This Day In History: Print editions of the New American Standard Bible 2020 edition were released on this day in 2020. The NASB is a revision of the American Standard Version Bible (ASV), though the Revised Standard Version (RSV) was also a revision of the ASV. The NASB is often praised in certain circles as the most literal and accurate Bible there is, yet it is largely ignored by Bible scholars.
There is no reference to it in the BAGD and BDAG Lexicons, Aland's _Text of the New Testament_ or my edition of the UBS Greek text and it's companion piece, the Textual Commentary of the Greek NT. It is not mentioned in Eerdman's Dictionary of the Bible under "Bible Translations" and the same goes for Oxford's Companion to the Bible. F.F. Bruce does not reference it in his Commentary. James Dunn does not use it, Hurtado doesn't either. Metzger gives it a brief mention in his book _The Bible in Translation_ and even makes use of Laurence Vance's _Double Jeopardy_ in the review. This is an interesting move since Vance states in his Epilogue that "it would be double jeopardy to accept the NASBU [New American Standard Bible Update] as the word of God."
Metzger's _Recent Translations: A Survey and Exploration_ in the 1992 Southwestern Journal of Theology [34.2: 5-12] completely ignores the NASB. James Barr in his _Modern English Bibles as a Problem for the Church_ [Quarterly Review/Fall 1994] stated that "Bibles are being written in English which have as one of their aims the pleasing of the sort of Bible readers who will buy them and like them, and it is especially on the side of the more evangelical readership that this is at present happening."
None of the above scholars have any problem using the RSV (or NRSV), or the New English Bible, which are contemporary to the NASB.
Barclay N. Newman Jr. wrote in _The Word of God: A Guide to English Versions of the Bible_, "the translators of the NASB have dreamed the impossible dream, only to create a nightmare...if a choice must be made between ASV and NASB, it cannot be doubted that old wine is better. The initial marginal note of NASB is prophetic: 'a waste and an emptiness.'"
One of the Fourfold aims of the NASB was that "They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized." However, when at one time the translators claimed anonymity, you can know view the list of translators at Lockman's own website.
One interesting change in the 2020 edition of the NASB is at John 1:18.
The 1995 edition had "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him."
The NASB 2020 now has "No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him."
The oldest Greek texts have monogenes theos (an only-begotten god) and many others have monogenes huios (an only-begotten son). However, there is not one manuscript and Greek text that has both the words "God" (theos) and "Son" (huios) at this one verse. The only reason the two are combined is for theological purposes, and nothing else. John's gospel also has two different readings at John 21:15 where some manuscripts and versions have "Simon, son of Jonah" or "Simon, son of John." However, no one thinks to combine the two to read "Simon, son of John, who is Jonah."
One of the biggest departures away from the ASV Bible was the translation of the Divine Name. The original American Standard Version translated YHWH (JHVH) as Jehovah, a pronunciation consistent with other theophoric names. The NASB translators refused to do this and replaced the name with a title (LORD, GOD). There is something unsettling about a translator who sees a name in the source text, and completely ignores this and replaces it 7000 times with a title, and then claims it is an "incredibly accurate translation from the original languages."
Read the American Standard Bible online at https://ebible.org/eng-asv/oldindex.htm
Read the NASB2020 at https://www.bible.com/bible/2692/JHN.1.NASB2020
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