A quick search on some popular, Christian book websites shows there are over 100 different types of Bibles in English. They are in many different translations including NIV, KJV, NKJV, ESV, NLT, NASB, NIrV, RSV, and The Message. There are also study Bibles, parallel Bibles, topical Bibles and other types of Bibles.
How do you figure out which one to use?
Choosing a translation
The Bible was translated from the original ancient languages, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Many scholars have participated in the translation efforts. There were two main methods they used: translating each word, in the same order, from the original language into English, and translating each idea (like a sentence) from the original language into English. There are benefits and drawbacks to both approaches.
Translating word-for-word stays closer to the original meaning, but can miss the overall point of a sentence – sometimes it doesn’t translate exactly into English. Some word-for-word translations include KJV, NKJV, ESV, NASB, and RSV.
Examples of word-for-word translation:
Genesis 3:2-3 (NKJV) – And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
Romans 3:23 (NKJV) – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Translating thought-for-thought often makes a passage easier to read, but can change the meaning of a passage as it is translated into more modern, familiar language. Some thought-for-thought translations include NLT, The Message, NirV.
Examples of thought-for-thought translation:
Genesis 3:2-3 (NLT) – “Of course, we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
Romans 3:23 (NLT) – For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
There are also some translations in the middle, trying to balance word-for-word translating with making the Bible a little easier to read. A common translation in this category is the NIV.
Examples of balanced translations:
Genesis 3:2-3 (NIV) – The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
Romans 3:23 (NIV) – For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Types of Bibles
There are several types of Bibles: Scripture-only Bibles, Study Bibles, Parallel Bibles, and Devotional Bibles. Let’s consider each one.
Scripture-Only Bibles
Many Bibles contain only the words of Scripture – without study notes or other helps. They focus on Scripture alone, to help the reader keep God’s words separate from man’s words.
Study Bibles and Parallel Bibles
Study Bibles contain resources in addition to the Scriptures which can help you learn more about Bible passages, learn about the background for the books of the Bible, and explain difficult terms. Many study Bibles include a concordance, which helps you look up Bible verses by similar topics. There are other helpful tools often included in study Bibles such as maps which show locations where Bible accounts took place, Bible reading plans which guide you to read the Bible in a year, explanations of theological doctrines, and tables of money, weights, and measures to help you understand terms that were commonly used in Biblical times.
Parallel Bibles have more than one translation on each page, arranged in columns with verses lined up, allowing you to compare how verses are worded in different translations – this can help you compare and contrast how the verse is worded in each translation. Comparing the verses this way can help you understand the meaning of the verses.
Devotional Bibles
A devotional Bible contains additional writings to help you learn about God, worship, and meditate on God’s word. There are daily devotional Bibles which have a different passage for each day. There are also yearly devotional Bibles that provide a reading for each day of the year. There are also devotional Bibles for men, women, children, married couples, addiction recovery, and other interest areas.
Choosing Your Bible
As a new believer, it is important to get into your Bible and start reading. You need to learn correct Christian teaching and how to live a Christian life. Word-for-word translations are better for learning doctrine because they reduce the amount of choices the interpreters have to make which makes it less likely the original meaning is distorted. Two good word-for-word translations are the NKJV or ESV. The other word-for-word translations in the list above aren’t as easy to read.
It’s ok to get a study Bible, but you need to be sure you’re choosing an author who is teaching correct doctrine. Remember, the Holy Spirit will help you understand the Bible, so you will do just fine without a study Bible. Two excellent study Bibles are the MacArthur Study Bible, available in NKJV, NASB, ESV, and NIV, and the Jeremiah Study Bible, available in NKJV, ESV, and NIV.
Perhaps the most important thing in choosing a Bible is this: Choose a Bible that you will read every day.
Acronyms
| NIV | New International Version |
| NKJV | New King James Version |
| KJV | King James Version |
| ESV | English Standard Version |
| NLT | New Living Translation |
| NASB | New American Standard Bible |
| NirV | New International Readers Version |
| RSV | Revised Standard Version |