The Orthodox Study Bible (OSB) and the Brenton Septuagint are both Bibles shaped by Eastern Orthodox tradition, but they are built for different readers. The OSB is a complete modern-English Bible with Orthodox study notes, introductions and articles, designed for everyday reading, worship and study. The Brenton Bible is an English rendering of the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament used by the early church, and it suits readers who want the Greek-tradition Old Testament text itself, in older English, with less commentary around it.
Background
The Orthodox Study Bible was produced by a team of Orthodox scholars, clergy and laypeople working under the Eastern Orthodox Church’s Orthodox Study Bible project, with the New Testament drawn from a modern English translation and the Old Testament translated from the Septuagint tradition. Its goal was to give English-speaking Orthodox Christians a Bible that looks and reads like a standard study Bible while carrying the church’s own notes, feast-day readings and patristic commentary alongside the text.
The Brenton Septuagint is much older. Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton produced his English translation of the Greek Old Testament in the nineteenth century, and it has been reprinted many times since. It was never meant as a full study edition. It is a translation of one textual tradition, and it has long been used by readers who want to see the Old Testament as the early Greek-speaking church received it, with the books and order of the Septuagint.
Translation Method
The OSB New Testament and its Old Testament translation follow a modern, readable English style that aims to convey meaning in natural sentences. Readers moving from a typical church Bible will find the wording familiar, while the Old Testament reflects Septuagint readings where they differ from the Hebrew Masoretic text. The notes then explain where those differences matter and why the church has received them.
The Brenton text is more literal in its approach to the Greek and keeps much of the older English cadence of its era. Because it stays close to the Greek sentence structure, it can feel formal and occasionally awkward to a modern reader, but it gives a direct window onto the Septuagint wording and the Greek-tradition book order, which is the point of reading it.
Reading Level and Style
The OSB is written for ordinary adult readers and church study groups. Its sentences flow easily, its footnotes and introductions are clearly organized, and its layout is designed for reading through whole books. Most people with a basic high-school reading level will find it straightforward, and the study material gives beginners a guide for understanding context.
The Brenton Septuagint asks more of the reader. Its language reflects an older English style, and its sentence construction follows the Greek closely. Readers who enjoy older prose often find it rewarding, but those who want quick, plain-language reading may prefer to use it alongside a modern edition rather than as their only Bible.
A Verse to Compare
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.
(WEB)
This familiar opening of the shepherd psalm shows the difference in approach clearly. The OSB presents the Old Testament in contemporary English, so the sentence reads smoothly and the reader can focus on its meaning and the notes that follow. The Brenton text keeps a more formal, older rhythm and a closer mirror of the Greek wording, so the line feels more like a translation of an ancient text and less like everyday speech. Both convey the same confidence that the Lord provides, but they invite the reader into that confidence in different tones.
Who Should Use It
The Orthodox Study Bible suits Orthodox Christians who want a complete, modern-English Bible with church commentary, feast readings and introductions, and it works well for personal reading, group study and parish life. Its limit is that it is a study edition with a particular tradition’s notes, so readers from outside that tradition should expect to read the commentary as a window into Orthodox thought rather than a neutral guide.
The Brenton Septuagint suits readers who want to study the Greek-tradition Old Testament directly, compare it with a Hebrew-based Bible, or read the text the early church used. Its limits are its older English and its lack of modern study helps, so many readers pair it with a contemporary Bible or a commentary when they want to follow the flow of a book easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Brenton Bible the same as the Orthodox Study Bible?
No. The Brenton Bible is an English translation of the Septuagint Old Testament from the nineteenth century, while the Orthodox Study Bible is a complete modern study Bible with Orthodox notes and introductions. They share an interest in the Greek-tradition Old Testament, but they differ in age, style and purpose.
Which one is easier to read?
The Orthodox Study Bible is easier for most modern readers because its English is contemporary and its study material guides understanding. The Brenton text uses older English and follows the Greek closely, so it takes more patience.
Can I use both together?
Yes, and many readers do. The Orthodox Study Bible can serve as the everyday reading and study edition, while the Brenton text is useful for comparing Septuagint wording and seeing how the Greek-tradition Old Testament differs from other English Bibles.
