Since 2008, I’ve been working on a Reader’s Edition of BHS (Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia) with Don Vance and Yael Avrahami. With Hendrickson and the German Bible Society we are set to launch the new publication at the upcoming annual congress of the Society of Biblical Literature in San Diego in just a few weeks.
The BHS Reader’s Edition uses the current BHS but replaces the text critical apparatus with a parsing and contextual vocabulary apparatus. It will be available in two formats.
- A standard hardcover edition, comparable to the Text Critical edition.
- A soft leather bound edition.
Jim West has recently reviewed the work, and included some photos. His verdict:
This is a really lovely book, both in terms of the quality of the physical components and the content of the editorial work. I recommend it unreservedly. It far surpasses its competitors in both of the areas just mentioned.
Hardcover
Soft Leather
A page from Zechariah. Photo by Jim West
With Meagre Powers 
Was the apparatus removed for the sake of space – that seems a shame.
Well, this is a different edition with a different aim. It’s a Reader’s Edition of the Masoretic Text reproduced in BHS. As such, the apparatus in this edition facilitates the reader rather than the textual critic.
This sounds great! When do you think it will hit Australian shores (if ever!)?
It’ll be easily available via Amazon. I imagine it’ll be in Australian stores early 2015.
With the Zondervan edition, I didn’t see the need for this edition upon initially hearing about it. These images are beautiful though. Now, instead of wondering its purpose, I’m trying to think of friends who might pick one up for me in San Diego (since my wife and I can’t attend this year).
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My order for the BHS Readers Edition just arrived. The black leather BHS Readers Edition is beautiful! I wish the new UBS 5 Greek New Testament Readers Edition was available in the same black leather. Unfortunately, only black flexicover is available for the UBS 5 edition.
Many thanks, your work is appreciated.
Hi George, I’ve been loving this. Do you know if there is a version of this bound together with a Greek NT (ideally a Greek Reader’s)? I know about Zondervan’s, but prefer your edition of the Hebrew – more helpful!
Andrew, thanks for the kind words. I’m so glad you’re finding it of benefit. There isn’t an edition bound with a Greek NT, though. In practical terms, that would be a mammoth volume physically, so I’m unsure such a thing would ever be produced.
Zondervan published one a few years ago – it has both greek and Hebrew, and I think it’s actually a bit smaller than the BHS Readers… the secret is thinner paper.
Zondervan’s one isn’t too bad, but I prefer your edition’s helps.
Yeah, but I was specifically answering with regard to our BHS-RE, for which I do not think there are plans to publish jointly with the Greek NT in one volume. Zondervan’s combined volume does not use the BHS text, and there is a bit of ghosting in the paper. The BHS-RE also has a much more extensive reader’s apparatus.
Hi George,
As others have said this looks great and I see it’s been well received on Amazon.
I was wondering whether you could tell me where the parsing data for this has come from? Was it you, Vance and Avrahami or was it purchased from Bibleworks people (or someone who owns this sort of data).
The reason I’m asking is that I’m wondering how many sets of parsing data there are in the wild.
Thanks,
James
James, all the parsing was produced by the three of us (Vance, Athas, Avrahami)—every word considered manually. That’s why it took so long to produce. Over 21 years of collaborative work went into it.
Wow, thanks for the quick response.
That’s very impressive! Congratulations!
Do you know of any effort to compare these data sets?
If you mean compare the parsing in a formal way, no I’m not aware of such an endeavour.
Thanks. Yes, what I’m thinking is comparing, for example, the Bibleworks (or whatever) data with your own (because obviously the differences may be interesting).
Hi George, is there an internal difference to the two different editions (standard hardcover and soft leatherbound)? You only mention that the standard hardcover is “comparable to the Text Critical edition” but I assume this is a description of the cover.
Both editions are internally identical. The only difference is the cover.
Hi there we are a year into study and would like to learn Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek to read the Bible as accurately as possible. Can you please recommend what guides and books we should get to get started? Interested in this book also. Also affordable and best wat to quickly learn these languages?
Thank you so much! God bless!
I recommend: https://reformers.com.au/products/9780646949680
Hi George,
I got to know there will be a revised edition coming up for the BHS reader’s edition in November this year, and I’m just wondering what areas of differences there will be as compared to the current version 🙂 Are the differences a result of removing philolgoical/lexical information, or an addition of new information?
So interested in the book and looking forward to purchase one 🙂
Thank you for your kind reply,
Jake
The revisions are mainly corrections of typos. There are a handful of changes to parsing, mainly with regards to disputed forms. But as I said, it’s just a handful of such corrections. There is no substantive overhaul in any way.
Oh I see, thank you!
I understood that those forms could be really tricky and I wonder in this edition if there would be explanations regarding these disputed forms?
thanks again for your info!
Jake