The Literal Standard Version (LSV) of the Bible was launched in February. Claiming to be the most literal translation in the English language, the new Bible is a major revision of Young’s Literal Translation, which was first published in 1862. Robert Young also wrote the Young’s Analytical Concordance of the Bible.
The LSV is published by Covenant Press, the publishing arm of Covenant Christian Coalition, a worldwide conservative ministry whose purpose is to promote “unity in the invisible church while delivering the only message with the power to save people.” CCC states that it includes 455 denominations (including the Southern Baptist Convention) and 2,179,415 congregations internationally.
Gary Ray, general editor of the LSV, told The Courier, “The LSV is primarily based on the Masoretic and Textus Receptus; however, we’ve taken a middle approach, incorporating other text-types and manuscripts when the evidence appears overwhelming.”
The New American Standard Bible continues to be advertised as the most accurate Bible in the English language. How is the LSV different? Ray stated, “In terms of the NASB and ESV (English Standard Version), both excellent translations, the LSV is going to be substantially more distinctive and further along the formal equivalence spectrum in terms of verb tenses, prepositions, and definite articles.”
He pointed out that some of the distinctive features of the LSV are:
• Justified text-blocks (to mimic the style of then autographs)
• Use of the caesura mark
• Use of the Old Testament Tetragrammaton (YHWH)
It is a translation that will not likely be used in the pulpits of churches but may become a reliable reference for pastors and Bible teachers. Ray says it will be an “excellent resource for deep and thoughtful Bible study and research, essentially an interlinear, in terms of word-for-word translation, but arranged with English sentence structure.”
The LSV is available through Amazon and various Christian booksellers.