Customer Reviews

The Scriptures

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The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research out of South Africa is a Messianic Sacred Name translation, now in it's 3rd edition (2009; 1st edition published 1993, 2nd 1998). Unlike many of the Scred Name versions of the Scriptures out there, this one was done by a team of translators rather than an individual. The intentions of the translators is very well described in the preface to the text which can be read for free on their website. As far as I'm concerned, their intentions are very sincere, worthy and needed.

This is an extremely literal translation! They wanted to stay as true and accurate to the original text as possible, and in doing so offer one of the most precise word for word translations I've ever seen! Unfortunately, this makes for some rough reading at times. If you're not careful, you will miss the point of the passage. But then again, Scripture reading isn't meant to be just casual. We should be diligently paying attention, not falling asleep before bed trying to get our reading done. To get a feel for the text though, you can read the 1998 version for free at Eliyah's page (just do a quick web search) or see samples of the 2009 version on their website.

The very best thing about this particular translations of the Scriptures is the insertion of the name of YHWH and Y'shua with Hebrew characters. By using the Hebrew characters, one can pronounce the name however they wish. No other version of the Scriptures at this moment has done this (with the exception of "the Besorah", which is a plagerized version of this translation that used Paleo-Hebrew for the name instead). The second best thing about this translation is that they are very careful at avoiding any names or titles of pagan origin (with the exception of the names that are describing or pointing to an actual pagan deity of course, such as Ba'al). This means you will see Master insterad of lord, Elohim or El instead of God, mighty one instead of god, Soveriegn instead of king, Set-Apart instead of holy, etc. This is great for those who strive to follow the commandment of Exodus 23:13 and/or want to have more accurate renderings of some words. The other goal of this translation was to use Hebrew transliterations as opposed to translations, and as such, you will see every name and place written with it's Hebrew pronunciation (Moshe instead of Moses, Eliyahu instead of Elijah, Mitsryam instead of Egypt, etc.) This can be difficult for those not familiar with these names or who prefer more English renditions of names and places. But in terms of offering a translation which transliterates the names and places, The Scriptures by ISR does this flawlessly.

Outside of the above highlights however, problems with the translation do exist. As mentioned, the literal approach of the translation makes the reading quite rough (the NASB, also a literal translation, is much smoother). This is sometimes due to the transliteration of Hebrew names, but is often just because of some poor wording in general. There are certainly better choices for some of the words they used in translating (i.e. faith is usually rendered as "belief" in the Messianic Scriptures, and they have an explanatory note for this in the back, but faith is still a better choice for the translation). Anyway, most readers won't be familiar with the style that they use in translation and so it may be quite difficult for you to grasp what you're reading unless you're already familiar with the passage. The ISR is also set up in a verse by verse format which, although great for quick reference, can disrupt the flow of reading and doesn't help with putting things into context like paragraph form does.It should also be noted that there are no sub-headings for anything either, as the translators feel that this would be adding to the text. But while I am voicing some complaints, I must also stress that this forces you to pay attention in your studying which is fantastic. Scripture reading shouldn't be a brisk, casual task.

The Tanak book order is in the traditional Hebrew book order: Torah, Prophets, and Writings. The only difference is that Daniel is included with the Prophets instead of the Writings. The New Testament is in the traditional western Christianity book order that we commonly see today. The New Testament aims to restore the name of YHWH into the text as many Sacred Name Scriptures do, and while they are much more accurate then many other versions (such as Sacred Scriptures: Bethel Edition, or The Word of Yahweh) they still insert the name in a few places where it shouldn't be, and miss putting it where it should be. What's my basis for stating that? Well, the original Aramaic manuscripts of the New Testament DO in fact include the name of YHWH in it's Aramaic equivalence (MarYah) which adds a substantial amount of clarity to the text (something every Greek translation will miss). But this proven evidence is not followed by the ISR for reasoning that's beyond me. Andrew Gabriel Roth's Aramaic English New Testament (the AENT) is a substantially more accurate translation that is faithful to the original text, so I recommend that for the "New Testament". The ISR's Tanak though is pretty good if you don't mind the literal approach they take, the Hebrew names, and the sometimes funny wording. I've used it for much of my Tanak readings because of their efforts to rid the text of all pagan insertions, and it's been fantastic for that.

At the back, there is a section of explanatory notes that are references in their foot notes throughout the text. These are short and can be useful in your studies as a reference to compare to other materials. As far as the binding goes, I only bought the hard cover edition as I didn't see the leather edition as being worth it, and it's decently bound but nothing fantastic. The paper isn't thick or bulky, but it's certainly not "bible paper". Overall though this is a decent translation, the literalness is fantastic (once you get into thought for thought or paraphrasing, you're putting a lot of trust in the translators bias and opinions), but like I said, it is by no means an easy read. I wouldn't recommend it as being a primary translation to anyone (not for in-depth studying, anyway), but it is certainly a fantastic addition to your library.

For all Messianic believers. The original Hebraic names have been restored. Highly accurate. Highly recommended for believers wanting to discover the Hebraic roots of their faith.

This is an amazing translation of the scriptures. I am in awe everytime I see the names of the Almighty and of the Messiah written as they always should have been. I have been blessed by reading the Word in the closest translation to the original language as is available today.

I really like this bible. It has the Hebrew and English names of the books on opposing pages. This version also has a foreward which thoroughly explains the differences between it and other versions. It also uses the Names in Hebrew script. I bought it because I had seen a friend's and liked the format. There are some maps and charts in the back, but they are not especially thorough. I wish there was a version out there that had the Paleo script in it, but until there is, this one will have to do!!

There is no comparison with any other English translation. Having worked on translation of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, I'd have to say that this version leaves no suspicion of compromise, as do so many others. While it's not "perfect," it is the best version written. Some of the words may seem awkward to say, but these words give so much more depth of understanding.

I absolutely love the restoration of Hebrew words and names, and the inserting of the Hebrew Name for our Creator and our Lord.

My only critique is the word "impaled" in place of crucified. While I understand why it was chosen, I just don't believe it is an accurate word. Most people don't realize that the word "cross" can, and does, refer to a single piece of wood, the "cross"-piece, and that His feet were nailed to an actual living tree. (The "cross"-bar, being raised by ropes to suspend Him from the tree) But nonetheless, it is a careful and quite accurate translation of the Scriptures.

Reading it, one will "discover" more than from reading popular translations.