Who Is This For?
Best For:
Detailed Bible study, word-for-word comparison with original languages, academic research, and as a literal reference alongside more readable versions.
Not Ideal For:
Casual reading, public worship, new believers, or those wanting natural English prose.
Strengths & Limitations
✓ Strengths of the ASV
- Highly literal and accurate translation
- Consistent rendering of Greek and Hebrew terms
- Excellent for detailed word studies
- Public domain - freely available
- Strong foundation of 19th-century scholarship
✗ Limitations to Consider
- Language now significantly dated
- Formal style can feel stiff and awkward
- Use of 'Jehovah' unfamiliar to many readers
- Less readable than modern translations
- Never gained wide popular acceptance
Overview
The American Standard Version represents the American contribution to the landmark Revised Version project. Produced by a distinguished committee of American scholars led by Philip Schaff, the ASV prioritized literal accuracy and consistent translation of Greek and Hebrew words, becoming the standard Bible for American seminaries for decades.
Want to read the ASV Bible online? Use our Bible search tool to find any verse, or start reading from Genesis.
Notable Features of the ASV
- Consistent translation of original language words
- Uses 'Jehovah' for the divine name
- Paragraph format rather than verse-by-verse
- Public domain since 1929
- Foundation for RSV and NASB
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the American Standard Version?
The American Standard Version represents the American contribution to the landmark Revised Version project. Produced by a distinguished committee of American scholars led by Philip Schaff, the ASV prioritized literal accuracy and consistent translation of Greek and Hebrew words, becoming the standard Bible for American seminaries for decades.
How can I read the ASV Bible online?
You can read and search the American Standard Version online for free at Acts1 Family. Use our Bible search tool to find any verse, chapter, or keyword in the ASV translation.
When was the ASV Bible published?
The American Standard Version was first published in 1901. It is classified as a Formal Equivalence translation with a 11th Grade reading level.
Who should use the ASV Bible?
Detailed Bible study, word-for-word comparison with original languages, academic research, and as a literal reference alongside more readable versions.
How does the ASV compare to other Bible translations?
The American Standard Version (ASV) is a Formal Equivalence translation. Compare it with other versions like the KJV, ASV, or NIV using our Bible comparison tools to find the best translation for your needs.
Read the ASV Online
Search any verse, compare with other translations, or start reading from Genesis.
Start ReadingHistory
Complete History of the ASV Translation
The ASV emerged from the international Revised Version project begun in 1870 to update the King James Version using improved manuscripts and scholarship. In 1871, Philip Schaff assembled 30 American scholars to work alongside their British counterparts. The agreement stipulated that American suggestions would be included only if two-thirds of the British team agreed, with remaining American preferences relegated to an appendix. In exchange, the Americans agreed not to publish their own version for 14 years.
When the 14-year embargo expired in 1901, Thomas Nelson & Sons published the 'Revised Version, Standard American Edition' - later known simply as the American Standard Version. The translation incorporated American preferences suppressed in the British edition, including the consistent use of 'Jehovah' for the divine name YHWH (rather than 'LORD').
The ASV earned praise for its accuracy and became the preferred text in American seminaries, earning the nickname 'The Standard Bible.' It served as the base text for two major subsequent translations: the Revised Standard Version (1952) and the New American Standard Bible (1971).
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Translators
Meet the 4 Key Translators and Contributors
Philip Schaff
Committee President
Swiss-born church historian and theologian at Union Theological Seminary. Died in 1893 before the ASV's publication but assembled and led the translation committee.
William Henry Green
Old Testament scholar
Princeton Seminary professor and leading Hebrew scholar who defended Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch.
Joseph Henry Thayer
New Testament scholar
Harvard professor known for his Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, still used today.
Timothy Dwight V
Committee member
President of Yale University and grandson of Jonathan Edwards.
Textual Basis
Manuscript Sources and Translation Methodology
The ASV New Testament followed the critical Greek text of Westcott and Hort (1881), which prioritized the older Alexandrian manuscripts (Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus) over the Byzantine text type used for the KJV. The Old Testament followed the Masoretic Text with reference to ancient versions.
Reception
Scholarly Praise
"Its excessively literal style of translation, however unsuitable it may be for other purposes, is admirably suited to serve as the basis of a commentary which endeavors to pay careful attention to the details of the text."
— F.F. Bruce, History of the Bible in English (1978) [source]
"The American Standard Version of 1901 has been in a very real sense the standard for many translations. It is a monumental product of applied scholarship, assiduous labor and thorough procedure."
— NASB Editorial Board, New American Standard Bible Preface (1971) [source]
Scholarly Concerns
The ASV's severe literalism produces unidiomatic English that sacrifices readability for accuracy, making it primarily an academic tool rather than a Bible for general use.
— Jack P. Lewis, The English Bible from KJV to NIV (1991) [source]
Revision History
View 2 Major Revisions and Updates
- 1901 Original publication by Thomas Nelson & Sons.
- 1929 Copyright transferred to the International Council of Religious Education, leading eventually to the RSV project.
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