Discipleship
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 50, No. 2 - Spring 2008
Managing Editor: Malcolm B. Yarnell III
CD Rom. Version 2.0. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems. $324.95.
Serious textual study of the Bible must involve the science and art of textual criticism, comparing variants to determine the original reading of the text. These pursuits use the critical apparatus, and the Stuttgart Electronic Study Bible2.0 (SESB) greatly enhances these examinations by providing the Old Testament and New Testament modern critical apparatus in electronic form. So far, other electronic software offers only old (Tischendorf ’s) or incomplete modern versions.
A textual apparatus includes shorthand notes that tell what the variant textual readings are and where they occur: the specific papyri, manuscripts, ancient translations, and/or ancient quotations by the church fa- thers. Without examining the apparatus one cannot knowledgably examine the question of the provenance of such passages as Judges 16:13–14; Matthew 6:13b; Mark 11:26; 16:9-20; Luke 23:34a; 24:12, 36b, 40; John 7:53–8:11; Acts 8:37, and Romans 16:24—to mention some of the better known—most of which are noted in modern translations with brackets or marginal notes. One must examine the apparatus to determine which is the preferred reading for Genesis 4:8; Psalm 2:11–12; 22:1, 16; Malachi 2:16; Matthew 15:6; 27:24; Mark 3:14; Luke 6:1; 8:26; John 10:29; and 1 John 5:7–8, to mention a few texts with variant readings.
Version 2.0 of the SESB adds fifteen resources o version 1.0: The Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) with critical apparatus and the WIVU morphological and syntactical tags, the Biblia Hebraica Quinta (BHQ—the fifth major critical edition of the Hebrew text) with apparatus, a morphologically-tagged Septuagint with the CCAT-database, the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece 27 with apparatus and Gramcord morphological tags, the UBS4 Greek New Testament with apparatus, the Biblia Sacra Vulgata, and the Gospel of Thomas in Greek, Coptic, English, and German. In addition, there are the following modern Bible versions: English (NIV and NRSV), Greek (1), German (3), French (4), Dutch (5), Norwegian (4), and Danish (1), as well as four original language dictionaries (including the Septuagint: Lust; NT: Barclay Newman, which is the smaller one at the end of the UBS4).
As fine as this product is, Logos Research Systems might increase its usefulness and accessibility by adding the following: (1) a German and an English book on textual criticism, such as A Student’s Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible, by Paul D. Wegner, (2) A Textual Commentary on the Greek NT, 2nd edition, by Bruce M. Metzger (available for individual purchase), (3) a constituency tree analysis of the WIVU syntax tagging of the entire Old Testament, (4) an apparatus for the LXX and for the Vulgate, and (5) offer UBS4 apparatus as a separate resource so one can view it in a separate screen.
The minimum system requirements are: Microsoft Windows 98 or later, Pentium 133 MHz, 64 MB memory, CD Rom reader, 60 MB hard drive, and 800 x 600 screen resolution.
