New Revised Standard Version - Definition and Overview

The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible, released in 1989, is a modified version of the Revised Standard Version (RSV).

There are three editions of the NRSV:

1. the NRSV standard edition, containing the Old and New Testaments alone;
2. the NRSV with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books in addition to the Old and New Testaments;
3. the NRSV Catholic Edition containing the Old Testament books in the order of the Vulgate.

Neither the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops nor the Vatican approves the NRSV. The only translations acceptable to them are the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSV-CE) and the New American Bible (NAB).

History

The NRSV was translated by the Division of Christian Education (now Bible Translation and Utilization) of the National Council of Churches, an ecumenical Christian group. There has also been Jewish representation in the group responsible for the Old Testament.

The chief revision made to the RSV was the use of gender-inclusive language, which has been criticized by conservative Christians. For example, where Paul says "Brothers" in the original Greek (adelphoi), the NRSV says "Brothers and sisters."

Partly in reaction to this, a more conservative revision of the RSV that does not use gender-inclusive language came out in 2001: the English Standard Version (ESV).

Study Editions

Oxford University Press has produced annotated study editions of the NRSV in both standard and with Deuterocanonical texts. The character of the notes are scholarly rather than doctrinal.

• The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha, 3rd edition, (2001) ISBN 019528478X

External links

• National Council of Churches: About the NRSV (http://www.ncccusa.org/newbtu/aboutnrs.html)
• NRSV Text (http://www.hope.edu/academic/religion/bandstra/BIBLE/BIBLE.HTM)
• oremus Bible Browser (http://bible.oremus.org/)

Example Usage of Standard