Although this Bible is not one in modern speech, following, as it does, so very closely with the King James Version and the preceding versions; it may be classified under the above heading in that it is one of the twentieth century English versions of the Bible. In that sense it is “modern.” In the wording of its changes, it intentionally remains as close as possible to the language of the King James Version. Its language, therefore, is more that of a polished King James Version than that of a modem speech version. It has more grammatical accuracy and consistency than the King James Version. You find “who” and “that” for “which,” “are” for “be,” and “its” for “his,” as well as other grammatical improvements.

The marginal references are highly valuable, and practically indispensable to the serious Bible student. But these references are also found in most “study” Bibles on the market, including the King James Version Bibles. The paragraph division of the text is another indispen­sable feature, which, nevertheless appears also in many of the later versions. The text should be arranged in this way, according to the run of thought, and not in the older choppy way of making a paragraph of each single verse. A very desirable feature is the printing of poetry in its own unique format. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Solomon, Deuteronomy 32-33, and II Samuel 22 are so printed. Other sections of Scripture which ought to be printed in the format of poetry are parts of Ecclesiastes, most of Isaiah, many parts of Jeremiah, at least most of the minor prophets, certain parts of the New Testament, and places in the Book of The Revelation.

Another commendable feature, as in the King James Version, is that the names of God may readily be spotted. They are not lost in the format, as in some of the more modern versions. Hence, Lord (in small capitals) is rendered Jehovah. Lord (in lower case letters) is the word for Adonai. Then Lord Jehovah (Genesis 15:1) is Adonai Jehovah. God is usually the word for Elohim, more rarely for El. God (in small capitals) is also rendered Jehovah. Other names either have the Hebrew equivalent in the margin, as El Shaddai, at Genesis 17:1; or the Hebrew is in the text and the English equivalent is in the margin, as Jehovah-is-my-banner (Exodus 17:15).

But there is another sense in which the American Standard Version is “modern,” and that is not only that it represents the beginning of the stream of modem versions now prevalent, but that it bears trends and concessions to modern­ism. It is criticized as being “too stiff, pedantic and unidiomatic,” and not enough in the direction of modem textual criticism, making it “too conservative” and out of date as to the best textual scholarship. But suppose you are still something of a “babe in the woods” as to finding your way around in the King James Version: you don’t have to worry, for to be lost in the King James Version is, nevertheless, to be safe. But it is extremely difficult to say just how lost a “King James Version babe in the woods” would be amidst the multitudinous, and not all too apparent, changes in the American Standard Version, it takes some doing, in this version, to keep an eye on and be oriented to all the changes and omissions beleaguering this Bible. It includes an exposure to a range of 200 omissions in the New Testament alone.

There are quite helpful marginal notes in the original Hebrew or Greek which interpret or explain. Genesis 1:20 has, “in the open firmament of heaven” where the margin reads, “Heb., on the face of the expanse of heaven.” In Genesis 3:20, “Eve” is explained in the margin, “Heb., Havvah, i.e., Living, or Life.” In Genesis 12:9, “South” has the note, “Heb., Negeb, the southern tract of Judah.” So “behemoth” is explained, “i.e., the hippotamus,” and “leviathan” as “the crocodile.” But there are other marginal notations, which, to say the least, may raise some eyebrows, or cause a scratching of the head.

In the Old Testament part of the American Standard Version, variations are placed or suggested in the margin, or it names specifically the ancient version(s) supporting the reading offered. But in the New Testament its sources are concealed under such vague phrases as “Some ancient authorities,” or “Many ancient authorities.” For an Old Testament example, a variant reading to Genesis 6:3 is suggested from the Sept(uagint), Vulg(ate) and Syr(iac). For a New Testament example, see Matthew 6:13, where the doxology of the Lord’s Prayer is placed off in the margin. (See remarks in support of this doxology in the Beacon Light article on the Weymouth New Testament.) For an example of a com­pletely unexplained deletion, see Mark 6:11. Here there is an omission without any notation, in the words: “Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.”

Therefore, though it may seem like a small thing, we do not like it that Psalm 2:7 has, “Thou are my son” (small “s”, as also in verse 12), while Acts 13:33 has, “Thou art my Son” (capital “S”). This version is rather hesitant to acknowledge the deity of Christ, and seems to look for ways to escape doing so. Compare Psalm 45:6, American Standard Version, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever…” where the margin suggests, “Or, Thy throne is the throne of God, etc.” with Hebrews 1:8, “but of the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever,” where a feeble and miserable note reads, “Or, Thy throne is God for, etc.” Here, then, there is suggested a way of dropping the deity of Christ! This is not worthy of any Bible, for it simply is not the Bible. It is this: worldly, natural, demonic (James 3:15).

Where the King James Version (Job 15:16) has, “how much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?’’ the American Standard Version has, “How much less one that is abominable and corrupt, a man that drinketh iniquity like water!’’ Here, the King James Version teaches the total depravity of the race of mankind. The American Standard Version, at this point, teaches something that is true only of a man, one man, any man who happens to be caught up in the behavior described. Another case of undermining the doctrine of total depravity appears at Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (King James Version). The American Standard Version changes it to, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt.” The King James Version is saying that man’s heart is incurably sick, fatally ill, malignantly diseased. The same word, incurable, is found in the American Standard Version at 15:18, and desperate is found in Isaiah 17:11.

A marginal note on Mark 16:9ff says, “The two oldest Greek mss., and some other authorities, omit from v. 9 to the end. Some other authorities have a different ending to the Gospel.” On the say-so of these “authorities” some of the modem versions relegate this section to a place separate from the body of the Gospel. But surely Mark would not have had it his purpose to end his Gospel on a note of fear, for the whole purpose of the Gospel is that men should not be afraid. Mark himself was well aware of that main purpose of the Gospel: see Mark 5:36. But there is much material available in support of the genuineness of this disputed passage.

At Matthew 2:2, 8, “are come to worship him” and “that I also may come and worship him,” the margin states on “worship,” “The Greek word denotes an act of reverence whether paid to a creature (see chapter 4:9; 18:26), or to the Creator (see Chapter 4:10).’’ At 2:11, where “they fell down and worshipped him,” cleverly, there is no note. For the margin already has implied that the wise men merely paid reverence to a fellow creature, and not that they worshiped their Creator. In Matthew 13:51 Jesus asked, “Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.” The American Standard Version has, “They say unto him. Yea.” But there is plenty of textual authority for “Yea, O Lord!” Not only is Matthew 17:21 unnec­essarily omitted from the text and put in the margin, but so is Matthew 18:11, “For the Son of man came to save that which was lost.” With the support that there is for this, it is too important a text to omit. Modernism looks for any excuse to omit such truth! There is much, much more in the way of omissions and changes, but the reader may discover this for himself.

After years of study in the American Standard Version, one’s wide-margin study Bible becomes literarily peppered with remarks like, “weighty enough support to retain this reading!” (referring, e.g., to the omission of Mark 7:16), sprinkled with textuary symbols, dotted and jotted with insertions of verses or parts of verses omitted without notice, spattered with critical notes and com­ments, and dashed with corrections where obviously needed (as at Matthew 27:54, margin: “Or, a son of God.”), h does not take long to see, however, that this Bible has suffered the Jehoiakim method (Jeremiah 36:20-26) of handling Scripture.

One further observation: take note of the omission at Luke 4:18, the words “to heal the brokenhearted and to.” These words are not only in the Received Text, but also in the Caesarian Text, in the majority of remaining witnesses, in Irenaeus, are supported by Griesbach, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford and Godet. They are NOT in the Montgomery New Testament, not in Beck’s New Testament in the Language of Today, nor in New English Bible, Today’s English Version, Revised Standard Version, Modern Language Bible, Moffatt Bible. They ARE in the Dutch and German Bibles, the Douay and, lastly, in the Septuagint.

With the American Standard Version you will need compass, sextant, maps, charts, expert guides, first aid kit (including smelling-salts), spiritual scuba equipment, with special instructions in survival use of tools and equipment needed to find the way in and out this Big Thicket marginalia. With the King James Version, take it up, read, mark, learn, inwardly digest and — enjoy!