Is the ESV 2025 Bible Update a Good or Bad Thing?

The English Standard Version (ESV) translation of the Bible has been updated... again. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? ⬇️ Leave a comment below to let me know what you think.

📝 📝📝 VIDEO NOTES 📝 📝📝

UPDATE ANNOUNCEMENT

LIST OF CHANGES

MARK WARD'S CHANNEL

TIM NICKELS' CHANNEL

▶️ Watch More Translation Videos:

📖 Order My Book!

#ESV #EnglishStandardVersion #Crossway

===========================
===========================
===========================
Connect with me on Socials:
===========================
PARTNERS (affiliate links)
===========================
===========================
STUDIO SETUP
===========================
⚡️Visit my AMAZON Shop

DISCLOSURE: Many of the Bibles in my videos have been provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, and some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you purchase something after clicking the link.

[HammerHealth]

So confused on people hating when Tim is literally just giving information to us about what was changed, etc.

[wardonwords]

Honored by the shout-out, Tim! I think if you and I don't freak out over the 2025 ESV then we will make a difference!

[clarkewhitfield]

Leave it to Tim to bring calm to the storm. I appreciate you brother.

[wst]

Trolls are going to troll, brother. Keep your head up. You and your channel are a blessing.

[davidtaylorjr]

Mark's videos so far have been excellent on the topic. Thanks for the update Tim.

[hmfddawg]

Since the translation team is so transparent, just go through the small number of changes and note them in the margins of your 2016 version. Now you have both and also have the benefit of considering their changes as you go through the exercise.

[taswuf]

I'm somewhat skeptical. Planned obsolescence is an age-old marketing ploy.

[gunstar]

Can't believe we still don't know what God said. Maybe buying next year's update will change that!

[Bible-Book]

I can’t even make this up. I went to sit down, and I put my phone on the floor. My rabbit came up and wanted attention and his foot clicked on this video. I have 100% been seeing these signs, and I know this was divine intervention. Glory be to God! Amen! 🙏🏼 ❤

[VIsionsOfJenna]

Tim, I love your support for Mark Ward's excellent content.

[ilz_y]

Ok so context: I have an MA in Applied Linguistics and whilst I don’t have a particular expertise in translation studies (especially not Bible translation studies) I did take a translation module a few years back and am very familiar with translation theory and linguistic concepts.
I always raise an eyebrow when we talk about “stability” in language. Language is one of the least stable things out there. It’s constantly changing, evolving and becoming ambiguous. Linguists aren’t even sure what defines a language or a word. People who complain about changes because of “stability” to me demonstrate a poor concept of translation studies.

It’s not that the Bible has changed. We still have the Koine Greek and Hebrew to refer to thanks to millennia of dedicated scholars. Those remain unchanged. What changes is us *now* and how much we learn about history, ancient cultures, archeology and, of course, language. Linguists and Bible scholars are still writing papers upon papers about ancient languages and our new discoveries about them. If language were “stable” we would have run out of things to write about by now!

I’m not a fan of the ESV for several reasons, one of which has actually been addressed in the new updates (Gen. 3:16). However, I admire the committee for accepting their limitations and being willing to adjust to new understandings whilst remaining motivated to stay true to the original texts. Ultimately, that’s what translation is about: reverence for the source text.

[Qbone]

Love the update and especially love the way that it encourages people (although probably unintentionally) to grapple with how translations are done and how the field of textual criticism works. All around a great thing imo.

[larryavr]

Thanks for doing this homework for us. Very informative. I look forward to watching Mr. Ward’s deep dive.

[randalldeeb]

Loved the balance in this appraisal, highlighting the two other YouTubers who are on opposite sides. I can absolutely see both sides. Something in me deeply resonates with Tim's (the other one lol) preference for stability and the NKJV (even though I don't use NKJV, but I've considered switching), but having studied translation myself for years I can't discount Mark's positive take, and the major Genesis change is a great example. On my way to watch your KJV history video now.

[kristineshepardson]

ESV is my favorite translation updates are fine with me the clearer and most accurate is perfect with me

[jeffbyttow]

When I heard you say Crossway created the English Standard Version (ESV), I was floored. I told myself that can not be the same Crossway in my hometown of Wheaton, Illinois, near Wheaton College. I had lively Bible conversations with my fellow classmates in high school on a variety of topics. They brought in books from Crossway.

If you decide to go to Crossway, the city of Wheaton is so crazy. A ton of one-way streets. Pay attention to the signage. Wheaton is a quaint town. Lots of tradition. Wheaton College has the Billy Graham Museum. If you go into town, park your car and walk to the popcorn store. A unique popcorn and candy store. There are a lot of churches in Wheaton with a wide variety of denominations.

On the other hand, Wheaton had the privilege of having the Belushi family live there. Wheaton police had their hands full with John and Jim Belushi.

I will have to take a look at Crossway's Bible. Enjoyed your review.

[terrysbookandbiblereviews]

The NRSV waited like 30 years to put out the update called the NRSVUE. I think 20-30 years is a good amount of time. The ESV is going to ruin itself by updating way too much. It is bad enough that our phones and computers have updated way too often also but the written word of God should not update very often at all. The KJV has been around for more than 400 years and the last major update to it was in 1901 ( I am not talking about the ERV/ASV). The NKJV, KJV, and NRSV are doing things right only updating when it truly needed. The last major update to the Douay Rheims was in the early 1752 more than 100 years after it was published and it has been over 273 years since that update! It is still a very readable translation.

[Lynda-]

I try to love ESV but I always go back to NKJV.

[aaronlloyd]

Thank you for keeping us informed on this! I always value your voice and your perspective!

[marktaylor]

Good video.
I side with Tim Nickles, they are updating too often - and essentially reversing out prior updates. What they did in Genesis 3, though taking it back to the "literal" words, it confuses the meaning. The 2016 update gave it the true meaning. So, I'm frustrated with what they are doing, but I'm not abandoning the ESV... not yet anyway.