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The Second Testament: A New Translation
Experience the New Testament afresh in Scot McKnight's bold translation. Typical translations of the New Testament make the biblical text as accessible as possible by using the language of our own day. At times this masks the distance between the New Testament text and modern readers. Scripture continues to speak to us but it speaks as an ancient text to the modern world. New Testament scholar Scot McKnight offers a translation of the New Testament with a daring approach to the ancient text. Clever in its expression and at times stunning in its boldness, The Second Testament will challenge readers to experience God's Word anew. God blesses the beggars in spirit because theirs is Heavens’ Empire. God blesses the grievers because they will be consoled. God blesses the meek because they will inherit the land. God blesses the ones hungering and thirsting for the rightness because they will be satisfied. (Matthew 5:3-6) Features
312 pages, Hardcover
Published June 20, 2023
70 people are currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Scot McKnight
210 books542 followersScot McKnight is a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. McKnight, author or editor of forty books, is the Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL. Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly speaks at local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the USA and abroad. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986).
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 19, 2023
Over the years, we have a wealth of English translations of the Bible. Whether it is a literal translation, a paraphrase, or the popular dynamic equivalence type, they have all been helpful for those of us unfamiliar with the original languages. For all the competent scholarship and attempts to update the transalations, there is a nagging concern about context. Sometimes, the translations can be so good that English speakers might have mistakenly thought that the Bible was written for the English-speaking world! What if modern readers who do not know the original languages can in some way perceive what the original hearers were hearing? What if we can get closer to Greek ears and still maintain the English text? This is precisely what author and professor, Scot McKnight is trying to do. Understanding the meaning is one thing. Locating the meaning within the original contexts is often another. Moreover, there are certain words in Greek that are hard to translate. Often, this forces translators to choose between literal and contextual. Even in the translation of meaning, too many words might muddle the interpretation. This is McKnight's attempt to help us understand the words within the Greek context. This is what I call a more contextual translation of the New Testament. He begins with a brief introduction to each book, which not only gives us an overview but also unique themes that we can connect with the rest of the Bible. For example, in the introduction to the synoptic gospels, we see clear connections to the other gospels to help us prepare for the road ahead. The same applies to the epistles of Paul. The maps also enable readers to get a feel of the geographical contexts as described in the text. Called "The Second Testament," this new translation of the New Testament complements the "First Testament" which uses similar translation principles for the Old Testament.
My Thoughts
==============
I will offer some of my thoughts as I describe McKnight's approach. McKnight's task here is three-fold. First, start afresh with a new translation directly from the Greek manuscripts. I do not see any technical information about the Greek manuscripts used. I can only assume that it is from the most well-accepted Greek SBL critical editions. For most readers, this should not matter as much so I would not be too concerned. That said, rather than see this version as a new edition, perhaps it might be better to see this as a supplementary edition to our conventional Bibles. One reason why I say "supplement" is because this translation is essentially the work of a single author. I have a bias more in favour of translation committees rather than single authors. The ecumenical flavour appeals more due to the communal nature of the Bible and the translation efforts. Of course, there are also merits to single-author translations, the chief being a more coherent flow.
Second, instead of trying to bring the Greek down to the English level, take our English understanding up to the original Greek audience. The Greek version does not usually operate the way of English. Some words simply do not have an English equivalent. So translators have to make a choice between a clunky (but literally accurate) or a smoother (but contextually compromised) reading. Sometimes, Bible readers commit the error of "familiarity breeds contempt." Not that they despise the work, but they tend to be too comfortable with what they think they already know. Being reminded that our nice bounded Bibles today are not what the original hearers have should remind us not to be complacent with our English readings. Reading Matthew 1 already gives an energetic feel. Instead of begat (KJV) or "father of" (NAS), McKnight's version says "gave a life" which oozes out the added dynamism as per the original Greek text. Other familiar texts like John 3:16 gives us new words to study and ponder about. Words like "Era" instead of "Eternal," and "Kosmos" instead of "World." The famous 1 Corinthians 13 is indeed a more dynamic feel to the active nature of love.
Third, McKnight's translation tries to give us a fresh understanding of the New Testament in a snappy and direct manner. What Eugene Peterson had done from a paraphrase angle, Scot McKnight does this translation from a literal Greek angle. Meant as a supplement to the many translations we have today, this translation is a great wake-up tool that breathes new life into our understanding. Like coffee that perks us up, this version makes us re-examine and re-read the text for the purpose of deepening our insights. It is not meant to replace but to supplement our understanding. That is why I believe that this version should be read alongside other versions. In fact, read this version only after we have become familiar with the other more established versions.
Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. He is the author of many books, including Reading Romans Backwards, Pastor Paul, The King Jesus Gospel, and commentaries on James, Galatians, and Colossians. He is also a general editor of the IVP Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, second edition.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of IVP Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
My Thoughts
==============
I will offer some of my thoughts as I describe McKnight's approach. McKnight's task here is three-fold. First, start afresh with a new translation directly from the Greek manuscripts. I do not see any technical information about the Greek manuscripts used. I can only assume that it is from the most well-accepted Greek SBL critical editions. For most readers, this should not matter as much so I would not be too concerned. That said, rather than see this version as a new edition, perhaps it might be better to see this as a supplementary edition to our conventional Bibles. One reason why I say "supplement" is because this translation is essentially the work of a single author. I have a bias more in favour of translation committees rather than single authors. The ecumenical flavour appeals more due to the communal nature of the Bible and the translation efforts. Of course, there are also merits to single-author translations, the chief being a more coherent flow.
Second, instead of trying to bring the Greek down to the English level, take our English understanding up to the original Greek audience. The Greek version does not usually operate the way of English. Some words simply do not have an English equivalent. So translators have to make a choice between a clunky (but literally accurate) or a smoother (but contextually compromised) reading. Sometimes, Bible readers commit the error of "familiarity breeds contempt." Not that they despise the work, but they tend to be too comfortable with what they think they already know. Being reminded that our nice bounded Bibles today are not what the original hearers have should remind us not to be complacent with our English readings. Reading Matthew 1 already gives an energetic feel. Instead of begat (KJV) or "father of" (NAS), McKnight's version says "gave a life" which oozes out the added dynamism as per the original Greek text. Other familiar texts like John 3:16 gives us new words to study and ponder about. Words like "Era" instead of "Eternal," and "Kosmos" instead of "World." The famous 1 Corinthians 13 is indeed a more dynamic feel to the active nature of love.
Third, McKnight's translation tries to give us a fresh understanding of the New Testament in a snappy and direct manner. What Eugene Peterson had done from a paraphrase angle, Scot McKnight does this translation from a literal Greek angle. Meant as a supplement to the many translations we have today, this translation is a great wake-up tool that breathes new life into our understanding. Like coffee that perks us up, this version makes us re-examine and re-read the text for the purpose of deepening our insights. It is not meant to replace but to supplement our understanding. That is why I believe that this version should be read alongside other versions. In fact, read this version only after we have become familiar with the other more established versions.
Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lisle, Illinois. He is the author of many books, including Reading Romans Backwards, Pastor Paul, The King Jesus Gospel, and commentaries on James, Galatians, and Colossians. He is also a general editor of the IVP Dictionary of Paul and His Letters, second edition.
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of IVP Academic via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
July 25, 2025
As I read the introduction, I got so excited: McKnight was promising the style of translation I've often talked about--we need a translation that stays true to the individual authors' writing styles, vocabulary levels, reading levels, etc. As I slogged my way through the gospels, though, I realized that this translation wasn't delivering what I hoped for. This translation can be incredibly consistent on certain across-the-testament vocabulary translation choices, but it can also be inconsistent; the good news is that I had to get out my Greek New Testament a few times to ponder McKnight's choices. The bad news is that I decided while doing so that--while this translation is unique and forces the reader to think--this translation is not one I'd recommend for most (I'm not sure of the real target audience for this translation; it's halfway technical, but those with technical skills probably aren't looking for a new single-author translation).
August 6, 2023
I preface this review with the fact that I’m not a Bible scholar — I do however read Koine Greek thanks to a Masters in Church History — but this new translation that retains the idiosyncrasies of the original Greek absolutely fascinated me.
It reminded me of a personal project that just grew big enough that the author/translator was like “hey, maybe I’ll just make this into it’s own book.” I don’t say that to mean it’s not well done — I say it because it felt like they stumbled across a very useful tool for a majority of preachers and Bible readers to have a text that more easily explains the “in the original Greek there’s this stylistic word play that doesn’t translate well to the English” saying that so often pops up. The translator fully acknowledges that some of the text is clunky — and that’s on purpose, because that’s how it is in the Greek.
I absolutely love this. It allows English-readers to fully understand the stylistic differences between the Gospel writers and how Paul’s tone changes from letter to letter. While I definitely wouldn’t make this one’s sole translation, it’s an insightful look into how words work together to shape one’s faith.
I feel weird giving this a star writing, but it’s definitely worth having on the Bible study rotation.
It reminded me of a personal project that just grew big enough that the author/translator was like “hey, maybe I’ll just make this into it’s own book.” I don’t say that to mean it’s not well done — I say it because it felt like they stumbled across a very useful tool for a majority of preachers and Bible readers to have a text that more easily explains the “in the original Greek there’s this stylistic word play that doesn’t translate well to the English” saying that so often pops up. The translator fully acknowledges that some of the text is clunky — and that’s on purpose, because that’s how it is in the Greek.
I absolutely love this. It allows English-readers to fully understand the stylistic differences between the Gospel writers and how Paul’s tone changes from letter to letter. While I definitely wouldn’t make this one’s sole translation, it’s an insightful look into how words work together to shape one’s faith.
I feel weird giving this a star writing, but it’s definitely worth having on the Bible study rotation.
October 17, 2023
For new believers, the sheer number of Bible options can be overwhelming. Not only are there innumerable translations, but there are also a wide array of study Bibles for every demographic. A search on Christianbook.com shows that they sell 9,328 different types of Bibles. So why one more?
The Second Testament, translated by Scot McKnight, is a complete and original translation of the New Testament that follows John Goldingay’s 2018 translation of the Old Testament called The First Testament. The two books are only related in spirit. Goldingay and McKnight didn’t collaborate on the project. Rather, after the success of The First Testament, IVP contacted McKnight about doing a follow-up. That means that while the books are connected, readers may find some differences in translation choices. As the NT contains many quotes from the OT, that’s an important facet to remember.
But why introduce another translation? So that we can read the old, old stories in fresh, new ways. That doesn’t necessarily mean coming to new interpretations of the text (except when warranted!) but rather hearing the words of Scripture in a different cadence that might help readers better understand and live out its precepts. In the preface for the Second Testament, McKnight writes that his goal “is to help English readers experience what the Greek reader experiences in reading the New Testament in Greek.” Rather than striving for dynamically equivalent translations, McKnight opts for a more formal and literal tactic, attempting to captures more of the Greek nuances lost in typical English renderings. One of the most obvious ways this is done is in the use of Greek names and places, with Anglicized versions in brackets. Matthew begins: “Book of the genesis of Yesous Christos, descendent of Dauid [David], descendent of Abra’am.”
As with any translation, The Second Testament makes certain exegetical decisions. For example, in 1 Corinthians 11—a notoriously difficult to interpret passage—McKnight translates the discussion about women worshipping as a back-and-forth conversation with Paul quoting his opponents and then answering their arguments. So 1 Cor. 11:5 “every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved” changes from being a thought of Paul to a contention from his opponents which he then answers in v. 6. This introduces its own set of interpretational difficulties, but does show how a text might have been read by its original audience that is drastically different from how it is read today. Similarly, in another contentious passage in Corinthians where Paul says “women should remain silent in the churches,” The Second Testament excises those verses completely with a footnote stating that some ancient manuscripts don’t contain those verses and McKnight does not believe them to be genuine to the original message. If they are original, McKnight also offers a translation in the footnote that uses the same conversational construct as the 1 Cor. 11 passage. What you think of these decisions probably is up to how you interpret those verses. I appreciate that McKnight brings to the surface that doing the work of translation is inherently an exegetical and theological work. He doesn’t hide that but instead talks about his decisions with clarity.
What Eugene Peterson did in The Message, Scot McKnight has done from the opposite perspective in The Second Testament. Peterson took the text and modernized the idioms and made the language contemporary. McKnight has taken the same text and offered an English translation while attempting to retain the Greek flavoring. It’s a worthy supplement to more traditional translations.
The Second Testament, translated by Scot McKnight, is a complete and original translation of the New Testament that follows John Goldingay’s 2018 translation of the Old Testament called The First Testament. The two books are only related in spirit. Goldingay and McKnight didn’t collaborate on the project. Rather, after the success of The First Testament, IVP contacted McKnight about doing a follow-up. That means that while the books are connected, readers may find some differences in translation choices. As the NT contains many quotes from the OT, that’s an important facet to remember.
But why introduce another translation? So that we can read the old, old stories in fresh, new ways. That doesn’t necessarily mean coming to new interpretations of the text (except when warranted!) but rather hearing the words of Scripture in a different cadence that might help readers better understand and live out its precepts. In the preface for the Second Testament, McKnight writes that his goal “is to help English readers experience what the Greek reader experiences in reading the New Testament in Greek.” Rather than striving for dynamically equivalent translations, McKnight opts for a more formal and literal tactic, attempting to captures more of the Greek nuances lost in typical English renderings. One of the most obvious ways this is done is in the use of Greek names and places, with Anglicized versions in brackets. Matthew begins: “Book of the genesis of Yesous Christos, descendent of Dauid [David], descendent of Abra’am.”
As with any translation, The Second Testament makes certain exegetical decisions. For example, in 1 Corinthians 11—a notoriously difficult to interpret passage—McKnight translates the discussion about women worshipping as a back-and-forth conversation with Paul quoting his opponents and then answering their arguments. So 1 Cor. 11:5 “every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved” changes from being a thought of Paul to a contention from his opponents which he then answers in v. 6. This introduces its own set of interpretational difficulties, but does show how a text might have been read by its original audience that is drastically different from how it is read today. Similarly, in another contentious passage in Corinthians where Paul says “women should remain silent in the churches,” The Second Testament excises those verses completely with a footnote stating that some ancient manuscripts don’t contain those verses and McKnight does not believe them to be genuine to the original message. If they are original, McKnight also offers a translation in the footnote that uses the same conversational construct as the 1 Cor. 11 passage. What you think of these decisions probably is up to how you interpret those verses. I appreciate that McKnight brings to the surface that doing the work of translation is inherently an exegetical and theological work. He doesn’t hide that but instead talks about his decisions with clarity.
What Eugene Peterson did in The Message, Scot McKnight has done from the opposite perspective in The Second Testament. Peterson took the text and modernized the idioms and made the language contemporary. McKnight has taken the same text and offered an English translation while attempting to retain the Greek flavoring. It’s a worthy supplement to more traditional translations.
July 3, 2023
There are a lot of “New Testament” translations available, even ones that purport to be “literal renderings” of the original Greek (as this version does); however, there are still choices to be made by the translator as common words in any language often have multiple meanings. I have not the skill nor the training to critique these choices by the author, so I will presume all choices conform to at least one of the common meanings from the Greek and I can make a general attempt to select to best meaning or definition of the English word selected through context. The author does make clear that he is intentionally avoiding common theological language, so in that regard, this translation is a helpful new point of view to those of us that can’t do the translations on our own. The author also doesn’t try to simplify the Greek vocabulary, so if a rare Greek term was used in the source, he generally keeps the more obscure English term over more common one. he example used in the Introduction is the term using propitious instead of mercy (which provides a slightly different nuance to the phrase “be propitious/merciful to me." Over all I would say that there is not a significant difference when reading the complete text holistically and that actually gives me more confidence in the translation over all … because it provides a context that I would not otherwise see …
Additionally the author will provide an inline gloss on some of the more obscure terms that the reader may not be able to correctly associate on their own. For example:
“See many of the Observant [Pharisees] and Elites [Sadducess] coming to his dipping, he said to the, ‘Knot of vipers! Who exhibited to you to flee from the anger about to come?”
This is especially helpful with transliterated names: Yōannēs [John], Kaphar-Naoum [Capernaum], Ēsaïas [Isaiah] et al. Although sparse, there are also a few translation comments that are very help in understanding language usage/tone .. such in the First Letter to Corinth where before 4:7 we see [Sarcastic use of opponents’ language] before the bolded text of the pericope. All of this, along with a brief translators introduction to each NT book make this work an excellent companion to any NT Bible study that helps the reader/student break out of some of the familiar translation ruts we often find ourselves in. I think it is also important to point out the tremendous undertaking translating all the NT books is and the great respect that I have for the finished product that justifies rounding up to 5 stars.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#TheSecondTestment #NetGalley
Additionally the author will provide an inline gloss on some of the more obscure terms that the reader may not be able to correctly associate on their own. For example:
“See many of the Observant [Pharisees] and Elites [Sadducess] coming to his dipping, he said to the, ‘Knot of vipers! Who exhibited to you to flee from the anger about to come?”
This is especially helpful with transliterated names: Yōannēs [John], Kaphar-Naoum [Capernaum], Ēsaïas [Isaiah] et al. Although sparse, there are also a few translation comments that are very help in understanding language usage/tone .. such in the First Letter to Corinth where before 4:7 we see [Sarcastic use of opponents’ language] before the bolded text of the pericope. All of this, along with a brief translators introduction to each NT book make this work an excellent companion to any NT Bible study that helps the reader/student break out of some of the familiar translation ruts we often find ourselves in. I think it is also important to point out the tremendous undertaking translating all the NT books is and the great respect that I have for the finished product that justifies rounding up to 5 stars.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#TheSecondTestment #NetGalley
December 14, 2024
"My goal is to help English readers experience what the Greek reader experiences in reading the New Testament in Greek. If The Second Testament feels awkward and choppy and crunchy it is because the Greek feels that way. This translation is not correcting other translations but providing a supplement to our many fine translations." - page v
I completed my year-long Bible reading this week through the M'Cheyne Daily Reader (which I recommend trying at least once). However, I'll admit to a bit of cheating. The M'Cheyne plan calls for reading through the New Testament twice. I skipped the second reading, hoping to try something different at the end of the year.
In June, Scot X. McKnight released "The Second Testament: A New Translation." He views this as a companion to John Goldingay's translation of the Old Testament, "The First Testament."
I read Goldingay's Old Testament a few years ago and thought this would be a nice follow-up. Neither is an easy read, as the translators commit to transliterating names rather than using the more familiar modern-sounding names (Jesus is "Yēsous," Jerusalem is "Yierosoluma." This gets cumbersome, but I like how it makes me slow down and hear the text in a new way.
"This translation will do its best to make the text sound more like the Greek original, and sometimes it will not sound all that English-y." - page v
When I read Goldingay's translation (paired with N. T. Wright's New Testament and titled "The Bible for Everyone"), I admitted . . . it's not for everyone. The same is true here. This is not a relaxing devotional read through the Bible. McKnight writes in the introduction, "I hope this translation will at times jar the reader enough to explore a more formal, literal rendering." So far, it's done that for me, and I'm looking forward to hearing old familiar passages in a new way.
"God blesses the beggars in spirit because theirs is Heavens' Empire." Matthew 5:3
"Therefore, pray like this: Our Father who is in the heavens: Your Name be devoted, Your Empire come, Your will become reality—as in heaven so on the land, Give to us our bread, for existence, for a day, Release us from our debts as we also released the ones indebted to us, Don't enter us into the test but rescue us from the Evil One." - Matthew 6:9-13
I completed my year-long Bible reading this week through the M'Cheyne Daily Reader (which I recommend trying at least once). However, I'll admit to a bit of cheating. The M'Cheyne plan calls for reading through the New Testament twice. I skipped the second reading, hoping to try something different at the end of the year.
In June, Scot X. McKnight released "The Second Testament: A New Translation." He views this as a companion to John Goldingay's translation of the Old Testament, "The First Testament."
I read Goldingay's Old Testament a few years ago and thought this would be a nice follow-up. Neither is an easy read, as the translators commit to transliterating names rather than using the more familiar modern-sounding names (Jesus is "Yēsous," Jerusalem is "Yierosoluma." This gets cumbersome, but I like how it makes me slow down and hear the text in a new way.
"This translation will do its best to make the text sound more like the Greek original, and sometimes it will not sound all that English-y." - page v
When I read Goldingay's translation (paired with N. T. Wright's New Testament and titled "The Bible for Everyone"), I admitted . . . it's not for everyone. The same is true here. This is not a relaxing devotional read through the Bible. McKnight writes in the introduction, "I hope this translation will at times jar the reader enough to explore a more formal, literal rendering." So far, it's done that for me, and I'm looking forward to hearing old familiar passages in a new way.
"God blesses the beggars in spirit because theirs is Heavens' Empire." Matthew 5:3
"Therefore, pray like this: Our Father who is in the heavens: Your Name be devoted, Your Empire come, Your will become reality—as in heaven so on the land, Give to us our bread, for existence, for a day, Release us from our debts as we also released the ones indebted to us, Don't enter us into the test but rescue us from the Evil One." - Matthew 6:9-13
July 19, 2023
Firstly, I am woefully inadequate to offer an opinion on the expertise of the (earthly) author of this new translation. Unlike the Message, this is a translation of the original Greek text. However, it is interesting to read alongside my favourite translations of the bible. The language is often clunky, but that is Ancient Greek for you. It doesn't always neatly translate in to words that we are familiar with. The names are given those that appear in the original Greek, so Jesus become Yesous Christ, Paul is Paul's and John the Baptist is referred to as Yoannes the Dipper in Mark's retelling of the story of Johns execution. It adds another layer to you appreciation of scripture. The disciples are called Apprentices and the healing of a leper is a man with scaley skin. Whilst I wouldn't use this exclusively, it is a very useful tool to help understand the bible.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, all views expressed are my own honest opinions.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, all views expressed are my own honest opinions.
September 9, 2023
I listen to Scot McKnight's podcast Kingdom Roots and have heard him talk about his translation of the New Testament, but thought it was already available for purchase. When I saw it on Netgalley available for early access I squealed in delight and promptly reorganized my reading plans, The Second Testament is something I knew I wanted to read immediately. What a fun, challenging, and inspiring read. Scot sets out to make an English translation that is literal to the original text. This leads to some fun translations, like Yōannēs the Dipper (John the Baptist). I absolutely love reading this. I find while I am reading the verses, my head reads the new translation and searches for the common translation I'm most familiar with (NIV, ESV). This made the reading very enganging and fun. I gained a new perspective by reading these choppy, sometime clunky verses because it makes me slow down, think about what I am reading, and seek to understand it.
July 29, 2023
I am absolutely loving this translation. The sometimes clunky and unvarnished wording has its own poetic lilt and is shaking me out of the over-familiarity with which I'm wont to approach the New Testament texts.
I just finished two semesters of koine Greek and found the faithfulness to the grammatical and structural integrity of the texts delightful—especially when it resulted in verses like, "...and the voice that I heard as of kithatists kitharing on their kitharas, (Revelations 14:2)". I enjoyed McKnight's effort at maintaining a limited vocabulary as well as preserving the original Greek/Hebrew names to help the reader create connections we might otherwise miss.
I received this ebook free from Netgalley, but will definitely invest in a hardcopy, as it's an invaluable resource for my shelf!
I just finished two semesters of koine Greek and found the faithfulness to the grammatical and structural integrity of the texts delightful—especially when it resulted in verses like, "...and the voice that I heard as of kithatists kitharing on their kitharas, (Revelations 14:2)". I enjoyed McKnight's effort at maintaining a limited vocabulary as well as preserving the original Greek/Hebrew names to help the reader create connections we might otherwise miss.
I received this ebook free from Netgalley, but will definitely invest in a hardcopy, as it's an invaluable resource for my shelf!
November 18, 2023
I usually don't review a book unless I've read the whole text, but in the case of this Bible translation, I find I'm having a hard time reading straight through. I've only made it through Matthew so far.
What makes it hard to read? McKnight is trying to be true to the actual syntax of the original language - a useful way to help those of us reading in translation remember that the Bible was NOT written in English! However, it makes for a choppier reading experience.
Why do I still recommend it? Because I think it's good to be caught off guard sometimes with passages that have become too familiar, to have to stop and think. This will be a good translation to have as a comparison to other versions.
What makes it hard to read? McKnight is trying to be true to the actual syntax of the original language - a useful way to help those of us reading in translation remember that the Bible was NOT written in English! However, it makes for a choppier reading experience.
Why do I still recommend it? Because I think it's good to be caught off guard sometimes with passages that have become too familiar, to have to stop and think. This will be a good translation to have as a comparison to other versions.
December 8, 2024
Best book ever, changed my life-Review of the Bible.
Now review of THIS Bible. I got it after hearing Scot on a podcast and I liked the premise: while most translations try to make the Bible easy to read and on the same level, this one he really tried to keep the nuances of the author's differences. I didn't really notice that but I did like the more literal word for word translation that slowed me down while reading familiar words.
I read it slowly over the year and definitely recommend it to anyone who has read the Bible a lot and would like a new way at looking at it.
Now review of THIS Bible. I got it after hearing Scot on a podcast and I liked the premise: while most translations try to make the Bible easy to read and on the same level, this one he really tried to keep the nuances of the author's differences. I didn't really notice that but I did like the more literal word for word translation that slowed me down while reading familiar words.
I read it slowly over the year and definitely recommend it to anyone who has read the Bible a lot and would like a new way at looking at it.
Read
October 21, 2024Translations by committee tend to toe the party line, whether that's theological, denominational, Protestant, male, etc. So it's helpful to include individual translations in one's literary diet to gain a broader sense of the original authors' intent. As a result, when it comes to divine realities, perhaps we'll encounter a God greater than we'd ever imagined before.
October 25, 2025
The title makes it sound like an alternative to the New Testament.
It is an English version of the New Testament the way a Greek person would hear it.
Because the New Testament is written in Greek. It is wonderful!
I purchased the audio version of this book and I will be listening to it again.
Good Listen!
It is an English version of the New Testament the way a Greek person would hear it.
Because the New Testament is written in Greek. It is wonderful!
I purchased the audio version of this book and I will be listening to it again.
Good Listen!
February 15, 2024
I found this to be a quite enlightening translation of the New Testament. Written in English with the stated goal of reflecting the Greek, I found the choice of words refreshing and challenging. Very different approach than other translation provides a welcome help for inviting further study.
Read
June 28, 2023*as much as you can say you've "finished" this haha
May 17, 2024
A very academic reading of the New Testament. McKni
December 24, 2024
It's very different. A great tool for study.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews