A mild revision of the English Standard Version has been released this year, and this new series which I will roll out over the next few days will attempt to provide an exhaustive list of changes between the 2001 and 2007 editions of the ESV. The first glimpse of these changes was seen last year when the ESV Reverse Interlinear became the first publication to contain the revised New Testament. At that time, I offered a preliminary survey of changes between the two editions simply based on my search for differences in the text.

Earlier this week, OakTree Software released the updated edition of the ESV as a separate module from the original one. The changes between the editions are relatively minor, but I had petitioned OakTree earlier this year to keep the modules separate for sake of comparison. For whatever reason, Crossway and the Standard Bible Society opted not to release a list of the changes in spite of the fact that there was earlier indication that they would. Evidently, the changes were such a tightly kept secret that they wouldn't even give a list of changes to OakTree, but rather gave them a brand new etext that had to be prepped along with footnotes and cross-references. Undoubtedly, a simple list of corrections would have made the update a much easier task, but as Helen Brown noted in the comments over at the Accordance Blog:

If Crossway had supplied a list of corrections, our work would have been trivial, but we had to start over with a new etext and redo all three modules. In order to stay in business we do have to try to cover our costs.

Her last statement is in reference to the $10 upgrade fee (very reasonable in my opinion) charged to those who had the original ESV text in Accordance.

Now that I have both the 2001 and 2007 ESV editions available as separate modules in Accordance, I can use the comparison tool to find what should be an exhaustive list of changes between the editions. As I've already said, the changes are fairly minor in the big scheme of things. Unlike the significant change in the 1996 and 2004 editions of the NLT, the ESV update is really more of the standard "second run" with a few minor fixes that most translations experience (consider the 1978 and 1984 editions of the NIV, but compare John 1:18 in both).

Some of the changes are related to spelling or grammar, and a few reflect mild theological change (see Num 21:3 for instance). I am going to list the changes without commentary (other than to say Gen 30:35 is quite the chuckler), but I encourage discussion of the significance of any of these changes in the comments for this post. Over the next few days, I will display changes throughout the entire Bible between the two editions of the ESV.

For now, here is the Pentateuch:

	2001 ESV	2007 ESV
Gen 2:19	So out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.	Now out of the ground the LORD God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
Gen 24:60	And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate them!”	And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Our sister, may you become thousands of ten thousands, and may your offspring possess the gate of those who hate him!”
Gen 25:20	and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to be his wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean.	and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.
Gen 26:17	So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the valley of Gerar and settled there.	So Isaac departed from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.
Gen 30:35	But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in charge of his sons.	But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in the charge of his sons.
Gen 37:22	And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; cast him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.	And Reuben said to them, “Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hand to restore him to his father.
Gen 37:24	And they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.	And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
Gen 38:12	In course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.	In the course of time the wife of Judah, Shua’s daughter, died. When Judah was comforted, he went up to Timnah to his sheepshearers, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
Gen 44:18	Then Judah went up to him and said, “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.	Then Judah went up to him and said, “Oh, my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh himself.
Ex 17:15	And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD is my banner,	And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner,
Ex 20:11	For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.	For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Ex 22:16	If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.	If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife.
Ex 29:27	And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests’ portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and his sons.	And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests’ portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and his sons’.
Ex 32:31	So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people have sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.	So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold.
Lev 19:31	Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.	Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the LORD your God.
Lev 20:6	If a person turns to mediums and wizards, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.	If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.
Lev 20:24	But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the LORD your God, who have separated you from the peoples.	But I have said to you, ‘You shall inherit their land, and I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ I am the LORD your God, who has separated you from the peoples.
Lev 20:27	A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.	A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.
Lev 23:6	And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.	And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.
Lev 26:46	These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between him and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.	These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai.
Num 4:7	And over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the regular show bread also shall be on it.	And over the table of the bread of the Presence they shall spread a cloth of blue and put on it the plates, the dishes for incense, the bowls, and the flagons for the drink offering; the regular showbread also shall be on it.
Num 21:3	And the LORD obeyed the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah.	And the LORD heeded the voice of Israel and gave over the Canaanites, and they devoted them and their cities to destruction. So the name of the place was called Hormah.
Num 21:14	Wherefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,	Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD, “Waheb in Suphah, and the valleys of the Arnon,
Num 21:18	the well that the princes dug, that the nobles of the people delved, with the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah,	the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter and with their staffs.” ¶ And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah,
Deut 9:26	And I prayed to the LORD, ‘O Lord GOD, destroy not your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.	And I prayed to the LORD, ‘O Lord GOD, do not destroy your people and your heritage, whom you have redeemed through your greatness, whom you have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
Deut 18:11	or a charmer or a medium or a wizard or a necromancer,	or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead,

See also:
• Joshua - Esther
• Job - Song of Solomon
• Isaiah - Malachi
• Matthew - Acts
• Romans - Philemon
• Hebrews - Revelation

Tags: ESV