Comparing Jonahs: ESV vs NLT Study Bibles

Jeff (Scripture Zealot) and Sean Harrison (NLT Study Bible) have been doing a fantastic job of centralizing many of the recent NLT Study Bible reviews and articles, but I wanted to call your attention to a recent review at Biblia Hebraica comparing the book of Jonah in both editions.

1. Part 1 – introductory comments on the translations and the study Bible aesthetics, with the concluding comments focused on the relevancy of authorship.
2. Part 2 – a brief look at the tone of the introductions and study notes, concluding that both study bibles reflect the essential character of their translations: “the NLTSB notes are more dynamic and written in a clear, natural style (giving the sense). The ESVSB notes are more formal with a more academic tone (essentially literal).“
3. Part 3 – a look at the notes themselves, with the primary critiques being of the NLTSB’s speculative conclusions and the ESVSB’s tendency “to overly theologize the grammar of the original languages.”

I enjoyed reading the series and have added Biblia Hebraica as a “voice in the wilderness” to pay attention to – see my shortlist blogroll at right or click on the Links tab above for a more complete list of blogs I regularly read.