The New International Version (NIV) of the Bible has been the best-selling version of the Bible since it was first published in 1978. The original vision and purpose of the NIV translation committee was to develop the most accurate and readable version available. It took 10 years for the group of evangelical scholars across several denominations to go back to original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts to do their work. Since then, millions of copies of The New International Version have been sold worldwide.
Biblica (formerly The International Bible Society), which holds the copywrite and publishing rights has done updates to the version in 1984 and 2011. In the United States, Zondervan Publishing has been granted commercial rights to selling. The goal has always been the same with the NIV for the past 40 years: provide readers of the Bible with the most accurate and understandable Bible possible.
Although the NIV has had its critics due to its translation theory, more NIV Bibles are produced and printed each year than any other translation worldwide.
Bob is tugging at the leash, eager to get to it. His “5 Bark Review System” on The New International Version is as follows:
1. Trustworthy
The painstaking process of translation – going back to the earliest and most reliable sources available – makes the NIV, in our opinion, one of many trustworthy versions out today. Over 100 scholars from around the world made up the original translation committee. Biblica, the copywrite holder, has been actively engaged in producing and distributing Bibles in America and across the world for nearly 200 years.
Working to translate from one language to another always has its challenges, and it’s just as much an art as it is a science. The NIV (in our opinion) occasionally doesn’t get it right, mistranslating certain words into English. Yet, overall, it is a solid and respected translation. The NIV now has a 40-year track record of use where millions of people have been impacted by its accessible language.
Despite the challenges of producing a reliable and accessible Bible for ordinary readers, the NIV gets a hearty “bark” from Bob as to its trustworthiness, especially with its attention to offering revisions and continually trying to improve upon itself.
2. Understandable
This was one of the major goals of the Committee for Bible Translation for the NIV. They wanted the translation to be in common everyday language so that the Bible’s message would be understandable. Turn to any page in the NIV and begin reading, and you’ll most likely understand what is being said.
Sometimes the committee made translation decisions (i.e. translating the word “flesh” as “sinful nature” in the New Testament) that didn’t necessarily improve understanding, and maybe would have been better left with the more literal sense.
Nevertheless, the NIV is the version which set the bar for paying attention to and producing a Bible version that is understandable for people, even on a 7th grade level of reading.
Bob happily gives a “bark” for the NIV being understandable.
3. Readable
This is truly the greatest strength of the NIV. The NIV lends itself to reading large blocks and entire books of the Bible in one sitting. An important component of reading is being able to follow the line of thought and reasoning throughout, and the NIV does a superior job of bringing this out.
Bob gives a hearty “bark” to the readability of the NIV.
4. Durable
Now we turn to the actual physical Bible itself – the cover, spine, pages – and the way it’s all put together as a book. Zondervan, the publisher with rights to producing the NIV in the States, literally has hundreds of different NIV Bibles for sale, from Study Bibles, to Devotional Bibles, Children’s Bibles, Bibles for men and for women, etc. You name it, Zondervan has probably published it.
However, one of the enduring problems with Zondervan’s NIV Bibles is that they tend to fall apart too easily. I read the NIV version of the Bible for nearly 30 years every day with a physical Bible. I went through scads of Bibles because they just didn’t stand the test of time. Spines failed, pages fell out, and Bob wondered why I had the book of James in one room and Genesis in another.
With Zondervan, you get what you pay for. An inexpensive Bible is just not going to hold up for you. If the NIV is the version you want, it’s best to go for a genuine leather Bible. Bob and I have a saying around here at The Bible Bloodhound: “Sell the shirt, buy the book.”
Depending on what you purchase, Bob gives a “bark” for the durability of more expensive NIV Bibles, but a depressing “howl” for the durability of inexpensive ones.
5. Attractive
Yes, the look and feel of your Bible matters. With so many different NIV Bibles on the market, there is most definitely one you will find which is aesthetically pleasing, feels good in your hands, has that great book smell, and invites you into the beautiful message contained within.
Bob gives a “bark” for the wide selection of attractive NIV Bibles.
Based on “Bob’s 5 Bark Bible Review System” the overall rating for The New International Version of the Bible is:
4 ½ Barks out of 5
Stop back from time to time as we continually add great content and reviews to specific NIV Bibles.
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