The Bible and Inclusive Language

Some Biblical translations intentionally adjust pronouns and other gender references to include women. Others do not. There are generally several things that translators have to consider:

  • the nature of the original language and the intent of the passage. For example, does the Greek word for ‘brothers', adelphoi, literally refer to male brothers in the passage or does it refer to a larger community of people like a crowd, both male and female, in which case it may be translated “brothers and sisters”.
  • whether the male language refers to people or God. Some translators choose to make the language for people inclusive while retaining the male pronouns for God. Others will choose to make language for God and Christ inclusive as well. For example, they may change the phrase “Son of God” to “Child of God” to include women, who can never be ‘sons’ but are absolutely ‘children’ of God.
  • how to deal with pronouns to make a passage read well while retaining the original meaning. Sometimes, 'he' and 'him' can be replaced with words like 'person' or 'whoever'. Other times, translators will replace a singular pronoun with a plural one, changing 'he' to 'they', for example. This is actually a frequent construction in spoken English, though not in written English.
The Translator's Notes in your Bible will tell you about the choices the translators made and why they made those choices. Here are some of the more common Bible translations and how they fare in terms of using gender-neutral language.

Clicking on a Bible link will open a new window to the homepage of that translation.

Translations that use inclusive language for God and human beings (Inclusive Bibles):
  • The Inclusive Bible: New Testament

Translations that use inclusive language for human beings only (Semi-inclusive Bibles):
  • New Revised Standard Bible (NRSV)
  • New Living Translation (NLT)
  • The Message
  • Today’s New International Version (TNIV)
  • Today’s English Version (TEV)
  • New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)
  • New Century Version (NCV)
  • Revised English Bible (REB)
  • Contemporary English Version (CEV)

Translations that do NOT use inclusive language:
  • King James Version (KJV)
  • New King James Version (NKJV)
  • New International Version (NIV)
  • New American Standard Version (NASV, NAS, or NASB)
  • English Standard Version (ESV)
  • Revised Standard Version (RSV)
  • New American Bible (NAB)
  • Holman Christian Standard Bible

Suggest a book for the list or report a broken link HERE.

Resources for Bible Study


Engaging the Bible in a Gendered World: An Introduction to Feminist Biblical Interpretation in Honor of Katharine Doob Sakenfeld by Linda Day, Carolyn Pressler, editors

The Women's Bible Commentary by Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe

The Divine Feminine: The Biblical Imagery of God as Female by Virginia Mollenkott

Daughters of Dignity: African Women in the Bible and the Virtues of Black Womanhood by Laverne McCain Gill

Wisdom Ways: Introducing Feminist Biblical Interpretation by Elisabeth Shussler Fiorenza

Feminist Interpretation of the Bible by Letty M. Russell, editor

The Revelatory Text: Interpreting the New Testament as Sacred Scripture by Sandra Schneiders

Texts of Terror: Literary-Feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives by Phyllis Trible

Just a Sister Away: Understanding the Timeless Connection Between Women Today and Women in the Bible by Renita Weems

Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets by Renita Weems

Helpmates, Harlots, and Heroes: Women's Stories in the Hebrew Bible by Alice Ogden Bellis

Take Back the Word - A Queer Reading of the Bible by Robert E. Gross and Mona West, editors

The Strange Woman: Power and Sex in the Bible by Gail Corrington Streete

Postcolonial Feminist Interpretation of the Bible by Musa W. Dube

A Feminist Companion to the Acts of the Apostles (Feminist Companion to the New Testament and Early Christian Writings) by Amy-Jill Levine and Marianne Blickenstaff

blocks_image