Why the ESV Should Not Be Used At Christmas

Among my various pet peeves perhaps this should go near the top of the list:

The English Standard Version of the Bible is woefully inadequate at Christmas, and should not be used. While in may respects this is generally a good translation, I must take strong exception to the translation of St Luke 2:14, particularly the song of the angels, the most familiar and best translation of which is the KJV:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

For decades the second most widely used translation was, I think, the RSV, which runs thus:

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”

This translation employs a variant reading of the Greek word eudokia, “good will.” The variant reading has a sigma at the end of the word, making it eudokias. This changes the case, putting it in the Genitive, so that it reads “of good will.” Without the added sigma, the word is in the Nominative case, making it the subject in the sentence. “Good will toward men” is unambiguously a reference to universal redemption the Savior brings. The variant is not quite so unambiguous, although I contend it still says essentially the same thing. I prefer the KJV, and I think the variant reading is less likely to be the correct one, but let’s set that aside for now. Let’s take the variant. If the reading is rendered with the alternate eudokias, “of good will,” the term must still be understood as a modifier of God, not “men.” In other words, it is implied that eudokias means “of His good will” rather than “men of good will.”

But here’s an important point. The context makes it clear that even if this variant is used, the declaration of universal redemption, which is abundantly clear in the KJV version, still stands, even in the variant. The words “on earth” make the context universal. What could perhaps be added for clarification is a comma after “men,” so that the sentence is rendered thus:

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among men, with whom he is pleased!”

In other words, there is peace on earth because God is now pleased with mankind (because of the birth of the Savior). The glory of God is manifested in His bringing of His peace to the earth by the birth of His Son. This is the birth of the Redeemer of the world, and therefore the world is in view in the song of the angels. The good will of God is imputed to the world, to mankind; they are now as it were in His good graces. He is pleased with men, because of the Redeemer.

However, the ESV makes this rendering impossible, by substituting the word “those” for “men,” giving us the following:

“Glory to God in the highest,
 and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

This rendering is abominable.

It would ruin Christmas, for now it can only be taken to mean that the angels are declaring that the good will of God is only for some, because He is only pleased with some, not all. Only “those” whoever they are.

But Christ is the Savior of the world, and His birth is for all the world. While to be sure there are some—indeed many—who reject it, and who thereby exclude themselves from its benefit, the gift is nonetheless intended for all.

The KJV is superior here, since it’s unambiguous, but the RSV can be used, if understood correctly.

But the ESV is unambiguously wrong. The angelic song is not meant to be taken as an opportunity to distinguish believers from nonbelievers—that distinction can be made some other time—but rather as an invitation to all the world to see the Gift for what it is: a Redeemer for all the world.

So, pastors, whatever you do, do not let the ESV version of the angels’ song reach the ears of your people at Christmas. I don’t care how you fix it. Use KJV here (as I have) or alter the verse here to make it right.

Just do it.

Merry Christmas to all.