ESV Reverse Interlinear

by Joe Thorn on October 25, 2006

I just got a copy of the new ESV Reverse Interlinear New Testament from Crossway. An traditional interlinear New Testament is essentially the Greek text with corresponding English words below. The reverse interlinear,

displays an English translation as theprimary text and then weaves the correspondng Greek words between the English lines. So the word order of the English translation is untouched, but the Greek words are rearranged to correspond with the English. This means that the English lines are readable and the text can be used as a working everyday Engish New testament.
- from the Preface

For those who have never learned Greek this can be a way to begin to familiarize yourself with the original language, but I would strongly encourage one to get Greek Tutor, or take a class at a local seminary to get a healthy grasp on the basics. This Reverse Interlinear would also be helpful for those currently learning Greek, or who want to brush up on fading skills. As words are parsed/declined I can see how this tool could be an aid to those trying to ease back into it without jumping right into a Greek NT, or traditional interlinear. I am looking to using this and encourage you to check it out.

  • http://ctlillies.blogspot.com/ Josh Kidwell

    Wow. I might have to look into that. You know I have always wanted to learn NT Greek but its rough on your own. I’ve got several resources that I have picked up over the years but I don’t know if they are, er, trustworthy? Any suggestions?

    Thanks
    Josh

  • http://www.stevekmccoy.com Steve McCoy

    This looks like a great resource. I should be getting mine soon.

  • http://isaiahsix.org/ Gregory Pittman

    I’m jealous. Mine was shipped last Friday so it should walk in the door today (I hope).

  • http://www.dawgandponyshow.blogspot.com Van H. Edwards

    What’s on the CD? I see that Logos had a hand in the publication. Is it compatible with Logos Bible Software?

  • http://kennicon.squarespace.com Nick Kennicott

    Got mine too (finally!)! I’m loving it so far… what a great resource.

  • http://www.covenantbc.org Steve Clevenger

    The ESV Reverse Interlinear comes with the Logos 3.0 Scholar’s Library.

    http://logos.com/scholars

  • http://www.covenantbc.org Steve Clevenger

    How do you guys like teaching or preaching with the ESV bible?

    NKJV, ESV, NASB what version do you prefer and why?

    Thanks

  • http://www.matt-perry.com Matthew Perry

    ESV for me — thanks for the tip, Joe. This I will have to add to my collection. I tend to blog a bit too much about the ESV.

    Happy 5th birthday, ESV

    ESV Children’s Bible

    Why Do I Use the English Standard Version?

    ESV Journaling Bible — a Review

    Thanks again, Joe.

  • http://darrenlarson.blogspot.com Darren Larson

    Hey Joe, just to add some color to this post, I thought I’d add my .02!

    First, I have to lay all my cards on the table and say I don’t have a particular English Bible I rely on. I preach from the NIV because of its wide use, but I’ve found they all have strengths and weaknesses. For instance, the NIV does Hebrew poetry really well, but the ESV does not. On the other hand, the ESV deals great with Paul, and the NIV leaves a lot to be desired in most exposition. In this sense, I think it’s best to use many different Bibles.

    Second, a couple of my friends and I were having a convesation with Dr. Block a couple days ago and he said something really interesting. He said that the easiest thing to do in Bible translation is to do a literal translation. In fact, he said it’s kind of the cop-out! He contends that doing exegesis is actually making judgment call about the nuances, figures of speech, and exegetical difficulties. I know most know his work on the NLT might have influenced this answer, but it’s a valid point.

    Finally, I have found a great way to keep up with your Greek is actually The Reader’s Greek New Testament (http://www.amazon.com/A-Readers-Greek-New-Testament/dp/0310248884). I know it’s based on the NIV, but it keeps your syntax gears engaged. The hardest part of Greek is not the vocab; it’s making sense of the function of words in their context. This makes a great devotional Bible.

    Finally, I agree with your plea to go learn Greek – especially for us preachers. There’s nothing that can substitute for genuine study of the original languages. But I also wish most preachers would not use Greek in their sermons… but that’s a different discussion.

    Thanks for the post. This may be my longest comment ever. Cheers.
    Darren

  • http://www.biblediscernment.com KJV

    There are many different “Bible” versions today claiming to be the Word of God. Each one tells us that it is the most reliable, most accurate, etc. etc.. But which of them is God’s Word? Since they all disagree with one another, we can’t possibly say that they all are. Can we? Are we to suppose that God has written more than one Bible and that he makes statements in one and then disagrees with himself in another? No, of course not. God only wrote one Bible. How, then, do we go about determining which “Bible” is the Bible? If we look to human opinion for the answer, we will find nearly as many opinions as we find people. One person will like one. Another person will prefer another. Yet a third person will assure us that it really doesn’t matter, telling us that any of them will do just fine. Since we aren’t interested in human opinion here, we need to look to scripture for help in resolving this issue. There are two questions that we will need to consider. (1) Which are the correct manuscripts?
    (2) Which is the proper translation of those (the correct) manuscripts

  • http://unbound.wordpress.com/ Josh Kidwell

    I don’t suppose there is a list of, say, the top ten reformed reference/theology books you must have somewhere? Top twenty maybe? I don’t know if thats enough though, I do like books.

    Josh

  • http://www.joethorn.net Joe Thorn

    Actually, I have been putting that list together for next Tuesday. Stay tuned.

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