Thoughts on the NASB?

[sedulous_samantha]

Dear everyone, :wave:

I am now seriously considering the purchase of a Zondervan NASB Life Application Bible. I love the LA series, and after reading more of the NASB, the translation really appeals to me.

Before I go ahead though, I'd just like to ask for people's opinions on the NASB translation. Good and bad points - incase there is a major error with it!

Thanks guys. :)

[Knight]

It's an excellent translation for accuracy and faithfulness to the original languages.

It has been criticised for choppy, wooden english. This is a result of a strict word-for-word translation. (Understand that the NASB is not 100% word-for-word as such a translation would be nearly impossible to understand)

In 1995, the Lockman Foundation released the Updated edition of the NASB. They made the english a bit more modern and understandable while remaining faithful to the word-for-word accuracy.

I really enjoy this translation. I've also noticed that reading a more fomal translation forces me to slow down while reading in order to understand the text. This is due to my tendancy to be a speed reader.

I highly recommend this translation along with the ESV. Both for their accuracy and literary quality.

[Mr.Cheese]

I like the NASB a lot. Plus I am more comfortable with you getting something published by Zondervan.

[Knight]

Plus I am more comfortable with you getting something published by Zondervan.
Why is that?

[Suzannah]

I like the NASB. I feel it preserves some of the "poetic" language without compromising the meaning. My only regret is they have not done an NASB of the "apocryphal" books.

[PaladinValer]

The NASB is too literal...many (if not most) of the idioms, hyperboles, and metaphores are lost in the translation, and the Bible is so full of them.

Plus to echo my Orthodox sister, it doesn't include the Deuterocanon.

[Kelly]

Harder to read, but should be in every person's collection of Bibles because of it's adherance to original language texts.

[Foundthelight]

I like it a lot. I am using the Ryrie Study Bible

[ShirChadash]

I believe we have a Life Application NKJV (relatively uncommon I think) and I used to use it for my everyday Bible -- it's excellent, and I'm sure the NASB version would also be excellent. Good choice IMHO.

:pink: ~z~

[TomUK]

Don't know how relevant this will be to your decision, but i notice you're British (:clap: ) and i don't think there's an anglicanised version of the NASB. I use the NKJ which also is American, and it is occasionaly annoying when Saviour is spelt without all the letters.

[Knight]

Well it is the New American Standard Bible..... :)

[sedulous_samantha]

Hehe!

I too was concerned about the "A" in "NASB", but my concerns were soon dispelled. The NIV and NRSV, the other two I was looking at, both use American spellings too! And I am not aware of any anglicised versions for the mainstream study bibles I have been looking at. So I decided to give in to the "A". ;)

[kitkat60]

I have not personally used it, but my best friend loves it. It is supposed to be very accurate. I do read it online, if that counts!

With respect to Open Bible vs. LA bible....curious, why is Open considered a beginners bible? I have a friend who has one, and it seemed like it had alot of good references tools in it. I didn't get it at the time because I was doing Kay Arthur Precepts and they prefer that you use a bible without much commentary.

Re LA bible, my kids both have it, one in NIV and one in NLT and they love it, and I do admit that I will look to see what it says. The one complaint I would have is that the comment is more opinion rather than factual (IE, you should do this or not do that). I am not saying that is a bad thing, by any means, but to me, that bible is probably better suited to devotional time rather than what I would consider to be a study bible.

[PaladinValer]

The British folks are right. And since you were originally thinking of the NRSV, I have some good news; it comes in editions that have the British spellings of the words. :)

[TomUK]

The British folks are right. And since you were originally thinking of the NRSV, I have some good news; it comes in editions that have the British spellings of the words. :)

You mean the correct spellings ;)

[PaladinValer]

No, the British spellings :P

[muffler dragon]

Just to let you know, there are three versions that are commonly accepted for apologetics debates: KJV, NIV, and NASB. Apparently, the level of discipline was afforded this translation to give it that kind of status.