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Psalms/Proverbs/New Testament combo?

Discussion in 'Bible Versions & Translations' started by Rob_BW, May 9, 2017.

  1. Rob_BW

    Rob_BW Well-Known Member
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    Seems very popular, and available in a multitude of translations.

    Does anyone know the history behind how this particular combo got started?
     
  2. InTheLight

    InTheLight Well-Known Member
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    I'm going to guess the Gideon's International had something to do with it.
     
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  3. Ziggy

    Ziggy Well-Known Member
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    My suspicion is economics plus convenience (a Gideon can correct me if I am wrong):

    Whole Bibles intended for hotel use obviously cost more to produce than smaller pocket New Testaments intended for wider distribution (primarily in schools)--but people still were familiar with various favorite Psalms and Proverbs (in books that generally were more popular than the remainder of the Old Testament). Thus the easiest, most convenient, and financially most feasible solution for the Gideons to implement was the NT/Psalms/Proverbs compilation.

    Notably, various other publishing sources preferred to print only a pocket-sized New Testament, without Psalms or Proverbs (I have several such).
     
  4. Calv1

    Calv1 Active Member

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    Yeah it's a big problem, today when you say "Bible" people think "New Testament", it's one reason for Americas illiteracy.
     
  5. Martin Marprelate

    Martin Marprelate Well-Known Member
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    You are correct. The Gideons gave away 93 million Scriptures worldwide last year; if every one of those was a full Bible. we'd be bust! Also, it's very easy to carry a couple of NTs about in your pocket to give away to people you meet, but not so easy with a Bible.
    FYI, British Gideon NTs contain the Psalms but not Proverbs. We tend to think that have slightly larger print is worthwhile so that older people can read the book easily. Gideon Scriptures are intended to be given to unbelievers; we expect that someone who gets saved from reading one will buy himself a full Bible.

    In hotels in Europe and Japan, you tend to see Gideon NTs rather than Bibles but in either two or three languages, one of which is always English.
     
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