Concerns about the English Standard Version (ESV) Translation

Laura J. Hunt

laura@laurajhunt.com

about the ESV

• The scholars involved in the ESV are overwhelmingly male:
• 14 men on the translation oversight committee.
• 50 men on the translation review board.
• 51 men and 3 women on the advisory committee.
• Many are actively involved in the CBMW.

Be humble about objectivity

• ETS Panel of Gender and the Trinity 2016

Gen 3:16

• To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (1971 RSV)
• To the woman he said, “….Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” (2016 ESV)
• “Your desire shall be for* your husband, and he shall rule over you” (2025 ESV).
• *Or to, or toward, or against (see 4:7)

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Perry, S. L. (2020). The Bible as a Product of Cultural Power: The Case of Gender Ideology in the English Standard Version. Sociology of Religion, 81(1), 68–92.

Perry, S. L. (2020). The Bible as a Product of Cultural Power: The Case of Gender Ideology in the English Standard Version. Sociology of Religion, 81(1), 68–92.

Ephesians 5:15-24

Perry, S. L. (2020). The Bible as a Product of Cultural Power: The Case of Gender Ideology in the English Standard Version. Sociology of Religion, 81(1), 68–92.

Perry, S. L. (2020). The Bible as a Product of Cultural Power: The Case of Gender Ideology in the English Standard Version. Sociology of Religion, 81(1), 68–92.

1 Peter 3:7

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• In the same way, husbands,
• live knowledgeably
• as with a weaker vessel with your wives,
• honoring [them]
• as co-heirs also of the grace of life,
• so that your prayers might not be hindered.
• Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life (NET).

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1 Peter 3:7

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• In the same way, husbands,
• live knowledgeably
• as with a weaker vessel with your wives,
• honoring [them]
• as co-heirs also of the grace of life,
• Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (ESV)

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Romans 16:1

• I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a διάκονος, of the church in Cenchreae.
• For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness (Rom 15:8a).
• Tychicus … is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord (Col 4:7).
• I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae (all ESV)

 to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness

 to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness

Romans 16:7

• Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me (RSV).

Romans 16:7

• John Chrysostom (347-407) states:

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• "Greet Andronicus and Junia...who are outstanding among the apostles: To be an apostle is something great! But to be outstanding among the apostles - just think what a wonderful song of praise that is! They were outstanding on the basis of their works and virtuous actions. Indeed, how great the wisdom of this woman must have been that she was even deemed worthy of the title of apostle.”

Romans 16:7

• Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles… (ESV).

Romans 16:7

• ἐπίσημος ἐν
•  
• “Aristophanes was more technically painstaking in composing comedy than were his competitors and thus distinguished, shone forth among them all” (Aristophanes, Testimonia 81, p. 78–79; see almost exactly the same in Alcaeus, Testimonia and Fragments p. 24–25).
• Aristophanes was a composer of comedy like his competitors, and he stood out among them.

Romans 16:7

• ἐπίσημος ἐν
•  
• “If a whispering servant accuse you of being the only one who did not praise the mistress’s page when he danced or played, there is no little risk in the thing. So you must raise your thirsty voice like a stranded frog, taking pains to be conspicuous among the claque and to lead the chorus; and often when the others are silent you must independently let drop a well-considered word of praise that will convey great flattery” (Lucian, On Salaried Posts in Great Houses 28, p. 460-61).
• “You” are one of the “claque,” professional applauders, and you stand out among them.

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Romans 16:7

• John Chrysostom (347-407) states:
• "Greet Andronicus and Junia...who are outstanding among the apostles: To be an apostle is something great! But to be outstanding among the apostles - just think what a wonderful song of praise that is! They were outstanding on the basis of their works and virtuous actions. Indeed, how great the wisdom of this woman must have been that she was even deemed worthy of the title of apostle.”

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• Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Israelites who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles (NRSVue)
• Or Junias; other ancient authorities read Julia

Perry, S. L. (2020). The Bible as a Product of Cultural Power: The Case of Gender Ideology in the English Standard Version. Sociology of Religion, 81(1), 68–92.

Perry, S. L. (2020). The Bible as a Product of Cultural Power: The Case of Gender Ideology in the English Standard Version. Sociology of Religion, 81(1), 68–92.

Perry, S. L. (2020). The Bible as a Product of Cultural Power: The Case of Gender Ideology in the English Standard Version. Sociology of Religion, 81(1), 68–92.

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