The Modern English Version (MEV) is an
English translation of the Bible begun in 2005 and completed in 2014.
The work was edited by
James F. Linzey, and is an update of the
King James Version
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of K ...
(KJV), re-translated from the
Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...
and the ''
Textus Receptus.''
The
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The wo ...
Committee on Bible Translation is composed of 47 American and English scholars from the three
major branches of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesu ...
:
Orthodox,
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
, and
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
.
History
In June 2005,
Southern Baptist minister, chief editor, and executive director Rev.
James F. Linzey assembled and directed the Committee on Bible Translation, which included
Stanley M. Horton serving as the senior editorial advisor. The Committee produced an updated edition of the KJV called the MEV, which is the KJV in a more modern English vernacular.
The translators began the work on June 2, 2005; they completed the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christ ...
on October 25, 2011, and the
Old Testament
The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
on May 28, 2014.
["Preface," ''MEV Thinline Reference Bible, Modern English Version'', (p. xi) 2014. Passio]
Committee members include Eugene C. Ulrich, Stephen L. Herring, Eric Mitchell, Edward W. Watson, and T.J. Betts. The scholars working on the translation represent many academic institutions as professors or graduates, including
Fuller Theological Seminary,
Geneva College,
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
,
Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies
The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies (OCHJS) is a recognised independent centre of the University of Oxford, England. Its research fellows teach on a variety of undergraduate and master's degrees in Oriental studies, and it publishe ...
,
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
,
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
, and others; and they represent many churches across a wide range of denominations, including the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
General Council of the Assemblies of God,
Presbyterian Church of America
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) is a confessional Presbyterian denomination located primarily in the United States, with additional congregations in Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. It was founded by conservative members of the Presbyt ...
,
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination, and the largest Protestant and second-largest Christian denomination in the United States. The wo ...
, and others.
Translation philosophy
The Committee re-translated the ''Textus Receptus'' and the
Jacob ben Hayyim edition of the Masoretic Text, using the KJV as a reference.
The translators adhered to the principle of
formal equivalence.
References
{{English Bible translation navbox
2014 books
Bible translations into English
2014 in Christianity