The Holy Bible: Knox Version (Baronius Press)

One of the common complaints on this blog is the serious lack of quality, high-end Catholic Bibles.  While there are certainly enough good Catholic translations to choose from, the way in which they are produced often leaves a lot to be desired.  For example, the recently released HarperOne NABRE came in a very attractive page-layout, but the imitation leather cover and binding was a serious disappointment.  

When I look at the Bibles in my library, which are way too many if you ask my wife, the only one I would ever consider a premium Bible would be the Cambridge NRSV Reference with Apocrypha in French Morocco leather.  (Technically speaking, of course, that one is not even a specifically Catholic edition.)  However, I am happy to report, that I can now add another Bible to my list: The Knox Bible by Baronius Press.

This Bible is beautifully made and crafted in such a way that it will last a lifetime.  Here are the particulars of this new edition:
** The Bible comes in at a size of 6”x8 ¼”, encompassing 1,472 pages

**Set in a single-column format with verse references placed at the side of the text

**Printed on light cream paper

**Re-Typeset based on Burns & Oats and Macmillian & Co. 1963 edition

**Translator’s notes and cross-references are located at the bottom of each page

**Beautifully bound in hardcover (black leather) 1/8” thick, with gilt edges

**2 Ribbon Markers, headbands, and marbled endpapers

**Foreword by Scott Hahn

**Included with this new edition is a paperback copy of On Englishing the Bible by Knox 

**Imprimatur from Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols dated 8^th of January 2012

The Knox translation is certainly unique, however this review will not be analyzing the pros and cons of Msgr. Knox’s work.  I hope to do so in posts that will appear in the coming weeks that look at the translation in a bit more detail.  Instead, I am going to focus on the product itself.  But before I do, I thought it would be interesting to at least show you a bit of his style, by reproducing his version of the Christ-hymn of Philippians 2, with footnotes:

“Yours is to be the same mind which Christ Jesus shewed. ⁶ His nature is, from the first, divine, and yet he did not see, in the rank of Godhead, a prize to be coveted;^{[a] 7} he dispossessed himself, and took the nature of a slave, fashioned in the likeness of men, and presenting himself to us in human form; ⁸ and then he lowered his own dignity, accepted an obedience which brought him to death, death on a cross. ⁹ That is why God has raised him to such a height, given him that name which is greater than any other name; ¹⁰ so that everything in heaven and on earth and under the earth must bend the knee before the name of Jesus, ¹¹ and every tongue must confess Jesus Christ as the Lord, dwelling in the glory of God the Father.”

1. Philippians 2:6 ‘Did not see, in the rank of Godhead, a prize to be coveted’; others would render, ‘thought it no usurpation to claim the rank of Godhead’.
2. Philippians 2:11 ‘Dwelling in the glory’; the Greek is perhaps more naturally rendered ‘to the glory’.

Now on to what Baronius Press has done with Msgr. Knox’s translation.   What immediately stands out is the craftsmanship involved in producing this volume.  (I have experienced this type of quality production before with their Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary volume.) The quality of the binding, the paper, ribbon markers, and endpapers make this Bible standout from all of the other ones I own.  This Bible is sturdy, yet very comfortable to read both by placing it flat on a table or by holding it in your hand or lap.  This is the case no matter where in the text you are reading, from Genesis to Revelation (the Apocalypse).  While this is not a portable, compact Bible, it can easily be brought to study and prayer groups, even Holy Mass.  It is simply a standard sized Bible.  I wonder if Baronius Press will eventually make different editions of the Knox Bible, like in a compact form or flexible leather, similar to what they have done with their Douay-Rheims editions.

For me, the highlight of this Bible is its single-column page layout.  It is very easy on the eyes, and the quality cream colored Bible paper minimizes any issues with ghosted print image from the reverse of the page.  That being said, I am not sure if I will ever write in this Bible.  It is just too pretty!  While having the verse numbers on the side can be a bit tricky at first, it becomes quite easy to use after only a few minutes.  The many notes, both textual and commentary, from Msgr. Knox are clearly visible at the bottom of each page.  I should mention that while there are not a ton of cross-references in this Bible, the notes in the New Testament do indicate where there are direct quotes from the Old Testament, as well as referencing similar passages found in the among the four Gospels.  In addition, there are cross-references in the notes in the Old Testament as well, but not as many as are found in the New Testament.    

If there is one criticism, and this is only minor, I would have appreciated a small selection of Bible maps in the appendix.  The older Knox Bible that I own contained two line-drawn maps, which would have been a nice conclusion to this beautiful Bible.  While it is always nice to have “the extras” with any Bible edition you purchase, the quality of this Bible allows me to easily overlook this minor omission. 

Having now spent a few days with the Knox Bible, as well as reading On Englishing the Bible, I want to conclude by making three comments.  First, bravo to Baronius Press for crafting such a beautiful Bible that I am sure will be appreciated by many people on both sides of the Atlantic.  The quality of this Bible is a testament to the attention and care that was given to its production.  There is no question that it was well worth the wait and the $54.95 price tag. 

Secondly, while there are certainly other translations that may be more useful for study, here I am thinking of the RSV, NRSV, or NABRE, the style of translation and flow of reading from the Knox Bible, even with the occasional archaic rendering or anglicized vocabulary, is refreshing and truly enjoyable to read.  I must admit that even though I own an older Knox Bible edition, I never did spend much time reading it because I just assumed that it would be too close to the Douay-Rheims in style.   I was wrong.  In a similar way, I can imagine that people who first experienced fresh translations like the Jerusalem Bible or New English Bible half a century ago, which departed from the Douay-Rheims or KJV traditions, had that same sort of feeling that I did as I began to read the Knox Bible.  I truly did not anticipate the amount of joy I would have reading through large portions of the Old and New Testaments in this translation over these past few days.  While this certainly has a lot to do with the translation, itself, Baronius Press must also be given credit for the achievement of this publication.  

Finally, having read all of Knox’s On Englishing the Bible, which I did in one sitting, along with my reading of the Knox Bible, the ultimate compliment I can pay to Msgr. Knox, as well as Baronius Press, is that I now have a greater desire to read more from Msgr. Ronald Knox.  His style of writing, and his unexpected wit and candor, I found to be very attractive and insightful.  I look forward to adding a few of his other works to my Christmas list.  I have avoided his writings for way too long.  Any recommendations?