Spotlight on the Revised Standard Version Bible (RSV)

What Catholic Bible translation originated as a Protestant Bible?  The Revised Standard Version or RSV.  If you have never heard of the Revised Standard Version, then you might know the Catholic Edition of this Bible as the Ignatius Bible (RSV is known as the Ignatius Bible because it is published by Ignatius Press).  The RSV was first published in Protestant circles in 1946 and posed a challenge to the King James Version (KJV).  The RSV was intended to be a clearer version of the Bible so that Christians might more easily understand God’s Word.  The RSV is one of the most popular Catholic Bible translations and here are some fun facts about the RSV.

-          The RSV Catholic Edition New Testament was published in 1966.  The Protestant RSV was adapted a year earlier by the Catholic Biblical Association.  The changes between the Protestant and Catholic version of the RSV are mostly minor, some different phrases and footnotes, except for the deuterocanonical books of the Old Testament present in the Catholic RSV.

-          The Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition is the translation used in the Ignatius Catholic Bible Series by Scott Hahn and other authors.

-          The Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition is also the English text used in the Navarre Bible.

-          Ignatius Press published the Revised Standard Version – Second Catholic Edition in 2006 and sought to change come footnotes in order to stay more true to the traditional understanding of certain passages.  One example is replacing “young woman” with “virgin” in Isaiah 7:14.

As you can see, the Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition is very popular and the preferred Catholic Bible of many.  What do you think of the RSV – Catholic Edition?  Is it your preferred translation?  Why or why not?