# UBS Reader's GNT?



## toddpedlar (Aug 26, 2008)

Anyone have a copy of it? It's in my sights, but it looks to be a beaut (though I wish they made a leather version. I will NOT own the Zondervan Reader's GNT, though it looks to be a nicely bound version). For those who are textus receptus folks, and have a copy of the TBS leather-bound TR, how is that?


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## uberkermit (Aug 26, 2008)

toddpedlar said:


> I will NOT own the Zondervan Reader's GNT, though it looks to be a nicely bound version).



How come? And yes it is nicely bound.


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## toddpedlar (Aug 26, 2008)

uberkermit said:


> toddpedlar said:
> 
> 
> > I will NOT own the Zondervan Reader's GNT, though it looks to be a nicely bound version).
> ...



Well, the main reason I suppose is that it's a reverse-engineered Greek text, as the publisher describes it. It's the assumed text underlying the TNIV, not, as it could be, the actual text that the TNIV committee decided upon. I gather this is because the compilers Goodrich & others did not have access to the TNIV base text. Now one might ask why take the UBS4 instead of a reverse-engineered text - they're not that different (well, 285 words are different I understand) and each is an electic amalgam of manuscripts (as underlie almost all modern translations), so why worry? I guess I don't have a great answer for that, though I do not particularly care for the reverse-engineered nature of the text, nor do I have any faith at all in the different choices made in accepting minor manuscript evidence done by the TNIV committee.


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## toddpedlar (Aug 26, 2008)

I also like better the fact that the 30x-or-fewer-used words that are defined below the main text in the UBS version are parsed/cased, whereas in the Zondervan version they are not. 

On the other hand, the UBS version gives a contextualized definition (which I don't prefer) and the Zondervan version gives a more "amplified bible" type of definition. In any case, for serious study, my Colin Brown and BAGD will be at hand anyway.


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## Casey (Aug 26, 2008)

I've held the UBS version in my hands at my seminary's library and paged through it. It looks nice and I'd get it if I had the money. It's a little larger than the normal UBS/NA27 NTs.


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## greenbaggins (Aug 27, 2008)

For simply reading through the Greek NT, there is nothing like it. Avoid the Zondervan version like the plague, however, as the font is italics, and the pages bleed through (you can see the other side, which is rather distracting). The UBS edition is very nice that way. Personally, I don't really care whether it is reverse engineered, it is still going to be extremely close to the UBS 4th, since UBS published it. I would buy it, and then get a Bible cover for it. You can get nice leather ones these days.


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## Guido's Brother (Aug 27, 2008)

greenbaggins said:


> For simply reading through the Greek NT, there is nothing like it. Avoid the Zondervan version like the plague, however, as the font is italics, and the pages bleed through (you can see the other side, which is rather distracting). The UBS edition is very nice that way. Personally, I don't really care whether it is reverse engineered, it is still going to be extremely close to the UBS 4th, since UBS published it. I would buy it, and then get a Bible cover for it. You can get nice leather ones these days.



The second edition of the Zondervan Reader's GNT fixed the font problem, but the pages are still a bit thin. Personally I don't find it to be an issue.

For sermon preparation, I still use my Hodges and Farstad Majority Text. But for reading, I prefer my Reader's GNT, even if it is not the best text.


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## DMcFadden (Aug 27, 2008)

Reviews hail the new font but say that it actually appears smaller due to the light strokes on the lines.


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## greenbaggins (Aug 27, 2008)

This is what makes the UBS edition far superior. Incidentally, I have been informed that the Hebrew reader's edition will also be published by UBS at some time in the future. They will bind their edition far better than the Zondervan edition.


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## Kenneth_Murphy (Aug 27, 2008)

One of the big things for me, largely because my greek vocabulary is only into the 35 words frequency so far, was that the UBS version has 2 column definitions and as you see about in the Zondervan sample page, it has them all ran together. Its MUCH easier to refer below for a gloss with the two column UBS page layout. And for me it's about improving my reading of Greek more than what the exact text it is.


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## DMcFadden (Aug 27, 2008)

OK, guys, you convinced me. After ordering the Zondervan edition, I canceled it (successfully) this morning and ordered the UBS version:


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## toddpedlar (Aug 27, 2008)

DMcFadden said:


> OK, guys, you convinced me. After ordering the Zondervan edition, I canceled it (successfully) this morning and ordered the UBS version:



yee haw! me too


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