How many Bibles do you own?

[HoosierJoe]

Kind of a fun topic for my first post here.

I have always used a two Bible system. I have one for carry around and one that is my study Bible for notes. Recently I replaced them both because the old ones wore out. I transferred all of my notes (quite a chore!). But in doing my research for the new purchases I saw an article that estimated the average Christian household has 7-9 Bibles. I started counting our unused Bibles collected over the years and realized that we also had that many. Most unused for some time. So I divested us of quite a few.

Currently I have an NASB Wide margin In Touch Bible that I used for study. An NASB Thompson Chain Reference that I use for carry around and everyday reading. We also have a Full Life Study Bible in the house that we use for reference to the articles and notes. The wife also has a Key Word Study Bible that she seldom uses.

Both of us also have E-Sword on our computers. The Wife uses her E-Sword almost exclusively. I use mine for reference. It is so much easier to look up words and cross references when in study. I still prefer an actual Bible in hand.


So, how many do you have? You don't have to enumerate the different versions on your computer if you don't want. That could get lengthy.

 

[Jake]

Kind of a fun topic for my first post here.

I have always used a two Bible system. I have one for carry around and one that is my study Bible for notes. Recently I replaced them both because the old ones wore out. I transferred all of my notes (quite a chore!). But in doing my research for the new purchases I saw an article that estimated the average Christian household has 7-9 Bibles. I started counting our unused Bibles collected over the years and realized that we also had that many. Most unused for some time. So I divested us of quite a few.

Currently I have an NASB Wide margin In Touch Bible that I used for study. An NASB Thompson Chain Reference that I use for carry around and everyday reading. We also have a Full Life Study Bible in the house that we use for reference to the articles and notes. The wife also has a Key Word Study Bible that she seldom uses.

Both of us also have E-Sword on our computers. The Wife uses her E-Sword almost exclusively. I use mine for reference. It is so much easier to look up words and cross references when in study. I still prefer an actual Bible in hand.


So, how many do you have? You don't have to enumerate the different versions on your computer if you don't want. That could get lengthy.

I have 8 Bibles,I use the ASV the most, but like comparing. I also have Strongs dictionary hebrew/greek, but hardly use it because of e-sword, and Biblio, which has interlinear and parallel

 

[Theofilus]

I have aquired a good number of Bibles and New Testaments over the years. Some of them were gifts, others were for study or for comparing translations. Here's what I currently have.

Bibles in English

1. KJV New Testament I recieved from the Gideons when I was 11
2. KJV Gideon's New Testament given to me by a friend at church when I was in high school
3. KJV Bible I got as a Christmas present from my brother. Inside it, he wrote "Use this instead of your Jesus freak Bible"
4. KJV Thomson Chain Reference Study Bible
5. Living Bible - This is the first Bible I bought after I became a Christian. It is the "Jesus freak Bible" my brother was talking about
6. NASB New Testament
7. ASB New Testament
8. NIV (1984) Bible
9. ASB Open Bible (Study Bible)
10. The Scriptures - This is currently my most used Bible.

Bibles in Icelandic
(Most Icelandic Bibles don't have names, so I refer to them by the year of translation)

1. 1912 translation Gideon's New Testament
2. 1912 translation softcover - This was my first complete Icelandic Bible
3. 1912 translation hardcover "preacher's Bible" (Pages are gilded only on the top - the part facing the congregation.) Purchased for study.
4. 1981 translation - Purchased when a new translation was published
5. 1981 translation - Inherited from my Uncle
6. 1981 translation - Purchased as a spare Bible when the 2007 translation was published, so I would never have to use it.
7. 1866 translation - Purchased at an antique book shop to compare with more modern translations. It's actually very good.
8. 1550 translation - The first translation of the scriptures into Iceland... well... a copy of the first translation into Icelandic, not the actual first. The Old testament followed in 1584.

That's a total of 18 Bibles and Testaments. I guess that means I have an above average number of Bibles.

 

[handy]

Somehow Theo, this is not surprising! :nod

Let's see, I have:

NASB that my best friend gave me when I was baptized in 1979...it's falling apart, but it's still my "go to" Bible.
The Women's Study Bible (NIV) (I seldom use it, but I do like some of the devotionals and essays in it.)
The New Geneva Study Bible...a good bible with study notes from a Calvinist POV (no, I'm not a Calvinist.)
The Living Bible (a paraphrase, but not a bad one)
Thompson's Chain Reference Bible...this one my husband inherited from his brother who died. It's an interesting bible to use and I like reading Bruce's notes. Bruce died before I ever met him, so this is a way for me to sort of know my brother-in-law.
A NASB with pages for documenting family trees, marriages, deaths, births...and I have it filled in, but I rarely use it.
Several KJV's and two other NASB's. One of the NASB's is a small "pocket sized" Bible I bought to take to Ireland with me...only to find when I got there that to whip a Bible out of one's pocket on the streets would be considered quite disrespectful and irreligious.

I have e-Sword and I refer to the Blue Letter Bible, Biblos.com and Bible Gateway almost everyday.

 

[Danus]

I have more than 10 bibles at the moment just counting the ones in my room right now.

However, speaking of bibles, has anyone heard of the "message bible"? any thoughts on that one?

 

[Theofilus]

I have more than 10 bibles at the moment just counting the ones in my room right now.

However, speaking of bibles, has anyone heard of the "message bible"? any thoughts on that one?

I've heard of the Message. They have it available to read at biblegateway.com. I haven't read it much, but I don't like what I have read.

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (John 3:16-18 the Message)​

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. (Gal. 5:19-24 the Message)​

That second example changes the meaning considerably. Instead of saying that the law isn't against the fruit of the Spirit, it says the law is helpless to achieve these things. Pauls point was that he wasn't preaching anything contrary to the law, as he was accused of doing.

 

[handy]

I don't care for the "Message Bible" at all...I think it's too wordy and obscures the true meaning of texts at times. It just comes off as a parody...to me anyway. I also don't like the fact that so many texts that refer to Jesus as Lord have been inexplicably translated as referring to Jesus as Master? What's up with that!?!

John 20:13 NASB
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

Message: "They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" "They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him."

Acts 7:59 NASB "They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Message: "As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life."

2 Corinthians 14:4 NASB "knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

Message: And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesuswill just as certainly raise us up with you, alive.

(Notice that last text changed "He" to "One"....wouldn't want to be sexist and refer to God as male now would we.)

I don't like it, I just don't.2

 

[Jake]

I have aquired a good number of Bibles and New Testaments over the years. Some of them were gifts, others were for study or for comparing translations. Here's what I currently have.


Bibles in English

1. KJV New Testament I recieved from the Gideons when I was 11
2. KJV Gideon's New Testament given to me by a friend at church when I was in high school
3. KJV Bible I got as a Christmas present from my brother. Inside it, he wrote "Use this instead of your Jesus freak Bible"
4. KJV Thomson Chain Reference Study Bible
5. Living Bible - This is the first Bible I bought after I became a Christian. It is the "Jesus freak Bible" my brother was talking about
6. NASB New Testament
7. ASB New Testament
8. NIV (1984) Bible
9. ASB Open Bible (Study Bible)
10. The Scriptures - This is currently my most used Bible.

Bibles in Icelandic

(Most Icelandic Bibles don't have names, so I refer to them by the year of translation)

1. 1912 translation Gideon's New Testament
2. 1912 translation softcover - This was my first complete Icelandic Bible
3. 1912 translation hardcover "preacher's Bible" (Pages are gilded only on the top - the part facing the congregation.) Purchased for study.
4. 1981 translation - Purchased when a new translation was published
5. 1981 translation - Inherited from my Uncle
6. 1981 translation - Purchased as a spare Bible when the 2007 translation was published, so I would never have to use it.
7. 1866 translation - Purchased at an antique book shop to compare with more modern translations. It's actually very good.
8. 1550 translation - The first translation of the scriptures into Iceland... well... a copy of the first translation into Icelandic, not the actual first. The Old testament followed in 1584.

That's a total of 18 Bibles and Testaments. I guess that means I have an above average number of Bibles.

That's quit a collection Theo, impressive!

 

[Jake]

I don't care for the "Message Bible" at all...I think it's too wordy and obscures the true meaning of texts at times. It just comes off as a parody...to me anyway. I also don't like the fact that so many texts that refer to Jesus as Lord have been inexplicably translated as referring to Jesus as Master? What's up with that!?!

John 20:13 NASB
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

Message: "They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" "They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him."

Acts 7:59 NASB "They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Message: "As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life."

2 Corinthians 14:4 NASB "knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

Message: And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesuswill just as certainly raise us up with you, alive.

(Notice that last text changed "He" to "One"....wouldn't want to be sexist and refer to God as male now would we.)

I don't like it, I just don't.2

I've seen those before and I don't know how anyone finds a verse! If I recall correctly, it doesn't have chapter or verse numbers, and with the wording so off, it's hard to compare to another translation, although you did it! ha

 

[reba]

Esword is great!

scofield
ptl
amp
cambridge
grandma's
few misc NT
living

i use Esword first.
My treasure is the old scofield it was one of dads.
Amp would be next.
living when i just want a refresher you can read the whole thing fast no depth
Grandma's is just he table top kind with the pretty pictures
ptl has a small but cool cyclopedic index

 

[Alabaster]

I have more than 10 bibles at the moment just counting the ones in my room right now.

However, speaking of bibles, has anyone heard of the "message bible"? any thoughts on that one?

The Message is not really a Bible translation, per se. It was written by Eugene Peterson as a DEVOTIONAL. It flows as a devotional. Once people realize this perhaps they will dismount from their bandwagon about it.

I have been extremely blessed by some passages from The Message, to the point of tears as the Holy Spirit opens up new avenues of thought.

There is no reason to disparage it if you realize why and how it came to be.

I have about 20 different Bibles around the house! I use my New Living Bible (Life Application Study Bible) and the NKJV (New Spirit-Filled Life Bible---excellent!) when I do my daily reading.

 

[kenan]

Although I rarely read them now, I have a Scofield KJV (which was the bible you would've found me reading most often), my mother's KJV (complete with colour pictures :3), and my late grandfather's old NIV.

They still sit on the bottom shelf of my bedside table, along with Andrew Knowles's "The Bible Guide" (which belongs to my step-grandfather) a leaflet my step-grandfather lent/gave to me regarding the second coming and such, and an Arabic/English Qur'an given to me by my büyük baba (my Turkish grandfather, on my late father's side). I've also got crucifix necklace sitting there, which I wore as a remembrance.

 

[pjt]

Bibles in Icelandic

(Most Icelandic Bibles don't have names, so I refer to them by the year of translation).

I like that concept. It always sort of troubles me that whenever a new Bible comes out someone has to put their name on it or give it a title other than simply "The Holy Bible". I think Iceland people have the right idea when it comes to Bible translation, just give God full credit. Thumbs up for Iceland!!!!

 

[Chris]

I don't care for the "Message Bible" at all...I think it's too wordy and obscures the true meaning of texts at times. It just comes off as a parody...to me anyway. I also don't like the fact that so many texts that refer to Jesus as Lord have been inexplicably translated as referring to Jesus as Master? What's up with that!?!

John 20:13 NASB
And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."

Message: "They said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" "They took my Master," she said, "and I don't know where they put him."

Acts 7:59 NASB "They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

Message: "As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life."

2 Corinthians 14:4 NASB "knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.

Message: And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesuswill just as certainly raise us up with you, alive.

(Notice that last text changed "He" to "One"....wouldn't want to be sexist and refer to God as male now would we.)

I don't like it, I just don't.2

i am with you on the message bible it might be good for someone who never read the bible before as an introductory bible but sometimes I feel it added bits in that slightly take from the original meaning. Maybe I am just too old school.

I like the NIV one best

 

[Danus]

i am with you on the message bible it might be good for someone who never read the bible before as an introductory bible but sometimes I feel it added bits in that slightly take from the original meaning. Maybe I am just too old school.

I like the NIV one best

I prefer the INV as well. I have great respect the for KJV and I use it in study along with the NIV. Specifically when dealing with conflicts of meaning that I might have. I plan on getting a copy of the message bible. I've read a few NT chapters on gateway and I like the modern language spin it provides.

I have a prized family bible that is over 100 years old. Printed in 1902. It's KJV red-letter addition, that is worn the heck out. I will try to post a photo of it. It's cool to me.

 

[Theofilus]

Bibles in Icelandic
(Most Icelandic Bibles don't have names, so I refer to them by the year of translation)

I like that concept. It always sort of troubles me that whenever a new Bible comes out someone has to put their name on it or give it a title other than simply "The Holy Bible". I think Iceland people have the right idea when it comes to Bible translation, just give God full credit. Thumbs up for Iceland!!!!

If you go into a Christian book store in America, you'll be able to choose from many translations of the Bible. There needs to be some method of differentiating between them. Names, such as "King James", "Good News", American Standard" and others, are probably the simplest and easiest to remember method of knowing which translation you're buying.

Iceland is a much smaller market than the English speaking world, and there is only one publisher of Bibles - the Icelandic Bible Society. Whenever there is a new translation, they stop publishing the older translation. So, at any given time, you can only get one translation of the Icelandic Bible. The exceptions are a short period after the new translation is published, while they're selling the rest of the old one that they still have in stock. They also re-published the first Icelandic New Testament and the first Icelandic Bible back in the 80's, on the 400th aniversary of the puplishing of the first Icelandic Bible.

Some Icelandic translations have been given names for a number of reasons. The first New Testament is called "Odder's New Testament", after Bishop Oddur Gottskalkson, who translated it. The first complete Bible is called "Guðbrand's Bible", after Gudbrandur Thorlaksson, The Bishop who translated the Old Testament (he used Odder's New Testament). On a side note, Gudbrandur was my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather. A number of others have also gotten names related to something that distinguishes them, such as the Videy Bible, publishd in Videy in 1841. It was the last translation before the British and Foreign Bible Society started printing our Bibles.

There are some other's with names, but they're not easy to find, so the need for names isn't as great as it is in English

 

[pjt]

If you go into a Christian book store in America, you'll be able to choose from many translations of the Bible. There needs to be some method of differentiating between them. Names, such as "King James", "Good News", American Standard" and others, are probably the simplest and easiest to remember method of knowing which translation you're buying.

Iceland is a much smaller market than the English speaking world, and there is only one publisher of Bibles - the Icelandic Bible Society. Whenever there is a new translation, they stop publishing the older translation. So, at any given time, you can only get one translation of the Icelandic Bible. The exceptions are a short period after the new translation is published, while they're selling the rest of the old one that they still have in stock. They also re-published the first Icelandic New Testament and the first Icelandic Bible back in the 80's, on the 400th aniversary of the puplishing of the first Icelandic Bible.

Some Icelandic translations have been given names for a number of reasons. The first New Testament is called "Odder's New Testament", after Bishop Oddur Gottskalkson, who translated it. The first complete Bible is called "Guðbrand's Bible", after Gudbrandur Thorlaksson, The Bishop who translated the Old Testament (he used Odder's New Testament). On a side note, Gudbrandur was my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather. A number of others have also gotten names related to something that distinguishes them, such as the Videy Bible, publishd in Videy in 1841. It was the last translation before the British and Foreign Bible Society started printing our Bibles.

There are some other's with names, but they're not easy to find, so the need for names isn't as great as it is in English

That`s interesting Theo. I don`t know how English speaking countries could do it best but I think surely there`s a better way that putting one`s own name on the Bible. Maybe on the inside of the Bible it could give the translation or who made the commentaries.

 

[Theofilus]

That`s interesting Theo. I don`t know how English speaking countries could do it best but I think surely there`s a better way that putting one`s own name on the Bible. Maybe on the inside of the Bible it could give the translation or who made the commentaries.

One of the English translations I have is called simply The Scriptures. There is a problem with that, however. Suppose I quote something from it...

From that time Yehoshua began to proclaim and to say, "Repent, for the feign of the heavens has drawn near." (Matt. 4:17)

Unfortunately, I can't write with Hebrew letters here, but Jesus' name is written in Hebrew in this translation. Now imagine the following conversation.

I don't think I've ever read that before. Which translation is it?
The Scriptures
Yes... I know it's from the Scriptures, but which version of the Scriptures?
The softcover.
Umm... That's not what I meant. I meant which translation is it from.
The Scriptures.
Aaarrrrggghhh!!!!

Do you see the problem?

 

[Rinid]

However, speaking of bibles, has anyone heard of the "message bible"? any thoughts on that one?

I don't like it. Just like in the New living trans it changes alot of words to simplier ones. Kinda makes it easier to read however loses alot of meaning at the same time. For one instance big difference in a bond servant and a slave. but slave is easier to understand. In using the word slave for bond servant you no longer get as much meaning either. How new living trans is at least a translation where as the message really isn't at it's core. It was written with the purpose of making the bible more like a book. The idea is more teens would like it that way.

 

[Rinid]

umm have about 10 that I use regularly and have more commentraries and such. I like to study with 3 different versions. it tells me when one version goes off on it's own. Then switch off study bibles to get different ideas on the same text. I do use e sword and blue letter bible alot however that's different than having it in my hand. usually if I spend alot of time looking without finding i'll go there and search things out.. or if I'm looking for text about someone or something I'll do a general search for that name or thing. I dunno can't beat having in my hand as opposed to my on screen.