English Revised Version (1881)

English Revised Version (1881-1895)

New Testament 1881. C.J. Ellicott, et al., The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Translated out of the Greek: Being the Version Set Forth A.D. 1611, Compared with the Most Ancient Authorities and Revised, A.D. 1881. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1881.

The New Testament version commonly called the "Revised Version" (RV) or the "English Revised Version" (ERV) of 1881, of which the American Standard Version was an American edition. This version is a revision of the King James version made on the basis of Westcott and Hort 1881 and Tregelles 1857. The readings adopted by the committee of revisers were presented in a continuous Greek text in Palmer 1881, which includes marginal notes showing every departure from the Greek text presumed to underlie the King James version (for which see Scrivener 1881). See the version's preface for detailed explanations of the principles and method of revision.

Old Testament 1885. The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments translated out of the original tongues : being the version set forth A.D. 1611 compared with the most ancient authorities and revised. Oxford: University Press, 1885. 4 vols.

Though the title runs "The Holy Bible ... ", the binding is lettered "Old Testament Revised Version." The general title and lists of books of both Testaments are given in each volume. Vol. 1 contains a preface, dated 10 July 1884, dealing with the work of the Old Testament Revision Company. With the issue on the 19 May 1885 of the four volumes of the OT, the publication of the revision of the Old and New Testaments begun in 1870 was completed. The Apocrypha did not appear until 1895. Contents: Vol. 1 Genesis-Ruth - Vol. 2 I Samuel-Esther - Vol. 3 Job-Song of Solomon - Vol. 4 Isaiah-Malachi.

Bible 1885. The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments translated out of the original tongues : being the version set forth A.D. 1611 compared with the most ancient authorities and revised. Oxford: University Press, 1885.

Apocrypha 1895. The Apocrypha: translated out of the Greek and Latin tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611 compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1894. Oxford: University Press, 1895.

The Preface states, "Considerable attention was paid to the text; but the materials available for correcting it were but scanty." The revisers, however, were able to use Professor Bensly's reconstruction of the Latin text of 2 Esdras, and to incorporate the 'missing fragment,' ch. vii, 36-105. The last portion of the revision of King James' version, begun in 1870. The preface describes how the work was divided between three small committees, formed from the New Testament Company in 1879, and a fourth committee chosen from the Old Testament Company in 1884. The Americans took no part in the revision of the Apocrypha. The work was completed in 1894, and published early in 1895.

American Revision 1901. Philip Schaff, ed., The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments, Translated out of the Original Tongues, Being the Version Set Forth A.D. 1611, Compared with the Most Ancient Authorities and Revised A.D. 1881-1885, Newly Edited by the American Revision Committee A.D. 1901, Standard Edition. New York: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1901. Further information.

Literature (including the ASV of 1901)

Article on the version by F.G. Kenyon
History of the Revision, by Issac Hall.
Biographical Sketches of Prominent Revisers, by Issac Hall.
Burgon 1883. Adverse criticism of the underlying Greek text.
Whitney 1892. Adverse criticism of the underlying Greek text.
Frederick Field, Notes on the Translation of the New Testament. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Philological criticism of the ERV.
Philip Schaff, ed., Anglo-American Bible Revision: Its Necessity and Purpose. By the Members of the American Revision Committee. Revised Edition. Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1879.
Philip Schaff, ed., The revision of the Old Testament: opinions of eminent German Hebraists on the revision of the Massoretic text. New York: Scribner's, 1886. A small (62 page) book containing "The present status of the revision, circular letter of Dr. Green and Dr. Schaff to the most eminent Old Testament scholars in Germany, Replies, Translations of the preceding letters, Concluding summary."
Philip Schaff, Historical account of the work of the American Committee of Revision of the Authorized English Version of the Bible. New York: Scribner, 1885.
Philip Schaff, ed., Documentary history of the American Committee on Revision. New York, 1883. Enlarged edition, 1885.
Klaus Penzel, ed., Philip Schaff: Historian and Ambassador of the Universal Church: Selected Writings. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1991.
George H. Shriver, Philip Schaff: Christian Scholar and Ecumenical Prophet. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1987.
David S. Schaff, The Life of Philip Schaff, in Part Autobiographical. New York: Scribners, 1897.
J. B. Lightfoot, Richard C. Trench, and C. J. Ellicott, The Revision of the English Version of the New Testament. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1873.
Matthew Brown Riddle, The Story of the Revised New Testament, American Standard Edition. Philadelphia: Sunday School Times, 1908.
Alexander Roberts, Companion to the Revised Version of the New Testament, Explaining the Reasons for the Changes Made on the Authorized Version. New York: I.K. Funk, 1881.
Talbot W. Chambers, A Companion to the Revised Old Testament. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1885.
Isaac H. Hall, ed., The Revised New Testament and History of Revision, giving a literal reprint of the Authorized English Edition of the Revised New Testament, with a brief history of the origin and transmission of the New Testament Scriptures, and of its many versions and revisions that have been made, also a complete history of this last great combined movement of the best scholarship of the world; with reasons for the effort; advantages gained; sketches of the eminent men engaged upon it, etc., etc. prepared under the direction of Professor Isaac H. Hall, LL.B.; Ph. D. Philadelphia: Hubbard Brothers; Atlanta: C.R. Blackall & Co.; New York: A.L. Bancroft & Co., 1881.
The parallel Bible. The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments: being the Authorized Version arranged in parallel columns with the Revised Version. Cambridge: The University Press, 1885.
The Holy Bible Two-version edition: being the Authorised version with the differences of the Revised version printed in the margins so that both texts can be read from the same page. Oxford University Press, 1899.
Geoffrey Cumberlege, ed., The Interlinear Bible: The Authorised Version and the Revised Version, Together with the Marginal Notes of Both Versions and Central References. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1906. A convenient comparison of the ERV with the KJV.
“Papers and Addresses on the Revised Version of the Old Testament,” presented at the Church Congress held at Portsmouth, October 1885, in the offical Report of the Church Congress held at Portsmouth, on October ... 1885, edited by the Rev. C. Dunkley (London: Bemrose and Sons, 1885), pp. 40-67.
Alan Cadwallader, "The Politics of Translation of the Revised Version: Evidence from the Newly Discovered Notebooks of Brooke Foss Westcott," Journal of Theological Studies 58 (2007), pp. 415-439. Westcott's notebooks give a detailed account of the textual and translational arguments over almost every verse of Matthew.
Rufus Wendell, ed., The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments: Translated Out of the Original Tongues: Being the Version Set Forth A.D. 1611, compared with the most ancient authorities, and revised. The Revision of 1881 and 1885 compared with the version of 1611: Showing at a Glance what Words are Common to Both, and by Diacritical Marks and Foot-notes what are Peculiar to Each. By Rufus Wendell, editor of the "Student's Revised New Testament." Albany, N.Y.: Revised Bible Publishing Co., 1886.