The New King James Version (NKJV) and the Orthodox Study Bible (OSB) are both English Bibles, but they answer different questions. The NKJV is a conservative, Protestant-tradition translation that updates the language of the King James Version while keeping its familiar cadence. The OSB is a study Bible that presents the Greek Septuagint-based Old Testament and the New Testament from an Eastern Orthodox perspective, with extensive commentary from Orthodox writers. If you want a dependable reading text for personal devotion and church use in the Protestant tradition, the NKJV suits you well. If you want to read Scripture alongside Orthodox interpretation and the broader Septuagint tradition, the OSB is built for that purpose.
Background
The NKJV was produced by Thomas Nelson beginning in the late 1970s, with a committee of scholars from a range of evangelical and Protestant backgrounds. Its goal was to keep the King James Version’s literary style and vocabulary where they still communicated clearly, while replacing archaic forms such as “thee” and “thou” and updating words whose meanings had shifted. It was completed in 1982 and has been revised only modestly since, which gives it a settled, familiar character in many churches.
The OSB was published by Thomas Nelson in partnership with the Orthodox Church, drawing on the work of Orthodox scholars and clergy. It is organized around the Septuagint, the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that Eastern Christianity has traditionally used, and it includes the deuterocanonical books that many Protestant Bibles omit. Its notes, introductions and essays are written from within the Orthodox theological and liturgical tradition, so the commentary is as much a part of the book as the text itself.
Translation Method
The NKJV follows a formal-equivalence approach, which means it tries to stay close to the wording and sentence structure of the original languages. Readers who value a text that keeps the shape of the Hebrew and Greek often prefer this method. The trade-off is that some phrasing can feel stiff in modern English, though the King James heritage helps it read with a certain dignity and rhythm.
The OSB’s Old Testament text reflects its Septuagint base, so some verses and chapter divisions differ from Hebrew-based Protestant Bibles. Its New Testament is translated with a careful eye to the Greek and to how the Orthodox Church has read these texts liturgically. The result is a Bible that feels rooted in a long, unbroken reading tradition rather than in a single modern committee’s judgment of the original text.
Reading Level and Style
The NKJV reads in a formal, elevated register that many people find devotional and memorable. Its sentences are often long and its vocabulary is more traditional than a contemporary translation, so it can take a little adjustment for newer readers, but it rewards slow reading and memorization. Its style pairs naturally with hymnody and older prayer books.
The OSB’s text is accessible enough for regular reading, but its real length lies in the surrounding material. The introductions, sidebar notes and articles introduce readers to Orthodox liturgy, saints, feasts and patristic commentary. Reading it well means being willing to read the notes as well as the verses, and to meet terms and practices that may be new to readers from other backgrounds.
A Verse to Compare
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.
(WEB)
Both translations render this opening line of the psalm in a way that stays close to the Hebrew structure, with the familiar image of the shepherd and the sheep. The NKJV keeps the King James rhythm, so the sentence flows with the cadence many readers have known from childhood. The OSB, drawing on its wider Septuagint and liturgical setting, presents the same psalm within a tradition where it is prayed and sung in worship. Readers will notice the NKJV’s lyrical familiarity and the OSB’s surrounding commentary that connects the psalm to the life of the church.
Who Should Use It
Choose the NKJV if you want a stable, widely used Protestant reading text with a traditional sound and wide availability in pew Bibles, memory-verse programs and devotional resources. Its limits are that it is less conversational than newer translations, and it does not provide the Orthodox notes or Septuagint-based Old Testament that some readers are seeking.
Choose the OSB if you are Orthodox, exploring Orthodoxy, or simply want to read the Bible within the framework of the Eastern Christian tradition, including its liturgical life and patristic commentary. Its limits are its size and its specific theological orientation, which may feel unfamiliar to readers from other traditions, so it works best for those who want that particular lens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the NKJV the same as the King James Version?
No, the NKJV is a revision of the King James Version that updates archaic words and forms while keeping much of its style. It was produced by a separate committee and published in 1982. Many readers find it an easy bridge from the older text to a modern English reading experience.
Does the Orthodox Study Bible include books that Protestant Bibles leave out?
Yes, the OSB includes the deuterocanonical books that Orthodox Christians accept as Scripture, which many Protestant Bibles do not contain. These books are integrated into its Old Testament based on the Septuagint. Its notes explain how the Orthodox Church understands them.
Can I use the OSB if I am not Orthodox?
Yes, many non-Orthodox readers use it to learn about Eastern Christianity and its approach to Scripture. The notes are written from an Orthodox perspective, so it is most helpful when you read them as a window into that tradition. It is a study resource as much as a reading Bible.
