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American Standard Version (ASV) of 1901

Information and Review

American Standard Version (ASV)

The American Standard Version - Literal Translation, Original Gender Forms

The full name of the The American Standard Bible is the "Revised Version, Standard American Edition," as the ASV of 1901 was part of the same project as the 1881 Revised Version (RV), but a 20-year revision (also using 'American' English vs 'British' English). These were the first English Bible revisions to use the Critical Text (CT) manuscripts, making heavy use of the Codex Sinaticus and the Codex Vaticanus.

The New Testament translation of the ASV predates modern Critical-Text Bibles which are based on the Nestle-Aland Greek Texts. The Greek used was documented contemporaneously with the RV Bible translation by Edwin Palmer. The ASV Old Testament uses the same Masoretic source as the KJV, the Ben Chayyim Rabbinic Bible (1525). It is worth noting that both the Revised Standard Version (RSV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB) were based on the ASV.

I have come to a much greater appreciation of the ASV, especially for the Old Testament, since my initial review published in 1999. The value of the ASV is that it is VERY literal and accurate in its text. Another benefit is the use of the separate singular vs plural pronouns (thou, thee, thy, thine = singular vs you = plural), which is unique to the KJV, the RV, and the ASV, with all later Bible translations using the numerically ambiguous 'you' pronoun.

Disputed MT Passages - There are three pimary passages supported by the Majority Text, but not the Critical Text. The ASV represents these verses well. The ASV uses the CT version of the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:3-4), omitting the suspect narrative description. Both of the two larger passages, the end of the Book of Mark (Mark 16:9-20) and the story of the adulterous woman (John 7:53-811), are included, and all three have translation footnotes.

Not for everyone - This version is over 125 years old, reads similarly to the KJV vs. modern translations, and also it is *virtually out of print. It is, however, quite valuable for those who appreciate the literal rendering, and is readily available online and in Bible Software (and is public domain).

Of special note is that this version appropriately translates YHWH directly (as Jehovah) instead of replacing YHWH with Lord. Historically, this led to denominational adoption by Jehovah's Witness which made the version suspect to other denominations, but this translation is NOT denominationally biased, and was NOT developed with any association to the Jehovah Witness religion.

*Printed ASV Bibles are available used or (only) in small format from Star Bible Publishers.