I recently obtained Richmond Lattimore’s New Testament translation. Nathan Stitt found a used hardcover (which is beautiful) for me that’s like new. Thanks again. The photo above is without the dust jacket. The dust jacket can be seen at the bottom of this post. A paperback edition is widely available.

This is a book book not a Bible-like book. It has pages that are the thickness of a regular book, single column and no verse numbers. I would like to read the whole NT using this sometime.

I looked up quite a few passages that I have memorized to see how they compare. It’s interesting to read a translation that’s fairly different than what I’m used to but not a wild paraphrase and then also look up the passages in 3-4 other translations. This was a great exercise.

Most of what I have memorized from the past is NIV and I’ll use TNIV for comparison.

Philippians 4:5-6 TNIV
Let your gentleness be evident to all. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:5-6 ESV
Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Philippians 4:5-6 Lattimore
May your goodness be made known to all men. The Lord is near; never be anxious, but in every prayer and entreaty let your requests be communicated with thanksgiving to God;

The first thing I noticed is the punctuation at the end of verse 5. I have vv. 6-9 memorized and never really thought about :5b being “an introduction to what follows” (see below). Most translations have a period at the end of verse 5 including NRSV, NASB and HCSB. ISV uses a colon. NET has an exclamation mark so I guess they thought Paul got really excited at that point in the letter!

Then about a week later I was reading Gordon Fee’s commentary:

…one cannot tell whether Paul intends it to conclude what precedes or introduce what follows, and therefore whether it expresses future or realized eschatology. Does he intend, ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; and let your gentle forbearance be known by all, for the [coming of] the Lord is near’? or ‘Because the Lord is [always] near, do not be anxious about anything, but let your requests be made known to God’? or does he intend a bit of both, perhaps something as close to intentional double entendre as one finds in the apostle?

I included the ESV because it has the same punctuation and a little different wording. The ESV’s “the Lord is at hand” is an interesting take on it but like so much of the ESV, it’s so archaic I don’t really know what that means.

Hebrews 12:8 TNIV
If you are not disciplined–and everyone undergoes discipline–then you are not legitimate children at all.

Hebrews 12:8 Lattimore
If you go without the discipline which all are born to share, you are bastards, not sons.

That one is a little shocking but for you youngins keep in mind this is an older definition of the word, not the meaning of being a jerk. It’s still offensive though and probably to positive effect.

1 Peter 2:11 NIV
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

1 Peter 2:11 TNIV
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

1 Peter 2:11 Lattimore
I call upon you then, dear friends, as resident aliens and transients in this world to refrain from carnal desires, which take up arms against the soul.

(Digression: This shows that the TNIV is truly an update to the NIV, not just a gender inclusive version of the NIV.)

This was my favorite of the ones I looked at. Resident aliens and transients in this world really resonates with me. Resident aliens is reminiscent of the OT. We are now living in this world but foreigners–in it but not of it (John 15:19, John 17:14). While “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves” (Col 1:13), in this world we are transients passing through until we are in the new heaven and the new earth (Rev 21:1).

Dust Jacket Image