Guest Review: Sinag-Tala Confraternity Bible

Thanks to reader Jonny for another fine guest review:

This is a uniquely interesting copy of the Confraternity version of the Holy Bible that is currently being published by Sinag-Tala Publishers in the Philippines. It is an attractive but boxy little hardcover book (6 ¼ x 4 ½ x 2 ½) with quality binding and two ribbon markers. It also includes the cut-out thumb tabs which is kind of cool. The dimensions of this Bible remind me of the squat pre-NAB hardbacks from CBPC and others. It includes an index, a glossary, and 8 maps in the back that feature the traditional Catholic form of the proper names (e.g. “Chanaan” and “Juda.”) This Bible, like the blue pocket Confraternity NT Tim mentioned in his recent post, is reprinted with the special permission of the Confraternity of the Precious Blood.

The Old Testament in this edition is for the most part what could be called the “Confraternity Old Testament.” This is basically the translation that became the 1970 version of the New American Bible OT, with a few exceptions. The OT books of this version included are: Genesis - Ruth, Job - Sirach, and Isaia – Malachia. The remaining books (1 Kings to Esther, and 1 & 2 Machabees) are in the Challoner version. There is no reason given as to why certain books were included in the Challoner version, although I wonder if the desire was to keep some of the unique book names and textual peculiarities of the Vulgate. The difference between the OT Confraternity books and the NAB 1970 is threefold. First, the Book of Genesis was completely redone for NAB 1970. The Confraternity Version was a bit more traditional… “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth; the earth was waste and void; darkness covered the abyss, and the spirit of God was stirring above the waters.” Also in Genesis, God creates the “firmament,” instead of the “dome” between the waters, and calls the serpent “cursed” instead of “banned,” just to name a couple more. But in general, it is unlike the Douay version in many places where the Douay is especially unique (such as God forming man from the “slime” of the earth.) The second major difference is the translation of proper names. The Confraternity OT is translated from the Hebrew but yet the proper names are not quite the same as the commonly accepted Protestant versions. Some examples are “Noe” instead of “Noah,” Aaron’s sister “Miriam” in the RSV is “Mariam” here (and Mary in the Douay), “Zion” is “Sion,” and also the prophets “Jeremia,” “Osee,” “Abdia,” “Jona,” “Michea,” “Habacuc,” “Sophonia,” “Aggai,” “Zacharia,” and “Malachia” are good examples of the uniqueness of this version. The third main difference in this version from the NAB 1970 is the format and notes. The NAB 1970 has more extensive notes and outlined column headings, including the stanza division in the Psalms. The Confraternity Psalms also have the dual numbering system like the RSV-CE.

All in all, I think this Holy Bible from Sinag-Tala makes a great addition to any Catholic Bible collectors bookshelf. It is kind of the “missing link” between the Douay Rheims and the NAB. By the way, the front cover art is taken from the Ramsay Psalter: Creation, Creation of Eve, Fall of Man, and Expulsion from Paradise. The back cover art is taken from Book of Hours: Betrayal and Arrest of Christ, Suicide of Judas, Pilate Washing His Hands.

Catholic Study Bible NABRE is Available

Thanks to my fine readers who have let me know that the Catholic Study Bible NABRE is now available. You can purchase it in hardcover, paperback, or bonded leather. (My hardbound is on the way!)

A Fun Little Poll for a Monday

Which will come first?
The Complete Ignatius Catholic Study Bible A Bible that matches the lectionary at Mass An English translation of the Nova Vulgata A True Catholic Reference Bible
	Results

Faith and Family Bible (NRSV) for a Good Price

Thanks to reader Michael P for alerting me to this great deal for HarperOne's Catholic Faith and Family Bible in the NRSV-CE. You can purchase the hardcover edition through Hamilton Book for only $10.95.

Mondays with Verbum Domini

We begin part III of this document, which focuses on the Church's mission to proclaim the Word of God to the World, with a look at the relationship between the Word and the Father:

The Word from the Father and to the Father

"Saint John powerfully expresses the fundamental paradox of the Christian faith. On the one hand, he says that “no one has ever seen God” (Jn 1:18; cf. 1 Jn 4:12). In no way can our imaginations, our concepts or our words ever define or embrace the infinite reality of the Most High. He remains Deus semper maior. Yet Saint John also tells us that the Word truly “became flesh” (Jn 1:14). The only-begotten Son, who is ever with the Father, has made known the God whom “no one has ever seen” (Jn 1:18). Jesus Christ comes to us, “full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14), to give us these gifts (cf. Jn 1:17); and “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (Jn 1:16). In the Prologue of his Gospel, John thus contemplates the Word from his being with God to his becoming flesh and his return to the Father with our humanity, which he has assumed for ever. In this coming forth from God and returning to him (cf. Jn 13:3; 16:28; 17:8,10), Christ is presented as the one who “tells us” about God (cf. Jn 1:18). Indeed, as Saint Irenaeus of Lyons says, the Son “is the revealer of the Father”. Jesus of Nazareth is, so to speak, the “exegete” of the God whom “no one has ever seen”. “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). Here we see fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah about the effectiveness of the Lord’s word: as the rain and snow come down from heaven to water and to make the earth fruitful, so too the word of God “shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (cf. Is 55:10f.). Jesus Christ is this definitive and effective word which came forth from the Father and returned to him, perfectly accomplishing his will in the world."
-Verbum Domini 90

Explaining the New Roman Missal to Youth

Word for Word [Teens] from Life Teen on Vimeo.

I like this quite a bit and will be using this clip in class at some point.

Confraternity New Testament

The under-appreciated Confraternity New Testament is still available today through Scepter Publishers, who publish a delightful compact edition. Whenever I go to a used bookstore, I often find old textbook editions of the Confraternity Bible. Some of them contain the complete Douay Old Testament, while others have a combination of the Douay and the Confraternity revisions. Those revisions, which were translated from the Hebrew/Greek (and Latin for the Psalms I think?) ultimately became the basis for the original NAB Old Testament. (Genesis, however, was re-translated before the NAB came out.)

I know a number of people who remain very fond of the Confraternity New Testament. I wouldn't mind, at some point, doing a comparison of it with the Rheims NT. (If anyone is interested in this task, send me an email!) Whenever I have read verses from the Confraternity NT, I do find myself liking it quite a bit! If does a nice job of updating some of the older renderings in the Rheims NT, without losing its elegance.

I bring up the Confraternity Bible now because I recently read a fine review of a single-column Confraternity NT at J. Mark Bertrand's Bible Design Blog. I actually have that exact New Testament somewhere, so I may have to search through some boxes for it. Its worth checking out, at the very least for the great photos. Also check out Matt's review of the Scepter edition here.