Thursday, November 04, 2010

Preserving the best of Today's NIV

Something unexpectedly good appears to be happening to the NIV (I never thought I'd type that sentence!)

A while ago the publishers of said ubiquitous translation announced that the TNIV (my favoured incarnation of the NIV) would be withdrawn in 2011 when the new, revised NIV was produced. My heart sank. I feared another rowing back from the great strides made in the inclusive language NIV (withdrawn in howls of fundamentalist protect in the late 90s); it seemed as if the TNIV would suffer the same fate.

But the new version is now available on Bible Gateway (here); and lo, it is good; it is very good; in fact Philippians 2 (often my touchstone of how good a translation is) appears identical to the TNIV. Hallelujah and break out the party poppers!

Does this mean the 2011 NIV will be a repackaged TNIV? Oh, I do hope so: by far the best NIV backed by the marketing muscle of Zondervan and Hodder (something the TNIV hasn't been).

6 comments:

Catriona said...

How different is TNIV from NIVi which is what I have as my preaching Bible?

Hopefully people will actually buy the thing and use it this time...

btw hope the editing is going well on your MA dissertation.

Julie said...

It only retains some of the TNIV inclusive language so 1 Tim 2:5:

'For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human'
(TNIV)

'For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,' (New NIV)

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, (NIV 1984)

David K said...

Simon - I'm confused. Like you I love the TNIV inclusive language version but following your link to Bible Gateway (what a gift that website is!)I now see...
- New International Version
- New International Version - UK
- Today's New International Version
- New International Version 1984

Can you enlighten me?

David

Steve H said...

There's a collection of reviews, of varying levels of interest, here: http://nearemmaus.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/niv-around-the-blogosphere/

NRSV all the way for me...

Julie said...

me too!

David: first one is new one

simon said...

Yeah, I'm still a fan of the NRSV, thought at times it doesn't read very well in public worship.
Catriona I think the TNIV has all the inclusive language elements of the NIVi but is better on other translation points (notably Philippians 2:4-6).
David, it's the first one (as Julie ponts out)