personal name in the text. Of course anybody reading the text knows that LORD means YHVH, the Hebrew transliteration of God’s name, so God’s name has not been “left out,” just left untranslated for tradition sake. Virtually all scholars agree that the correct pronunciation of the tetragrammaton (four letter name) of God is Yahweh or Yah’weh. But few translations of the Bible do.So I started reading LORD as Yahweh in my own personal reading. The thing is, the name is used A LOT, over 6000 times in the Old Testament. But I was still reading the ESV, a version I knew had problems I didn’t like.I had been told about the Holman Christian Standard Bible a while back by a Jehovah’s Witness or two. They use the name Jehovah (a bastardized and Anglicized version of God’s name) profusely and stick it in everywhere in the OT and everywhere they feel it necessary to excise Jesus’ divinity in the New Testament. Naturally, I distrusted anything coming from a JW. They are after all perhaps the most well-known dangerous mind control cult. But I came upon the HCSB on my own one day when researching the name Yahweh.The HCSB uses Yahweh when the name of God is stated in the Hebrew. For instance, if the author says something like “our God, whose name is the LORD” it doesn’t really make much sense in English. It’s like “they call me the Doctor!” “Doctor who?” “Exactly.” Well, fun, but not useful. It would seem to me a better translation would be “our God, whose name is Yahweh.” Now you know what we’re talking about.The HCSB still uses LORD pretty regularly. They only use Yahweh a few more than one in ten times. But remember, the name is in there over 6000 times. That’s like eight times per page.So after reading virtually all the Bible in NIV, and again in ESV, now I’m reading the HCSB. Of course I still have access to every version available on various Bible apps, and my personal copies of the ESB, NIV, NASB, and even the Greek NT. I can’t wait to get back to the New Testament to see how the HCSB translates those.

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This is an excellent word-4-word translation. But the inclusion of a vast array of full color pictures and maps interspersed throughout the text sets it apart. The project was funded by Holman, a large publisher of Bibles and Christian literature. It is the result of a large group of Christian scholars and translators..Most Bibles are intimidating to new Christians because they are unending pages of text. Thanks to our media and public education system, we have been spoiled. We expect videos or at least picture books. The HCSB is the first attempt to address that problem.It is books that have crafted civilations and lasting movements. The Bible is God's word; written so we can have an intimate relationship with Him. Only by reading this miraculous book is that possible. The HCSB is the best I have seen to accomplish God's purpose. Everything about it radiates that goal.This study version of the HCSB stands with the best study Bibles on the market. I write Christian literature, am a Christian almost 40 years. We own over 30 Bibles and feel qualified to make this evaluation.Although not a large print Bible, the print is sufficiently large for most readers to handle without reading glasses. There is almost no "ghosting of opposing page print. The cover on mine is bonded leather. Top grain leather is not an option. It has a concordance, references, study notes, book introductions - everything you expect from a good study Bible. The translation uses modern English, well laid out with quality paper, making it very readable. Pronouns and words that do not specifically state diety are capitalized.To summarize it is friendly, It is the dramatic use of color, pictures and maps that differentiates it from other Bibles.

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This English version of The Holy Bible works perfectly in the Kindle (generation 10).I recommend it completely. I have tried other versions but the index is a waste or the formating has issues.And the best part? It is free, yes, at no cost.

A linguagem e a disposição dos capítulos e versículos são muito bons. Às referências de estudo a algumas palavras de difícil compreensão, nos ajudam bastante. Valeu a pena ter essa bíblia!

Bella

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