Background Information

Many years ago when the editor of this site first began reading from the Revised Standard Version in his private Bible study, it was the first time he could read the Scriptures quickly and with easy comprehension. It was such an exhilarating experience that he read through the New Testament in two days.

Later in university, where he majored in Oral Interpretation of Literature, he discovered that the Revised Standard Version enabled him to forcefully communicate the meaning of the word of God through oral reading. While a student he read the part of Job in a group reading of the Book of Job, and he presented a reading of the Book of Ecclesiastes.

While preaching in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada before he went to Europe, he would give a forty-five minute Scripture reading rather than a sermon once each month. These readings were also presented to congregations in the form of a whole week of nightly Scripture readings.

As a Bible student and a professional translator he is aware that the RSV has weaknesses and contains passages where the translation is not accurate.

Although it cannot be classified as the most accurate translation, he feels that it has the highest literary quality of any translation that has ever been produced in the English language. He finds it unfortunate that it is not used more widely, largely because of its weaknesses, in spite of which it is still much more accurate than most of the modern-speech translations.

In 2001 a moderate revision of the RSV was published, the English Standard Version (ESV), in which problem passages are reworded to produce a version that can be accepted by conservative Bible readers.

This site is intended as a focal point for information about the Revised Standard Version.

Scholarly contributions and information about appropriate links are welcome and should be submitted to the editor.

Sincerely,
Roy Davison