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|  | Author: Eugene H. Peterson
Publisher: NavPress
Category: Book
List Price: $27.99
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Seller: pbshop
Rating:  124 reviews
Sales Rank: 1745
Media: Hardcover
Edition: New Edition
Pages: 1856
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 7.2 x 5.3 x 1.5
ISBN: 1600060021
Dewey Decimal Number: 220.5208
EAN: 9781600060021
ASIN: 1600060021
Publication Date: June 15, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 124
 A Marvel of Modern Literature! October 22, 2005
Plotinus
26 out of 29 found this review helpful
I am a scholar of Ancient Greek, for what it's worth, and I have to say that I was totally blown away by this translation of the Bible. The Bible was something meant to be spoken, and it is written mostly in the idiom of the spoken languages of the time and place. Our modern language is completely different in structure, idiom and cultural reference from those 'dead' languages of long ago. Therefore, if we want to experience what it felt like to hear those words spoken to their intended audience, we need an expert like this Peterson fellow to interpret them for us into our modern language and idiom. The result is astounding! The Message is of a high literary quality that reads like a skilled storyteller or script-writer is at work here. It is actually exciting to read - something most Bibles can't claim to be, that's for sure! I would judge its level of language to be at least High School level, which is a high as any book for enjoyment ought to be, whereas the NIV is about grade 8 and the King James at about grade 5 (once you get what the old second person singular means, and some other simple points of grammar that have changed a bit over the years since 1611). With all the variety of expression, and the idiomatic nature of the work, the Message is a multicolour festivity for the mind. WOW! I have to commend Mr. Peterson for having had the guts to think of embarking on a project of this scope, not knowing what the end result would be. Well, we know now what it is: enjoyment for thousands upon thousands of people! Humour, Drama, Tragedy, Excitement - what the Bible is really all about!
THE DEAD ARE RAISED... December 16, 2004
NotATameLion (Michigan)
27 out of 31 found this review helpful
I am glad to see that the Message Remix will soon be coming out in one of those duo-tone covers. I love my hardcover, but it is not built for the kind of wear I put my Bibles through. And I'd feel like a cad if I ever took the publishers up on the free replacement offer (I did my first copy in while messing around in the wet of Yellowstone).
Now that we've got that out of the way...
I've always been a stickler staying true to the text in translation. I'm not big on "dynamic equivalence." Anyone who (like me) was first taught about Christ in a translation like the NIV or the NLT and who then studied the scriptures in their original languages can testify to the damage that has been done (intentionally or not) to our image of, thoughts about, and even our relationship with God by these slanted "takes on" the Bible.
Bearing this in mind, I have much (MUCH) to say in praise of Mr. Peterson's wonderful Message.
In a sense, The Message, while being one of the most dynamically equivalent translations, is also more faithful to the Word of God than any other translation currently available to English speakers and readers.
God's word was never meant to be the province of those in ivory towers or high pulpits. It was to be the daily bread of people who lived in a hard-bitten, earthy world--people who, as the saying goes, often died with their boots on.
The New Testament in particular is a book for the common man--for all men and women; young or old--everyone.
Each author (recognizing that there is truly only One Author)in the New Testament has their own style: Paul is wordy--making his sylables into theological equations, Luke is refined, Mark is not, James makes up "Greek" words from Hebrew transliterations, John stands alongside David and Isaiah as the greatest poets of the Bible and has the most uncanny way of phrasing things.
Peterson has captured a lot (not all--translators are forced--by their very endevour--to be traitors) of this in The Message. At the same time he manages to let the earthy, down-in-the-dust feel of the this book to shine through.
Someone once said that the Church is not a museum for the saints, but a hospital for sinners. In the same way, the Bible is not a repository of high-flown language and myth. These are words of life from the very mouth of God.
God is speaking through The Message.
In the Middle Ages, illiterate believers gained their knowledge of the gospel from great cathedrals and their stained glass and tapestry retellings of the greatest story.
We once more live in a world that has forgotten how to read the Bible. Too many, through familiarity, have lost the ability to hear God speak through his Word.
I thank Eugene Peterson for allowing God to reach those who were lost. The deaf can hear. The blind can see.
The dead are raised.
Remember what you're reading... March 23, 2005
Joan Anderson (Indianapolis, IN)
17 out of 19 found this review helpful
I've read so many reviews with one star about this book in which people are so focused on the fact that this isn't a literal translation. I think a man before in a review put it best when he said that this is a TRANSLATION, just as KJV is a TRANSLATION. The actual literal version of the Bible is in a completely different text. For me, I think it all comes down to your Christian views. If you are more open to change and acceptance that the world is different from 2000 + years ago in the church, then you'll *LOVE* this book. If you are stuck more with the old school traditions and believe that change is corrupting the church, then you probably won't like reading this. I personally have a hard time comprehending the Bible in a literal, "how-do-I-apply-this" manner, and I have a college degree (not to say that someone without one doesn't have the same issues reading it as myself). I *love* using The Message to read whatever passage I'm attempting that day first, and then going back in my regular Bible to read the passage again. It helps it sink in more and I understand what is going on so much better!!! It really does help to understand what people 2000 + years ago felt like when hearing the Word for the first time because for me, most of the passages are like hearing the Word for the first time since I understand it so much better in The Message translation. It really takes the strain off reading to comprehend, and instead, reading for pleasure, insight, and strength. Thank God for Eugene Peterson!
To Clear Up Some Confusion Here October 23, 2004
M. J. Elliott (Houston, TX USA)
32 out of 39 found this review helpful
Ok, first the good news: this is a beautiful translation of the Bible. Now, the bad news; there seems to be some confusion in these reviews about what a translation actually is, as compared to a paraphrase.
This bible doesn't need to be used along with a "real" translation, as has been suggested in several other reviews. It is a real translation. That means that the author went to original manuscripts and translated them. This author chose to use modern and relatively simple language, but this in no way makes the translation any less legitimate than some of the more florid and/or archaic versions. If the language appeals to you, you can use this Bible exclusively and know just as much about God's Word as anyone else. Just make sure to memorize the King James Version if you intend on playing Wheel of Fortune or something similar.
Bottom line, folks, is that the texts of the Bible weren't originally written in English. That makes the KJV and the Message both equally acceptible translations, different but neither intrinsically superior. I imagine that when God actually spoke the words, that they transcended actual language. I'm sure when Jesus actually spoke, it was in hebrew, greek, or aramaic. I'm certain neither spoke in the words of the King James Version.
With the passage of a sufficient amount of time, language inevitably evolves to the point that archaic documents present a linguistic challenge to the modern reader. Answering this challenge can be a stimulating and rewarding activity, but it shouldn't be manditory in a subject as important as religion. When an older word choice begins to obscure rather then reveal meaning, it's time to choose another word. That's all translations are, after all; word choice, no choice more inherently sanctified than any other. It's the underlying meaning that's holy.
It should be remembered that the original purpose of the King James Version was to make the Bible accessible to non-specialists, to render it into language that the average citizen of 17th-century England could comprehend when he or she heard it. The Message does the same thing, just for a different time and place.
Unless you're actually reading original texts, and thinking in the languages in which they were written, then you're understanding the Bible in translation. If you have to use a translation (I know I do), use the one that most appeals to you.
Great read! March 2, 2006
B. Adams (Delaware)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful
I got this Bible for my 14 year old. He's turned on like he's never been reading his old version (KJV) I don't think this should replace his other bible, but it's a great supplement. He read 91 pages the first day. He was so excited.
I got one for my Mom too. She's never read the bible due to not understanding it, but now she's reading everyday, and says it makes sense to her.
I read some negative reviews on another website, but I think if something draws you closer to God and makes you desire to read his Word, it should be looked at openly.
My whole family is enjoying this version!
Blake
Showing reviews 6-10 of 124
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