Church History · 2020

The NASB 2020 Update

In 2020 the Lockman Foundation released an update to the New American Standard Bible. It kept the NASB's literal style while modernizing some wording, marking where brothers includes sisters, and moving some disputed verses to footnotes. The NASB on this site is the 2020 edition.

Read it in the Bible: Romans 12:1 Hebrews 4:12 Mark 16:9 to 20

The NASB 2020 is the latest update of the New American Standard Bible, released by the Lockman Foundation in 2020. It replaced the 1995 edition, which many pastors had used for 25 years. The update keeps the NASB's famous word for word style but makes a few changes for clearer modern English. It adds or sisters in italics where the Greek word for brothers clearly includes women, uses let's in some places instead of let us, and moves several disputed verses from brackets in the text down to footnotes. The NASB on this site is the 2020 edition.

Who Makes the NASB?

The NASB comes from the Lockman Foundation, a Christian nonprofit started in 1942 when Dewey and Minna Lockman gave their citrus ranch in La Habra, California, to the ministry. The full NASB came out in 1971 and was updated in 1977 and 1995. The foundation also produced the Amplified Bible.

The NASB has a long reputation as one of the most literal major English Bibles. It is the Bible many seminary students use for word studies and many pastors keep open on the desk.

What Changed in the NASB 2020?

Brothers and sisters. In the New Testament letters, the Greek word adelphoi literally means brothers. But it was often used for a whole church family, men and women. The NASB 2020 adds or sisters or and sisters in italics in many of those places. The italics are a classic NASB signal. They tell you the words were added for clarity and are not a separate word in the Greek.

For example, here is Romans 12:1 in The Owner's Manual, which keeps the single word brothers. In the NASB 2020, the same verse makes clear that Paul is speaking to the sisters too.

Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Romans 12:1

Let us and let's. In older English, let us can sound like asking permission, as in please allow us. The NASB 2020 uses let's in places where the meaning is come on, we should. So the meaning stays the same, but modern readers hear it the right way.

Brackets to footnotes. The NASB 1995 printed some verses in brackets in the main text. These are verses missing from the oldest manuscripts, like the longer ending of Mark 16. The NASB 2020 moved several of these down to footnotes.

The Owner's Manual takes a slightly different path on that last point. It keeps those verses in the main text inside square brackets, so you can see the verse and also know the oldest copies do not have it. Both approaches are honest. They just put the information in different places.

Why Did Some People Prefer the NASB 1995?

Any change to a beloved Bible gets pushback, and the NASB 2020 did too. Some readers felt the brothers and sisters additions moved the NASB away from its strictly literal roots. Others felt the italics made it clear and fair.

A group of scholars from The Master's Seminary and University made their own update of the NASB 1995, working with permission from the Lockman Foundation. That became the Legacy Standard Bible, completed in 2021. The LSB keeps the 1995 approach and prints Yahweh for God's personal name, as The Owner's Manual does.

So today there are three cousins on the shelf: the NASB 1995, the NASB 2020 and the LSB. All three are careful, literal Bibles. The choice mostly comes down to style.

Is the NASB 2020 Still Literal?

Yes. It still follows the original word order closely, still marks added words in italics and still uses the same careful method. Most of its changes are small and clearly marked. It remains one of the best Bibles for close study, especially when you want to see how a verse is built.

For the word of God is living and active. Hebrews 4:12

Why Does the NASB 2020 Matter for You?

The NASB 2020 shows how translators wrestle with real questions. How do you stay faithful to the exact words while making sure modern readers hear the right meaning? Good teams answer that in slightly different ways, and seeing those choices side by side can teach you a lot.

You can open the NASB 2020 on this site right next to The Owner's Manual and other translations. When they agree, you can be confident. When they differ, you have found a place where the original language has something interesting to say. That is the Berean way.

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Questions People Ask

What changed in the NASB 2020?

The NASB 2020 adds or sisters in italics where brothers clearly includes women, uses let's instead of let us in some places, smooths some wording, and moves several bracketed verses not found in the oldest manuscripts down to footnotes.

Is the NASB 2020 better than the NASB 1995?

It depends on preference. The NASB 2020 reads a bit more naturally and clarifies mixed gender audiences with italics. Some readers prefer the 1995 edition for its stricter literal style, and the Legacy Standard Bible of 2021 continues that approach.

What is the Legacy Standard Bible?

The Legacy Standard Bible, completed in 2021, is an update of the NASB 1995 made by scholars from The Master's Seminary and University. It keeps the 1995 approach and prints Yahweh for God's personal name.

Who publishes the NASB?

The Lockman Foundation of La Habra, California, publishes the NASB. It was founded in 1942 and also produced the Amplified Bible. The full NASB first came out in 1971.

Sources

← The Holman Christian Standard Bible and the CSB The Berean Standard Bible Goes Public Domain →

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