The Orthodox Study Bible (OSB) and the Brenton Septuagint are two English Bibles that both draw on the Greek Old Testament tradition, but they serve different readers. The OSB is a full modern Bible, with the Old Testament taken from the Septuagint and the New Testament in a contemporary English translation, all paired with Orthodox study notes. The Brenton Septuagint is an English rendering of the Greek Old Testament alone, produced for readers who want to see that text in English. If you want a complete, study-ready Bible with commentary written from within Orthodox Christianity, the OSB suits you. If you want to read the Septuagint itself, or compare it closely with the Hebrew-based Old Testament, the Brenton is the more direct tool.
Background
The Orthodox Study Bible was published in 2008 by Thomas Nelson in cooperation with Orthodox scholars and clergy, with the goal of giving English readers a Bible that reflects the worship and teaching of the Eastern Orthodox churches. Its notes, articles and introductions are written from that tradition, and its Old Testament follows the Septuagint ordering and content that the Orthodox Church uses in its services.
Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton produced his English translation of the Septuagint in the nineteenth century, and it has been reprinted many times since. It is an older work, and its English reflects the style of its time. Because it translates only the Greek Old Testament, it is usually read alongside a New Testament from another source rather than on its own.
Translation Method
The OSB follows a fairly literal approach in its Old Testament, staying close to the word order and phrasing of the Septuagint, while its New Testament leans toward readable modern English. This mix gives you accuracy where the Greek is distinctive and fluency where a full sentence matters more than a precise word.
Brenton’s method is also close to the Greek, sometimes closer than modern readers expect. Some sentences keep the shape of the original Greek, which helps students of the Septuagint see how the translators handled difficult passages. The same closeness can make the text feel stiff or archaic to someone reading for the first time.
Reading Level and Style
The OSB reads like a contemporary Bible in most places. Its notes are written for a general adult audience, with clear explanations of liturgical and historical background, and the prose moves at a comfortable pace for daily reading or group study.
The Brenton has the cadence of nineteenth-century English. Older vocabulary and inverted sentence patterns appear throughout, so expect a slower read. Many readers find this rewarding once they settle into it, because the unfamiliar phrasing often makes a passage sound new.
A Verse to Compare
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.
(WEB)
This short verse shows how the two approaches differ in practice. The Brenton keeps close to the Greek sentence, so the wording feels formal and the structure mirrors the original. The OSB, working from the same Septuagint base in its Old Testament, presents the sentence in smoother contemporary English. The meaning is the same in both, but the OSB reads as natural speech while the Brenton reads as a faithful English window onto the Greek.
Who Should Use It
Choose the OSB if you want one complete Bible for personal reading, parish study or a small group, and you value commentary grounded in Orthodox teaching and worship. Its strengths are readability, the full New Testament, and notes that explain how Orthodox Christians read Scripture. Its limit is that it is a study Bible shaped by one tradition, so readers from other traditions will sometimes find the notes unfamiliar.
Choose the Brenton if you want the Septuagint in English for close study, for comparing the Greek Old Testament with the Hebrew, or for seeing how early Greek-speaking Christians read their Scriptures. Its strength is directness to the Greek. Its limits are an older style, a slower read, and the need to pair it with another New Testament.
Is the Brenton Septuagint a complete Bible?
No. It translates only the Greek Old Testament, so most readers pair it with a separate English New Testament. It is useful as a companion volume rather than a stand-alone Bible.
Does the OSB use the same Old Testament as the Brenton?
Both draw on the Septuagint tradition for the Old Testament, so the books and general content overlap. The OSB presents that text in a more modern English style and adds study notes written from an Orthodox perspective.
Which should a beginner read?
A beginner will usually find the OSB easier, because its language is contemporary and its notes explain the text as it goes. The Brenton rewards readers who are already comfortable with older English and want to study the Septuagint closely.
