The English Standard Version (ESV) is a word-for-word translation of the Bible into modern English, first published in 2001. The ESV seeks to accurately translate the meaning of the original biblical texts as faithfully as possible while using clear, understandable English. It aims to reflect the beauty, majesty, and theological depth of God’s inspired Word for the English-speaking world of the 21st century.
The ESV is based on the Revised Standard Version (RSV), first published in 1952. The RSV itself was a revision of the American Standard Version (ASV) of 1901. The ESV retains many strengths of the RSV, including its literal accuracy and literary excellence. However, the ESV translation team made a number of improvements to the RSV to better reflect advances in biblical scholarship and changes in English usage since the mid-20th century.
Some key features of the ESV Bible translation include:
- Faithful, word-for-word translation philosophy – The ESV prioritizes accuracy in conveying the exact meaning of the original biblical texts.
- Readability – While literal, the ESV uses clear, contemporary English understandable by the average reader today.
- Theological precision – Important theological terms like “grace” and “saints” are translated consistently to reflect their biblical meanings.
- Modern scholarship – The ESV takes into account recent discoveries of ancient biblical manuscripts and advances in biblical studies since the RSV.
- Literary excellence – The ESV retains the literary beauty of the RSV, widely considered among the most eloquent Bible translations.
- Masculine language for God – The ESV refers to God with masculine pronouns and imagery to reflect the patterns of the original biblical texts.
- Optimal format for public reading, memorization, and evangelism – The ESV is very well-suited for reading aloud in worship services, memorizing Scripture passages, and sharing the gospel.
- Translation transparency – Footnotes provide literal translations and explanations where the ESV translators have paraphrased or interpreted the original language texts.
Translation Philosophy
The preface to the ESV describes its governing translation philosophy this way: “The ESV is an ‘essentially literal’ translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on ‘word-for-word’ correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original.”
The goal is a Bible translation that is faithful and accurate to the original texts, yet clear and natural when read aloud or silently by English speakers today. The ESV walks the line between formal literal versions like the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and dynamic equivalent translations like the New International Version (NIV). In the spectrum between formal/literal and functional/meaning-based Bible translations, the ESVTEAM aims for optimal balance – as literal as possible while still readable.
The ESV translators believe a word-for-word approach is the best way to preserve the theological riches of God’s Word in another language. But they recognize words and grammar must be rendered naturally in the receptor language so the meaning shines clearly. Thus the ESV balances literal fidelity and intelligibility based on the latest linguistic research on how people best understand and retain what they read and hear.
Translation Team
The ESV publishing team includes more than 100 leading Bible scholars and translators from 17 denominations. The translation oversight committee was co-chaired by Dr. J.I. Packer (Regent College) and Dr. Lane Dennis (formerly of Crossway Books). The team includes many distinguished scholars with expertise in the biblical languages and a high view of Scripture’s authority and sufficiency for Christian faith and practice.
The main translation team consisted of 15 experienced Bible translators led by Dr. C. John Collins (Covenant Theological Seminary) as Old Testament editor and Dr. Lane Dennis as New Testament editor. This team did the main work of drafting the translation based on the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts.
In addition, more than 50 independent scholar reviewers from many evangelical seminaries and other backgrounds checked the main translation team’s work. Their feedback helped refine the final translation. Overall, the ESV reflects biblical and theological consensus within mainstream, creedal, evangelical Christianity.
Manuscripts and Textual Base
For the Old Testament, the ESV translators used the Masoretic Hebrew text as found in Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS), 5th edition. The BHS is based on the Leningrad Codex, the oldest complete manuscript of the Hebrew Old Testament dated to 1008 AD. However, footnotes indicate variant readings from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Greek Septuagint, Syriac Peshitta, Latin Vulgate, and other sources where they provide additional clarity.
For the New Testament, the ESV relies on the latest edition of the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th edition (NA28), and occasionally the closely related United Bible Societies, 5th edition (UBS5) Greek New Testament. These scholarly editions reflect manuscript discoveries and textual analysis since the 1880s Westcott-Hort New Testament used by the English Revised Version (ERV) and ASV.
The NA28 and UBS5 editions of the Greek New Testament are based on a critical reconstruction of the New Testament in its earliest attested form. They take into account almost 6,000 Greek manuscripts and ancient translations in multiple languages. The ESV translators followed a generally eclectic text critical approach in deciding which Greek manuscript readings most likely reflect the originals.
Ongoing Revisions
The ESV publishing team views Bible translation as an ongoing process as the scholarly consensus evolves. The preface states, “We know that no Bible translation is perfect or final; but we also know that God uses imperfect and inadequate things to his honor and praise. So to our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we commit this revision of the English Standard Version of the Bible.”
Thus far, the ESV has undergone two minor revisions. In 2007, the text was updated in about 60,000 places based on the Collins team’s review and response to extensive feedback from the ESV Study Bible team. Then in 2011, another minor update of about 6,000 changes was made following an extensive review seeking even greater textual accuracy and precision.
Features and Formats
The ESV is published in a variety of print editions by Crossway Books. These include thinline, compact, and reader’s editions; study Bibles; devotional and daily reading Bibles; and single-column and large print editions. Popular bindings include hardcover, softcover, genuine leather, and TruTone. Specialty editions are available for outreach and evangelism, students, journalists, and other niches.
Free online editions include text-only, read-aloud audio, and parallel comparison views. Study tools like interlinear translations, concordances, dictionaries, commentary links, daily devotions, reading plans, and more are also available on the ESV.org website and the ESV Bible mobile app.
The ESV text is also available through major Bible software programs like Logos, Accordance, and Olive Tree. It has been incorporated into popular study tools like the Logos Reftagger and VerseClick bibliography generator. The ESV is integrated into many Christian websites and ministries seeking to share God’s Word online.
Reception and Adoption
Since its initial release in 2001, the ESV has gained wide acceptance across evangelical Protestant churches and institutions seeking a translation that is both reverent and relevant. Prominent Christian leaders across denominations have praised the ESV for its faithfulness to the biblical texts and suitability for preaching, teaching, study, memorization, and evangelism today.
The ESV has been embraced particularly among Reformed evangelicals tracing their heritage back to the Protestant Reformation. But many Baptists, charismatics, and non-denominational churches also use it as their primary Bible translation. Major Christian publishers like Crossway, R.C. Sproul’s Ligonier Ministries, John Piper’s Desiring God ministry, and David Jeremiah’s Turning Point ministry all utilize the ESV extensively.
By 2016, the ESV had become one of the top five most popular Bible translations based on unit sales, having displaced longtime standards like the King James Version (KJV) and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). The ESV has rapidly grown alongside other relatively recent translations like the New Living Translation (NLT) and Christian Standard Bible (CSB) to meet renewed interest in the Bible’s relevance and reliability.
Critiques and Responses
Despite its widespread acceptance among evangelicals, the ESV has drawn criticisms from some scholars and interest groups. Some question whether its literal translation approach accurately conveys the meaning and intent of the original authors to modern readers. They argue valuable nuance and cultural context is lost in favor of formal correspondence to the ancient text forms.
However, the ESV publishing team has maintained a “complementarian” position on gender roles and leadership in line with their understanding of biblical teaching. As a result, some egalitarian evangelicals argue the ESV’s language reflects “male bias” and reinforces patriarchal interpretation. The ESV team responds their gender decisions are based on a close reading of the grammatical realities in the original Greek and Hebrew.
The ESV also renders the tetragrammaton YHWH as “LORD” rather than transliterating it as Yahweh or Jehovah as some translations do. The capitalized LORD conveys the divine name while continuing the long-established English Bible tradition of substituting LORD, out of reverence for God’s name and to avoid misuse. But some argue this hinders reader comprehension of numerous Old Testament passages.
Despite these disagreements in places, the ESV continues to gain wider use as a Bible highly valued and trusted for its faithful transparency to the original texts. While no translation is perfect, many evangelical pastors, teachers, and lay readers turn to the ESV first when desiring to dig deep into God’s truth and equip God’s church from His inspired Word.