The Orthodox Study Bible is your best option. It’s the only complete English study Bible designed specifically for Orthodox Christians, with a Septuagint-based Old Testament and Orthodox commentary throughout.
But let’s back up. If you’re coming from a Baptist or non-denominational background here in Southeast Texas, you probably grew up with the King James Version or maybe the New International Version. Those aren’t wrong exactly, but they don’t give you the whole picture of what the Orthodox Church uses and teaches.
Why the Septuagint Matters
Most people don’t know that the Old Testament you find in Protestant Bibles comes from the Hebrew Masoretic Text, which Jewish scholars standardized around the 10th century AD. That’s fine for what it is. But the Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures completed around 250 BC in Alexandria.
This isn’t some obscure preference. The Septuagint was the Bible of the early Church. When Jesus quoted scripture, He often quoted from the Septuagint. When the Apostles wrote the New Testament, they quoted the Septuagint so frequently that you can see its Greek wording embedded right there in their letters. The Church Fathers, Athanasius, Basil, John Chrysostom, all used the Septuagint. It’s what Christians have always used.
The differences matter. Isaiah 7:14 in the Septuagint clearly says “virgin” (parthenos in Greek), which is why Matthew quotes it that way when talking about Christ’s birth. The Masoretic Text just says “young woman.” That’s not a small difference. The psalm numbering is different too, which is why Orthodox prayer books reference Psalm 50 where your NIV says Psalm 51. Same psalm, different numbering system.
Protestant Bibles have 39 books in the Old Testament. The Orthodox Bible has 49. We include books like Tobit, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees (some editions add 3 Maccabees). Protestants call these the Apocrypha and consider them useful but not inspired. We consider them scripture, period. They were in the Septuagint, the early Church read them, and they’re quoted by the Fathers.
What’s in the Orthodox Study Bible
The Orthodox Study Bible uses the New King James Version for the New Testament, that’s solid, readable, fairly literal. For the Old Testament, it provides a fresh English translation of the Septuagint, including all those deuterocanonical books your Protestant Bible left out.
But the real value is in the notes and commentary. They’re written by Orthodox scholars and explain passages the way the Church understands them. When you read about the burning bush or the Passover lamb or the bronze serpent, the notes show you how the Fathers saw these as pointing to Christ. You’re not just getting the text. You’re getting the Church’s reading of the text.
Other Options
If you can’t get the Orthodox Study Bible right away, the New King James Version is acceptable for personal reading. It’s based on the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament, so you’re missing the deuterocanonical books, but it’s a good translation and it’s what many Orthodox Christians use alongside the OSB.
The Revised Standard Version is also fine. Some people prefer its style. The English Standard Version is popular in evangelical circles, but it’s got the same limitations as the NKJV, Protestant Old Testament canon, no Septuagint base.
Don’t use paraphrases like The Message for serious study. They’re too loose with the text. And honestly, if you’re preparing for chrismation or trying to understand Orthodox teaching, you need the Orthodox Study Bible. It’s not expensive, and Fr. Michael can point you to where to order one.
Reading Scripture in the Church
One more thing. We don’t approach the Bible the way most Protestants do. We don’t believe in sola scriptura, scripture alone. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, absolutely. But it’s received and interpreted within Holy Tradition. The Church wrote the New Testament, the Church decided which books belonged in it, and the Church reads it within the context of liturgy, the Fathers, and the councils.
That’s why the Orthodox Study Bible matters. It gives you scripture as the Church knows it, with the Church’s voice helping you understand it. When you hear the Epistle reading on Sunday morning, you can go home and read the same text with notes that connect it to the liturgy you just experienced. That’s how it’s supposed to work.
