Switching to the LSB

When it comes to Bible translations, this is something that I do not take very lightly. I do not switch when new translations come out, but when it came to the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), it was almost an easy decision but still something that was not made overnight. Why did I make the switch? Here are my reasons.

First, it is a better update of NASB. When it was announced that the New American Standard Bible (NASB) was getting an update, I was excited because I love the NASB, but there was a lot of jargon in the translation. There were a few verses that were confusing that made it hard to read. However, I read the NASB 2020 and was disappointed they were going to the gender-neutral way of translating the Bible as other translations such as the New International Version (NIV) and Christian Standard Bible (CSB). The LSB is what the NASB 2020 should have been.

Second, it is a smoother read. Unlike the NASB, the LSB is a better read even though the translators focused more on what the author of the text said rather than focusing on how the readers is going to take it. 

Third, the use of Yahewh. In most translations, the Old Testament has God's covenant name, Yahewh, as LORD. God's name is not Lord. Lord is a title that we ascribe to God. Yahewh is His name. In Exodus, we see:

Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am about to come to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ And they will say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

And God furthermore said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name from generation to generation (Exodus 3:13-15).

In Psalm 110:1, we see God's covenant name and the Hebrew word for Lord, Adonai, used:

Yahweh says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”

In other translations, it would read, "The LORD said to my Lord," which reading it, it made no since especially when reading it out loud. Reading Psalm 110:1 in the LSB shows us that Yahewh is speaking to an earthly master. Yes, there was the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) that did use Yahewh in the Old Testament, but that translation is out of print and became the CSB. There is also the Lexham English Bible (LEB), which is a great translation to use for study, but it is not that accessible unless you have Logos or use Bible Gateway. 

Fourth, the use of doulos. The LSB uses the Greek word doulos as slave rather than servant or bondservant as other translations have used. I know in America; the word slave is not very appealing. If we understand how the word was used when the Greek New Testament was written, we would see that it is not referring to what most Americans think of slavery. We owe a debt to Christ for saving us from our sins which can never be repaid. We call Jesus our Master; therefore, we are His slaves. 

Fifth, the consistency. The LSB is a very consistent translation. It does not translate the text based on tradition. One place would be the model prayer. As Jesus concludes the prayer, most translations have it as "And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil" (ESV). The LSB has it as this, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." This is translated the same way in Matthew 5:37 and John 17:15. 

Finally, When I read the LSB, it gives me a greater desire to go in depth into the original languages of both testaments. I will admit, I am not a great Hebrew and Greek scholar, but I always want to see what the original word was when it written. As I read the LSB, I seek to see how it was translated. I compare it to other translations to see if it was the right way to translate it or not. One passage that comes to mind is Psalm 73:25-26. My pastor uses the ESV and made a reference to this passage which reads:

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,

but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

This is how the LSB translates this passage:

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.

My flesh and my heart fail,

But God is the rock of my heart and my portion forever.

Both translations read very similar except where most translations say, "God is the strength of my heart," it says in the LSB, "God is the rock of my heart." The original Hebrews refers to a rock, cliff, block of stone. So the word "rock" is a better translation than "strength." 

I highly recommend the LSB to any pastor and anyone that loves God's Word.