The Evangelical Heritage Version: An Introductory Review

 

The Wartburg Project. Holy Bible Evangelical Heritage Version. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019. 1831 Pages. (pdf review copy provided) Cloth.  $22.99. Quantity Discounts Available.   https://online.nph.net/ehv

Since receiving the pdf review copy I was provided, I have since personally purchased the cloth/hardcover edition, the Faithlife/Logos Bible software edition, the Microsoft/Windows EHV Study Bible notes, and the Faithlife/Logos EHV Study Bible Notes. I had previously purchased a paperback of the EHV New Testament and the EHV editions of the WELS and ELS catechisms.

Before we get to the EHV text and EHV notes, let's have a more comprehensive conversation.

Bibles are a common gift for special occasions: baptisms, confirmations, weddings, birthdays, and Christmas.

The Preface to a recent Bible translation noted that there are over one hundred English Bible translations in print (with more to come). How do Christians, congregations, pastors, and church bodies choose which version to use?

Imagine a continuum from left to right with literal "word for word" translations on the left and "phrase by phrase" translations (and paraphrases) toward the right.

I borrowed this graphic from Bible Gateway:

There are a lot of translations and a lot of abbreviations! Here is a simplified chart:

<==NASB=ESV=RSV=KJV=NKJV=EHV=NET=NIV=GW=NLT=LIVING==>

The most familiar to many is the KJV, King James Version (Authorized Version). It's a great and elegant Bible translation. Due to being translated four hundred years ago, the changes in the English language mean that one may need a whole high school education to best understand it (unless you were raised with it).

Several versions are very similar to the KJV and are "descendants" of it. The NASB, New American Standard Bible, is the most literal and "wooden" of my simplified chart above. It's accurate, but may sound stilted. It's great for the eye, but not so for the ear.

The RSV, Revised Standard Version, is a revision of a revision of the KJV. I knew this one growing up before I got to confirmation class. It has some odd spots, like where Isaiah 7 uses "young woman" instead of the miraculous "virgin" in the prophecy about Immanuel.

The ESV, English Standard Version, is itself a revision of the RSV, intended to fix the problems of the RSV. There were LCMS people involved in the production of this Bible. It is NOT the "official" LCMS translation, but it is practically, since most materials printed by the LCMS and Concordia Publishing House (Bulletins, bulletin inserts, Sunday School and VBS materials, Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation, etc.) use this translation.

The KJV has another "descendant," the NKJV, New King James Version. It intentionally sounds similar to the KJV. When listening to the NASB, ESV, or NKJV, it is difficult to tell the difference. That's good. Literal translations, also known as "word for word" translations tend to be very similar.

This covers much of the left side.

<==NASB=ESV=RSV=KJV=NKJV=EHV=NET=NIV=GW=NLT=LIVING==>

Over on the right side of both charts you will see "LIVING," meaning The Living Bible. It is actually a paraphrase, a restatement of the American Standard Version (the version between the KJV and RSV) done by one person. He had biases against our understanding of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, and it shows. This version was my paternal grandmother's favorite. It isn't the most accurate. What it does for comprehension is taken away in reliability. I don't personally recommend this one. Take a look at the NLT instead.

The NLT is more of a "thought for thought" or "phrase by phrase" translation from 1996. Inspired by the "easy to understand" goal of The Living Bible, the New Living Translation is an actual translation and NOT a paraphrase. I particularly like reading the Gospel according to John in the NLT. This is a good translation for new Christians who struggle with reading.

Near the NLT is the one called GW. GW is God's Word to the Nations, a version related to the Bible translation by LCMS translator Dr. Theodore Beck. His "An American Translation" was printed in 1976 after his death. GW was intended to be a continuation of the AAT project and its history is complicated. It's also hard to find now.

Other than the KJV and ESV, you may be most familiar with the NIV, New International Version. The current NIV is an update from 2011, and is quite different than the most common 1984 NIV, used in The Concordia Self-Study Bible by CPH. The NIV is most famous/infamous for introducing a translation technique of "thought for thought" instead of "word for word." It described itself as "dynamic equivalence" compared to the KJV/ESV "formal equivalence" historic translation philosophy. Usually, I refer to the NIV as a "phrase by phrase" translation.

<==NASB=ESV=RSV=KJV=NKJV=EHV=NET=NIV=GW=NLT=LIVING==>

Let's examine the middle, what some new translations call "optimal equivalence" as a solution to the "word for word"/"phrase by phrase" formal/dynamic divide. The graphic chart is more accurate than our abbreviated text chart (reproduced three times in this article) in that it shows more translations and places the NIV 2011 in the exact middle.

The EHV and NET are new translations. You may have never heard of them before. They tend to be more literal than the NIV, yet more understandable than the NASB/ESV/NKJV versions. 

My observation:

The LCMS tends to prefer translations to the literal left. Other Bible-believing Lutheran synods (like the WELS) appear to prefer translations on the left to center of the charts, more towards thought-for-thought translations.

The EHV is the Evangelical Heritage Version, available for purchase from the Northwestern Publishing House of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. It is a translation of a group of WELS pastors called the Wartburg Project, named after where Luther translated the New Testament into German. There has been great discussion within the WELS and between the WELS and the ELS, Evangelical Lutheran Synod, over what translation to use within their bodies. Some favor the NIV 2011. Others like the ESV. Some can't stand the ESV. The EHV may be the best choice for the WELS as it attempts to take what people most like about the ESV and NIV.

The NET, New English Translation, released its first version in 2005 and its current version in 2019. It has very generous copyright permissions. Most notably to me as a pastor trained in Greek and Hebrew is that you can get a copy of the NET with 60,000 translator notes. They explain why they translated why they did. The NET is very similar in translation philosophy to the EHV.

Which version should you choose? I recommend looking at your home library first. Revisit the translations you already own and locate them on this article's translation charts. Consider buying a translation different from what you already have. Used book stores may have out-of-print options.

For regular reading, I do personally recommend and use the ESV primarily, because our bulletins, devotional materials, Sunday School materials, VBS materials, and LCMS papers do. You can get a free ESV app from your device's app stores. The Lutheran Study Bible is a great choice because I trust their notes. I'm very picky about study Bibles. I also really like the EHV Study Bible Notes.

During Sunday morning Bible Class at Immanuel, you will hear ESV, NIV, and other translations. I still prefer looking back to the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and comparing them with the later Latin, German, and English translations. Our goal is to understand God's Word, and hear Him. We want to know more about Christ Jesus, both Who He is and what He has done for us.

When you have a gifting opportunity, consider buying a new Bible for someone you love. Re-gift an older family Bible to the next generation. Above all, prioritize time in God's Word! Our Lord has great gifts for you!

 

The Evangelical Heritage Version is a thing unto itself, its own translation. Sometimes, it reminds me of the NKJV, ESV, or NASB95. Other times, it sounds more like a CSB or NIV2011. The Preface (and extensive articles from http://wartburgproject.org/) bear this out. "We seek a balance between the old and the new" (emphasis original, Preface, p. vii). They also seek a balance between literal and dynamic equivalent translations, between formality and informality, and definitively state that the EHV is not an interpretive translation (xi).

So, how do I actually use the EHV in my congregation? I keep the EHV open among the Bible translations I have available within my Logos Bible Software for Bible Class. I use a multiple screen setup for Sunday morning Bible Class. My left screen shows the Bible text in large print. This screen is duplicated behind me with a projection up on the wall. My right screen scrolls along with the English Bible verses and show me the Greek or Hebrew and a variety of commentaries. These include The Lutheran Study Bible, Concordia Self Study Bible notes, the Concordia Self Study Commentary, Luther's Works, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Reformation Commentary on Scripture, select volumes of Concordia Commentary, and the EHV Study Bible Notes. I find the latter very helpful. They complement TLSB notes very well. It almost seems like the note editors chose to help fill in the gaps left unanswered by TLSB notes. 

 

Let's take a look at a beloved psalm: 

Psalm 23 

The King of Love My Shepherd Is

 Heading

 A psalm by David. 

 The Shepherd Provides for His People 

1The Lord is my shepherd. 

I lack nothing. 

2He causes me to lie down in green pastures. 

He leads me beside quiet waters. 

3He restores my soul. 

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 

 

The Shepherd Protects His People

 4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil, for you are with me. 

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 

 

The Royal Host Provides for His People

5You set a table for me in the presence of my foes. 

You drench my head with oil. 

My cup is overflowing. 

6Surely goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life, 

and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. 

 

One footnote is attached to the final verse: Literally for length of days or for days without end

How does the translation sound on the ear? I think this one psalm is a good example of the EHV translation. It has echoes of the cadences of the KJV, yet some of the phrases sound new or like the NIV. The more familiar lines sound more formal. Other lines are more intimately informal. I've heard mixed reviews of this very psalm from some brother pastors in the LCMS, WELS, and ELS.

 

How does the EHV handle controversial passages like the ending of Mark? I think they strike the right balance, to borrow a word. No brackets distract the reader from verses 9-20 of Mark 16 and one will read this footnote:

This translation includes verses 9-20 because they are included in the vast majority of Greek manuscripts that have been handed down to us.  Evidence for the existence of this long ending extends back to the 2nd century.  In the early centuries of the church, these verses were read in worship services on Easter and Ascension Day.   However, a few early manuscripts and early translations omit verses 9-20, and a few manuscripts have a different ending (1510).

The EHV is a translation prepared by men who are aware of the textual debates (Byzantine, eclectic, etc.) and sensitive to the practical realities of how these verses are used liturgically and catechetically. 

The single column format is amenable to reading. Footnotes in the text edition (the EHV Study Bible is digital only as of this writing) are minimal, helpful, and not disruptive to reading. The font is easy on the eyes. Book names appear to be a larger, bolder version of the text font. Chapter numbers, verse numbers, and section headings are a sans serif font, a nice contrast to the serif font of the text. Resources included in the hardcover and deluxe print editions include the Preface, an Introduction, and Appendices, which are included in the front (The Biblical Text, Biblical Chronology, and Biblical Weights and Measurements).

 

The Evangelical Heritage Version appears to be a faithful, balanced translation that is well-suited to its intended audience, the congregations, laypeople, and pastors of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. It will also be a blessing to other Lutherans!

 

We thank the Lord for the work of the Wartburg Project!

 

 

Rev. Paul J Cain is Senior Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, Secretary of the Wyoming District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and a member of its Board of Directors, Wyoming District Education Chairman/NLSA Commissioner, and Editor of Lutheran Book Review. He has served as an LCMS Circuit Visitor, District Worship Chairman and District Evangelism Chairman. A graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Rev. Cain is a contributor to Lutheran Service Book, Lutheranism 101, the Hymnal Companion hymn and liturgy volumes, and is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church. He is an occasional guest on KFUO radio. He has previously served Emmanuel, Green River, WY and Trinity, Morrill, NE. Rev. Cain is married to Ann and loves reading and listening to, composing, and making music.