Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Encyclopedia
The Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (also known as the RSV-CE) is an adaptation of the Revised Standard Version
(RSV) of the Bible
for use by Catholics
. It is widely used by conservative Catholic scholars and theologians, and is accepted as one of the most accurate and literary Bible translations suitable for Catholic use.
The RSV-CE, sometimes called the Ignatius Bible, was published in the following stages:
, with an American edition known as the American Standard Version
published in 1901. The latter version was revised in 1952 by a Standard Bible Committee authorized by the National Council of Churches
; this was known as the Revised Standard Version. A revision of the Apocrypha
was authorized in December of that year, and would be completed in 1957.
In 1954, after a year of negotiations, the Standard Bible Committee granted the Catholic Biblical Association of Great Britain permission to print a Catholic RSV Bible. Originally, the RSV-CE New Testament was to have been issued as early as 1956, but Cardinal Griffin, who had approved the plan, died before he could give it an imprimatur. A delay of nearly a ensued before Archbishop Gray of St. Andrews and Edinburgh gave the RSV-CE New Testament the necessary imprimatur. And so at last, in 1965, the RSV-CE New Testament was published. In the following year, 1966, the full RSV-CE Bible, with most of the Deuterocanonical works incorporated into the Old Testament text. The Prayer of Manasseh
and 1
and 2 Esdras
were omitted from the RSV-CE, as they are not part of Catholic Canon.
Although a New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
was published in 1989, the mechanical use of inclusive language did not find favour amongst many scholars, and the use of such language for Bible translations was specifically rejected by the Catholic hierarchy. A Second Edition of the RSV-CE was negotiated with the National Council of Churches
, and issued by Ignatius Press
in 2006.
. However, some minor changes were made to the New Testament in places that had variant readings more in line with Catholic understanding and tradition. Some of the more important changes were the use of the phrase "full of grace" in the angel's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28, the restoration of the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11) and the inclusion of the longer ending to the Gospel according to Mark (16.9-20). Other verses or phrases with questionable authenticity that had been footnoted in the Protestant edition were restored in the Catholic Edition (Luke 22.19-20; 24. 5, 12, 36, 40, 51-52) In other places, some word changes were made, and some texts were exchanged with footnotes. Furthermore, the footnotes regarding the value of New Testament coins were rewritten in terms of how long it took the average worker to earn the money (the denarius was no longer defined as twenty cents but as a day's wage). The book of Revelation
, called "The Revelation To John", had added as a subtitle ("The Apocalypse") The differences between the 1962 Protestant RSV New Testament and the Catholic Edition New Testament were listed in an appendix to the RSV-CE. This appendix, however, is partially outdated, as some of the changes were introduced into the Protestant Second Edition of the RSV New Testament in 1971 in preparation for the issuance of the RSV Common Bible.
(NRSV) was released in 1989, the original RSV-CE went out of print. However, conservative Catholics reacted negatively to the NRSV's wide use of gender-inclusive language. This use of inclusive language was a major reason the Holy See rejected the NRSV for use in the liturgy and the English translation of the Catechism.
The original RSV-CE was revived in 1994 when Ignatius Press re-published it as the Ignatius Bible. Today, the 1966 edition of the RSV-CE is still published by Ignatius, Scepter Publishers, Oxford University Press
and in India by Asian Trading Corporation. It is a common misunderstanding that "-CE" versions were the Bible translations used in the English edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
. The versions used in the first edition of the Catholic Catechism were the "non-CE" versions of the NRSV and the RSV. The NRSV-CE (1989) is an adaptation for Catholic use of the NRSV. Although the NRSV was used in the American edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the NRSV (non-CE) was rejected for liturgical use by the Holy See owing to inclusive language in some unacceptable places. With this exception, like the predecessor RSV, it is a good formal equivalent translation (i.e. literal, but literary).
In Early 2006, Ignatius Press released the RSV-CE 2nd Edition (though it is listed on the copyright page as being the Ignatius Edition). This edition removed the archaic language in references to God (thee, thou, thy, art, hast, hadst, didst, etc.), revised some passages according to the Vatican Instruction Liturgiam Authenticam
, and exchanged some texts with footnotes in passages that had significance to Catholics. The Isaiah 7:14 controversy in the Protestant RSV was resolved by replacing "young woman" with "virgin", as Catholics (as well as Protestants) point to this verse as foretelling the role of The Virgin Mary in the birth of Christ
. Psalm 139[138].14 – which for grammatical reasons is not easy to translate – was also retranslated to show more clearly its support of the Catholic teachings opposing abortion
. The verse read (and still reads in the Protestant edition):
"I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well..."
It now reads:
"I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are your works! You know me right well..."
Other changes include substituting "mercy" for "steadfast love" in Psalm 136[135].
The new edition also features new typesetting, section headings, and maps. As was the case with the original RSV, gender-inclusive language is not used. However, some readers have pointed out that the revision of the marginal notes was not very thorough, and that there are several misspelled words in the text.
This edition has had various claims about it regarding the extent of its status of "conformity" to, or to being "revised" based on, the translation principles called for by the Liturgiam Authenticam. Some reviewers of this edition have noted that while a number of Liturgiam-Authenticam-corresponding revisions were made to the text, the changes made were actually relatively small, and an Ignatius Press claim of "conformity" on its website has been misleading. Ignatius Press has stated that the changes were suggested only by the Congregation for Divine Worship
, and were not an in-house edit. The title page of the edition actually states "This edition was revised according to Liturgiam Authenticam, 2002" which can be accepted as a more proper and accurate description, compared to the Ignatius Press website's usage of the stronger word "conformity".
As with the Protestant and First Catholic Editions of the RSV, the copyright remains in the hands of the NCC's Division of Christian Education.
with the 1986 Revised New Testament (with inclusive language removed) and the Grail Psalter are the liturgical texts permitted in the United States. The RSV-CE is also approved for use in the English translation of the Liturgy of the Hours
for use in England and Wales, Australia, India, and many other English-speaking nations outside of the United States and Canada.
Ignatius Press is also publishing a Lectionary based on the RSV-Second Catholic Edition, approved for use by the Episcopal Conference of the Antilles
. This Lectionary is not, at present, approved for use in the United States, although Ignatius Press is hopeful that other Episcopal Conferences will follow suit.
Many well-known Catholic personalities, including Scott Hahn
(see also Ignatius Catholic Study Bible series), Curtis Mitch, Steve Ray, Jimmy Akin, and others use it as well. It is also used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
, and in English translations of Church documents. The English translations of the works of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI
) also use the RSV-CE or its Second Edition.
However, the New American Bible
remains the official English-language Catholic translation for the United States, as is reflected by its use on the Vatican website. Australia and Europe use the first edition Jerusalem Bible
.
Revised Standard Version
The Revised Standard Version is an English translation of the Bible published in the mid-20th century. It traces its history to William Tyndale's New Testament translation of 1525. The RSV is an authorized revision of the American Standard Version of 1901...
(RSV) of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
for use by Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. It is widely used by conservative Catholic scholars and theologians, and is accepted as one of the most accurate and literary Bible translations suitable for Catholic use.
The RSV-CE, sometimes called the Ignatius Bible, was published in the following stages:
- New TestamentNew TestamentThe New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
(1946, originally copyrighted to the International Council of Religious Education) - Old TestamentOld TestamentThe Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
(1952) - Deuterocanonical BooksDeuterocanonical booksDeuterocanonical books is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Old Testament that are not part of the Hebrew Bible. The term is used in contrast to the protocanonical books, which are...
(1957) - Catholic Edition of the New Testament (1965)
- Catholic Edition of the Old Testament incorporating the Apocrypha(1966)
- Second Catholic Edition (IgnatiusIgnatius PressIgnatius Press, named for Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, is a Catholic publishing house based in San Francisco, California, USA. It was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio SJ, a Jesuit priest and former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI...
Edition) (2006)
Background
The Revised Standard Version stands within the tradition of the Authorized King James Version, which was updated in 1885 in the UK as the Revised VersionRevised Version
The Revised Version of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version of 1611. It was the first and remains the only officially authorized and recognized revision of the King James Bible. The work was entrusted to over 50 scholars from various denominations in Britain...
, with an American edition known as the American Standard Version
American Standard Version
The Revised Version, Standard American Edition of the Bible, more commonly known as the American Standard Version , is a version of the Bible that was released in 1901...
published in 1901. The latter version was revised in 1952 by a Standard Bible Committee authorized by the National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
; this was known as the Revised Standard Version. A revision of the Apocrypha
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
was authorized in December of that year, and would be completed in 1957.
In 1954, after a year of negotiations, the Standard Bible Committee granted the Catholic Biblical Association of Great Britain permission to print a Catholic RSV Bible. Originally, the RSV-CE New Testament was to have been issued as early as 1956, but Cardinal Griffin, who had approved the plan, died before he could give it an imprimatur. A delay of nearly a ensued before Archbishop Gray of St. Andrews and Edinburgh gave the RSV-CE New Testament the necessary imprimatur. And so at last, in 1965, the RSV-CE New Testament was published. In the following year, 1966, the full RSV-CE Bible, with most of the Deuterocanonical works incorporated into the Old Testament text. The Prayer of Manasseh
Prayer of Manasseh
The Prayer of Manasseh is a short work of 15 verses of the penitential prayer of king Manasseh of Judah. Manasseh is recorded in the Bible as one of the most idolatrous kings of Judah . Chronicles, but not Kings, records that Manasseh was taken captive by the Assyrians...
and 1
1 Esdras
1 Esdras , Greek Ezra, is an ancient Greek version of the biblical Book of Ezra in use among ancient Jewry, the early church, and many modern Christians with varying degrees of canonicity and a high historical usefulness....
and 2 Esdras
2 Esdras
2 Esdras or Latin Esdras is the name of an apocalyptic book in many English versions of the Bible . Its authorship is ascribed to Ezra. It is reckoned among the Apocrypha by many Protestant churches. Although Second Esdras exists in its complete form only in Latin, it was originally written in...
were omitted from the RSV-CE, as they are not part of Catholic Canon.
Although a New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
The New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition is a translation of the Bible adapted for the use of Catholics with the approval of the Catholic Church. It contains all the canonical books of Scripture accepted by the Catholic Church arranged in the traditional Catholic order...
was published in 1989, the mechanical use of inclusive language did not find favour amongst many scholars, and the use of such language for Bible translations was specifically rejected by the Catholic hierarchy. A Second Edition of the RSV-CE was negotiated with the National Council of Churches
National Council of Churches
The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA is an ecumenical partnership of 37 Christian faith groups in the United States. Its member denominations, churches, conventions, and archdioceses include Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, African American, Evangelical, and historic peace...
, and issued by Ignatius Press
Ignatius Press
Ignatius Press, named for Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, is a Catholic publishing house based in San Francisco, California, USA. It was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio SJ, a Jesuit priest and former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI...
in 2006.
Significant Differences from the RSV
The RSV-CE was based on the 1962 printing of the Protestant RSV (see Revised Standard Version#Later editions). The editors of the Catholic Edition made no changes to the Old Testament text; all they did was include the seven Deuterocanonical works in their traditional Catholic order. At the end of each testament, an appendix of explanatory and interpretive notes was added. In the Psalms, they preserved the numbering of the Protestant edition (which reflects the Hebrew system), but they placed in brackets the Catholic system of numbering, which is based upon the Greek Septuagint and the Latin VulgateVulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
. However, some minor changes were made to the New Testament in places that had variant readings more in line with Catholic understanding and tradition. Some of the more important changes were the use of the phrase "full of grace" in the angel's greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28, the restoration of the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 7:53-8:11) and the inclusion of the longer ending to the Gospel according to Mark (16.9-20). Other verses or phrases with questionable authenticity that had been footnoted in the Protestant edition were restored in the Catholic Edition (Luke 22.19-20; 24. 5, 12, 36, 40, 51-52) In other places, some word changes were made, and some texts were exchanged with footnotes. Furthermore, the footnotes regarding the value of New Testament coins were rewritten in terms of how long it took the average worker to earn the money (the denarius was no longer defined as twenty cents but as a day's wage). The book of Revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
, called "The Revelation To John", had added as a subtitle ("The Apocalypse") The differences between the 1962 Protestant RSV New Testament and the Catholic Edition New Testament were listed in an appendix to the RSV-CE. This appendix, however, is partially outdated, as some of the changes were introduced into the Protestant Second Edition of the RSV New Testament in 1971 in preparation for the issuance of the RSV Common Bible.
List of Changes in the RSV New Testament for the Catholic Edition
This is the appendix that appeared in the 1965-66 printing of the RSV-CE to show the changes between the Protestant and Catholic editions.| Passage | 1962 RSV Text | 1965 RSV-CE Text | 1962 RSV Footnotes | 1965 RSV-CE Footnotes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. 1.19 | divorce her | send her away | ||
| Mt. 12.46 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mt. 12.47 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mt. 12.48 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mt. 12.49 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mt. 13.55 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mt. 18.24 | (f) This talent was probably worth about a thousand dollars | (f) This talent was more than fifteen years' wages of a laborer | ||
| Mt. 18.28 | (g) The denarius Denarius In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus... was worth about twenty cents |
(g) The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer | ||
| Mt. 19.9 | (k) | ...; and he who marries a divorced woman, commits adultery." (k) | (k) Other ancient authorities insert and he who marries a divorced woman, commits adultery | (k) Other ancient authorities omit and he who marries a divorced woman, commits adultery |
| Mt. 20.2 | (m) The denarius was worth about twenty cents | (m) The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer | ||
| Mt. 21.44 | (q) | 44 And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on anyone, it will crush him." (q) | (q) Other ancient authorities add verse 44: "And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on anyone, it will crush him" | (q) Other ancient authorities omit verse 44 |
| Mt. 25.15 | (d) This talent was probably worth about a thousand dollars | (d) This talent was more than fifteen years' wages of a laborer | ||
| Mt. 27.24 | this man's blood; (l) | this righteous man's blood; (l) | (l) Other ancient authorities read this righteous blood or this righteous man's blood | (l) Other ancient authorities omit righteous or man's |
| Mk. 3.31 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mk. 3.32 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mk. 3.33 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mk. 3.34 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Mk. 6.37 | (u) The denarius was worth about twenty cents | (u) The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer | ||
| Mk. 9.29 | (j) | and fasting." (j) | (j) Other ancient authorities add and fasting | (j) Other ancient authorities omit and fasting |
| Mk. 10.24 | (r) | for those who trust in riches (r) | (r) Other ancient authorities add for those who trust in riches | (r) Other ancient authorities omit for those who trust in riches |
| Mk. 13.33 | (a) | and pray; (a) | (a) Other ancient authorities add and pray | (a) Other ancient authorities omit and pray |
| Mk. 14.5 | (b) The denarius was worth about twenty cents | (b) The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer | ||
| Mk. 16.9-20 | (k) | insert into the text the entire italicized verses 9-20 from note (k) and add (k) at end of verse 20 | (k) Other texts and versions add as 16.9-20 the following passage: 9 Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdelene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, and they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. 12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table, and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen. Other ancient authorities add after verse 8 the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvtion |
(k) Other ancient authorities omit verses 9-20. Some ancient authorities conclude Mark instead with the following: But they reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvtion |
| Lk. 1.28 | O favored one, | full of grace (b2) | (b2) Or O favored one | |
| Lk. 8.19 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Lk. 8.20 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Lk. 8.21 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Lk. 8.43 | (b) | and had spent all her living upon physicians (b) | (b) Other ancient authorities add and had spent all her living upon physicians | (b) Other ancient authorities omit and had spent all her living upon physicians |
| Lk. 10.35 | (i) The denarius was worth about twenty cents | (i) The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer | ||
| Lk. 15.8 | (t) The drachma, rendered here by silver coin, was about sixteen cents | (t) The drachma, rendered here by silver coin, was about a day's wage for a laborer | ||
| Lk. 19.13 | (e) The mina Mina (unit) The mina is an ancient Near Eastern unit of weight equivalent to 60 shekels. The mina, like the shekel, was also a unit of currency; in ancient Greece it was equal to 100 drachmae. In the first century AD, it amounted to about a fourth of the wages earned annually by an agricultural worker... , rendered here by pound, was equal to about twenty dollars |
(e) The mina, rendered here by pound, was about three months' wages for a laborer | ||
| Lk. 22.19-20 | (j) | which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (j) | (j) Other ancient authorities add which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 20 And likewise the cup after supper, saying, "This cup which poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." | (j) Other ancient authorities omit from which is given in verse 19 to the end of verse 20 |
| Lk. 24.5 | (u) | He is not here, but has risen.(u) | (u) Other ancient authorities add He is not here, but has risen | (u) Other ancient authorities omit He is not here, but has risen |
| Lk. 24.12 | (v) | 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened. (v) | (v) Other ancient authorities add verse 12, But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home wondering at what had happened | (v) Other ancient authorities omit verse 12 |
| Lk. 24.36 | (x) | ..., and said to them, "Peace to you." (x) | (x) Other ancient authorities add and said to them, "Peace to you!" | (x) Other ancient authorities omit and said to them, "Peace to you." |
| Lk. 24.40 | (y) | 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. (y) | (y) Other ancient authorities add verse 40, And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet | (y) Other ancient authorities omit verse 40 |
| Lk. 24.51 | (a) | and was carried up into heaven. (a) | (a) Other ancient authorities add and was carried up into heaven | (a) Other ancient authorities omit and was carried up into heaven |
| Lk. 24.52 | (b) | worshiped him, and (b) | (b) Other ancient authorities add worshiped him, and | (b) Other ancient authorities omit worshiped him, and |
| Jn. 2.12 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Jn. 6.7 | (l) The denarius was worth about twenty cents | (l) The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer | ||
| Jn. 7.3 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Jn. 7.5 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Jn. 7.10 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Jn. 7.52 | (r) | omit (r) here; insert 7.53-8.11 in the text (from the italicized footnote) and insert footnote reference (r) at the end of verse 11 | (r) Other ancient authorities add 7.53-8.11 either here or at the end of this gospel or after Luke 21.38, with variations of the text: 53 They went each to his own house, 8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple; all the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?" 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again." |
(r) Some ancient authorities insert 7.53-8.11 either at the end of this gospel or after Luke 21.38, with variations of the text. Others omit it altogether. |
| Jn. 12.5 | (b) The denarius was worth about twenty cents | (b) The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer | ||
| Acts 1.14 | brothers | brethren | ||
| Rom. 1.4 | designated | designated (a2) | (a2) Or constituted | |
| Rom. 5.5 | which | who | ||
| Rom. 8.11 | which | who | ||
| Rom. 9.5 | Christ. God who is over all be blessed for ever. (n) | Christ, who is God over all, blessed for ever. (n) | (n) Or Christ, who is God over all, blessed for ever | (n) Or Christ. God who is over all be blessed for ever |
| 1 Cor. 3.9 | are fellow workers for God; (f) | are God's fellow workers; (f) | (f) Greek God's fellow workers | (f) Or fellow workers for God |
| 1 Cor. 4.6 | to live according to scripture | not to go beyond what is written | ||
| 1 Cor. 7.25 | unmarried | unmarried (x2) | (x2) Greek virgins | |
| 1 Cor. 7.28 | a girl | a girl (m2) | (m2) Greek virgin | |
| 1 Cor. 7.34 | girl | girl (m2) | (m2) Greek virgin | |
| 1 Cor. 7.36 | betrothed, | betrothed, (m2) | (m2) Greek virgin | |
| 1 Cor. 7.37 | betrothed, | betrothed, (m2) | (m2) Greek virgin | |
| 1 Cor. 7.38 | betrothed | betrothed (m2) | (m2) Greek virgin | |
| 1 Cor. 9.5 | brothers | brethren | (n) Greek a sister as wife | (n) Greek woman, sister |
| Eph. 1.14 | which | who | ||
| Eph. 5.32 | I take it to mean | I mean in reference to | ||
| Phil. 2.5 | you have | was | ||
| 1 Thess. 4.4 | how to take a wife for himself | how to control his own body | ||
| 1 Thess. 5.13 | among yourselves. | among yourselves. (c2) | (c2) Or with them | |
| Heb. 11.19 | hence, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. | hence he did receive him back and this was a symbol. | ||
| Rev. title | The Revelation to John | The Revelation to John (The Apocalypse) | ||
| Rev. 6.6 | (a) The denarius was worth about twenty cents | (a) The denarius was a day's wage for a laborer |
The RSV-CE Today
When the New Revised Standard VersionNew Revised Standard Version
The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is an English translation of the Bible released in 1989 in the USA. It is a thorough revision of the Revised Standard Version .There are three editions of the NRSV:...
(NRSV) was released in 1989, the original RSV-CE went out of print. However, conservative Catholics reacted negatively to the NRSV's wide use of gender-inclusive language. This use of inclusive language was a major reason the Holy See rejected the NRSV for use in the liturgy and the English translation of the Catechism.
The original RSV-CE was revived in 1994 when Ignatius Press re-published it as the Ignatius Bible. Today, the 1966 edition of the RSV-CE is still published by Ignatius, Scepter Publishers, Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
and in India by Asian Trading Corporation. It is a common misunderstanding that "-CE" versions were the Bible translations used in the English edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official text of the teachings of the Catholic Church. A provisional, "reference text" was issued by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992 — "the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council" — with his apostolic...
. The versions used in the first edition of the Catholic Catechism were the "non-CE" versions of the NRSV and the RSV. The NRSV-CE (1989) is an adaptation for Catholic use of the NRSV. Although the NRSV was used in the American edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the NRSV (non-CE) was rejected for liturgical use by the Holy See owing to inclusive language in some unacceptable places. With this exception, like the predecessor RSV, it is a good formal equivalent translation (i.e. literal, but literary).
Second Edition
Liturgiam Authenticam
Liturgiam Authenticam is an instruction of the Holy See, dated 28 March 2001, that included the requirement that, in translations of the liturgical texts from the official Latin originals, "the original text, insofar as possible, must be translated integrally and in the most exact manner, without...
, and exchanged some texts with footnotes in passages that had significance to Catholics. The Isaiah 7:14 controversy in the Protestant RSV was resolved by replacing "young woman" with "virgin", as Catholics (as well as Protestants) point to this verse as foretelling the role of The Virgin Mary in the birth of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. Psalm 139[138].14 – which for grammatical reasons is not easy to translate – was also retranslated to show more clearly its support of the Catholic teachings opposing abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. The verse read (and still reads in the Protestant edition):
"I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well..."
It now reads:
"I praise you, for I am wondrously made. Wonderful are your works! You know me right well..."
Other changes include substituting "mercy" for "steadfast love" in Psalm 136[135].
The new edition also features new typesetting, section headings, and maps. As was the case with the original RSV, gender-inclusive language is not used. However, some readers have pointed out that the revision of the marginal notes was not very thorough, and that there are several misspelled words in the text.
This edition has had various claims about it regarding the extent of its status of "conformity" to, or to being "revised" based on, the translation principles called for by the Liturgiam Authenticam. Some reviewers of this edition have noted that while a number of Liturgiam-Authenticam-corresponding revisions were made to the text, the changes made were actually relatively small, and an Ignatius Press claim of "conformity" on its website has been misleading. Ignatius Press has stated that the changes were suggested only by the Congregation for Divine Worship
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments is the congregation of the Roman Curia that handles most affairs relating to liturgical practices of the Latin Catholic Church as distinct from the Eastern Catholic Churches and also some technical matters relating to the...
, and were not an in-house edit. The title page of the edition actually states "This edition was revised according to Liturgiam Authenticam, 2002" which can be accepted as a more proper and accurate description, compared to the Ignatius Press website's usage of the stronger word "conformity".
As with the Protestant and First Catholic Editions of the RSV, the copyright remains in the hands of the NCC's Division of Christian Education.
Liturgical use and endorsements
The RSV-CE text is permitted for liturgical use in the United States . The New Revised Standard Edition's permission has been withdrawn, but not the RSV-CE. The RSV-CE, along with a modified version of the New American BibleNew American Bible
The New American Bible is a Catholic Bible translation first published in 1970. It had its beginnings in the Confraternity Bible, which began to be translated from the original languages in 1948....
with the 1986 Revised New Testament (with inclusive language removed) and the Grail Psalter are the liturgical texts permitted in the United States. The RSV-CE is also approved for use in the English translation of the Liturgy of the Hours
Liturgy of the hours
The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office is the official set of daily prayers prescribed by the Catholic Church to be recited at the canonical hours by the clergy, religious orders, and laity. The Liturgy of the Hours consists primarily of psalms supplemented by hymns and readings...
for use in England and Wales, Australia, India, and many other English-speaking nations outside of the United States and Canada.
Ignatius Press is also publishing a Lectionary based on the RSV-Second Catholic Edition, approved for use by the Episcopal Conference of the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
. This Lectionary is not, at present, approved for use in the United States, although Ignatius Press is hopeful that other Episcopal Conferences will follow suit.
Many well-known Catholic personalities, including Scott Hahn
Scott Hahn
Scott Hahn is a contemporary author, theologian, and Catholic apologist. His works include Rome Sweet Home and The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. He currently teaches at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, a Catholic university in the United States.-Education:Hahn received his...
(see also Ignatius Catholic Study Bible series), Curtis Mitch, Steve Ray, Jimmy Akin, and others use it as well. It is also used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the official text of the teachings of the Catholic Church. A provisional, "reference text" was issued by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992 — "the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council" — with his apostolic...
, and in English translations of Church documents. The English translations of the works of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
) also use the RSV-CE or its Second Edition.
However, the New American Bible
New American Bible
The New American Bible is a Catholic Bible translation first published in 1970. It had its beginnings in the Confraternity Bible, which began to be translated from the original languages in 1948....
remains the official English-language Catholic translation for the United States, as is reflected by its use on the Vatican website. Australia and Europe use the first edition Jerusalem Bible
Jerusalem Bible
The Jerusalem Bible is a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible which first was introduced to the English-speaking public in 1966 and published by Darton, Longman & Todd...
.
External links
- Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, online text
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Vatican
- Current list of discovered revisions found by Catholic Answers Forums members, made between the original RSV-CE and the RSV Second Catholic Edition, with comparison to other editions
- Extensive review of the RSV
- StudyLight.org Online bible versions includes the RSV