My Top 5 Catholic Bibles #2

The New American Bible Revised Edition: A Great Upgrade and a Better NABRE

"The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul. He guides me along right paths for the sake of his name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me." – Psalm 23 (NABRE)

Of all the Catholic Bibles, in English, that are available, the NAB(RE) is easily the most controversial. One does not have to look much further than any Catholic online forum, or even this blog, to see the NAB(RE) referred to as heretical, a paraphrase, inaccurate, or even the vehicle of some masonic take-over of the Church. Yes, I have heard or seen it described as all of those things, but thankfully, none of them are true. The revised NAB was published this year, and I think it is a considerable improvement over the previous edition. That is why it has jumped from #4 to #2 in my top 5 Bible rankings. So let's take a look at the NABRE. Please note that from now on, I will refer to this edition simply as the NABRE.

Translation Philosophy 4/5
When the original NAB was published 1970, it was the culmination of over 20 years of work by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. In many ways, the original NAB tended to follow a more dynamic-equivalence translation philosophy. This was certainly a philosophy that was current in the Church at the time, most notably in other translations like the Jerusalem Bible, but also in the way the Liturgy was translated. (On a side note, it is interesting how both the new Roman Missal and the NABRE have adopted a more formal approach to translation....which is a very good thing.) However, already in 1978, it was decided that the NAB NT needed to be redone. The Preface to the Revised NAB NT reads:

"The primary aim of the revision is to produce a version as accurate and faithful to the meaning of the Greek original as is possible for a translation. The editors have consequently moved in the direction of a formal-equivalence approach to translation, matching the vocabulary, structure, and even word order of the original as closely as possible in the receptor language. Some other contemporary biblical versions have adopted, in varying degrees, a dynamic-equivalence approach, which attempts to respect the individuality of each language by expressing the meaning of the original in a linguistic structure suited to English, even though this may be very different from the corresponding Greek structure. While this approach often results in fresh and brilliant renderings, it has the disadvantages of more or less radically abandoning traditional biblical and liturgical terminology and phraseology, of expanding the text to include what more properly belongs in notes, commentaries, or preaching, and of tending toward paraphrase. A more formal approach seems better suited to the specific purposes intended for this translation."

The revised NAB NT was published in 1986 and was certainly more literal than the original. (While I don't have room to give examples, see if you can compare the two versions of Mary's Magnificat in Luke 1.) It also included moderate uses of inclusive language. Work also began on a revised Psalter, which was published in 1991. This version was notable for its use of both horizontal and vertical inclusive language. While the revised NAB NT was included in the new Lectionary, the '91 Psalms were rejected due to its extensive use of inclusive language. Finally, the NABRE was published in March of this year, which completely updated the NAB OT, including the Psalms. The revised NAB OT is a more literal translation than its predecessor. Moderate inclusive language is used throughout, much like the revised NAB NT, but not as pervasive as the NRSV. The NABRE has rightly maintained the traditional "Son of Man" in Daniel 7 and Psalm 8, unlike a number of newer translations. The NABRE Psalms, likely due to a stricter adherence to Liturgiam Authenticam, are dramatically different than the '91 NAB Psalms. One only has to compare Psalms 1 in both versions to get a feel of the difference.

The NABRE made the news back in March for following the Hebrew "young woman" instead of the LXX "virgin" for Isaiah 7:14. I never felt that this should have been as newsworthy as it was, particularly since the RSV-CE, Jerusalem Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible did not follow the LXX either.

Overall, the NABRE is superior to the original NAB because it is a more formal-equivalence translation. One of my complaints about the previous edition was that it seemed like different portions of the NAB were translated with different translation philosophies. The revised NAB NT was formal, while the OT was dynamic and the '91 Psalms was all-over-the-place. For the most part, this has been largely corrected in the NABRE. My one main issue with the NABRE is that I think it could have gone a little further. Most notably in the book of Genesis, where some unique rendering persist. (See Genesis 1:1-2, 2:24, 3:1, 3:15, 4:1, and 12:3) For instance, the rendering of the Hebrew word basar as "one body" in Genesis 2:24 rather than "flesh" tends to "obscure the reference of Matthew (19:14) to that text." The previous quote is actually found in the NABRE notes which makes me wonder why a change was not made.

Readability 4/5
The NABRE is more consistently literal throughout, although probably a little less so than either the RSV or NRSV. This, of course, has its advantages and disadvantages depending on what you are looking for. For me, the biggest improvement, as mentioned above, is the NABRE Psalter. While I feel comfortable using that Psalter for study, I find that it is also a joy to read for longer periods of time. It flows much better than the previous two editions.

Available Formats 4/5
In the past, most NAB's looked the same. However, with this new translation comes hope for newer, more attractive formats and page layouts. The NABRE is being published by more publishers than before, with the likelihood of additional publishers to be announced in the near future. (Stay tuned for news regarding that.) The NABRE is now available in a Kindle version, online at the USCCB site, as well as in the much desired single-column format thanks to the folks at Little Rock. There also promises to be additional information available at the USCCB site, including the NABRE textual notes. Also, Oxford University Press will be publishing their Catholic study Bible with the NABRE shortly, and I shouldn't forget to mention the on-going Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture which is keyed to the NABRE. Time will tell whether or not the NABRE will be as available as the NRSV or RSV in different scholarly and devotional formats, but the future does look bright.

Miscellaneous 3.5/5
There are always two issues that come up when discussion is on the NAB(RE): 1) The Lectionary and 2) The NABRE notes/commentary. Probably one of the most frequent questions I get from people is why we cannot have a Bible that matches the readings heard at Mass. Well, the reality is that for the foreseeable future the Mass readings in the USA will include the original NAB OT and the revised NAB NT in an adapted form. Also, at some point, the Revised Grail Psalms will replace the current ones. That is just the reality of the situation, which I am sure can be confusing to the average Catholic in America.

Then, we come to the NABRE notes, which I am not going to discuss here. That discussion took place a few months ago, and generated over 70 comments. If you want to read that conversation, go here. Suffice to say, some people are happy with them, while some are vocally against them. I will just echo the comments I made at the end of that post: What should be the tone and content of the NAB(RE) commentary? Should those who have worked on the commentary assume that the typical Catholic reader would have some basic knowledge of the various theories in current Biblical scholarship?

Conclusion 15.5/20
The NABRE is a great improvement over the original NAB. I think many of the complaints against it have been answered and improved. It will be interesting to see how the NABRE does in the coming years. In the United States, the average Catholic is going to have a copy of the NAB(RE). It will continue to be the most available and most recognizably Catholic Bible in most bookstores.

Exodus in the NABRE

On Thursday nights, I have the wonderful privilege of teaching an Old Testament narrative class to adults, through the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. In many ways, it is the highlight of my week since the students are very receptive and show a great desire to engage the Holy Scriptures. Having just spent a number of weeks in the book of Genesis, we have now turned to Exodus. The course primarily relies on the RSV-CE as its teaching text, but I have been using the NABRE quite closely as well. I have found that, when comparing translations, there can be a tendency to just choose those famous passages, like Is. 7:14, to see how one translation stacks up against another. However, it really does take a willingness to sit down with a translation, and read large portions of it, before one can really grasp its worth.

That brings me back to my reading of Exodus, using both the NABRE and RSV-CE. What I have found is that there are some interesting decisions that the NABRE makes which, in general, I find to be quite helpful. One may ask whether the NABRE is as literal as the RSV? Overall, no. But it is certainly a lot closer than the original NAB and in many ways is more readable. Below I am going to provide some examples of what I have found during my reading:

1) There is a verse numbering difference between the NABRE and the RSV in regards to the second, third, and fourth plagues. The NABRE appears to follow the Hebrew numbering, while the RSV does not. Those of you who are familiar with the NAB(RE) know that it will often do this, see the book of the prophet Joel for another instance of this.

2) The NABRE will at times translate some of the more confusing (perhaps?) Hebrew metaphors and idioms into more readable English. For example, Moses refers to himself as having "uncircumcised lips" in Exodus 6:12, which the RSV translated literally into English. In the NABRE, Moses refers to himself as being a "poor speaker". (The NRSV is identical to the NABRE in this case.) Is this a good change? It certainly does clear up any possible confusion that the typical reader may have in understanding the Hebrew idiom. In any case, the NABRE translators do include a helpful note explaining what is the literal rendering of the Hebrew.

3) Snakes and Serpents! In Genesis 3:1, the NABRE went with snake over the more traditional serpent. In Exodus, we find the return of snakes as well as serpents. Is there a difference? Apparently so. Even though most translations, like the RSV, use the same word "serpent" for Moses' rod (4:3) and Aaron's rod (7:9), they are technically two different Hebrew words: nahash and tannin, respectively (Larsson Bound for Freedom 54). Nahash was the same Hebrew word used in Genesis 3, which the NABRE translated consistently in this case. The word tannin though may indicate a more ferocious reptile than a serpent, perhaps a large sea monster or dragon (Ezek 29:3) or crocodile. While one could debate which English terms would be best in translating these two Hebrew words, at least the NABRE made the distinction.

4) One of the most famous idioms of Exodus is the "hardening of Pharoah's heart" which is found some 20 times in Exodus 5-11. Sometimes it is clear that the LORD does the hardening, while on other occasions Pharoah is the one who does so. It is interesting to note that there are three different Hebrew words used in these instances, the most notably being hazaq and kaved. In most cases, however, the RSV simply translates "Pharoah's heart was hardened". The NABRE translates each term differently, kaved as Pharoah was "obstinate", while hazaq as Pharoah's "heart was hardened". (Again, there is also some helpful translator notes which assist the reader in recognizing the difference.) Now, one could argue that this is either not a big deal ultimately or that another word instead of "obstinate" should be used, but the main point is that the NABRE does make the distinction, much like it did with the snake/serpent issue addressed above.

More to come....

3 Things I Would Change in the NABRE

As I stated back in January, this year I am devoting the majority of my devotional and study of the Bible with the newly revised NABRE.  So far, it has been going very well.  I have enjoyed my reading of the NABRE and have been impressed by many of the improvements found in the OT.  My reading of the NABRE has been enhanced recently with the publication of the HarperOne NABRE, which I think is fantastic.  If you are looking for an NABRE readers edition, this one should be at the top of your wish list.

As I have mentioned on this blog before, one cannot truly appreciate the positive and negative features of a translation until one actually commits himself to reading large portions of it.  It has been immensely helpful, therefore, to spend this time observing how particular words are translated from book to book in the NABRE, as well as how the translators worked on larger portions of narrative and/or poetic writings.  This has given me a greater insight into what the translators tried to accomplish with this revision.  The publication of the textual notes to the NABRE will also be very helpful.  Hopefully this will occur at some point this year.

With that being said, I have been thinking about three simple, and quick, ways in which the NABRE could be improved.  This is, of course, just my perception as to what would make the NABRE better.  The three are not meant to be comprehensive, nor drastic in scope, but rather fairly simple "editing" that could be done in a future edition without much effort or expense.  (The quality of the notes is not a major point of this post.)

Here are the three:

1) In Luke 1:28, return to the traditional translation of Kecharitomene  as "full of grace".  A number of the modern Catholic and Ecumenical translations (JB, NJB, RSV, NRSV) all go with something close to the "hail favored one" of the NAB.  The only ones, since since the 1960's, that have the traditional rendering are the RSV-CE, RSV-2CE, and the CCB.  Now one could certainly make an argument that the current NAB rendering is not wrong, which I agree with.  However, the translation of "full of grace" is proper and preferred IMHO.  I am also convinced that the NABRE would win over a number of converts by simply making this change.  (See this article by Msgr. Pope of the Archdiocese of Washington to see what I mean.)  The Lectionary, which uses an adapted NAB, already has made the change.  The way it is now, the current NABRE rendering not only is different than what is heard at Mass, but it also differs from one of the most popular prayers in all of Catholicism: The Hail Mary.  Of course, devotion to Our Lady is important to me personally, but I think this change would be appreciated by a number of others. 

 2) Get rid of the Netherworld!  Not literally of course, like limbo, but the way in which the Greek term hades is translated in Matthew 16:18 and elsewhere in the NT.  Translate the term more precisely and consistently as "Hades", as found in the NRSV and RSV-2CE.  I have never liked the term "the netherworld" and would prefer to see hades translated more consistently as such.  For example, the NAB does translate it "Hades" in the three instances it is found in the Book of Revelation (6:8, 20:13, 20:14).  In addition, the new NABRE translation of Tobit, which uses the Greek Sinaiticus as its textual base, also translated it as "Hades" in Tobit 4:19.  Having two different English terms translate the same place in Greek differently can be confusing to some people.

3) This last one is calling for a bit more consistency between the OT and NT.  First off, as mentioned in previous posts, there are notes in the NT which indicate the way the original NAB OT translates a particular term that does not match up with the revised NABRE OT.  An example of this is found in the note for Matthew 5:3.  There are a few of these scattered throughout the NT, which really should be updated.  Also, there are some additional inconsistencies, like donkey/ass, abandoned/forsaken (Psalm 22), and the use of "body" instead of "flesh" as found in Genesis 2:24 that could be fixed.  That last one, in particular, always bugs me when I read the text Genesis 2:28, but even more so when I look at the note for that verse in Genesis and more specifically in Matthew 19:4-6 , which actually states that "the NAB translation of the Hebrew basar of Gen. 2:24 as "body" rather than "flesh" obscures the reference of Matthew to that text."  That should have been fixed in the updated NABRE OT.

NABRE Answers (from Facebook Site)

(Answers from NABRE Facebook site.)

Questions on the NABRE and the Liturgy:

1) Why won't the NABRE be used for readings in churches? Will this somehow lead to a revision of the Lectionary?

 Preparing a Scripture translation for use in the liturgy is a complicated, multi-step process.  First, the text must be formatted for liturgical use.  That means that each reading in the Ordo Lectionum Missae (OLM) must be looked up in the Nova Vulgata (the Latin edition of the Bible) and the verses matched to the same passage in the English.  (Versions sometimes vary in the chapter and verse divisions which were added to the sacred text quite late in their development and sometimes the liturgical reading will omit certain verses.)  Once that is done, brief introductory phrases (called incipits) may be added.  These incipits are provided in the OLM and are used to “set the scene” for the reading.  Then, the text needs to be reviewed to make sure that there are no pronouns missing antecedents.  After all, it wouldn’t help if a reading began “He said to them” and we didn’t know if it was “Jesus said to the crowds” or “Peter said to the other disciples.”

Once that work is completed, the text is presented to the Latin Church bishops of a Conference.  At least two-thirds of the bishops must approve the text.  Only then can the text be sent to the Holy See for confirmation.  The Holy See undertakes its own thorough review of the text and may make certain changes for liturgical use.  Only after that review is completed (a process which typically takes more than a year), can the new Lectionary be published and used.

Short answer:  Even if the bishops decide they want to use the NABRE in the liturgy, it won’t happen any time soon. 

2) How did Liturgiam Authenticam factor into this translation?

The work on the vast majority of the NABRE was completed and submitted to the Subcommittee for the Translation of Scripture Text (previously, the Ad Hoc Committee for the Review of Scripture Translations) before Liturgiam authenticam was released in 2001.  In addition, the norms outlined in Liturgiam authenticam apply only to texts intended for liturgical use.  Different norms must apply for a scholarly biblical translation, a fact that Liturgiam authenticam notes (cf. nos. 37ff).  Since the work on the NABRE Psalter began in 2009, the norms in Liturgiam authenticam were taken into consideration in developing that translation, particularly the use of concrete vocabulary.

That being said, many of the norms given in Liturgiam authenticam are simply principles of good formal equivalent translations.  As such, the NABRE will “follow” them, even though it predates them.

Questions on Publishing Formats:

 
3) Are there any plans for an enhanced NAB website?

Yes!  We will be adding resources to the NAB website over the next few months.  There will be an entirely new look later this year.

4) Will publishers be allowed to print the text without the commentary and footnotes?

No.  Permission is almost never granted to print the NABRE without the introductions and explanatory notes.  (The few exceptions are for audio products or certain works intended for scholarly use, such as parallel Bibles.)  The reason is two-fold.  First, canon law (specifically canon 825) requires that Scripture be “provided with necessary and sufficient annotations.”  Second, in undertaking their review of the text, the bishops who recommended the NABRE for approval reviewed the notes and introductions in great detail, often requiring additions to ensure that the note was as helpful as possible.

Also, see the response to question 15, below.

5) Will it be immediately available in electronic forms as, for example, an app for iPhone or audio versions that can be downloaded as an mp3?

The NABRE has been licensed in a variety of audio, electronic, and digital formats.  The availability of those products depends on the individual publishers and how quickly the products make it through beta-testing.

6) Will there be editions with the newly Revised Grail Psalms like the "Catholic Bible" NRSV being published in the UK?

No.  The NABRE will not be licensed to include any Psalter apart from its own.  It is important to maintain a consistency of translation principles.
 
7) Will it include the apocryphal works that are found in the new Vulgate (but not presently in the NAB) like Psalm 151?

No.  The NABRE includes only the canon of Scripture as delineated by the Councils of the Church.

8) Will there be multiple publishers releasing editions on March 9th?

Yes! We will be releasing the list of publishers toward the end of the month.  But some publishers have already begun advertising their NABRE line.  If you have a favorite Bible publisher, check its website.

 9) Will there be a comparison issue basically showing us the changes, like in red ink or something like that?

While we will be posting some “before and after” text examples, showing the changes for the entire Old Testament would be very confusing.  Since we don’t have such a comparison text prepared, it would also take a very long time to produce.

10) Are you going to provide an E-book style bible so we can have a Catholic version now?

We have licensed such editions and will continue to do so.  How quickly editions will move from print to E-book is up to the publishers.

11) Is there a publication that guides you through reading the entire Bible from cover to cover?

Some publishers will be bringing out Bibles that help readers read through the entire Bible in one year.  In addition, several one year reading plans for the Bible are available on the Internet.

Specific Questions on the Translation:

 
12) What revisions were needed and why were they needed?

Revisions were made for three major reasons:

First, to get closer to the original text.  Portions of the Old Testament are over three thousand years old.  Trying to find the manuscripts with the most reliable versions of these texts is no easy endeavor.  Some scholars spend their entire careers working to reconstruct a critical edition that is as close as possible to the original text.  Fidelity to that original text is always the standard by which a translation must be judged.  Since the original edition of the NAB was published in 1970, new and better manuscripts have been discovered and we have made significant achievements in our understanding of biblical languages.  The NABRE takes advantage of all these discoveries.

Second, to more closely express the meaning of the original.  In some places, the translation provided in the 1970 NAB may not be as clear as it might be.  In such cases, the translation was revised to clarify the meaning of the original.  For example, much of the concrete poetic language of the Psalms has been restored and more care was taken to ensure that Hebrew and Greek words are rendered consistently.

Third, the changes reflect modern English usage.  The most notable change in this regard is the consistent substitution of “burnt offering” for “holocaust,” a word now reserved for the sacrilegious attempt to destroy the Jewish people by the Third Reich.  The Holy See required a similar change in volumes II-IV of the Lectionary for Mass.

13) Will theological terms like “Son of Man” and “Netherworld” used in the NAB New Testament be translated in the same way in the NABRE Old Testament?

The term “son of man” is used in the Psalms, Ezekiel, and Daniel as appropriate.  “Netherworld” is used when the original text calls for it.  More commonly, the Hebrew original uses the proper name, Sheol.

14) Why have the editors chosen to go with “holy” Spirit instead of “Holy” Spirit?"

This usage appears only in the New Testament which remains in its 1986 edition.  The editors chose this capitalization pattern to avoid reading later theological developments into the Scriptural text.

15) Will the commentary and notes be new for the Old Testament? How about the New Testament?

All introductions and notes for the Old Testament have been revised or at least re-examined.  Some remain unchanged because the underlying material remains unchanged, e.g., a note that explains a play on words in the original Hebrew.  The note s in the NABRE Old Testament are far more extensive than those in the 1970 edition and will provide a very helpful resource to those seeking to undertake the canonical exegesis recommended by Pope Benedict XVI.  Many of the notes provide very helpful information about how a specific verse is interpreted in other parts of the Old Testament and in the New Testament.  Combined with the extensive cross references, readers will be able to interpret the text in light of the unity of Scripture.

The New Testament notes remain unchanged.


16) Concerning John 18:37, when Jesus says "You Say I am a king", will the new translation correspond more closely to the original Aramaic? I know a priest from the Syro-Malabar Rite, which still uses Aramaic liturgically, who says a better translation is "As you say it," which would be a stronger affirmative response to Pilate's question.

The NABRE New Testament is translated from the third edition of The Greek New Testament, edited by Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, Carlo Martini, Bruce Metzger, and Allen Wikgren, and published by the United Bible Societies in 1975.  The Greek text uses the word for “king” in both Pilate’s question and Jesus’ response.

17) In the book of Ezekiel chapter 1, 10-22 of the NAB, "there is the changed order of the verses, and the omission of the textually uncertain verses of 14 and 21. Such changes also occur elsewhere in this book." Will this also be the case in the New American Bible Revised Edition?

There is no reordering of Ezekiel 1:10-22 in the NABRE. There is some reordering of verses in the NABRE to better reflect the original text.  Keep in mind that the chapter and verse notations were added long after the original books were written.
 
18) Is Jeremiah 15:12-14 going to be included in NABRE?

Yes.  Here it is:

12Can one break iron,

iron from the north, and bronze?

13* Your wealth and your treasures

I give as plunder, demanding no payment,

because of all your sins, throughout all your territory.

14And I shall enslave you to your enemies

in a land you do not know,

For fire has broken out from my anger,

it is kindled against you.

 

 

Guest Post: The NABRE: A Masterpiece in the Making?

A Review of and Prediction for the New American Bible, Revised Edition

By CARL HERNZ

When you walk up to it where it currently stands on display in the Art Institute of Chicago, it is the amazing color that strikes you. Not so much vivid as they are ordinary, the realism of the tones (as they dance between the shades and sunlight upon the subjects pictured) make you wonder how the artist mixed and developed the colors he used and made sure they would not lose their effect due to the brushstrokes he employed.

But as you walk closer and closer to the painting, the colors begin to wash away. Then the shapes begin to lose their integrity, and when you find yourself standing right before the painting you realize that there are neither brush strokes nor any of the colors you saw from afar. Nothing but a network of dots of primary colors swimming in what appear to be a structure of nonsense stands before your nose. It was all an illusion—a powerful combination of science and imagination. A masterpiece.

The work, of course, is George Seurat’s famous impressionist piece, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.” It is an amazing example of pointillism, a technique which employs the use of small dots of tones that, when viewed from afar merge together in the brain to form images and colors, much like a newspaper photograph or the screenshot on a television are composed of minute specs of color and light.

Seurat’s work is so well done that one might find it hard to imagine how rejected it originally was. Many were outspoken on both the technique and the result when it was presented in the mid-1880s. Critics sneered at it and compared its graceful poses to stiff “tin soldiers.” So depressed by the horrible things people said about both the creator and the work, Seurat hid it from public sight. It would not be until after he had passed away that its rediscovery made “Sunday…” into the cherished piece it is now. So popular today, it is the most reproduced piece of art in history…ever.

Such is the life of a masterpiece.

A Catholic Bible Comes of Age

People with complaints will always find a way of getting others to hear them, while people who are satisfied generally exercise their contentment in silence.

This is characteristic of those who use the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America. Despite there being a very vocal, often quite loud cry of dissatisfaction regarding this translation of Scripture (and admittedly there is more than a little validity to the concerns often expressed), the New American Bible is widely accepted and admittedly the popular choice not only for American Catholics but many English-speaking Catholics around the world. So popular is this Bible that upon the release of its 2011 revision, the New American Bible Revised Edition or NABRE (pronounced like the word “neighbor”) became a best seller. While precise numbers are very hard to come by, to date the 2011 revision alone is by one market estimate to have surpassed 150 million copies in circulation.

Now each of us has our favorite Bible translation, and each of these translations has their merits, but there is a significant reason to reconsider what has been done to the NAB text in its 2011 revision. While most of the changes can be rightly labeled as small and compared to adding but tiny nuances to a painting, sometimes the addition of just a few readjustments can take something which was mediocre and turn it into a masterpiece. The newly revised NABRE is very much on the cusp of this.

Little Things Mean a Lot

A good rendition of the Bible will do more than give you God’s Word in a fashion you are accustomed to or that delights your ear. It will challenge you to examine for yourself its accuracy and move you to compare it with other versions. It will be suitable not only for personal reading but public proclamation such as at Mass. The text should be easy to compare with other versions and easily matched with the original text such as via an interlinear translation for in-depth study. It should be easy enough to understand but not so “hip” as to lose dignity as God’s Word. The NABRE is a Bible that does all this.

While space does not permit a complete overview of all the improvements to the New American Bible Old Testament text that appear in the 2011, NABRE, here are three examples that are characteristic of what you will find throughout this latest revision.

Clarity

 Most translations, such as the original NAB and the RSVce, rendered Genesis 1:24 as follows:

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth…”

—RSVce 2^nd Edition.

But the new NABRE renders the same verse with a thought-provoking and accurate update:

Then God said: Let the earth bring forth every kind of living creature: tame animals, crawling things, and every kind of wild animal.—Italics added.

“Cattle” has now become “tame animals,” and “beasts of the earth” are more accurately rendered as “every kind of wild animal.” “Cattle” on the other hand are not necessarily the opposite of “beasts,” but in the original text the Hebrew word for “tame animals” is meant to oppose the word for “wild animal.” Through Genesis the NABRE’s improved precision is definitely one its best features.

Hebrew is Detailed, and in the Details

The same precision occurs throughout the rest of the NABRE, but especially in Exodus where improvements in the text include not only accuracy, but a delicate rendition of the specific shades of meaning that the original Hebrew is endowed with.

To illustrate, the original NAB had God saying the following at Exodus 3:5:

Remove the sandals from your feet,

for the place where you stand is holy ground.—Italics added.

But the NABRE now reads:

Remove your sandals from your feet,

for the place where you stand is holy ground.—Italics added.

Not much of a difference, no? But the NABRE is now matched with the way God says this in the Hebrew text. The sandals in question are those of Moses, and in Hebrew the expression is “your sandals” and not “the sandals” as if Moses borrow them from someone else.

A tiny change you say. Well, almost each sentence in the NABRE introduces precision-changing terms like this throughout. It adds to the flow and literary style of the text. Compare the words, experience the adjectives, and note the new rhythms these changes make by reading Exodus chapters 1-4. Compare them with either the previous NAB or another Bible of your choice. These tiny details make for a text that is now quite alive and rich, even making you see something new that perhaps you don’t see in other versions. The Israelites are no longer “dreaded,” (RSVce; NAB) they are “loathed” by the Egyptians. (NABRE, Ex 1:12) No longer are they made to “serve with rigor” (RSVce) or left to “the whole cruel fate of slaves.” (NAB) They are instead “cruelly oppressed in all their labor.” (Ex 1:14, NABRE) And the angel of the Lord no longer appears to Moses “in a flame of fire” (RSVce) or “in fire flaming out of a bush.” (NAB) But as the NABRE is now careful to explain the Hebrew thoroughly, we read: “The angel of the LORD appeared to him as fire flaming out of a bush.” (Ex 3:2, italics added.) The Theophany does not take place in a burning bush, the Theophany IS the flame of fire in the bush.

Making the Beautiful Even More So

Perhaps the star of the Old Testament in the NAB has been the poetry. The NABRE is no different. Job is startlingly new via its many tiny improvements (though one might find challenging the new expression “the satan” introduced here—a totally new expression for the English language; see the NABRE footnote to Job 1:6).

Another shining example of majestic employment through improvements is the Song of Solomon. Finally a translation of the Canticle of Canticles that is both clear and literary!

But the masterstroke of the NABRE is Isaiah. While the previous NAB version was also strikingly beautiful, the new revision is definitely a work of translation perfection. While some take issue with Isaiah 7:14 or the very accurate rendering of the Hebrew of 9:6b  (I understand from reports that the 2025 update will change 7:14 as the NABRE is updated to meet the requirements of Liturgiam Authenticum), the work as a whole is both powerfully accurate and notably rhythmic.

The best of the best is Isaiah 55 which seems to be endowed with the “sprung rhythm” of the Grail Psalter throughout. Again the improvements are like tiny dots here and there, but compare Isaiah 55 from the NABRE with any other version currently available and feel the difference. There is a cadence, meter, a rare merging of academia and art. It reads like no other version, ever faithful to the original, ever faithful to its target language. The work put into verses 10 and 11 of this chapter are my favorite. They dance with almost the exact same steps that one comes across when reading the original Hebrew. It is beautiful, so very beautiful.

Yet just as from the heavens

the rain and snow come down

And do not return there

till they have watered the earth,

making it fertile and fruitful,

Giving seed to the one who sows

and bread to the one who eats,

So shall my word be

that goes forth from my mouth;

It shall not return to me empty,

but shall do what pleases me,

achieving the end for which I sent it.

--Isaiah 55:10-11, NABRE.

Back to the Future

Of course many may not see what I, a Jewish Catholic, see here. Hebrew can seem foreign even to me, though I grew up speaking it in Ladino and pray the Shema in the original tongue of the Jews every day. So I don’t know if I can give justice to what gems I find in our new official Catholic Bible. Like “Sunday in the Park…” that hangs in Chicago, you have to make the examination for yourself.

There is also the question of what will be done in the revision of the New Testament due out in 2025. If the work done to the New Testament is similar, if attention will be given to fleshing out the detail and making it more literary like the NABRE Old Testament has become (and once the principles of LA are applied to the main text, which will make many a Catholic very happy), something tells me we will have as close to a masterpiece on our hands as we could ever expect.

The NABRE is not perfect. There are things I don’t necessarily like about the choices that make it up in all places. But there is nothing inaccurate in it. The footnotes can stand improvement, not in the information given but in explaining to the Catholic readership how the data supplied can be made to work with Apostolic Tradition. The tiny changes throughout the Old Testament (which I pray will be made to the New), minor of course here and there, can only be appreciated if one steps back and looks at the work as a whole. It’s very different when one stops picking at the details and takes it all in as one extremely large and powerful work. The NABRE is far more than the “dots” that make it up.

With the fact that most Catholics in the United States use the NABRE now and that the upcoming revision of the New Testament will include adjusting the entire text to read the same in our hands as it does in the Liturgy (and giving a little more time to get people used to what has been done so far), I think American Catholics as well as many other English-speaking people will find in its pages a new standard. Generations from now when the 2025 NABRE has become dated and preparation is being made for its revision, Catholics will protest. By then the NABRE will be considered what it is just beginning to become right now, a masterpiece of Scripture transmission and a faithful rendition of the Holy Word of God.

CARL HERNZ is an award-winning graphic designer and copy writer. Gifted with a high IQ, Carl began studying languages at a young age, learning and speaking as much as eleven by age 18. A stereographic photographer and artist at age 10, he is best known for discovering that the 1925 silent film classic, The Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney, was originally captured on film in 3D. He is an international advocate for persons living with Parkinson’s (like himself) and a humorist on the subject. Along with the 3D restoration of Phantom, Carl is currently producing “All Monsters Have PD,” a comedic short to help raise awareness of both the disease “and bad monster movie-making in general.”

Review: The Catholic Study Bible NABRE

The Catholic Study Bible (CSB) from Oxford University Press has a history going back to 1990, just before the publication of the '91 NAB Revised Psalms.  I have genuine leather edition of that volume, which was unique due to the 500+ pages of reading guides that preceded the Biblical text and the generous 2 inch margins.  Needless to say, the combination of those two things made that first edition a bit of a beast.  Perhaps in a desire to reduce its size, later editions, including the most recent NABRE one, got rid of the large margins.  The same thing happened if you compare the 1991 New Oxford Annotated Bible NRSV with its subsequent revisions.  I kind of liked the larger margin editions though.  I will be reviewing here The Catholic Study Bible NABRE 2nd Edition (black bonded leather).

It must be said straight away that the biggest issue I have with this edition of the CSB is the fact that the reading guides have not been updated since the release of the NABRE.  For example, if you are looking up the reading guide section (p. 128) on the topic of the Levitical sacrifices in Leviticus 1-7, it will mention that in Lv 2 the NAB calls this the 'cereal offering' when in fact it is called a "grain offering" in the NABRE.  Look down one more paragraph which discusses the often translated "Peace offering" of Lv 3 which is now "communion offering" in the NABRE.  There are also issues when we get to the prophets, where mention is made of how the NAB rearranged verses.  However, the NABRE restored many of them to their proper order.  Then there is the embarrassing fact that one of the introductory articles called "The Challenges of Biblical Translation" talks about the "proposed NAB Old Testament" which is of course the translation found in this study Bible.  The reading guides need to be updated.  This is an issue that has been mentioned before on this blog, including some helpful comments by reader and blogger Theophrastus.  One wonders if this will be corrected only when the NABRE NT is published.  I hope it will be sooner.

After getting that out of the way, let me move to its overall feel and appearance.  The CSB scores high marks here, due to the quality sewn binding and its classic look and feel.  The sewn binding is well done, which assures longevity for this volume.  Attached to the binding are two gold ribbon markers.  The gold gilt-edged is a nice touch, which works well with thumb indexed pages.  I know some people don't like thumb indexed pages, but I find them to be helpful in a study bible of this size.  Now, my 1990 edition of the CSB was covered in genuine leather, which the current edition is not available in.  The bonded leather is ok, nothing special really.  Would have preferred a genuine leather cover like the NOAB 4th Edition, but if I continue to use this edition as much as I have in past months, I may have to give Leonard's a call.  

Now on to the content that is found within its bonded leather cover.  I have truly grown to love the page layout.  The type is large enough to read for study and to use when teaching.  Personally, I always have a bit of a hard time finding a Bible that fits both the at home and in the classroom setting.  This one seems to meet both needs.  The print itself is quite dark, and while the paper used is a fairly thin Bible paper, I don't feel the ghosting is any where near the problem as found in the HarperCollins Bibles.  The paragraph headings are in a clear bold from the rest of the biblical text, while the NABRE notes and cross-references are distinguishable from the text.  In sum, the page layout is easy on the eyes and is inviting to read.

The one thing I think the CSB excels at is in the fact that it contains a whole lot of additional study helps, which not all Catholic study bibles include.  Part of this is due to the NABRE itself, which comes with study notes and cross-references built into the translation.  The CSB goes above and beyond this with the reading guides, which I will discuss later, but more importantly it includes a considerable amount of material in the appendix.  First, we find probably my favorite set of Bible maps, the 14 New Oxford maps which are large, highly detailed, and indexed.  Also included is an almost 100 page concise concordance, which most of you indicated in one of my recent polls was a mandatory element of a good study bible.  There is also a small glossary, a table of measures and weights, and an index to the reading guides. Rounding out what is found in the appendix is a full listing of lectionary readings for Sundays, Holy days, and weekdays.  It still amazes how many Catholic bibles are missing this.  The Mass and the Bible are tied together, shouldn't all Catholic bibles reflect this?

Having looked at the appendix, let's go back to the beginning of the CSB.  This section has two main parts: the introductory articles and the reading guides.  There are eight introductory articles than cover issues related to Biblical history and archaeology to Catholic interpretation and the lectionary.  The authors are well known Catholic biblical scholars, including CSB co-editor Donald Senior, Ronald Witherup, and the recently deceased Daniel Harrington. 

The over 450 pages of reading guides are authored by many of the most prominent biblical scholars of the post-Vatican II Church.  The late Lawrence Boadt composed the reading guides concerning the Pentateuch. Leslie Hoppe composed the ones for the books of the Deuteronomistic histories, as well as 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit, Judith, Esther and both Maccabees.  The Old Testament reading guides are rounded out with Diane Bergant's treatment of the Wisdom books, Richard Clifford's guides on the Major Prophets, and John J. Collins who does the guides for Daniel and the Minor Prophets.  The New Testament reading guides are anchored in the Gospels and Acts jointly composed by Donald Senior and Pheme Perkins.  Mary Ann Getty and Carolyn Osiek completed the guides on the Pauline corpus, with Luke Timothy Johnson concluding the reading guides with the Catholic Letters and the Book of Revelation.  These reading guides are generally quite helpful at giving an overall walk through each book.  They are more academic in orientation, being primarily concerned with historical, literary, and textual issues.  While the reading guides do address theological issues, I would not say that it is of its primary concern.  I find that most of the guides help to fill in the gaps of the NABRE notes.  There are particular areas in the NABRE's Old Testament, I am thinking here of Chronicles and some of the Wisdom books, where more notes would be helpful.  The reading guides give that additional background and exposition.  Those who have issues with the NABRE notes may not appreciate the tone and focus of the information found in the reading guides.  I should add that at the end of each book in the reading guide, there are recommendations for further reading.  These have been updated since the first edition came out in 1990, and I would expect to see a further updating whenever a third edition is published.

Finally, incorporated into the NABRE text are 52 in-text maps and 18 side-bar essays and charts.  These are placed in their appropriate location within the biblical text, which makes them quite helpful.  Would love to see more of these in future editions.  How about maps and charts in color?  Perhaps that is asking too much.  

In conclusion, when I consider the entire package, the CSB is a serious candidate for best Catholic study bible, with one major caveat being the desperately needed updating of the OT reading guides.  Oxford should really fix this.  Perhaps they could come out with an "augmented" edition, much like they did with the NOAB 3rd Edition.  Some will not like this Bible because of its focus on historical-critical issues.  I think if you know that ahead of time, you will find that this study bible contains a wealth of helpful information.  The fact that the translation is the NABRE, with its much improved OT and Psalms, make this an upgrade over all the previous editions.  I look forward to seeing what might be produced in the coming years as the NABRE NT is revised. 

New NABRE Responses

Thanks again to Mary Sperry for taking the time to respond to these questions:

1. I know that the process of Bible translation is often an ongoing process. Are there any plans for either minor revisions or major revisions of the NAB/NABRE or its notes in the coming few years?
At present, nothing has been firmly determined. I would expect that a plan for the future will be developed in 2012.

2. A number of readers have noted that since the NAB NT notes quote the older NAB OT, they no longer are in harmony with the NABRE OT. (For example, the note to Matthew 24:15 now misquotes Daniel 12:11). Are there any plans to make at least minor updates to the NAB NT notes so they refer to the NABRE text?
While these updates seem minor, they would require complete reprinting (and likely some resetting) by the publishers. As such, they are unlikely to take place in the near future.

3. When will the revised edition of the Textual Notes on the New American Bible (promised in the NABRE introduction) appear?
We are hoping to post them on the USCCB website soon. There are two reasons for the delay: 1) We are still working out major bugs in the principal elements of the site. 2) The files of the textual notes are in a somewhat outdated computer program which we need to convert to make sure that the symbols and diacritical markings are retained. Obviously, that’s not a task we can hand off to a temp. Realistically, I’m hoping for early 2012. In addition, the Catholic Biblical Association will be offering a print edition for people who want a copy for their bookshelves.

4. Were the cross-references in the NABRE substantially revised from the NAB OT cross-references?
Yes, they are far more extensive.

5. Some readers have concerns that the cross-references in the NAB are not very extensive. Are licensed publishers permitted to integrate more extensive cross-references in an edition, or are they contractually limited to only use the existing NAB/NABRE cross-references?
Usually, the complaint I hear is the opposite: that the NAB helps are far too extensive! That being said, publishers may, if they wish, add to these materials as long as they are distinguished rom what comes as part of the “official” NABRE.

6. The decision was made to not use traditional Catholic phrasing in places such as Luke 1:28 and Isaiah 7:14. Is there a chance of an update rectifying these problems?
It is unlikely that either of these will change soon as they are accurate renderings of the underlying Greek and Hebrew, respectively. Though I am aware of debates about translating the Greek of Luke 1, I am far more knowledgeable about Isaiah 7:14 as I was in the office for most of the translation process on the OT. (During the NT translation, I was in high school and college and blissfully unaware of how heated translation debates can become!) In the case of Isaiah 7:14, the Hebrew word “almah” is accurately translated as “young woman.” Hebrew has a different word for “virgin” (“bethulah”) which Isaiah uses in 62:5. The NABRE uses different renderings following different Hebrew words in the original.

7. Are there any plans for an update of the New Testament?
Not at present.

8. If so, try to add "full of grace" somewhere, and please, please don't go the way of many other translations and add more "inclusive" language.
If the NT is updated (a multi-year process at best), I would expect (and this is just my informed opinion based on the OT translation experience) that “full of grace” would likely appear (at least) in a note as an alternative reading. Any revised translation will strive to preserve the distinctions made in the original between gender-specific group nouns and gender-inclusive group nouns to the extent possible given modern English’s lack of a human yet gender-neutral third person singular pronoun.

9. Along these lines, is there any chance the Bible will be brought in to conformity with the liturgy?
Translations of Scripture follow different rules than do liturgical translations. Bible translators are called upon to translate the best available critical editions of the original texts. Liturgiam authenticam sets out different standards that are, in some cases (most sepcifically the reliance on the Nova Vulgata), in conflict with the Bible translation directions established by Pope Pius XII in Divino Afflate Spiritu in 1942.

10. Is there a set schedule for review and revision of the text and notes?
No. The bishops of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine consult with a board of scholars to determine when a review and/or revision is needed.

11. If there is an update of the notes, is there any chance the tone will be substantially altered, rejecting at least the wholesale preaching as a foregone assumption the debated two-source Q-theory in the gospels? Or even a move to bring the notes back in to (greater) continuity with the sacred Tradition of the Church?
I would have to disagree with the underlying assumption of this question. Among other things, the NABRE introduction to the Gospel of Matthew clearly identifies the Two-Source theory as “The one now favored by the majority of scholars.” In addition, the notes are part of the canonical review.

12. Many people do not like the NAB notes, finding them far too critical/skeptical and in discontinuity with sacred tradition (cf. the Holy Father's comments on the proper use of the historical-critical method, esp. those found in the prologue of "Jesus of Nazareth"), but can't find an edition of the NAB with different ones. Is there any way that different notes could be included, as long as they received imprimatur and were licensed, as the myriad commentaries and annotations that can be found in many different versions of the RSV? The "New Catholic Answer Bible" already has inserts that amount to essentially additional theological annotation, granted a separate imprimatur from the Bible itself.
No. The NABRE notes are a constitutive part of the text and cannot be eliminated apart from very special circumstances (most notably parallel Bibles and audio Bibles). The notes are part of the text as reviewed for the approval to publish.

13. Some publishers have gone half-way to having end-notes, but this is not a satisfactory solution to the "note problem", as one ends up with what amounts to a text edition.
Permission to move to end notes is granted rarely and will become even more rare in the future as it tends, effectively, to eliminate the notes.

14. The note of Matthew 19:13-15 comment of an understanding of some scholars who think of that passage of the Bible as a justification for the practice of infant baptism. I would be important to me to know more about that, and I want to know where I can find more information.
I would recommend a good commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.

15. Will the NT be revised to reflect the Lectionary, i.e., "hail full of grace", "Christ" rather than "Messiah", etc.
Answered above, #9.

16. It would also be nice if the footnotes and commentary could be revised to show less of a critical stance, and more of a faith based POV. Perhaps develope two sets of footnotes: one for editions marketed to history buffs, and one for editions for the average Catholic that inspire faith rather than put cracks in it.
Preparing a second set of notes is certainly a possibility. While any notes will, of course, reflect the best available biblical scholarship, there are reasonable concerns that the present notes presume a theological sophistication that may not be widely present. The language used in many of the notes is hard for many NABRE readers to understand, limiting the utility of these resources.

17. How were the footnotes and commentaries in the NABRE formulated? I'm just curious as to the whole process all the annotations had to go through. I'm wondering whether there are any parallels with the story of the new Mass translation.
I can’t speak to the process of the new Mass translation beyond the requirements of liturgical law. The canons require separate paths for approval for Bible translations and liturgical translations. Liturgical translations must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the bishops of an episcopal conference and confirmed by the Holy See’s Congregation for Divine Worship. A Bible translation must be approved by either the Holy See or the conference of bishops. In practice, the Holy See tends to refer such approvals to the local conference. The USCCB established a process for such approval in the late 1980s. This process was applied to the OT revision. In accord with that policy, any revision of the NAB is reviewed by the Subcommittee on Scripture Translations and proposed to the Administrative Committee which is asked to recommend that the Conference President approve its publication. Other Bible translations need not be presented to the Administrative Committee.

Now, as to the more specific question of the introductions and notes: These materials are developed in the same way as the rest of the translation. The editorial board identifies possible translators who are approved by at least the chairman of the bishops’ subcommittee. Those translators who agree to undertake the task create the translation and accompanying materials using the best available critical edition (noting any especially significant alternative readings). When submitted, the translator’s work includes the text plus an introduction, notes, and textual notes. That work is reviewed by an editor who engages in dialogue with the translator as necessary. The editor then presents the book to a group of editors who make comments and changes. Ultimately, each book is presented to the full editorial board for final review and comment. Then the text is submitted to the Subcommittee on Scripture Translations. The subcommittee assigns one or two censors to each book. Each censor submits comments, queries, and recommended changes to the subcommittee. The subcommittee reviews these recommendations and passes some of them on to the editorial board for further consideration. To clarify, the censors and the subcommittee review the notes and and the introductions as well as the text. The subcommittee and the editorial board then discuss the suggested changes until all parties are in agreement. Only then does the full text move to the Administrative Committee for a vote. (And yes, that takes as long as it sounds!)

18. Also, is a Catholic required to believe in the verbal inerrancy of Sacred Scripture?
Catholics are not required to believe in plenary verbal inerrancy. I would refer you to the excellent resources from the Pontifical Biblical Commision: On the Historicity of the Gospels and The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church

19. Why is there no Imprimatur or Nihil Obstat for the NABRE OT? Is this forthcoming?
According to the canonists, the canonical rescript replaces the imprimatur. As I am not a canonist, I cannot explain this in any further detail.

20. Why is the Imprimatur for the 1991 Psalms listed at the beginning of the NABRE?
That’s actually an error caused by a contractual inconsistency. Hopefully, it will be corrected on reprints.

21. How many years can we expect to see the modified 1991 NAB Psalms in the liturgy instead of the Revised Grail Psalter?

Has the format and approval process to integrate the NABRE OT into the Lectionary began yet (or is this on a tentative back-burner?)

Has the format and approval process to integrate the NABRE OT and NT into the Breviary began yet (or is this on a tentative back-burner?)
I put all these questions together because they have the same answer. That decision rests with the Bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship. Of course, the Confraternity will ensure that they have access to the text files if they would find them helpful.

22. Are there any future plans at this time for a more literal and/or traditional english Bible translation that meets the requirements for Liturgiam Authenticam or is it the general concensus of the USCCB that the NABRE can stand indefinitly?
Answered above, see #9.

23. The NABRE website is a big improvement over the old NAB website! It's really nice! The only issue I've run into is that it isn't as easy to hyperlink directly to a notes as it was with the old website. Do you have any advice about how to do that?
If you can explain exactly what you want to do, I’ll pass that on to the developers and see what’s possible. (I know even less about web design than I do about canon law.)

24. Who is the intended audience of the NABRE notes? Several commenters on this blog have noticed that the notes are sometimes pretty academic and might be unclear to anyone without a college-level understanding of Biblical scholarship. For instance the note at Job 13:15 says, "Many translations adopt the Ketib reading, “I have no hope.”" The term "Ketib" doesn't appear anywhere else in the NABRE and is left unexplained. It seems that the note assumes that the reader knows Hebrew spelling and the quirks of the Masoretic text, which most people do not.
See the response to #16 above.

25. Now that the NABRE is complete what is going to happen to all the translators/editors? What are they currently working on?
Some of the translators and editors have passed from this life. (In this month of All Souls, prayers would be most appreciated.) Some have retired. (Keep in mind that this revision project began in 1992.) The majority continue teaching and writing at universities and seminaries in the US and around the world. If you Google their names, you can catch up with most of them.

26. Was there an effort to de-emphasize marriage in the revised Song of Songs? For instance the introductory essay now reads: "It represents an inspired portray of ideal human love, a resounding affirmation of the goodness of human sexuality that is applicable to the sacredness and the depth of marriage." In the original NAB this was two sentences that read: "While the Song is thus commonly understood by most Catholic scholars, it is also possible to see in it an inspired portrayal of ideal human love. Here we would have from God a description of the sacredness and the depth of married union." Also, the speakers are identified as "W", "M", and "D" (Woman, Man, and Daughters of Jerusalem) in the NABRE, but they were "B", "G", and "D" (Bride, Groom, and Daughters of Jerusalem) in the NAB. Another example of this is the way that the note to Song 4:12 was revised, where "Lover" was "Bridegroom" and "fruitful, committed relationship" was "fidelity".

I don't read the Song of Solomon, but this is ridiculous. It's already too pornographic as is: the only thing that saves it is a very strong metaphorical interpretation, and it looks like it's getting less metaphorical by the minute.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the newish train in Catholic thought that says, "Celibacy is not inherently better than the alternative, just a different vocation", compared to the older, traditional, Patristic, "celibacy is a higher calling than marriage".

And even the marital overtones are being lost! The above poster certainly seems justified after a glance at the Song of Solomon in my NABRE - it's starting to sound a lot more "significant other"-ish instead of Bride of Christ-ish or even the Sacrament of Matrimony-al.

What's next, the Catholic Church saying, "the spread of fornication is inevitable, we must justify it" like other denominations (when they said, "birth control is on the rise, so we better accommodate it or lose parishioners"). I love the Catholic Church as a bastion against such relativism, as a staunch defender of the natural law morality!

Since this whole comment deals with Song of Songs, I thought I’d handle it in a single response. First, the marginal notes identifying the speakers are not part of the Hebrew text. They were added in a later Greek recension. The revised text follows the Hebrew very closely. The Hebrew text most commonly describes the speakers as lovers or beloveds. (Some translations use “darling” which I personally find a bit cloying in modern English.)

I must, however, strongly object to the statement that the Song of Songs is pornographic. Pornography is typically defined as work that has no meaning or value apart from its ability to arouse. To characterize a book of the Bible as pornographic would seem to cast aspersions on the Church’s decision to include this book in the canon of Scripture by saying is has no theological import.

Without question, the language of Song of Songs is graphic and erotic. (In some places, the Hebrew is even more graphic than the English rendering. The revisers were careful to avoid vulgarity here and in other places.) However, the language does speak to the fact that human sexuality is a gift of God which has great value and, as such, deserves appropriate expression. The text can be read metaphorically. You may wish to read Bernard of Clairvaux’s commentary which is probably the landmark metaphorical reading of the text.

I would dispute that the revised text downplays marriage. The marital imagery is mentioned frequently in the introduction and the text includes many references to the faithful, committed, and fruitful union that is marriage.

27. I'm curious if the notes on St. Paul's letters, especially Romans, will reflect any development in that area given all the recent focus on what Paul meant by "law" and "works".
Any future revision of the NABRE will reflect the best available scholarship on the text.

28. Has the Confraternity given thought to proposing to the Canadian bishops to take the NABRE for their Lectionary instead of the NRSV? Or the UK bishops?
As a matter of course, the Confraternity does not propose, though we stand ready to respond to any queries or requests from episcopal conferences.

29. An Anglicianised version would be nice.
Such an edition is being prepared by Pauline Publications Africa for distribution in Africa. This edition will be accompanied by introductions and notes commissioned by the Kenyan Episcopal Conference to situate the scriptural text in the African context.

30. I did find much of the American country-bumpkin vernacular in the original NAB to be terrible (such as "dilly-dally" in the Binding of Isaac), but it seems most has been removed in the NABRE (of which the OT still has a lion's share of problems, but at least not that one, which made the Bible read like it took place in Tennessee instead of the Near East).
I’m not sure what text you are reading, but the NAB translation of Genesis 22 does not use the word “dilly-dally.” You may be thinking of the word “yonder” which is a viable English word, though no longer in frequent usage. Just another sign of how language changes over time.

I want to thank Tim for the opportunity to respond to these question and thank you all for your excellent questions and for your obvious love of God’s Holy Word.

The NABRE after 1 Year

March 9th marked the one year anniversary of the publication of the NABRE. Over the past year, I have done some posts that have analyzed some of the unique features of the NABRE. For the most part, I have found the NABRE to be a definite upgrade to the original NAB. While not as consistently literal/formal as the RSV, I find that it does more things right than wrong. For example, I was doing some research this week for a lecture on 1 Kings 1-11, and while comparing the NABRE with the RSV, I spotted a couple of areas where I think the NABRE is better.

The first was in 1 Kings 3:4-11, where Solomon asks for a "listening heart" instead of the more typically translated "understanding mind". Not only is the translation of "heart" instead of "mind" more literal, it also helps to maintain the parallel with verse 6 where Solomon says to the LORD that "You have shown great kindness to your servant, David my father, because he walked before you with fidelity, justice, and an upright heart." We also know that David is describes as being a "man after his own heart" throughout 1-2 Samuel. Solomon's "heart" remains an important theme throughout 1 Kings, where by the time we get to 11:9, we see that "The LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart turned away from the LORD."

The second is found in 1 Kings 4, which describes the domestic organization of the Solomonic kingdom. 4:1-6 lists the "officials" that Solomon had in his service, most likely high officials of Solomon's central government in Jerusalem. (The RSV refers to them has "high officials".) Then in verses 7-20, we are given the twelve administrative districts of the kingdom. The RSV and NRSV refers to those who are put in charge of these districts as "officers" while the NABRE translates it as "governors". As Jerome T. Walsh points out in his volume on 1 Kings in the Berit Olam series: "The NRSV (RSV) calls them "officials", but this is misleading, since the word is entirely different from the "high officials" of 4:2 (87)." I admit that this is a very subtle difference, but I do believe it is important nevertheless.

There have been some areas where I do think the NABRE could have been better, for sure. Most notably, I feel that there are a number of decisions in Genesis 1-3 which could have been better. Also, there is that notoriously final part of Judges 3:22 that was not translated in the NABRE.

Overall, I find the NABRE to be a considerable improvement over the original, not to mention the re-revised Psalms. I am interested to hear from those of you who have spent some time in the NABRE over the past year. What are your thoughts? What do you like? What do you dislike?

NABRE Editions

So, what editions will the NABRE come in? I am going to use this post to add those publishers who will be producing editions of the NABRE sometime this year. I hope to update this as I learn new information. If you see anything, let me know!

Oxford University Press
They will be publishing a number of volumes, beginning with a compact edition of the NABRE in March. The unique thing about this edition is that the notes/commentary will not be on the page with the Sacred Text, but at the back of each book. They did a similar thing with the current NAB Readers edition. Also, the Catholic Study Bible and Personal Study Edition will be published with the NABRE in July. They will come in hardcover, paperback, and bonded leather. A large print edition of the NABRE is also scheduled for publication. Finally, there will be a Concise Concordance keyed to the NABRE to be published in July.

Liturgical Press
Liturgical Press will be publishing the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible this coming June. Those of you who read this blog are already aware of the Four Gospels edition which came out last year. At this time, it will only be released in hardcover and softcover editions, although I was told by a Liturgical Press representative that a leather cover edition would be possible in the future if there is interest.

Fireside Catholic Publishing
Although not listed, I have talked with a representative from Fireside who told me that the NABRE would be available in their Youth and Religion Class Bibles very soon.

Our Sunday Visitor
Thanks to a readers tip, it appears Our Sunday Visitor will publish their popular The New Catholic Answer Bible with the NABRE at sometime in 2011.

Saint Benedict Press
Thanks to a comment by Lauren at Saint Benedict Press, we know that "Saint Benedict Press will publish the NABRE in multiple editions and formats, beginning in March with a Value edition for the school and parish market, in one or more beautiful covers. Also in March Saint Benedict Press will publish Hardcover and Premium Ultrasoft editions of the NABRE. Later in 2011 will come a larger Easy Read edition, a compact New Testament and Psalms, and one or more study or devotional editions yet to be announced." Very cool!

USCCB Publishing NABRE: Personal Edition

For a long time, the USCCB left the NAB(RE) to be published by other Catholic publishing houses. This changed last year when the USCCB published a pocket Gospels and Acts in the NABRE translation.  Now recently, the USCCB has produced a regular sized NABRE in various covers, including hardcover, paperback, and bonded leather.  I was able to obtain the "personal edition" which comes in the bonded leather cover, and I must say that it is quite a nice edition for the modest price of $19.95.


To begin, here are the basic specifications of this Bible:

Exterior features:

● Soft, brown leather cover with gold embossing on the cover and spine

● Beautiful gold-gilded edges and rounded corners

● Convenient ribbon to bookmark your place

Inside features:

● Seven newly designed, full-color maps of biblical places and journeys    

● Two-color print (black and burgundy) for easy reading                

● Side tabs to distinguish the different books of the Bible

● Lightweight, smooth 24-lb paper

Starting with the exterior features, the leather is neither premium nor genuine.  However, as I mentioned above, it is quite soft for being bonded along with being fairly flexible.  It is not as stiff as most bonded leather bible covers that I have felt in the past, most notably the NJB readers edition.  The binding is sewn, which means that it could be a candidate for a rebind.  The gold-gilded edges and rounded corners give a classic look to it.  (One of my regrets on the Knox Bible from Baronius is that the corners are not rounded.)  One burgundy ribbon comes with this Bible.  The burgundy color of the ribbon matches quite well with the burgundy print that is found in the text.  It would have, however, been nice if they had offered this with two ribbons, but that is only a minor issue.



When you open the Bible. you will find that the print is quite readable.  It utilizes a two-color, black and burgundy, print, with the scriptural text and notes in black and the paragraph headings and chapter numbers in burgundy.  It works really well.  It might remind some of you of the HarperOne NABRE that came out a few years back.  I very much enjoyed what Harper did with their NABRE.  What makes the USCCB edition better is that the print is larger and bolder.  You will not have any problem reading from this Bible in pretty much any setting.  The standard NABRE notes and cross-references are found at the bottom of each page.  One final comment about the layout that stands out for me is the generous size of the margins.  They are large enough for personal annotations, even with the side tabs that are present on each page.  While this is not a "wide-margin" bible, it certainly has one of the largest margins of any NABRE or other Catholic bible recently published.

Overall, I find that this NABRE from the USCCB is quite a good deal.  For under $20 you get an NABRE with a beautiful page layout, sewn binding, flexible bonded leather, and a decent selection of maps.  If you know someone who is looking to get a new NABRE for Christmas, this might be an affordable option.  It even has a presentation page for such an occasion!    Now that they have produced a pocket edition and this personal edition, I would really like to see one done in premium leather.  If they were to do one with a similar page layout, it could easily become the nicest NABRE on the market, by far.

I would like to thank USCCB Publishing for sending me a review copy.

SBP NABRE on Kindle Too!

Below is the press release for the Kindle version for the Saint Benedict Press NABRE:

"SAINT BENEDICT PRESS RELEASES NEW AMERICAN BIBLE REVISED EDITION IN E-BOOK FORM

PUBLISHER PRICES E-BIBLE AT JUST $3.95 THROUGH NATIONAL BIBLE WEEK

Charlotte, NC (November 16, 2011) — Saint Benedict Press announced today its publication of the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) in e-book form, at a special discounted price of $3.95.

Saint Benedict Press is a proud publisher of the NABRE, the first major update to the New American Bible (NAB) in twenty years. Saint Benedict Press released three print editions of the NABRE on March 9th of this year. The new e-Bible is the Press’ first offering of the NABRE in digital form. It is available for the Kindle from Amazon.com and for the Nook from BN.com.

The e-book version of the NABRE is discounted from its original price of $5.95 to $3.95 from now until the end of National Bible Week (Nov. 20-26).

Over the past three years, Saint Benedict Press has increased its line of Catholic Bibles beginning with the publication of several Douay Rheims and Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition Bibles in 2008.

With the addition of the NABRE in March of 2011, Saint Benedict Press became the only publisher to simultaneously sell all three major English translations of the Catholic Bible. Today the Press publishes 28 Bibles between the three translations, with a wide variety of sizes, features and formats.

“The e-book version of the NABRE contains the full text of the Bible, plus supplemental features including a cycle of daily and Sunday Mass readings, a listing of Popes, and a manual of favorite Catholic prayers,” said Conor Gallagher, Vice President of Publishing, Saint Benedict Press. “Our customers will welcome the cross-referencing available in our NABRE e-book, its search-ability, and of course its unbeatable price.”

Reflecting the work of nearly 100 scholars and extensively reviewed and approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the NABRE takes into account the best current scholarship as well as the new discovery of ancient manuscripts to improve understanding of the Biblical text."