Jefferson Bible – The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

Bible Abbreviation: JB
ISBN: 798-0-8070-7714-6
Publisher: Boston: Beacon Press
Publication Date: 1989
Pages: 171
Binding: Hardcover
Size: 7.25 x 5.25 x .75

Features:
This small volume consists of a short preface, an introduction (both by Forrest Church) and a few photographic reproductions of Jefferson’s original manuscript.  This is followed by the text which in this volume contains only the English. It is presented in a two columns with one column showing the source of the verses.  Following the text is a commentary by Jaroslav Pelikan.  This, in turn, is followed by an index of verses sorted by the gospel from which they were drawn.
 

Comments and Observations:

In 1804, three years into his Presidency of the United State of America, Jefferson began a project he titled The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth.  Some years later, on 9 January 1816, Thomas Jefferson wrote to his long time friend, Charles Thomson, about this book he had composed from the four gospels of the New Testament.

“I, too, have made a wee-little book from the same materials, which I call the Philosophy of Jesus; it is a paradigma of his doctrines, made by cutting the texts out of the book, and arranging them on the pages of a blank book, in a certain order of time or subject. A more beautiful or precious morsel of ethics I have never seen; it is a document in proof that I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus.”¹

In 1819 he began anew and it is this second work which the world knows as the Jefferson Bible but which Jefferson called “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth”. In spite of its nickname, the Jefferson Bible is not actually a Bible or even a New Testament.  Rather, it is a much abbreviated harmony or redaction of the four gospels.  In its original format, it was arranged in four columns with each column being in either Greek, Latin, French or English.  Jefferson purchased three sets of two identical Bibles. The Greek and Latin text was a parallel edition comprising the Leusden’s Greek Testament paired with the Montanus’ Latin.  The French edition was identical to the Paris Ostervald “le Nouveau Testament corrige sur le Grec.”  The English edition was the King James Version.  One could therefore compare the Jefferson Bible to Tatian’s Diatessaron crossed with Ximenes’ Complutensian Polygot. 

With a razor in hand Jefferson detached the words of Jesus along with a minimal amount of history. These snippets he pasted into a chronological/topical order comingling verses from each of the gospels and disregarding any historical order other than his own.  He then pasted them into a book of blank pages. (Note: The volume under review is lacking the Greek, Latin and French versions.) A page from the Jefferson Bible follows:

L. 3/1	Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,
2	Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests,
Mk. 1/4	John did baptize in the wilderness,
Mt. 3/4	And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5	Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6	And were baptized of him in Jordan,
Mt. 3/13	Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
L. 3/23	And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age,
J. 2/12	After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13	And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
14	And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15	And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out

Jefferson recorded the order of the verses he used in a “Table of the Texts from the Evangelists employed in this Narrative and of the order of their arrangement.”  From this table it is relatively easy to see what Jefferson removed and what he retained.

Old Testament Comparative Verse: Psalms 23:1-6 – N/A

New Testament Comparative Verse: Matthew 5:1-12 (Note: this is identical to the King James Version from which it was taken.)

Mt. 5/1	And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2	And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3	Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4	Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5	Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6	Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7	Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8	Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9	Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10	Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11	Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12	Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

Thomas Jefferson wished his book to represent the unobscured morals and philosophy of Jesus held together within a framework consisting of the barest essentials from the events from Christ's life.  To that end he succeeded admirably.  However, on the cutting room floor, Jefferson left the virgin birth, the miracles, the resurrection, and the lives and teachings of his apostles.  In short, in paring all but the morals and philosophy of Jesus from the Bible, Jefferson also cut out the heart of Christianity.

¹ Excerpts from the "Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson"

(http://www.cooperativeindividualism.org/jefferson_m_03.html) Retrieved on 21 July 2011

Contemporary English Version - The Promise Study Edition

Bible Abbreviation:  CEV
ISBN:  0-8407-0905-6
Publisher:  Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Publication Date: 1996
Pages: 1507
Binding:  Hard bound
Size: 6.75” x 9.5” x 1.5”


Features: At the back of the volume, it has maps, a Bible Chronology and what it calls a mini-dictionary.  The mini dictionary is divided up into twenty-one sections, each with specialized information such as People, Prophets, Languages, Festivities and Holy Days, etc.  It is lacking a concordance.  Each book is launched with a small amount of introductory information specific to it.  The Bible text is presented in a single column per page.  Small blurbs of commentary – titled Promise For  and For My Life – is presented in separate boxed off areas.  In addition key scriptures called Promise Quotes are hi-lited in an enlarged font.  I know this sounds busy but it is not.  It is very tastefully done and looks quite pleasing.  At the back of each book is a list of end notes which provide explanation concerning the Biblical languages, alternate translations, contextual clues, etc.  However, these are keyed within the verses of the Bible text with an alpha character in such a small font that it defies notice. 

Comments and Observations: The CEV is a thought-for-thought or functional equivalent translation.  It was first published in 1995 and the copyright holder is the American Bible Society.  The Promise Study Edition was printed by Thomas-Nelson Publishers.  The CEV’s text is in contemporary American idiom making it very easy for the average person to read and understand. 

Old Testament Comparative Verse: Psalms 23:1-6.

1  You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.

2  You let me rest in fields of green grass.

You lead me to streams of peaceful water,

3  and you refresh my life.

You are true to your name,

and you lead me along the right paths.

4  I may walk through valleys as dark as death,

but I won't be afraid.

You are with me,

and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe.

5  You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch.

You honor me as your guest,

and you fill my cup until it overflows.

6  Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life,

and I will live forever in your house, Lord.

New Testament Comparative Verse: Matthew 5:1-12

1  When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down. Jesus' disciples gathered around him, 2  and he taught them:

3  God blesses those people who depend only on him.

They belong to the kingdom of heaven!

4  God blesses those people who grieve.

They will find comfort!

5  God blesses those people who are humble.

The earth will belong to them!

6  God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink.

They will be given what they want!

7  God blesses those people who are merciful.

They will be treated with mercy!

8  God blesses those people whose hearts are pure.

They will see him!

9  God blesses those people who make peace.

They will be called his children!

10  God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right.

They belong to the kingdom of heaven.

11  God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12  Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.

Weaknesses:  The paper on which this version is printed does not seem as strong or as substantial as a study Bible should be.  That is a bit nit-picky so I’ll move on.  The editors called this volume a Study Bible yet it is lacking information that is key to the study of the scriptures.  For example, the introductory information at the beginning of each book does not provide an approximate date the book was written.  What information is provided following the various books is referenced in such a manner as to be ignored by most readers.  If you are looking for an in-depth study Bible, with information that will immerse you in the technical details of the Bible, this is not it.

Strengths:

There are Bibles that are more rigorously accurate in translation (the King James Version or the New American Standard Bible most readily come to mind) but this version makes the Bible truly understandable for the common person.  What it lacks in word-for-word accuracy, it counterbalances with pure reading enjoyment.  If you want to read the Bible from cover-to-cover, this is the Bible with which to do it.  It is an easy read, with just enough added information so that you can keep focused on reading and not go off on in-depth study tangents.

Summary:

I love the American Bible Society’s CEV. I am not enthralled with study materials that Thomas-Nelson packaged with it.  The best I can say for the so called study materials is that they do not get in the way of the enjoyment of reading the CEV.

21st Century King James Version

Bible Abbreviation:  KJ21

ISBN:  0-9630512-3-7

Publisher:  Deuel Enterprises, Inc.

Publication Date: 1994

Pages: 1880

Binding:  Hard

Size: 6" x 8.75" x 2.75"

Features:

The text is presented in a single column with footnotes.  It is lacking maps, concordance and dictionary. 

Some passages have two diamonds (♦♦) placed at the beginning and a single diamond (♦) at the end.  These indicate Biblical verses that are included in the Three Year Common Lectionary. The lectionary is utilized by many mainline denominations for use in sermons, scriptural readings, church bulletins, etc.  To show what this looks like, I’ve copied the last two verses from the New Testament, Revelation 22:20-21: 

 

♦♦ 20 He that testifieth these things saith,

 “Surely I come quickly.”

Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Amen. ♦ 

 

An appendix contains the preface to the original King James Version of 1611(KJV).   Like the text of the Bible, the preface has been updated but unlike the Bible text, which is complete and not missing anything, the preface has been abridged.  It is worth the read. 

Comments and Observations:

Issued midway through the final decade of the 20^th century, the 21st Century King James Version (KJ21) is not a new translation or a revision, but rather a minimalist update of the King James Version.   Obsolete and/or archaic words, for the most part, have been replaced by with current equivalents.  For example, when you read Isaiah 3:18 you may wonder what the word caul means. 

KJV – In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, 

So you drag out your Random House Webster’s Dictionary published back in 1996 and you read: 

 

caul (kôl), n. 1. a part of the amnion sometimes covering the head of a child at birth. 2. greater omentum. [1300–50; Middle English calle < Middle French cale, probably back formation from calotte kind of cap; see calotte] 

 

You might still be puzzled.  However, if you read the same verse from the 21KJ, your puzzlement should disappear: 

 

21KJ – In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their hair nets and their round ornaments like the moon, 

 

With that said, there are some passages which could have been updated and were not.  For example, compare Mark 1:34 in both the KJV and the KJ21: 

KJV – “And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.” 

 

KJ21 – “And He healed many who were sick with divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and He suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him.”  

 

With only minor changes in capitalization and word choice, the two are essentially the same.  In my opinion, divers should have been changed to something like various, different or a variety of, with the former being the preferred. 

 

Just as the wording has been updated, the spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and paragraphing have also been modernized.  The poetic verses have been formatted for ease of reading.  However, the time-honored Biblical language of its historic ancestor, the King James Version of 1611, has been retained, as the comparative verses below illustrate.

The application of font options is dreadful.  Some passages which were deemed by the publisher to be “more familiar” are given in bolded Roman font, while those  “less familiar” are placed in normal Roman font. The chapter headings are in a small sans-serif font.  The publishers used italics to designate the words of Christ.  That may explain why the KJ21 did not retain was the KJV practice of italicizing the words which are not in Greek/Hebrew but which are needed to make sense in English.  I have difficulty with any Bible which fails to indicate the words that are in the text but do not exist in the Greek or Hebrew. The KJ21 fails in this aspect. 

Unlike other modern versions, whole and partial passages have not been omitted.  Even the original KJV chapter summaries were retained. 

 

Old Testament Comparative Verse: Psalms 23:1-6.

1   The LORD is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2   He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

3   He restoreth my soul;

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness

for His name's sake.

4   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

for Thou art with me;

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

5   Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;

Thou anointest my head with oil;

my cup runneth over.

6   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. 

 

New Testament Comparative Verse: Matthew 5:1-12.

1   And seeing the multitudes, He went up onto a mountain; and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him. 2   And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,

3    “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

4   Blessed are they that mourn,

for they shall be comforted.

5   Blessed are the meek,

for they shall inherit the earth.

6   Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness,

for they shall be filled.

7   Blessed are the merciful,

for they shall obtain mercy.

8   Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.

9   Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they shall be called the children of God.

10   Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

 for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

11   Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you,

and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake.

12   Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven;

for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.  

 

Strengths:

Everything I have read and compared it with seems to closely follow the KJV and the Greek of the Textus Receptus.  While I would argue with a few choices, for the most part, the words which they used to replace the KJV archaic words are well chosen.  I know that some will have problems with the fact that the publishers kept the thee, thy, and thine type pronouns.  I do not.  In the KJV, the thee, thy, and thine are singular pronouns and you and your are plural. Greek and Hebrew also uses different pronouns to distinguish between singular and plural.  Therefore it makes perfect sense to retain them if for no other reason than for understandability.  It beats the bejeebies out of using the Southern expression, y’all.

Weaknesses:

Typographically, this version is a mess.  The use of the various fonts styles are jarring. Furthermore, I personally do not need an editor to tell me which passages are  “more familiar “ and which are not.  I suspect that the KJ21 is not a serious contender as a KJV replacement, simply because of the aesthetics.  This is sad because aside from the choices made in the fonts, this is mostly how an updated King James Version should be presented.   It is much more readable and understandable than most other modern versions claiming KJV lineage.

The Twenty-four Books of the Holy Scriptures

Bible Abbreviation:  Leeser
ISBN:  n/a
Publisher:  London: Trubner and Company
Publication Date: 1857
Pages: 1255
Binding:  Hardback in leather
Size: 3.75” x 5.75” x 2”

Features: The volume begins with a section called Advertisement to the London Edition but which would now probably be call a Forward.  This is followed by a Preface and another section called General Remarks which explains how to use the volume.  The books of the Bible are not in the protestant order but rather in the traditional Jewish order of three sections: Torah (Law), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Kethuvim (Writings). The scriptures are presented in two columns.  There are headings for each book but it is totally without chapter headings, cross references, footnotes, maps, concordance or dictionary.  At the back of the book is a section titled “Notes”.  It contains fifty paragraphs of varying lengths containing explanatory comments.  The first one reads:

1. Gen.1.26. “Let us make,” &c. This phrase is employed here, as in other places, to express the purpose of the Deity to effect his will.  This construction is called “the plural of majesty.”

The boards and spine are separated from the book itself and from each other at the hinges. One of the boards is missing entirely.  The leather covering the spine and remaining board is in fragile condition.  Taken all together, it may prove difficult to effect a proper restoration using them.  On the other hand, the book itself is remarkably well preserved.  The binding is tight.  All the end papers are intact.  Even the gilt edges are well preserved and still shine with only a few mars confined to the top edge.  It is as though the book itself was purchased, placed on a shelf and forgotten.  Somehow only the hinges of the binding were negatively affected.  I count myself most fortunate to have acquired such a rare book in such remarkably good condition.

Comments and Observations: More than any other individual of his time, Isaac Leeser (1806-1868) made the United States a major center of Judaism. Almost single-handedly Leeser provided the basic religious texts, educational institutions, and publishing enterprises on which to construct the cultural foundation of what is now the largest Jewish community, not only in the world, but in the history of the Jewish people.  

Leeser was educated at the gymnasium of Münster and was thoroughly conversant in Latin, German, and Hebrew.  He was just seventeen years old when he immigrated to the United States.  He was unable to continue with his education due to conditions beyond his control.  In order to increase his knowledge and understanding, he volunteered to assist the hazzan (the congregation’s singer/assistant Rabbi) of his congregation in teaching religion.  He also eloquently defended Judaism in the public press when it was attacked.  One of his articles attracted the attention of Congregation Mikveh Israel and he was asked to become the congregation’s hazzan.

 
Leeser was a guiding influence of most Jewish activities in 19^th century America.  He was the provost of the first Jewish seminary, Maimonides College.   Leeser's monthly magazine, The Occident and American Jewish Advocate was America’s first Jewish publication.  He founded the first Jewish Publication Society which is unrelated to today’s institution by the same name. He was the author of many books and the publisher of many more.  The Leeser Bible is not well known at the moment, but in its day it was the authorized version for English-speaking Jews around the world.

Old Testament Comparative Verse: Psalms 23:1-6.

1  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2  In pastures of tender grass he causeth me to lie down: beside still waters he leadeth me.

3  My soul he refresheth: he guideth me in the tracks of righteousness for the sake of his name.

4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil; for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff—they indeed comfort me.

5  Thou preparest before me a table in the presence of my assailants; thou anointest with oil my head: my cup overfloweth.

6  Surely, only goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life: and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord to the utmost length of days.

 
New Testament Comparative Verse: N/A
 
Strengths & Weaknesses:  I have had this Bible too short a period of time to give it a thorough examination so I do not have any strengths or weaknesses to discuss, per se.  It is obviously based on the King James Version though it updates the text somewhat.  For example it keeps the formal “thou”, “thee”, “thine” and “thy” type pronouns but changes “spake” to “spoke”.  Most of the changes seem to be in word order.  One final note.  There is something about this volume, that when I touch it, it causes me to feel reverential; that it is special.  Weird I know but still ... this is one cool Bible.