1. Review of The Story: Read the Bible as One Seamless Story from Beginning to End. Themelios 34 (2009): 106–7.

“The Story is an edifying tool for a variety of situations: a supplemental textbook for students (junior high, high school, or college), an introduction to the Bible’s storyline for non-Christians or young Christians, and a creative refresher for mature Christians.”

2. Review of The Books of the Bible: A Presentation of Today’s New International Version. Themelios 34 (2009): 108–9.

“The Books of the Bible is ingenious. The way it presents the Bible as a library of literature is unique, simple, and elegant, and it naturally encourages better Bible reading.”

3. Review of Christopher R. Smith, The Beauty Behind the Mask: Rediscovering the Books of the Bible. Themelios 34 (2009): 109–10.

“Smith clearly and persuasively argues that visually presenting the Bible in a single column without chapter or verse references encourages reading that is more informed and engaged.”

I was raised on the KJV, so I’m bilingual.

-Walter Kaiser this afternoon in a Panel Discussion of Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament at ETS

Related:

• hardcover
• website
• videos
• endorsements
• interviews

“If you go to our host site, www.Bible.org, you will see a completely new look and feel. It is part of a several year discussion about how to best serve those who visit the site. Check it out.”

This site is one of my favorites listed on the “theological writings” page of my recommended resources:

*Bible.org: about, NET Bible (cf. my blog post), Daniel Wallace’s “Prof’s Soapbox,” authors, series, reviews, Q&A topics

After I became aware of Zondervan’s TNIV audio Bible “The Bible Experience” last June, I promptly pre-ordered the entire OT and NT on MP3 for $70. (The complete CD set currently sells for $78.74.) I received my copy in October, and since then I have immensely enjoyed listening to nearly half the Bible on my iPod.

About

1. Zondervan describes this product as “the most ambitious undertaking in recent recording history. The Bible is brought to life by a collection of distinguished artists and personalities, in a complete and fully dramatized audio recording of all 66 Books of Scripture. The 368 character portrayals are further accentuated by a compelling and inspirational musical soundtrack.”
2. It includes a star-studded cast of over 200 popular actors, musicians, clergy, directors, and award-winning producers, all of whom appear to be African American.
3. It has received positive reviews in the news media.
4. The video trailers and audio samples help give a flavor for the product.

Pros

1. The recording quality is outstanding. The soundtracks and sound effects in the background sound like a blockbuster movie, and the artists are gifted speech communicators who put their heart into it. Their voices are rich and expressive. Narratives are especially captivating (e.g., Esther, Ruth, Jonah, the gospels, parts of Revelation).
2. The TNIV is a fine (not perfect and perhaps not the best) translation, regardless of one’s view on gender inclusivity. It may not be one’s primary translation, but it is certainly worth using.

• Cf. some of the articles on the TNIV site, e.g.,
  • D. A. Carson, “The Debate Over Gender-Inclusive Language.”
  • Craig Blomberg, “Today’s New International Version: The Untold Story of a Good Translation.”
  • Darrell Bock, “Do Gender Sensitive Translations Distort Scripture? Not Necessarily.”
• See also D. A. Carson, The Inclusive-Language Debate: A Plea for Realism (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998).

Cons

1. Although the Scripture readings are consistently thought-provoking, the portrayal of some portions of Scripture is not always best. Here are a few examples:
   • In Job, I expected God’s narrative to be more thundering and abrasive and Job’s response to God to be more emotional.
   • Female voices are used much more frequently than seems appropriate (e.g., for many of the psalms of David!).
   • Nearly twenty separate songs (most of them especially lively) are mixed within the NT epistles as their own tracks. This is distracting and corny at best.
   • Many of the doxologies in Revelation come across as suave, cool, and calm (e.g., a tight a capella harmony).
2. The star-studded cast may be a stumbling block to some. I don’t know who hardly any of the “stars” are, but this could be problematic for those who associate certain names with other mediums (e.g., certain genres of movies). Furthermore, for the most part I was not impressed with the philosophy of many of the celebrities in the DVD interviews. One prevailing attitude that the interviews convey (and I exaggerate to make the point) is, “(1) I’m important, famous, and talented. (2) It’s encouraging to know that there are other Christians who are also important, famous, and talented. (3) It’s exciting to be able to influence the younger generation, which uses this kind of technology and will think this product is cool because important, famous, and talented people like me are on it.”

Conclusion

“The Bible Experience” is a first-class tool for understanding God’s word better. Many people silently read small portions of the Bible at a time, but there’s no substitute for hearing large portions.

Related:

1. Zondervan’s product page
2. PastorBookshelf, “The Bible Experience | Zondervan“
3. Ben Witherington, “The Bible Experience—a Great Christmas Gift“

1 Samuel 20:30a

• NASB (cf. KJV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV) Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman!“
• NET Saul became angry with Jonathan and said to him, “You stupid traitor!“
• Message Saul exploded in anger at Jonathan: “You son of a slut!“
• NLT Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. “You stupid son of a whore!” he swore at him.
• The original Living Bible Saul boiled with rage. “You son of a b—-!” he yelled at him.

Romans 3:3-4a

• KJV For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid:
• NASB What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it? May it never be!
• ESV (cf. RSV, NRSV) What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means!
• NET (cf. HCSB) What then? If some did not believe, does their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God? Absolutely not!
• NIV What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all!
• Message So, what if, in the course of doing that, some of those Jews abandoned their post? God didn’t abandon them. Do you think their faithlessness cancels out his faithfulness? Not on your life!
• NLT True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? Of course not!
• Cotton Patch Version All right, so some of them are hypocrites; does their hypocrisy nullify God’s sincerity? Hell no. [fn.: "Just about the proper strength for the Greek phrase."]

1. It is generally accurate. The NET Bible Team consists of first-class evangelical scholars (mostly professors teaching at and/or trained by Dallas Theological Seminary).
2. It is generally readable. Its translation philosophy is similar to the NIV (i.e., dynamic or functional equivalence).
3. It is generally explanatory. Its notes include translations based on formal equivalence, giving the reader the best of both worlds. It includes nearly 61,000 footnotes. That’s an average of almost two notes for every verse in the Bible! These notes explain the translation on three levels: (1) textual critical notes (“tc”), which interact with significant textual variants; (2) translator’s notes (“tn”), which explain the translation or give a more rigidly literal alternative to the translation; and (3) study notes (“sn”), which are similar to (but generally more technical than) what you’d find in a conservative study Bible.

Here’s a block quotation from the “Preface to the NET Bible First Edition” (under the section entitled “What is unique and distinctive about the NET Bible?”):

• “First, the NET Bible includes extensive notes with the translation, notes created by the original translators as they worked through the issues and options concerning the translation of the original language texts of the Bible. These notes operate on more than one level – a technical level for pastors, teachers, and students of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek who are interested in the grammatical, syntactical, and text-critical details of the translation, and a more popular level comparable to current study Bibles offering explanatory details of interest to lay Bible students. In electronic format the length of these notes, a considerable problem with conventional printed Bibles, is no longer a major limitation.

“Second, within the more technical notes the translation team has taken the opportunity to explain and give the rationale for the translation of a particular phrase or verse.

“Third, the translators and editors used the notes to show major interpretive options and/or textual options for difficult or disputed passages, so that the English reader knows at a glance what the alternatives are.

“Fourth, the translators and editors used the notes to give a translation that was formally equivalent, while placing a somewhat more functionally equivalent translation in the text itself to promote better readability and understandability. The longstanding tension between these two different approaches to Bible translation has thus been fundamentally solved.

“Finally, the use of electronic media gives the translators and editors of the NET Bible the possibility of continually updating and improving the translation and notes. The translation itself will be updated in five-year increments, while the notes will undergo a continual process of expansion and refinement.”

See also:

• Articles “About the NET Bible,” especially the “Preface to the NET Bible First Edition“
• “NET Bible Videos” by Dr. Michael Burer
• “NET Bible Features,” including free downloads
• Audio NET Bible ($20 for the NT in MP3 format): My wife and I have enjoyed listening straight through this several times. It’s excellent.

I’ve enjoyed consulting the NET Bible countless times over the past seven years or so, both OT and NT (especially while taking Hebrew and Greek exegesis courses). I don’t always agree with the translation or the notes, but I’m almost always better off for consulting them. One of my next projects (this summer maybe?) is to read straight through the GNT and NET Bible NT simultaneously. Hats off to those involved with the production of the NET Bible!