NKJV vs ESV - How do they COMPARE?

Love both translation, thanks brother :)

Despite its evangelical roots, the ESV now has editions with the Apocrypha. Would that the NKJV did the same in my lifetime!

Between the two I like the NKJV because it's in modern English and yet keeps the eloquence. I have also read the New Century Version that reads In the beginning God created the earth and the sky. NCV loses the dynamics of heavens and the earth.

Can't see the reason to change the structure of the language. In your first example it says you will keep and the esv says you keep. The word will is a command. second example, and I will dwell and the esv says and I shall dwell. So why change a few words. The only thing the different is to sell more bibles.

The Bible isn’t supposed to be like “other literature”. It’s the HOLY bible for a reason. And holy means to be set apart.

Thanks for your compelling comparison between the NKJV and the ESV. I'm fond of both of these and frequently compare them. In addition, I'm an avid reader of the CSB and NASB.

I like the NKJV slightly better than the ESV except that the NKJV doesn't have the Apocrypha. I read 1st Maccabees, The Wisdom of Solomon, and Sirach often, though not as Scripture. However, I seem to be reading the ESV more and more.

I still read the KJV alot, and I use the NASB 77 and the RSV.

My main problem is that the Critical Text is a hybrid that never existed until recently. I prefer the Majority Text, of which the various editions of the Textus Receptus are a subset. However, I still want to know the readings in the Critical Text, however.

I wish there existed a parallel NKJV and the ESV.

Very good video.

Which one is easier nkjv or esv

ESV lacks capital words such as Jesus or Lord or Me refer to Jesus which is important so i prefer NKJV

The NKJV still uses the word “whence” in Psalm 121:1

The ESV is a good starter Bible for newcomers to Christianity. I'd absolutely recommend it to a newbie. But for a more seasoned believer, NKJV and NASB 1995 would be my reccomendations.

It was interesting to me that as I started buying up all the different study bibles I gave favor to ESV and NASB translations but I ended up with more NKJV bibles than the other two combined because it was by far the most available in the different study bibles.

It's my understanding that the Italics used in the NKJV are for the words that weren't in the manuscript but, rather, words inserted by translators (sometimes based on conjecture). That can useful for Bible study but it sounds like some people find the Italics distracting.

I like my NKJV and KJV

Thank you, this is very helpful!

That was really helpful thank you so much

Excellent- We use both of these for daily reading. This video is on our doctrine playlist.

Excellent review and comparison thanks

Have both, use both. Both are EXCELLENT translations.

I would get the KJV and what ever other “modern” Bible.

I use the NKJV and king James as my two main bibles

Thank you as always. I just finished reading the Bible in a year in the NIV and I’m planning to do the Bible Recap in 2024 and I plan to use one of these two translations. The author of the Bible recap uses the ESV but my ESV is only a reader. My NKJV is a journaling Bible, which I would like to use so I can take notes. This was very helpful.

Any thoughts about the NLT?

I'm pretty tired of people getting caught up in brother or brethren or son of man son of God. I'm a dude...If i can be part of the bride of Christ , a female can be the brethren or son of God.

Interesting insights. I used to be a NIV guy most of my evangelical life. But things change and I'm learning much more about translations than I did before. Thank you.

All of your translation comparisons are very helpful, Tim. I always thought that when I retired my NASB as my everyday carry I'd replace it with an ESV. The size 10 font in the NAS seems to get a little smaller every year as I near 70. But, since I have an ESV Study Bible I decided to go with a slighty different but equally beautiful translation in th NKJV. Plus it was a lot easier to find a size 12 font with the features I wanted in the NKJV

The NKJV and the ESV are both excellent.

The ESV has very little comparison to the KJV

Great video, thanks! I currently use the NKJV, CSB, NASB, NIV, and NLT. With all those translations, would there be any benefit to adding the ESV? Ironically, I know many say the NLT is not literal at all, and yet, in some places, it is VERY literal.

I have the ESV and planning on getting the NKJV as my secondary bible for study and to compare the 2

This video comparison is akin to walking down an alley trying to figure out who's garbage stinks the most.

I think the text being translated is the most important difference.

The NKJV NT is much better than the ESV NT, however the ESV OT is superior since it incorporates the Dead Sea scrolls.

I prefer NKJV

Thank you Tim

The NKJV is my primary Bible. I think I would use the ESV but I don’t like that it doesn’t use the TR.

Crossway would be really smart to make a TR ESV. People would eat that up, I think.

Very helpful, thank you.

Great video thank you for this!

I Like the NKJV.. longer Mark ending and more verses from the majority text 😎

To boast has prideful connotations, but I can give Glory to God without being prideful

Thanks for the comparison. I recently switched from NKJV to ESV and think they are too similar to be companion translations. The KJV and ESV are better companions for me.

The KJV/NKJV uses the Textus Receptus for the base text of the New Testament.

The ESV and most other modern translations use the Majority Text.

People assume there is one base manuscript and there is not. There is a difference, this is why we have different wording in the text.

Thank you brother for your comparison between the nkjv and esv on the 23 psalm. As 70 year old brother in Christ I think the NKJV is fine especially for one who did a lot of memory verses of the KJV when I was young 50 years ago. My primary bible is the NKJV I refer to NIV...95 NASB for comparison at times. Thank you for your many comparison. We in the English are blessed with much in English Bible.

Luke 2:14 is a game changer, it's definitely major. I use the NKJV because the ESV says something completely different. They both can't be correct here. The ESV has been influenced by calvinism. God offers salvation to all humans.

I love both the NKJV and the ESV. I noticed how similar they are by side by side comparisons. I can recommend both to anyone searching for a good translation. I also love the NASB, and my old standby: the old King James Version.

I have a question. While I do think the video is good, I had the expectation that you were going to compare the translations to something such as the Leningrad codex or the LXX or even the fragmented dead sea scroll. I’m unaware of you know both Hebrew and Greek but if you do then I think you should remake some of these videos comparing it to the oldest languages in the future.

Well Explained!!!

I highly suggest people use the KJV, I know at first it can be intimidating, but the KJV is the true word of God in English and you WILL experience break through by studying and reading the KJV. My suggestion is to read the NASB95 and then switch to KJV exclusively.