Cambridge University Press just published their new Diadem Reference Edition of the English Standard Version (ESV) with the apocrypha/deuterocanonical books. Currently, the edition is only available in hardcover, and it features a double-column text layout with cross references in the center between the two text columns. Here is a link to a sample PDF showing the text layout on the first two pages of the Gospel of Matthew. Additional features include:
- 15 pages of color maps
- 1 ribbon marker
- Sewn binding
- 8.1 point Lexicon font
- Black letter text throughout (no red letters to represent the words of Jesus)
- American spellings
Future editions in calf split leather and calfskin will have red letters for the words of Jesus, but the hardcover version features all black lettering.
To my knowledge, this version does not include the changes that were made in the Catholic Edition of the ESV. Outside of the deuterocanonical books, those changes are minimal. Here is a document that lists the changes that were made in the ESV-CE in the protestant canon. The Catholic Edition included more substantial revisions to the deuterocanonical books, including a complete revision of the book of Tobit, according to Dr. Mark Giszczak in the comments on this blog post. It’s possible that Cambridge used an updated version of the ESV Apocrypha that includes the Catholic Edition changes, but the more likely scenario is that they re-published the ESV Apocrypha that was originally included in Oxford’s ESV with Apocrypha.
The MSRP for the hardcover edition is $49.99, and it is available direct from Cambridge here. It is also available from Amazon at this link.
I think I’ll stick with the ‘Augustine’ version. It’s important to support Catholic ministries.
I’m very glad that Cambridge is expanding their selection of bibles with the deuterocanon! This seems like a promising edition in a perfect size. The perfect bible in my opinion would be a premium version of the ESV-CE. I really hope that the ESV-CE will catch on in Catholic circles and that some Catholic publisher will take it upon themselves to produce an edition of such quality that would be on par with Cambridge or Schuyler bibles. But alas, it seems perhaps the demand is just not quite there (yet). The ESV was my favorite translation when I was a protestant. I think it strikes a good balance of being sufficiently understandable yet not departing too much from the King James tradition in its phrasing. But I’m very happy that Schuyler decided to publish the RSV Quentel with the apocrypha. I have a copy of the black full-yapp and it is just a work of art, a true joy to read every day. It really brings glory and reverence to the Word! We make our chalices, altars, and other church furnishings out of the best materials, so shouldn’t we honor scripture this way too?
A comment left on an evangelicalbible.com review of the edition with the Apocrypha states:
“Also as regards the ESV translation of the Apocrypha…this is ‘a revision’ of the ESV Apocrypha as published in the 2009 edition from OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS of ‘THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION BIBLE with APOCRYPHA’ (ISBN 978-0-19-528910-7). According to ‘the Preface of the Apocrypha’ a committee of 20 persons consisting of Roman Catholic and Protestant scholars worked on and contributed to the ‘revision’…”
So it is possible that some of the changes to the Deuterocanonicals made in the ESV-CE made their way into the updated Apocrypha text. I was excited back in 2009 when Oxford University Press released the ESV with Apocrypha (while I was still a Protestant). Now looking forward to getting a copy of this edition from Cambridge or editions from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge who are apparently responsible for international distribution of the ESV-CE and ESV with Apocrypha.
Very interesting! Thanks for the info, Brandon.
Interesting to compare the various editions of the ESV-CE. I just picked up hardback editions of the ESV-CE and ESV with Apocrypha (ESV+A) published in 2021 by the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK).
The Augustine Institute edition in bonded leather is printed in Italy but it isn’t specified by which printer (but I guess it’s LEGO s.p.a).
Both SPCK hardback editions are printed by LEGO s.p.a. in Italy and they appear to be smythe-sewn as well. The difference between these and the Augustine Institute editions (which are typeset very similar to Crossway’s text editions) is that 2K Denmark was responsible for the layout and typesetting. The typeface used appears to be their Bible Slab/Sans/Serif family (going to confirm that with 2K Denmark myself). And the text is line-matched (which is one up on the Augustine Institute edition). There is some ghosting but with line-matching, it’s barely noticeable to my eye.
Single silver coloured ribbon is present in each. I’m not game to purchase any of the imitation leather editions as in a few year’s time, the imitation leather will end up disintegrating like other imitation leather Bibles in my library.
Overall I’m glad that I picked up these editions rather than the Augustine Institute’s. Now to wait for my copy of the Diadem edition of the ESV+A to arrive sometime next year.
I own this Bible in leather. According to the preface for the ESV Apocrypha, it uses an UPDATED text – not the original RSV text published in the ESV Oxford Edition.
So…the ESV-CE apocrypha and the Cambridge diadem ESV with apocrypha…, has the exact same text ??