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American Standard Version (ASV) of 1901

Information and Review

American Standard Version (ASV)

American Standard Version - Literal Translation, Original Gender Forms

Part of the same project as the 1881 Revised Version, the 1901 ASV was one of the first English Bibles to make use of the more recentlly discovered manuscripts, making heavy use of the Codex Sinaticus and the Codex Vaticanus. The New Testament translation predates modern Critical-Text Bibles which are based on the Nestle-Aland Greek Texts. For the Old Testament, the Masoretic text is used, with the ASV translation slightly predating the first (1906) version of Kittel's "Biblia Hebraica." It is worth noting that the New American Standard Bible (NASB) was originally based on the ASV.

I have come to a much greater appreciation of the ASV, especially for the Old Testament, since my initial review. 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 120 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 as Jehovah (proper name of God, meaning I AM), instead of replacing YHWH with Lord (meaning Master), as dictated for verbal pronouciation by post-exilic Jews. 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.