A Conversation about Martin Luther with Eric Metaxas and Chuck Swindoll

The Greek New Testament by Tyndale House Cambridge - Review

“If the Word of God is what we say we believe it is,” says Dr. Dane Ortlund, “then it is worthy of the most rigorous scholarships and efforts and care and precision down to the last detail and that conviction is what has fueled Tyndale House and their work in the last ten years in creating this new edition of the Greek New Testament ultimately for the sake of the health of the people of God.” This sums up the mission and vision behind the production of The Greek New Testament by Tyndale House, Cambridge. This new publication is available in two formats, hardback and Trutone. The hardback which I’m reviewing comes with a beautiful black case. The hardcover is 540 pages and it weighs around 25.86 ounces. Its dimensions are 5.25 inches X 7.75 inches and the text formatting is single column. It is slightly smaller than your regular pew Bible in length and width which makes it easier for you to carry to church and follow along while your pastor is preaching. I hope that they will produce a Hebrew Old Testament and make it into one volume along with this Greek New Testament in the same size (although it will be significantly thicker). 

This Greek New Testament is compact, light, and elegant in its design. The typesetting and paragraphs are well formatted so it is easier to follow the passage. The paragraph designation also follows early manuscript evidence which differs from modern paragraph designation. The paragraphs are marked by ekthesis rather than indentation which parallels to the ancient Greek practice. Believe it or not, the typesetting makes a significant difference in reading and understanding the text. The publishers chose to keep the early spellings that are documented in the early manuscripts transmitted from the 5^th century onwards. One of the main features of this publication is that they rely on the earliest manuscripts to provide a text that is anchored in the early textual history of the Greek New Testament and is faithful to the representation of the Bible as they have been passed down to us through the ages. 

As the editors Dr Dirk Jongkind and Dr Peter Williams mention in their introduction that their aim is to present an easily readable format the best approximation to the words written by the New Testament authors within the manuscript evidence that survives. I think the editors and publishers have done an exceptional job in producing this new edition. One suggestion from a lay-person’s point of view would be to have slightly better margins for those of us who like to take notes. I think wide margins should be mandatory for all Bibles in general which should motivate the readers to take notes and they internalize Scripture.