What Bible do Eastern Orthodox Christians use?

[schpoogie]

As being in a Anglican church, I know the most common Bibles we use are either the KJV, NIV or English Standard Version.

But I was wondering what version the Eastern Orthodox Christians use?
Also, what Bible do Catholics use?

-Tim

 

[Keachian]

The Catholic Bibles I know of are:
New Jerusalem Bible
Catholic Public Domain Version
NRSV - Catholic Edition

Orthodox Versions (Engilsh)
Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible
Orthodox Study Bible

From looking it appears the Orthodox versions favour the Septuagint (LXX) over the Masoretic Text (MT) and the Catholic versions favour the Vulgate.

another versions you may be interested in is the Complete Jewish Bible which is a Messianic Jewish translation

 

[E.C.]

The Orthodox Study Bible is great because it is the Greek Septuagint (LXX) in English for the Old Testament.

Most churches tend to like the KJV, RSV (not the new one), or NIV. The key thing that sets our Bibles apart is that our Old Testament comes from the Greek Septuagint, or LXX, and not the Hebrew.

 

[Knee V]

To add to what E.C. said, our "official" version of the Scriptures are the Septuagint for the OT, and the Patriarchial Text for the New Testament, which is basically a concise "Majority/Byzantine Text" New Testament. Both of those are in Greek.

In the United States (I can't speak for the entire English-speaking world), we tend to use the KJV, RSV, and NKJV for translations of the New Testament. There are various translations of the Septuagint into English, the most popular being Brenton's Translation of the Septuagint (it's been around for a while). The Orthodox Study Bible struck a deal with Thomas Nelson, and has been allowed to use the NKJV for their work. The New Testament is the NKJV, and the OT uses the NKJV as a starting point and ammends it according to the Septuagint where necessary, maintaining the NKJV wording as much as possible. I tend to like it.

 

[Eternally Optimistic]

As being in a Anglican church, I know the most common Bibles we use are either the KJV, NIV or English Standard Version.

But I was wondering what version the Eastern Orthodox Christians use?
Also, what Bible do Catholics use?

-Tim

off the top of my head Catholics have the New Jerusalem, the Douay Rheims, the NAB.

 

[Dylan Michael]

The Official version of the bible for the Dioceses of the United States is the New American Bible.
My Favorite versions are The New Jerusalem Bible, The NRSV-CE and The Douay-Rheims.

 

[ebia]

As being in a Anglican church, I know the most common Bibles we use are either the KJV, NIV or English Standard Version.

The most common bible used by Anglicans generally is the NRSV.

 

[Panevino]

RSV-CE 2ndEdition is popular with Catholics.
And is being used for a study bible by ignatius press in the USA.

 

[josephearl]

I have nver heard of the Orthodox Study Bible, sounds interesting. How does it differ from others study Bible? Are the many explanations of Orthodox doctrin scattered amidst the pages?

 

[GreekOrthodox]

Yup, pretty much like other denominational study Bibles.

 

[Knee V]

I have nver heard of the Orthodox Study Bible, sounds interesting. How does it differ from others study Bible? Are the many explanations of Orthodox doctrin scattered amidst the pages?

It started out being strictly the New Testament to show how the Orthodox Church is the church of the New Testament. Since the new translation of the LXX was completed it has been incorporated into the OSB. There are study notes on the bottom of the pages. The NT notes are geared toward being an introduction to the EOC. The OT notes are not written with that same goal, per se, but they give a sort of overview-style introduction into the patristic understanding of the OT. In addition to the notes there are short one-page essays on various topics throughout the OSB.

 

[dana b]

................THE HEBREW MASORETIC TEXT

..The Law..............The Prophets.............The Writtings

1. Genesis.............6. Joshua...................27. Psalms
2. Exodus..............7. Judges...................28. Proverbs
3. Leviticus............8. I Samuel................29. Job
4. Numbers............9. 2 Samuel
5. Deuteronomy.....10. I Kings..................The five Megillot
..........................11. 2 Kings
..........................12. Isaiah....................30. Song of Songs
..........................13. Jeremiah.................31. Ruth
..........................14. Exekiel....................32. Lamentations
.................................................. ..........33. Ecclesiastes
..........................The Twelve...................34. Esther
.................................................. ..........35. Daniel
...........................15. Hosea....................36. Ezra
...........................16. Joel.......................37. Nehemiah
...........................17. Amos.....................38. I Chronicles
...........................18. Obadiah..................39. 2 Chronicles
...........................19. Jonah.....................40. Haftaroth
...........................20. Micah
.........(middle-
...........................21. Nahum
...........................22. Habakkuk
...........................23. Zephaniah
...........................24. Haggai
...........................25. Zechariah
...........................26. Malachi


Then when Christianity began they added the 27 books of the New Testament.

.................................GREEK ORTHODOX BIBLE..................................

.1. Genesis....................28. Isaiah.....................51. Matthew
.2. Exodus.....................29. Jeremiah.................52. Mark
.3. Leviticus..................30. Lamentations............53. Luke
.4. Numbers...................31. LETTER OF JEREMIAH.54 . John
.5. Deuteronomy............32. BARUCH....................55. Acts
.6. Joshua....................33. Ezekiel......................56. James
.7. Judges....................34. Daniel.......................57. 1 Peter
.8. Ruth.......................35. Hosea.......................58. 2 Peter
.9. 1 Kings....................36. Joel.........................59. 1 John
10. 2 Kings...................37. Amos........................60. 2 John
11. 3 Kings...................38. Obadiah....................61. 3 John
12. 4 Kings...................39. Jonah...(center).........62. Jude
13. 1 Chronicles............40. Micah.......................63. Romans
14. 2 Chronicles............41. Nahum......................64. 1 Corinthians
15. 1 Esdras.................42. Habakkuk..................65. 2 Corinthians
16. Nehemiah................43. Zephaniah.................66. Galations
17. 2 ESDRAS................44. Haggai.....................67. Ephesians
18. TOBIT.....................45. Zechariah.................68. Philippians
19. JUDITH....................46. Malachi....................69. Colossians
20. Esther.....................47. 1 MACCABEES...........70. 1 Thessalonians
21. Job.........................48. 2 MACCABEES............71. 2 Thessalonians
22. Psalms.....................49. 3 MACCABEES...........72. 1 Timothy
23. Proverbs..................50. 3 ESDRAS.................73. 2 Timothy
24. Ecclesiastes...................................... ...........74. Titus
25. Song of Solomon........................................... 75. Philemon
26. WISDOM OF SOLOMON...................................76. Hebrews
27. ECCLESIASTICUS.................................... .......77. Revelation

Then the Catholics had Jerome translate the Greek Bible into Latin and called it the Vulgate. They kept the exact same arrangement but left off 4 books.

..............................ROMAN CATHOLIC BIBLE(The Vulgate).................

.1. Genesis......................27. Isaiah...................52. Romans
.2. Exodus.......................28. Jeremiah...............53. 1 Corinthians
.3. Leviticus....................29. Lamentations.........54. 2 Corinthians
.4. Numbers....................30. BARUCH.................55. Galations
.5. Deuteronomy..............31. Ezekiel..................56. Ephesians
.6. Joshua......................32. Daniel....................57. Philippians
.7. Judges......................33. Hosea....................58. Colossians
.8. Ruth.........................34. Joel.......................59. 1 Thessalonians
.9. 1 Kings......................35. Amos.....................60. 2 Thessalonians
10. 2 Kings.....................36. Obadiah..................61. 1 Timothy
11. 3 Kings.....................37. Jonah...(center).......62. 2 Timothy
12. 4 Kings ....................38. Micah.....................63. Titus
13. 1 Chronicles...............39. Nahum...................64. Philemon
14. 2 Chronicles...............40. Habakkuk................65. Hebrews
15. 1 Esdras....................41. Zephaniah..............66. James
16. Nehemiah...................42. Haggia...................67. 1 Peter
17. TOBIT.......................43. Zechariah...............68. 2 Peter
18. JUDITH......................44. Malachi..................69. 1 John
19. Esther.......................45. 1 MACCABEES.........70. 2 John
20. Job...........................46. 2 MACCABEES.........71. 3 John
21. Psalms.......................47. Matthew................72. Jude
22. Proverbs....................48. Mark......................73. Revelation
23. Ecclesiastes................49. Luke
24. Song of Songs.............50. John
25. WISDOM OF SOLOMON..51. Acts
26. ECCLESIASTICUS


Finally with the Protestant Reformation the Germans and English established their own 66 book Bible Canon. They used the same contents as the original Hebrew Masoretic Text Bible. But they kept the exact same arrangement as the Greek and Latin Bibles.

...THE LAW...................THE PROPHETS............THE WRITINGS........

.1. Genesis...................23. Isaiah....................45. Romans
.2. Exodus....................24. Jeremiah................46. 1 Corinthians
.3. Leviticus.................25. Lamentations..........47. 2 Corinthians
.4. Numbers..................26. Ezekiel...................48. Galatians
.5. Deuteronomy...........27. Daniel....................49. Ephesians
.................................................. ................50. Philippians
.6. Joshua....................28. Hosea...................51. Colossians
.7. Judges....................29. Joel......................52. 1 Thessalonians
.8. Ruth.......................30. Amos....................53. 2 Thessalonians
.9. 1 Samuel.................31. Obadiah.................54. 1 Timothy
10. 2 Samuel................32. Jonah.....................55. 2 Timothy
11. 1 Kings...................33. Micah....................56. Titus
12. 2 Kings...................34. Nahum...................57. Philemon
13. 1 Chronicles............35. Habakkuk................58. Hebrews
14. 2 Chronicles............36. Zephaniah
15. Ezra.......................37. Haggai
16. Nehemiah................38. Zechariah...............59. James
17. Esther....................39. Malachi...................60. 1 Peter
.................................................. .................61. 2 Peter
18. Job........................40. Matthew.................62. 1 John
19. Psalms....................41. Mark......................63. 2 John
20. Proverbs.................42. Luke.......................64. 3 John
21. Ecclesiastes............43. John.......................65. Jude
22. Song of Solomon......44. Acts.......................66. Revelation

So notice how this new Protestant 66 book bible fits so perfectly under the original Hebrew Bible headings of the "Law, Prophets and Writtings. The colomn under the Prophets is all prophets. The colomn under the Writings is all writings or epistles.

Then it is remarkably set up with the first five books in the first colomn being the "Pentatuch." The last five books in this colomn are called the "wisdom literature."
In the second colomn the first five books are called the "major Prophets." The last five books in this colomn are the "Gospels of the New Testament and Acts." This arrangement was not set up by men. They never changed anything as can be seen by comparing the above four Bible Canons.

*- note that the extra books in the Greek and Latin Bible canons are typed out in Capital letters for easier identification.

Now isn't this a miracle or what!

​

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[Eternally Optimistic]

FTR, the 16 is wrong for the Catholics on your list; 2 Esdras is not in the Catholic Bible, but Nehemiah is.

 

[dana b]

FTR, the 16 is wrong for the Catholics on your list; 2 Esdras is not in the Catholic Bible, but Nehemiah is.

Thankyou for showing me this. i don't know if it was just my mistake or something else. I cannot locate a Catholic Bible to examine this for myself at this time. So I just now changed the listing from 2 Esdras to Nehemiah for the Catholic Bible. I do recall that only the Orthodox Bible contains 2 Esdras in it's Canon. Why I mixxed it up, I don't know? I need to check this some more when I'm in a lybrary next.

 

[Knee V]

The "original Hebrew" Bible wasn't so cut-and-dry. The Orthodox only use the canon we do (as far as the Old Testament goes) because the Jews used it first. The LXX was a Jewish work long before the Christians inherited it. It was only later, decades after Christ ascended, that the Sanhedrin (the group that convinced the crowds to kill Christ) unilaterally repudiated the LXX canon.

 

[dana b]

The "original Hebrew" Bible wasn't so cut-and-dry. The Orthodox only use the canon we do (as far as the Old Testament goes) because the Jews used it first. The LXX was a Jewish work long before the Christians inherited it. It was only later, decades after Christ ascended, that the Sanhedrin (the group that convinced the crowds to kill Christ) unilaterally repudiated the LXX canon.

Yes, there were basically two Old Testament Bible canons. The Septagent which contained Hebrew Bible books translated into Greek, and the later Massoretic Text which remained in Hebrew. The first Christians used the Septagent as their Old Testament and added the 27 New Testament books to it. The Jews who did not accept Jesus as the Messiah used the Hebrew Old Testament that later became know as the Massoretic Text. The Protestants used the Massoretic Text as their Old Testament Bible instead of using the Septagent as the Greek Orthodox and Latin Catholics had.

Who was right or wrong about which books to accept for thier bibles? The main thing is that today we must trust that it was all in God's hands. So when we study the history and contents of the historical Bible Canons we can see that they were not changed but that the different Churches used either the one or the other. But somehow in the end the Protestant bible came out to fit exaclty under the Old Testament headings of the Law, the Prophets and the writtings. When this is examined more closely it is realized that a miracle is before us. How this ended up like so is too complex to be just a coincidence. And with our modern scolastic hindsight we can see also that men did not alter the arrngements. It's a miracle for those who examine it closely.