Schuyler has emailed an update on their plans for a premium RSV. In late September, they raised the possibility of publishing a Quentel version of the RSV (in options with and without the Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books). Many thanks to a reader for sharing the email text below:

Schuyler has embarked on a project to publish an RSV Quentel sometime in mid 2021. We are about 95% sure this project will go forward. This Bible will be available with the Apocrypha. The RSV Quentel will come with a traditional Schuyler Quentel edge-lined binding, art gilt edging, natural grain goatskin etc.

We’ve been asked why we have decided to embark on this project since the RSV has been superseded by the NRSV (mainline) on the one hand and the ESV (evangelical)on the other. Here are a few reasons:

  1. The RSV is an exceedingly accurate and elegant translation. It had long been considered among the most accurate translations.
  2. The RSV is the “father” of both the NRSV and RSV. Many people used this translation for ~ 40-50 years before arrival of the NRSV or ESV.
  3. There are very few current publications of the RSV.
  4. There are no RSV Bibles in print with a reference system.
  5. The RSV uses thee, thou, lest, art, thy and other classical English expressions no longer found in modern translations.
  6. The RSV predates gender modification of nouns/pronouns.
  7. The RSV also contains the Apocrypha.

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14 thoughts on “Email Update from Schuyler on their Premium RSV”

    1. Just the regular RSV, I’m sure, but it will contain the deutero-cannonical books. Schuyler is a Protestant company, so I can’t imagine they would use the RSVCE. At the same time, I have a copy of their ESV Personal Size Quentel, and it is the finest and most well made bible I have ever owned.

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    2. Schuyler is intending to publish an RSV w/ Apocrypha (“…which will likely be in a separate section.” Quote from a Schuyler rep).

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    3. My guess is that it will be the 1971 second-edition text of the RSV, which includes many of the changes that were made in the RSV-CE. If memory serves, I believe the Oxford Annotated Bible with the RSV 1971 text received an imprimatur. Can someone confirm or correct that?

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  3. Here’s my correspondence in the last 24 hours with EvangelicalBible:

    Hi Jeff,
    Thanks for taking the time to send us your feedback! Be sure to sign up for updates on Schuyler Quentel RSV project by clicking here. Stay tuned!
    Blessings,
    Beth

    On Mon, Oct 12, 2020 at 12:15 PM Jeff Sagarin wrote:

    I\’m hoping the Quentel RSV with Apocrypha will include the full Apocrypha of the 1977 Oxford New Annotated Bible with Apocrypha. In particular, Maccabees 3 and Maccabees 4 and Psalm 151 and Prayer of Manasseh. I have that original hardcover from 1977 and would love to have a Quentel with those same books of the Bible that are in the 1977 version. Sincerely, Jeff Sagarin

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  4. But isn’t the Apocrypha at the back of the book after the New Testament in that Oxford edition? I would prefer they follow the Common Bible format published by Collins – there was a hardcover edition which also included the expanded Apocrypha, where the books are placed in the middle after the protocanonical books of the Old Testament.

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    1. Simon,

      Good point. I too would much prefer to have the apocrypha between proto-canon and New Testament. Maybe people should let them know about this so they can do that.

      Has Schuyler printed a bible with apocrypha before? (E.g., NRSV.) If they did, it would be interesting to see where they put the apocrypha, and if it was between the protocanon and NT as in most NRSVs with apocrypha, might be able to just ask them to do that again with this one. But I’m not sure they’ve done a bible with apocrypha before.

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  5. An additional correspondence with EvangelicalBible this afternoon:

    Hi Jeff,

    Thanks for this detailed feedback! We’ll take it under consideration.

    Please let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with!

    Blessings,
    Beth

    On Tue, Oct 13, 2020 at 3:21 PM Jeff Sagarin wrote:

    Beth,
    Since to some extent this Bible would be an outreach to the
    Catholic and Eastern Orthodox communities who are all desiring
    a truly physically beautiful Bible with Catholic/Eastern Orthodox
    wording in few key passages, it would be great
    if Isaiah 7:14 would say “virgin” rather than “young woman”
    and if Luke 1:28 would say
    “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!”
    rather than “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

    Here’s the complete listing of “The Books of the Apocrypha”
    in that 1977 Oxford New Annotated Bible with Apocrypha.
    I’m sure you have that Bible in your office somewhere!:-D
    And, YES! , I am signed up on the Quentel RSV information list!
    Sincerely,
    Jeff Sagarin

    The First Book of Esdras
    The Second Book of Esdras
    Tobit
    Judith
    The Additions to the Book of Esther
    The Wisdom of Solomon
    Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach
    Baruch
    The Letter of Jeremiah
    The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men
    Susanna
    Bel and the Dragon
    The Prayer of Manasseh
    The First Book of the Maccabees
    The Second Book of the Maccabees
    The Third Book of the Maccabees
    The Fourth Book of the Maccabees
    Psalm 151

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  6. When I copy and pasted into my comment a few minutes ago, I may have left off the last “book” of the Apocrypha … Psalm 151. I of course did have it in my actual email to Evangelical Bible. 🙂

    The First Book of Esdras
    The Second Book of Esdras
    Tobit
    Judith
    The Additions to the Book of Esther
    The Wisdom of Solomon
    Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach
    Baruch
    The Letter of Jeremiah
    The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men
    Susanna
    Bel and the Dragon
    The Prayer of Manasseh
    The First Book of the Maccabees
    The Second Book of the Maccabees
    The Third Book of the Maccabees
    The Fourth Book of the Maccabees
    Psalm 151

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  7. Sounds great, but I already own at least four copies of the RSV, the crown jewel being a first printing/first edition from 1952 that I inherited from great grandmother who bought it when it was first published. I also own a copy of the 1957 ‘with apocrypha’ edition, the 1966 Catholic Edition, the 2006 Ignatius Second Catholic Edition, and the 1977 Ecumenical Edition plus the NOAB 4th edition. I love the RSV, but I just can’t justify the expense of yet another copy.

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    1. I also own multiple copies of the RSV… including a first edition 1966 RSV-CE. But I don’t have a true reference edition (that includes the full Canon of Scripture) OR a premium edition. The Schuyler edition will supposedly be both… although I would get this just to have a premium RSV. There WAS a very nice 50th anniversary RSV from Oxford, although that was a strange hybrid between the 1971 edition and the RSV-CE.

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      1. I own that “Oxford 50th Anniversary RSV w/ Apocrypha” in genuine cowhide leather, and it’s a very nice edition (though has an irritating typo— missing a word, if I recall— in the OT), especially for an Oxford, which, in my opinion, doesn’t compare to some other bible publishers these days when it comes to leather quality (for example, the “genuine leather”– which typically means pig skin, I believe— on the NABRE large print is awful).

        So I’m happy to hear about Schuyler’s plans. I don’t presently own a Schuyler bible but they look beautiful and I know they’re highly regarded. I would be even more enthusiastic to see them do the ESV with the deuterocanonicals.

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