Update: Two Reader's Bibles

I would like to thank Hendrickson Publishers and Zondervan for sending review copies of The UBS Greek New Testament: Reader's Edition and A Reader's Hebrew Bible, respectively. For about three weeks, now, I've been using these tools with profit. For me, these tools are nearly perfect. I say "nearly perfect", not to fault the tools, but the laborer. I took four semesters of NT Greek during my undergraduate years (nearly 12 years ago), and two semesters of Hebrew on the seminary level (nearly 6 years ago). In other words, I've forgotten much of the vocabulary. However, these appear to be the right tools to help me get back up to speed as I consider resuming my seminary studies.

I've begun using RHB by reading through Jonah & Judges. Yesterday, I spoke with Bryan Smith about this and he also suggested the first few chapters of Genesis. One other profitable practice is carrying RHB to church (especially if you know that you will be considering an OT text). The size of RHB is such that I carry a smaller English translation.

This morning I read with joy an email update from Zondervan Academic which included the following note from Jesse Hillman, Associate Director of Marketing, Academic and Reference Resources:

We just ordered our third printing of A Reader's Hebrew Bible! Numerous professors are writing us to express their excitement. Last week, Professor Michael Williams (Calvin Theological Seminary) wrote us, commenting that the RHB "is clear, attractive, and uncomplicated ... I will be highly recommending it to all of my Hebrew students."

With regards to UBSGNT:re, I've been reading through Romans as I study for preaching opportunities. One point I would like to stress about using Reader's Editions is that you use the vocabulary and parsing helps as a guide only. I've already found one instance in Romans 6 where a verb glossed on a previous page as an imperative was glossed again as an imperative when it actually is an indicative. I don't expect that to happen often, but a Reader's Edition is not intended to make one a lazy student. It is simply to help you increase your familiarity with the language and your speed of reading. I'm very pleased with the format of the UBSGNT:re. It is larger than my UBS4 edition but the same size as my hardback Literary Study Bible. I can carry them both together very comfortably.

I hope that you, too, will consider these new tools. Here are links to some posts that are packed with comparative details and descriptions of these tools.

Hebrew Reader -

• Forthcoming: A Reader's Hebrew Bible edited by Philip Brown & Bryan Smith
• Q&A with Philip Brown: A Reader's Hebrew Bible | Part One
• Q&A with Philip Brown: A Reader's Hebrew Bible | Part Two
• Q&A with Bryan Smith: A Reader's Hebrew Bible
• A Reader's Hebrew Bible: Preview
  

Greek Readers -

• 3 Readers Editions of the Greek New Testament (RGNT1, RGNT2 & UBSGNT:re)
  

Update: Two Reader's Bibles