Remembering Ronald F. Youngblood

We received sad news that Dr. Ronald F. Youngblood passed away last weekend. A recent message from the faculty of Bethel Seminary in San Diego says this:

It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that our long-time Bethel Professor of Old Testament Emeritus, Dr. Ronald F. Youngblood, passed away Saturday morning, Saturday, July 5 at about 9:00 am. Born in 1931, Dr. Youngblood's life was a long, remarkably useful and well-lived obedience in the same direction. What a legacy. He was a special gift to the church and especially to all of us who had the privilege of knowing him, sitting in his classes, and being inspired by him personally.

The speaker concluded, “As [Dr. Youngblood’s colleague] Dr. Smith reminded us all, precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

Dr. Youngblood was a Zondervan author; served as Editor of the Journal of Evangelical Theological Society from 1976 (vol. 19) to 1998 (vol. 41); and was a long-time member of the Committee for Bible Translation. The Committee’s website includes this biographical note:  

Dr. Ronald Youngblood became an NIV translator in 1970 and a member of the CBT 10 years later. He received his PhD from Dropsie College for Hebrew and Cognate Learning and is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (BD). He has served as professor of Old Testament at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Wheaton Graduate School, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Bethel Seminary in San Diego. His translation experience during the past 30 years…included extensive work on all parts of the NIV as well as more limited tasks related to the recently launched Spanish and Portuguese NVI translations. He is also the executive editor of the NIrV, which is designed especially for younger readers and those for whom English is a second language. As an associate editor of the NIV Study Bible, he has been contacted by countless readers who have been helped and blessed by its text and notes. [Links added by Koinonia Editors.]

Dr. Youngblood contributed to many other books, including the section on 1 & 2 Samuel in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Read his full biography.

We would like to honor Dr. Ronald Youngblood’s legacy of using his gifts to build for the Kingdom. He was a gentleman and a brother in Christ. He will be missed.

-Editors of Koinonia Blog

(Photo: www.niv-cbt.org)