What is the Lexham English Bible (LEB)?
The Lexham English Bible (LEB) is a relatively new English translation of the Bible, first published in 2012 by Logos Bible Software. The LEB was created using the latest advances in biblical language tools and scholarship to produce a highly accurate and literal translation. Here are some key things to know about the Lexham English Bible:
Origins and Translation Philosophy
The LEB was conceived and initiated by Logos Bible Software. A team of leading biblical scholars was assembled to work on the translation, including editors and translators with expertise in the biblical languages.
The goal of the LEB was to create an English Bible optimized for in-depth study of the biblical text. As such, it employs a formal equivalence (word-for-word) translation philosophy to closely adhere to the original languages of the Bible. The translators sought to transparently reproduce lexical details, literary features, and textual details from the originals.
At the same time, readability in clear English was a high priority. The translation utilizes advances in linguistics to render the text in good literary English while preserving semantic details from the source texts. The result is an English translation that is both remarkably accurate and highly readable.
Use of Original Language Texts
The LEB utilizes the latest critical Hebrew and Greek texts as its base English translation. For the Old Testament, the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) is used for the majority of the text. Other ancient manuscripts like the Dead Sea Scrolls are referenced where they contain superior readings. For the New Testament, the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece is used.
Throughout the translation process, the scholars carefully analyzed the original language texts, considering lexical data, grammatical forms, textual variants, and historical and cultural contexts. This close attention to the original language foundations ensures the accuracy of the English rendering.
Transparency to the Original Languages
A defining feature of the LEB is its transparency to the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts underlying the translation. The English text is formatted to facilitate detailed study of the biblical languages. Several formatting conventions are employed:
– Morphological segmentation: Words are segmented according to their constituent morphological parts. For instance, verbal forms like λελυκότες (“having loosed”) are segmented as λελυ|κοτες to mark components like tense, aspect, mood, etc. This aids morphological analysis.
– Literal renderings: Very literal renderings are used to show grammatical details. For example, “ones who love him” may be used rather than simply “those who love him” to transparently show a definite article or demonstrative adjective in the original text.
– Alternative literal translations: Alternative literal translations are frequently provided in footnotes and text popups to represent the original language precisely. This highlights places where a perfectly literal English rendering was not used in the main text for readability.
-Semantic Domains: Broad lexical domains are shown through English glosses like “fish,” “grain,” or “sin.” The specific underlying Hebrew or Greek word is then footnoted. This reveals important semantic information while maximizing readability.
These unique formatting devices allow students, teachers, and pastors to see through the English to the original biblical languages with unparalleled clarity. No knowledge of Greek or Hebrew is required to start gaining insights.
Detailed Representation of Connectives and Discourse Features
Another way the LEB pursues transparency to the original texts is its representation of connectives, conjunctions, and discourse features. These are maintained in translation to the fullest extent possible.
For example, the LEB will distinguish the various Greek connectives that can be translated “but,” “and,” or “now,” based on their distinct semantic properties. Repetitions of terms, rhetorical questions, quotations, and other discourse features from the originals are also carefully recreated in English.
The result is an extremely transparent text that opens up important exegetical insights, especially for those without biblical language training. The plaintext flows smoothly while unveiling the layered meanings encoded in the biblical discourse.
Treatment of Key Theological Terms
In creating the LEB, translators gave special consideration to important theological terms. Words like “righteousness,” “covenant,” “soul,” and “flesh” are essential concepts that frame biblical theology.
The translation rendering needed to accurately represent the meaning of the original languages. But established English theological vocabulary also had to be honored, for it has shaped Christian doctrine for centuries.
The LEB achieves an effective balance, staying true to the original languages while utilizing English theological terms consistently where warranted. Footnotes show the underlying Hebrew/Greek words in key instances.
For example, “flesh” typically translates σάρξ, retaining the connections between Paul’s usage and the Old Testament background. But in some contexts, alternatives like “human nature” or “natural self” are used if they better match Paul’s intended meaning.
Detailed Footnotes and Textual Popups
One of the most valuable features of the LEB for deeper study is its extensive footnotes and text popups. These explanatory notes appear directly within the Bible text and provide a wealth of information.
Footnotes throughout the LEB supply alternative translations, explain textual issues, identify quotations and allusions, offer lexical and cultural details behind the translation, and much more. Key terms also trigger popups showing the underlying Hebrew/Greek word and definitions from authoritative sources like BDAG and HALOT.
The notes allow readers to dig into translation subtleties, appreciate textual uncertainties, evaluate different interpretive options, and grasp the nuances of the original language terms behind the English rendering. Serious students will find a trove of contextual insights for enriching their biblical understanding.
Innovative Visual Formatting
The LEB displays the biblical text with thoughtful formatting that enhances readability and comprehension. The translators analyzed the discourse structures and rhetorical patterns within each book in order to digitally format the text accordingly.
Section headings, paragraph formatting, poetic stanzas, and indentation visually communicate important discourse transitions, chiastic structures, parallelisms, quotations, and more to help readers discern literary designs. The formatting illuminates structural rhetorics that are obscured in other English versions.
In the Greek New Testament, the LEB also formats quotations from the Old Testament in bold text to make intertextual connections obvious. This unique digital presentation stimulates inductive learning and reveals inner-biblical allusions that drive biblical theology.
Built for Digital Scripture Study
As a translation commissioned and published in the digital age by Logos Bible Software, the Lexham English Bible integrates seamlessly with digital and online platforms. The text includes tagging for Bible references, original language transliterations, and glossary links. It functions optimally for linked Bible study in digital environments.
The text is structured using XML markup which enables powerful and precise searches of words, phrases, grammatical constructions, and more. Sophisticated digital tools and datasets from Logos can be readily linked to the LEB text for unparalleled original language research without any language knowledge prerequisite.
These digital capabilities in the translation itself, along with the availability of the LEB in key study tools like Logos and Verbum software programs, make this an ideal English Bible for serious digital study. Resources like interlinear views, multimedia databases, and morphological analysis tools connect directly to the LEB to unlock its riches.
Translation Published under Creative Commons
The Lexham English Bible text is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. This allows the basic English text to be freely used and distributed for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. Adaptations are permitted as long as attribution is supplied.
This open licensing facilitates widespread access and distribution of the LEB. It also enables the integration of the translation into new platforms and products that can further its impact. Under this model, the text is not restricted and locked down under traditional copyright constraints.
Commitment to Ongoing Revision
The Logos Bible Software team behind the LEB has set up processes for ongoing review and improvement of the translation. As additional semantic research on biblical words becomes available, as new manuscript discoveries occur, and as scholarship continues making advances, the LEB text will be updated accordingly.
There is a commitment to keep the translation up-to-date with the latest lexical data, textual evidence, and linguistic insights. This process of continual refinement will maintain the LEB as an extraordinarily accurate English Bible translation far into the future.
In its first decade, the LEB has already demonstrated its ability to advance biblical study via unparalleled faithfulness to the ancient texts coupled with optimal digital presentation. The years ahead will solidify its place as an indispensable tool for serious research of God’s Word.
The Lexham English Bible Unlocks the Biblical Text
In summary, the Lexham English Bible is a groundbreaking translation optimized for 21st century students of Scripture. By leveraging the latest technological resources alongside the timeless truths in the biblical languages, the LEB represents an unmatched English version for digital ministry and inductive study.
Key advantages offered by the Lexham English Bible include:
– Extreme faithfulness to original language details with transparency through literal renderings, tagging, and copious notes
– Readability and literary excellence using English style guidelines and meaningful discourse formatting
– Digital presentation designed to link with original language tools and datasets for unparalleled study
– Free and flexible licensing that allows integration into diverse platforms and products
– Commitment to ongoing revision and improvement as scholarship continues advancing
The Lexham English Bible opens up the biblical texts to serious readers in unprecedented ways. By peering behind the English words to the Hebrew and Greek, new connections emerge that illuminate theology and transform lives with God’s enduring truth. This pioneering translation provides an accurate, academic-grade resource for deep study of God’s Word.