NASB to NASB95 in Isaiah 27
In my materials for my Bible Translation Selection Tool, I only have one entry for the New American Standard Version even though that version was revised in 1995. The major change was the removal of archaic language in prayer–no more thee’s and thou’s. A few other changes were made.
In preparing an entry on exegesis of Isaiah 27 I noticed some differences between the two editions. There are three changes for the NASB95, and one phrase that it seems odd was not changed.
Here are the four items:
| Verse | NASB | NASB95 |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Lest anyone damage it, | So that no one will damage it, |
| The change is minor, but perhaps it makes God’s activity in guarding the vineyard more positive. I’m not sure if modern readers would hear any difference unless it was pointed out to them. | ||
| 8 | Thou didst content with them by banishing them, | You contended with them by banishing them, |
| Changes language that addresses God to modern forms. | ||
| 12 | It will come about in that day, that the LORD will start His threshing | In that day the LORD will start His threshing |
| This is what I would call a “student exercise” type of change. This translates a common Hebrew idiom often translated “It came to pass” or just “It happened” but when translated into modern English it is more of a form of punctuation. Generally modern translators count on English punctuation to translate this idea adequately. Thus it has been removed. | ||
| 13 | It will come about also in that day, | It will come about also in that day |
| This is the non-change that I noted. Verses 12 and 13 start identically in Hebrew. I’m uncertain why one was changed to a more natural English rendering, while the other was not. | ||
The changes here are not terribly significant, but this little review will give you an idea of the extent, or lack of it, of the changes to the NASB95.
What are the names of the manuscripts used to translate this Bible?