Talking with the Bible

Most of us make New Year’s resolutions with hopes of starting fresh or doing what we meant to do last year. For many Christians, each year’s clean slate begins with a resolve to read the Bible all the way through, but distractions occur or we get discouraged when we reach chapters that seem too heavy or hard or, well, boring, and so we never get pass those passages.

Instead of getting caught up in that guilt trip, try these suggestions:

. Prayerfully read previous posts on the Bible Reviewer and find a translation that speaks to you.

. Read Talking with the Bible by Donn Morgan and get to know the many inspired voices that speak to us as One Voice from the pages of Holy Scripture.

As the author explains: “To have real conversations with the Bible, we must be able to recognize the voices of scripture, to know what they sound like and what they want to tell us.”

Besides being communal expressions of faith collected in the Bible canon, “Biblical voices come from prophets, seers, apostles, cultic leaders, storytellers, poets, and many more. These voices are expressed in individual prayers, as stories about patriarchs, as epiphanies, as letters, as records of one variety or another, as oracles, and much more [laws, letters, visions.]”

As we read what God says to us through these voices, scripture begins to shape how we see the world. For example, “The Bible as storyteller exposes us to values, character traits, salvation events, sacred spaces, foreigners, threats to unity, God’s purposes for the people, and more.”

Since I enjoy reading and writing poems, the chapter on “Talking with the Bible as Singer and Pray-er” especially spoke to me. Often expressed through poetry, “The voice of singer and pray-er is also a voice of consciousness-raising, prompting us to recall the things we need to complain about or praise God for.” In addition, “This voice can function as a spiritual director, encouraging us to adopt a rule of life filled with regular prayer and reflection, integrating faith and practice in the midst of difficult times and challenges.”

Bible prophets often spoke through poetry, too, but rather than focusing on the personal or lyrical, “cries for social justice abound” with such attention-getting words as “Woe” or “Behold!”

Those inspired to write books of history usually chose less dramatic language as they wrote genealogies or episodes intended to give a larger view of the ongoing relationship between God and God’s people. However, to hear the voice of the historian clearly, we must “listen to it and hear it on its own terms.”

As we listen carefully to these many voices expressing the voice of God, we separate the sounds of poetry and history and biblical truths in story, noticing, perhaps, how “the visionary voice of scripture thinks and speaks in polarities.” Similarly, the voice of the sage might come across as judgmental at times, but “wisdom is often a topic of discussion, with the sage reflecting on experience to enlighten us.”

When troubles arise, however, and no clear answers exist, the voice of the lamenter or skeptic may be heard, riddling God with questions and trying to make sense of things that challenge our faith in order to return to a position of praise.

And, isn’t that how it is for us? Don’t we also moan and groan and sing and pray and praise? Don’t we tell our family histories and give our children sage advice? Don’t we also hold dear our clearest visions – of Christ’s return or the Spirit of Love reconnecting the Body of Christ?

Through the Bible, God speaks for us! The Bible also speaks to us and with us through a diversity of inspired voices who encourage us to keep on reading, believing, and Talking with the Bible every day.

As we apply these insights to our own lives, we might also ask what stories we have to tell as we write fiction, nonfiction, and poetry – or as we spread the Good News of God’s good gifts and the mercy we have received.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler



Talking with the Bible, paperback



Talking with the Bible, Kindle e-book edition

A Bible for the New Year

Many editions of the Bible now include a one-year reading plan to encourage you to read the Bible in a year, but My Daily Catholic Bible does more! This edition published by Our Sunday Visitor gives you the revised New American Bible (NAB,RE) divided into daily readings that take about 20 minutes each day.

Each reading also includes a saintly word in keeping with the day. For example, a quote from St. Paul of the Cross prefaces the scriptures for December 25 with this word:

“Celebrate the Feast of Christmas every day, even every moment in the interior temple of your spirit, remaining like a baby in the bosom of the Heavenly Father, where you will be reborn each moment in the Divine Word, Jesus Christ.”

Amen! Although you might not have been aware of this timeless Bible in time to add a copy to this year’s Christmas list, the book gives you a timely way to read the Bible with ease throughout the coming year.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler


My Daily Catholic Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition, paperback



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NIV Essentials Study Bible

For many years Christians from almost every denomination have lauded the ecumenically-minded NIV Study Bible for its well-balanced notes, comments, and study aids, and some, like me, have dug into the Archaeological Study Bible with its “finds” and “tells” uncovered by archaeologists, who gave us deeper insights into Bible places, times, cultures, and events. Also, new Christians seem to appreciate especially the NIV Quest Study Bible with questions from over 1,000 readers and responses from biblical scholars who provide no easy answers but fair-minded feedback and multiple perspectives whenever additional views exists.

Zondervan has produced other fine study Bibles, too, so when I requested a review copy of the new NIV Essentials Study Bible from BookSneeze, I mainly wanted to know what this edition might have that all the others didn’t. Well, I won’t keep you waiting! The answer is – nothing and everything!

As the name implies, the NIV Essentials Study Bible contains the essentials, the highlights, and, dare I say, the best of the sidebars, footnotes, and study aids from each of the other NIV offerings from Zondervan.

Besides my preference for the most recent 2011 revision of the NIV (New International Version), I like the lighter weight of this hardback edition and the easier-to-read font with a bit more ink than the text and footnotes often have in other Zondervan Bibles. I also like the blue headings inserted into the text as a visual reminder of the primary topics for each chapter or passage.

Maybe that medium shade of blue ink helped. I don’t know. I just know I’m somewhat dyslexic, so if a page's format has too much going on, my eyes are apt to blip out in an effort to quieten the chaos. But this Bible evoked none of that! Despite the wealth of notes and information packed onto almost every page, I found the format reader-friendly, visually pleasing, and easy to use.

My only lament, therefore, is a wish – that the NIV Essentials Study Bible will be released in a leather cover as genuine and long-lasting as this essential book.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler


NIV Essentials Study Bible, hardback






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The Catholic Teen Bible

When Our Sunday Visitor (OSV) kindly sent me review copies of their recently published editions of the newly revised New American Bible (NAB), I picked up The Catholic Teen Bible, intending to leaf through quickly until I had more time to study each of the books. However, the pages opened to one of the many colorful inserts, generously supplied throughout the edition, and I was hooked.

Here’s what I read:

Who is Jesus?
Son of God. Savior. Messiah. Lord. Master

These are all ways to describe Jesus. But what do they mean? And why does Jesus matter?

Obviously, important questions, right? When you have important questions, it’s vital that you go to the right place to get your answers. When we’re talking about Jesus, the place to start isn’t in movies, television specials, or novels.

The place to start is in the gospels. That’s right. If you’re really serious about wanting to know more about Jesus, don’t waste your time anywhere else. Read a gospel – or two! – from beginning to end. Reflect, think, and pray.

That example gives you a glimpse of the honest, down-to-earth tone and practical, teen-friendly wisdom from the author and high school teacher of religion, Amy Welborn. For another example, I'll again use the OSV format with teen appeal:

What is prayer?

Prayer is talking to God, but it’s more than that. It’s even more than listening to God.

Prayer is being tuned in to God and responding to his presence in your life.

That can mean talking, listening, or just being. It can mean singing, drawing, or writing. It can happen alone or with others. It can be joyful, grateful, hopeful, and even angry.

The spiritual insights in these inserts will help Christians from any denomination, but you’ll find “Catholic specific” information too. A good example comes with a turn of the page as the above insert goes on to explain something people in general often wonder:

Why pray to saints?

Catholics believe that death is just the beginning – it’s the beginning of new life with God. So that means that the people who have died and gone to heaven are still around – they are part of the Church, or the Communion of Saints.

So Catholic prayer to saints is absolutely no different than asking your next-door neighbor to pray for you. When we pray to saints, we don’t worship them. The word “prayer,” in its origins, just means “ask.” If you actually read the prayers to saints that Catholics pray, you will see that’s what they’re all about – asking these holy men and women to pray for us, just as we ask our friends on earth to pray for us as well.

In the next few weeks, Lord willing, we’ll discuss the other review copies OSV sent, but giving them a quick peek now, I see that a clearer font and nice quality white paper has been used for the other editions, whereas The Catholic Teen Bible has pages similar to newsprint. However, the price for this book is much less than for the others, so I suspect OSV wanted to provide a very affordable Bible for teens who will be grown up before we know it. With this Bible, they’ll be growing spiritually too.

©2013, Mary Sayler


The Catholic Teen Bible, paperback



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Unusual e-book edition of the KJV

The Choice Study Bible published on Kindle as an e-book by Robert P. Holland opens with the editor’s personal witness of faith then tells how he began to color-code scripture. Seeing four basic categories or biblical themes in his studies, the now-retired minister used color-coding to highlight contrasts between the categories of Wisdom and Foolishness, Promise and Curse.

Besides this unique feature found in the review copy I received, Rev. Holland provides a helpful clarification of covenant-making. As he explains in the opening section: “The Bible is a composition of several covenants which the Lord initiated with Adam, Noah, Abraham , Moses (Old Covenant), David, and Christians (New Covenant). Each of the covenants contains the choices of life and death, righteousness and sin, wisdom and foolishness, and blessing and cursing. A covenant contains both wisdom and the Lord’s promises.” Obedience becomes the responsibility of God’s people, of course, but the "promises are never earned by fulfilling the responsibilities. The promises are grace— gifts to the people in covenant with the Lord.”

In this unusual presentation of the King James Version of the Bible (KJV), the e-book also includes a Table of Contents with hotlinks to each book and chapter to help you find the passages you want.

©2013, Mary Sayler


The Choice Study Bible, Kindle e-book



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Common English Bible (CEB) with Apocrypha

The more I get to know the CEB Study Bible, which I recently reviewed, the more I appreciate the fresh footnotes and study helps, but I’m also grateful for a new review copy of a reader edition of the Common English Bible (CEB) that includes the Apocrypha.

With or without study aids, the contemporary text and ecumenical input of scholars from most of the major denominations make this Bible ideal for easy reading alone or aloud in church worship.

The review copy of CEB I recently received from Church Publishing would make an excellent Christmas gift for teens and young adults but also an inexpensive pew Bible for church members who might want to present a memorable gift to their congregation or parish. I’ll include an Amazon ad below, as I do with each review for readers who might want to order. Thanks to the online help of Bible Gateway, the following excerpts from the CEB may be helpful, too, in giving you a feel for the reader-friendly text:

From the NT book, James 5:13-16

If any of you are suffering, they should pray. If any of you are happy, they should sing. If any of you are sick, they should call for the elders of the church, and the elders should pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. Prayer that comes from faith will heal the sick, for the Lord will restore them to health. And if they have sinned, they will be forgiven. For this reason, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve.

From the apocryphal book, Judith 15:13-14

I will sing to my God a new song.
Lord, you are great and glorious, marvelous in strength
never to be outdone.
May all of your creation serve you;
you spoke,
and they came into being.
You sent forth your spirit
and it shaped them;
there is no one
who can resist your voice.

From the apocryphal book, Sirach 2:1-6

My child, if you come to serve the Lord,
prepare yourself for testing.
Set your heart straight, be steadfast,
and don’t act hastily in a time of distress.
Hold fast to God
and don’t keep your distance from him,
so that you may find strength
at your end.
Accept whatever happens to you,
and be patient
when you suffer humiliation,
because gold is tested with fire,
and acceptable people are tested
in the furnace of humiliation.
Trust him, and he will help you;
make your ways straight,
and hope in him.

Amen.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler


Common English Bible with Apocrypha, paperback




Common English Bible – Pew Bible with Apocrypha, hardback



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The Baker Illustrated Guide to Everyday Life in Bible Times

While waiting for review copies of new editions and study Bibles to arrive, I received an A to Z (or, rather A to Y) resource book from Baker entitled Everyday Life in Bible Times. Since I don’t make a habit of reading reference guides cover to cover, I picked up the book, intending to look through enough pages to get an idea of the quality and thoroughness of content, but that’s not what happened.

Before I’d gotten beyond the “Preface,” the warm, informal style and interesting questions intrigued me. For example, “What did an armor-bearer do?” or “How did people hunt?” Then the first entry “Anoint” hooked my interest immediately in a discussion of olive oil, which rates highest on my list as a healthful cooking oil and skin softener too. Mixed with other oils in a specific biblical recipe “At God’s direction, the special oil was poured on the head of a person to mark him or her for special service, whether as a member of Israel’s clergy, as a political leader, or as a prophet.”

We probably knew that, but the book goes on to say, “Those anointed in this way had their lives change in three important ways. First, the one ‘anointed by the Lord’ stood out from the general population as a leader…. Second, the anointed one was not autonomous but was always subject to the will and desires of a superior. The ‘Lord’s anointed’ was a middle manager answering to a divine CEO. Third, anointing meant special protection was extended to these special leaders – protection that was unmitigated by circumstances. For example, David considered it unthinkable to harm Saul, the Lord’s anointed….”

The next entry, “Armor-Bearer,” didn’t sound as interesting to me, but it was! For example, the future King David could not trust King Saul to stop trying to kill him, and yet Saul totally trusted his life to David. Later, when severely wounded in battle, King Saul asked his current armor-bearer to finish him off – the very opposite of what the job entailed.

Throughout the book, color photographs give visual appeal to each slick page, silken to the touch, drawing me from page to page with the pleasure of leafing through a high-quality picture book for adults. I thought I’d just read the photo captions as I went along, but the content of the text proved too enticing to ignore. Not only does the author, John A. Beck, present interesting information, he shows its relevance to scripture, explaining the significance of metaphors, biblical images, and connotations of words we might otherwise miss.

For example, the childhood story most of us heard of David’s bringing down the giant Goliath often gave the impression of a little boy with a slingshot, rather than a young man with a sling that “added distance and power to the throw because centrifugal force was added to arm strength.” Because a slung stone could go a far greater distance than a spear, David actually had a physical advantage, but, more importantly, he had behind him the spiritual power of God.

As this beautifully done book continued to draw me, I read every entry, including the one for “Stiff-Necked,” which most likely began, not as an indictment against God’s people, but as a reference to draft animals who just would not do what was needed to get their master’s job done. “Strong neck muscles allow animals such as the camel, donkey, and ox to resist the guidance of their handlers,” who described those stubborn creatures as stiff-necked.

The last entry, however, reminds readers of how a yoke can link “two entities together in a close relationship – the kind Jesus calls us to have when He asks us to “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler


Everyday Life in Bible Times, hardback

Chronological Life Application Study Bible, NLT

What a Bible for Bible lovers! If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for your pastor, Bible teacher, biblical writer, or a Bible student who already has a study Bible or readers’ edition, the Chronological Life Application Study Bible in the New Living Translation (NLT) from Tyndale House Publishers makes an excellent choice. Having another Bible first matters only because the books in this edition have been arranged chronologically, rather than by traditional groupings, so if you want to look up a passage quickly, say, during a discussion in your study group, you’d need to know the book of Job most likely occurred before the time of Moses in order to find its placement. The easier way, though, is to look up the scripture you want in the “Canonical Table of Contents” in the opening pages, where you might find Haggai and Zechariah interacting with the book of Ezra and the Gospel stories intermingled.

Despite the confusion some have when flipping pages can't be done efficiently, the chronological arrangement clearly shows how books in the same time period relate to one another. For example, after fleeing from King Saul (I Samuel 22), David wrote Psalm 57, which places those passages together in this edition.

As portions of scripture weave together in time, the introductions and overviews of each book needed to be gathered in one section entitled “The Bible, Book-by-Book.” Also, in the back pages, you’ll find a “Master Index,” concordance, and maps, along with other features you might expect in any good study edition.

Throughout this edition, you’ll find the type of footnotes and “Personality Profiles” that made the Life Application Study Bible a popular choice, but the unique features of the Chronological Life Application Study Bible come as a clock or calendar.

For example, the article “A Chronological Study of the Bible” in the opening pages provides a brief but helpful overview of biblical history from creation to the first century church. However, the feature I especially love is the “Complete Biblical Timeline” that lets me know the Egyptians built the pyramids not very long after the flood, which makes me wonder if the design occurred as an attempt to get above water level!

Also, in Egypt, papyrus and ink were invented for writing and horses domesticated long before the birth of Abraham. About the time his grandsons, Jacob and Esau, were born, Stonehenge appeared in England, and within a couple years of the birth of Jacob’s son, Joseph, someone invented the wheel.

In Babylon, Hammurabi wrote his code of law around 300 years before the laws came through Moses. About 50 years after Moses’ death, King Tut entered his famous tomb, and, about ten years before a whale swallowed Jonah, Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. Such interesting information continues for several pages, and then a brief timeline tops each page of scripture, keeping us connected to the world context in which the Bible lives on and on as the living Word of God.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.


Chronological Life Application Study Bible, hardback



Chronological Life Application Study Bible, Kindle, e-book



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The CEB Study Bible

Four hundred years after scholars poetically translated the King James Version of the Bible (KJV) into English in 1611, a team of 120 biblical scholars from 20 faith communities studied a wide range of sources to translate the Bible with accuracy, clarity, and easy comprehension for contemporary readers. Having met those goals in the Common English Bible, the CEB provides a good choice for new Christians of all ages, readers who speak English as a second language, and children ready to read the Bible rather than relying on Bible storybooks. In addition, the CEB provides an ecumenically-minded choice for churches ready to update or order pew Bibles since this translation has been approved for public reading during worship services in most church denominations.

As occurs with the original KJV, the CEB and The CEB Study Bible come with or without the Apocrypha. Although not secret or mythical as the word implies, the apocryphal books provide insights into biblical times such as the years between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament (NT.) However, these books, which may or may not be included in the first testament, often confuse Bible buyers about which books are part of canonical scripture and which are not.

Since the answer depends on one’s denominational perspective or understanding of the biblical canon, The CEB Study Bible includes a section entitled “The Canons of Scripture” with five tables listing the books accepted by the Jewish canon, Protestant OT, Roman Catholic OT canon, Orthodox OT, and Anglican Apocrypha. All Christian denominations, however, accept the entire NT canon.

Finding areas of agreement aid an ecumenical scope. In The CEB Study Bible, for instance, study articles on “The Bible’s Unity” help us to see our unity too, whereas “How We Got The Bible” removes mystery and confusion by matter-of-factly explaining how and why the various canons came to the conclusions that they did. This is not for the purpose of argument, of course, nor to sway readers from one opinion to another but to help us to understand diverse perspectives among the peoples of God.

The CEB Study Bible contains additional articles, a concordance, and maps of key biblical locations, but a more distinctive feature is the use of sidebars throughout the text. To help readers find these brief but interesting discussions right away, the front matter of this edition includes a list of sidebar articles, grouped first by book and then alphabetically.

For example, the heading for “Exodus” lists the titles for each of the sidebars in that book with “The Reed Sea or the Red Sea?” found on page 99. Having heard it both ways, I turned to that discussion and read, “The Hebrew phrase yam sup means ‘Reed Sea’ and may best be understood as a general term for a body of water full of reeds or rushes rather than as a name for a specific lake or sea.” That phrase occurs 20 times in the Hebrew Bible, but that said, a Red Sea also exists further to the south.

For a NT example, the heading for Revelation shows a sidebar on “Symbolic Colors,” which depicts white as representing a victory, red as symbolizing bloodshed, pale green as signifying death, and purple as indicating royalty.

In addition to these sidebars, The CEB Study Bible occasionally includes photographs such as “The island called Patmos” at the introduction to Revelation. Each book begins similarly with an introductory page or two and continues the goal of clarification by adding explanatory footnotes to the bottom of almost every page.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

The CEB Study Bible, hardcover



The CEB Study Bible with Apocrypha, hardcover



After posting this review, my husband gave me a CEB Study Bible in bonded leather - nice!



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What is Biblical Theology?

Waiting for new study editions of the Bible to arrive, I received a review copy of the newly released book, What Is Biblical Theology? published by Crossway. Author James M. Hamilton, Jr. teaches on this topic at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, but I encourage Christians from every church background to pick up this slender volume and read it straight through.

As our denominational preferences connect to one another in the Body of Christ, the stories in the Bible connect to one another, too, coming together in one body of stories about the same story – The Story – of God’s redemptive love.

Often, though, we view Bible stories from our own 21st century perspective, which means we might miss what the original writers intended to convey. Dr. Hamilton addresses this throughout the book, explaining, for example, in Part I, “If we can see what the biblical authors assumed about story, symbol, and church, we will glimpse the world as they saw it.”

That glimpse is what this book enables us to see. Divided into “Part I. The Bible’s Big Story,” “Part 2. The Bible’s Symbolic Universe,” and “Part 3. The Bible’s Love Story,” the book shows us how to “adopt the perspective of the biblical authors” so we can “read the world from the Bible’s perspective, rather than reading the Bible from the world’s.”

As part of the “Big Story,” the chapter entitled “The Narrative” discusses the setting, characterization, and plot found in any well-written story, which shows us, for example, that “the Bible’s plot can be summarized in four words: creation, fall, redemption, and restoration,” culminating in the return of Jesus. Meanwhile, an understanding of biblical conflicts, episodes, and themes helps us to recognize the overall plot of this ongoing story of our relationship with God.

In Part 2, we see how symbols, imagery, and patterns use the known to help us envision the unknown. From the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden to the tree in Revelation whose leaves will be for the healing of the nations, we get an image of the well-rooted, fruitful life God intends us to have. As Dr. Hamilton explains: “These symbols are given to us to shape our understanding of ourselves. They show us who we are. They give us our identity. They tell the story of our lives in the real world.”

In community and in our common union, that story continues in Part 3 where we see the identify, setting, plot tension, and resolution of the church, biblically and metaphorically drawn as the “Sheep of the Shepherd,” “Bride of Christ,” “Body of Christ,” “The Adopted Family of God,” and “The Temple of the Holy Spirit” – images that cause us to reflect on such questions as: “What part does the church play in the Bible story? Who is she? What is her setting? What creates the tension in her part of the plot as the wider narrative develops? How is that tension resolved?”

With the Bible as the primary resource for such crucial questions, Dr. Hamilton helps readers to see that “Biblical theology is not just an interesting topic. It informs who we are and how we live.”

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

What Is Biblical Theology? paperback



What Is Biblical Theology? e-book



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NIV Ragamuffin Bible

When I first heard of the new NIV Ragamuffin Bible, the word “ragamuffin” intrigued me as its meaning ranges from urchin to brat to child – descriptions that undoubtedly fit all of us at one time or another. As children of God, we’re bereft when we shut ourselves off from our Heavenly Father and when we get bratty or disobey! We’re also reminded that the Word of God really is for the people of God through the subtitle, “Meditations For The Bedraggled, Beat-up & Brokenhearted.”

Those meditations come to us through the “Lifetime Work from Brennan Manning 1934-2013,” a former Marine, American author, priest, and public speaker with whom I wasn’t familiar until now even though his well-known works include such interesting titles as The Ragamuffin Gospel, Abba’s Child, Ruthless Trust, and his memoir, All is Grace.

In addition to the complete text of the latest edition of the New International Version (NIV), the NIV Ragamuffin Bible includes 104 devotions, 250 reflections, and 150 quotes from Fr. Manning’s wise words, which come to us as golden tidbits tested by fire. For example, “Element of Delight” offers a reflection on Genesis 2, which says, in part, “The Father gave you as a gift to himself. You are a response to the vast delight of God.”

After “The Great Deception” comes this honest insight, “We find it uncomfortable, if not intolerable, to confront our true selves; and so… we either flee our own reality or manufacture a false self – mostly admirable, mildly prepossessing, and superficially happy. Defense mechanisms become useful allies here.”

If you’ve ever wondered what would have happened if Adam and Eve had simply confessed their wrongdoing to God, you’ll connect with this quote by Fr. Manning on page 8: “Perhaps the main reason that we are such poor practitioners of the art of being human, why we so often teeter on a tight-rope between self-hatred and despair, is that we don’t pray.”

As the reflection on “Encountering God” expresses it: “Religion is a matter not of learning how to think about God but of actually encountering him.” And that encounter might not be easy! In “Testing” (page 25), for example, Fr. Manning boldly asks: “Have you grappled with the core question of your faith, which is not ‘Is Jesus God-like?’ but ‘Is God Jesus-like?’”

Besides encouraging us to soak ourselves in the type of prayer that Fr. Manning calls “Son bathing,” his insights and reflections, quoted above from Genesis, continue to spotlight spiritual thoughts throughout the biblical text, nearing the end in this reflection in Revelation: “Nothing can harm you permanently, no suffering is irrevocable, no loss is lasting, no defeat is more than transitory, no disappointment is conclusive. Jesus did not deny the reality of suffering, discouragement, disappointment, frustration and death; he simply stated that the kingdom of God would conquer all of these horrors, that the Father’s love is so prodigal that no evil could possibly resist it.”

Such uplifting words give this edition a deep place in readers who want to get closer to God or whose faith has lessened or who know someone who needs this Bible to keep going or who just want a nice quality, hardback reader edition of the newest NIV. Regardless of your reasons for reading – and regardless of how many times you’ve read the Bible or these reflective words, this reader edition comes highly recommended and highly inspired.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler

NIV Ragamuffin Bible, hardcover


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”



NIV Ragamuffin Bible, Kindle edition, is also available.



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Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible

Waiting for review copies of new study Bibles to arrive from a couple of publishers, I attempted to free up some needed space on the bookshelves by my desk, but I did not get too far before a reference book I’ve referred to for several years caught my eye - the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Thinking about the Bible teachers, students, writers, and other communicators for Christ who might want to hear about a highly recommended resources like this, it occurred to me to intersperse such reviews with discussions of the new translations, children’s Bibles, and study Bibles I especially love to talk about and read.

Beginning with biblical reference books I have on hand, the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible gave me an outstanding place to start, not only because of the eclectic list of outstanding biblical scholars who contributed to this massive work but also because of the awards for “Outstanding Reference Source” and “Outstanding Academic Title” by the American Library Association.

With over 1400 pages, this hefty volume (yes, it’s heavy!) defines and discusses approximately 5,000 entries on such subjects as the influence of archeology and extra-biblical writings. As you might expect, the A to Z topics also include virtually all of the people and places mentioned in the Bible with references, too, to pertinent cultural events, literary features, and geographical concerns.

When I opened the book to look for an example of the interesting discussions you’ll find, I immediately spotted an unexpected entry on “Coat of Mail.” Frankly, I think of that type of armor as originating sometime around the Middle Ages, long after Christians ceased fire on the Bible canon (pun intended.) However, the entry on page 266 described “Coat of Mail” as being “Armor consisting of 400-600 plates of metal, which were pierced and sewn to a cloth or leather undercoat. The plates overlapped to provide maximum protection; the armor was weakest at the joining of the sleeve to the tunic body and between the scales (I Kgs.22:34=2 Chr. 18:33). Such armor was probably developed to free the hands from having to hold a shield, thus enabling charioteers to drive and soldiers to wield the bow and yet still have protection.”

Does this matter to you or me? Maybe not. But as a re-teller of Bible stories in poems and other writings or in Bible study groups, this unforeseen entry adds interesting, intricate detail to, say, the story of David and Goliath as found in I Samuel 17 or the lesser known story of Uzziah, King of Judah, as told in II Chronicles 26.

Also, after the exiles returned to Jerusalem, Nehemiah 4:16 says the leaders stationed themselves around the wall, wearing coats of mail as they protected the laborers trying to rebuild. In addition, the Prophet Isaiah (59:17) and the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:14 and I Thessalonians 5:8) talk about putting on armor as a metaphor for protecting ourselves spiritually, most likely intending a coat of mail, rather than the Knight in Shining Armor many of us envisioned.

If that doesn’t interest you, pick any Bible subject that does, and you’ll surely find information you’ll be glad to know. I certainly did. For example, the back pages of most of my Bibles have maps of biblical places, which I appreciate, but I kept wanting one showing modern sites, and, yes, that’s included. The downside is that the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible has such thorough information, this reference book will definitely not be chosen to free up any of the needed space on my crowded bookshelves.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler, who despite the lack of shelf space, remains eager to receive review copies of new translations (English), new children’s Bibles, new study Bibles, and new formats or treatments of older translations. However, the hotlinks to Bible passages mentioned above came from a highly recommended Internet resource, Bible Gateway, whose numerous translations and reference materials need no shelf space.




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Thompson Chain Reference Bible

Bible lovers who study scripture and notice the sounds and nuances of words usually want The Word in a word-for-word translation with a rich vocabulary and musicality, making the King James Version (KJV) a traditional favorite even for readers who didn’t grow up with the KJV.

To test this supposition, I read aloud the same passage in several translations, ranging from thought-for-thought to contemporary versions to paraphrases, to see which one a poetry-minded, book-loving teenager would like best. Sure enough, the KJV won over all.

That teen had neither read nor heard the KJV, but Christians who know memorable, quotable verses almost always want their own copy of KJV to read, study, and compare with newer versions. Therefore, Bible publishers continue to release new editions occasionally, giving readers a wealth of choices.

Since I still have my reader edition of KJV from childhood days in Sunday School, I wanted a copy in a good quality leather but with no footnotes expressing theological views I don’t necessarily share. I considered a wide-margin edition with a concordance but wanted additional features, preferably in keeping with this word-for-word translation of The Word. The logical choice, then, became a Thompson Chain Reference Bible with its unique focus on A Word or phrase, starting with its first occurrence and ending with its last, thereby linking a chain of thought throughout the Bible.

A chain reference edition also works wonderfully well for those of us who like to study scripture by topic instead of by book. For example, writers or teachers who develop study materials or handouts for study groups can address a timely topic from a biblical perspective by picking a topic such as “Marriage,” looking up the word in the alphabetized index in the back of a Thompson, then going to the number beside the topic (in this case, “1620”) where you’ll find a list of Bible verses having to do with marriage. When you look up the first scripture listed, the next reference will be shown in the margin beside that verse.

Other Unique Features: The Thompson is not just a topical treasure, however. If you prefer studying by books or even by Bible people, this edition helps you do that too! Following the extensive but “Condensed Cyclopedia of Topics and Texts” previously mentioned, for example, you’ll find outlines and analyses of each book of the Bible, and after that character studies.

If, though, you want to study or write about biblical prophecies, you’ll find “Prophecies Concerning Jesus and Their Fulfillment” arranged chronologically. Events taking place and travels of key Bible people have been mapped out for you too. And, to better understand the times, just keep on reading and you’ll locate the lengthy “Archeological Supplement,” covering everything from “Absalom’s Pillar” in the Kidron Valley to “Zorah,” the home of Samson, 15 miles from Jerusalem.

A Hebrew calendar comes next with “An Abbreviated Glossary of Old English, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Words from the King James (Authorized) Version of the Bible with Present-Day Meanings” – an immensely helpful section, reminding readers that “Betwixt” is between and “Twain” is two. In addition to these study aids, the Thompson ends with a concordance and series of maps.

Quality Cover: As this Bible will surely be used for years, a quality cover in genuine leather sounds like a smart choice, and I found a good price in a large print edition, which I ordered, as shown below. (Incidentally, the “large” print is not too large or overbearing but easy to read.) Also, even the nicest cover won’t hold up to heavy use with glued-in pages, but the Thompson manages to include everything a serious student or Bible lover will love in a easily manageable size, so this edition comes with Smyth-Sewn pages, made and assembled in the U.S.A. as it’s most likely been done for over 5 generations.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler

Thompson Chain Reference Bible, KJV, large print, genuine leather



Thompson Chain Reference Bible, KJV, large print, genuine leather, index tabs


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The big picture in a Bible storybook

Most Bible storybooks for children include similar stories of people who exhibited great faith and courage – or a lamentable lack of either! Unlike the titles published years ago, however, today’s storybooks often show God’s people as admirable but flawed human beings, who sometimes reflect and sometimes conflict with the ongoing love, goodness, justice, mercy, and forgiveness of our unchanging God.

To emphasize this contrast even more, “A Letter to Parents” in The Big Picture Interactive Bible Storybook from B&H Publishing clearly states: “’Be good’ is not the message of the Bible. ‘Be saved’ is.” While human heroes come and go, God The Hero remains.

As any child knows, of course, a Hero rescues, protects, and takes care of what needs tending – just as God did from the moment sin ruined the perfection created in the beginning. So, from the beginning, God planned a timely redemption through the sacrificial life, death, and resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

To show this so children can follow the time sequence and see how God’s plan fits together from Genesis to Revelation, each page of these Bible stories includes the unique feature of the “Christ Connection.” For example, the story, “God Created the World and People,” makes this connection: “Colossians 1:15-22 reveals that Christ is ruler over all of God’s creation. All of creation was created through Him, by Him, and for Him. Everything was created to give glory to Christ, but people would choose not to give Him glory. The rest of the Bible reveals how Jesus would restore the relationship between God and man.”

That “Christ Connection” ends with a “Big Picture Question” for discussion and a “Big Picture Answer” too. In the story, “Obadiah the Prophet,” for example, the question, “What is pride?” receives the “Big Picture Answer: Pride is thinking you are better than others, and it steals glory from God.” Or, the story, “Jesus Christ Will Return,” asks the “Big Picture Question: Why will there be no need for a lamp in heaven?” then answers, “God’s glory will be its light and there will be no more night.”

This type of involvement helps the book live up to its name, but in addition, The Big Picture Interactive Bible Storybook offers an app to be downloaded for free. Then readers can scan the icon on each page and watch the illustration come to life online. With over 140 colorful, kid-appealing illustrations to choose from, children can interact with Bible story people as they interact with God, presenting us with our timeless stories too.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler

The Big Picture Interactive Bible Storybook from B&H Publishing


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Award-winning Holman Study Bible

As an ecumenical Christian who loves the church in all its parts, I greatly appreciate fair-mindedness, thoroughness, and accuracy in the essays, commentaries and footnotes found in newer study editions such as the Holman Study Bible.

Available now in either the New King James Version (NKJV) or the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), both editions share many of the same fine features. For instance, both choices generously supply in-text photographs, timelines, and maps to help you better envision what’s happening in a particular time or place. Cross-references, introductions to each book, and informative footnotes also provide a balanced view of the scriptures.

The main differences between these editions of the Holman Study Bible include an extensive concordance in the back pages of the NKJV and a topical concordance of “bullet notes” in the HCSB. Also, the HCSB includes word studies in sidebars scattered throughout the text, showing, for instance, “charis” in Romans 5:2 as a Greek word meaning grace and defined as the “unmerited favorable disposition toward someone or something,” primarily as relates to salvation. The sidebar continues with such interesting information as the use of “charis” 155 times in the New Testament (NT.)

Another feature I like in the HCSB study edition occurs in the boldface type used to emphasize the quotations from the Hebrew Bible in the NT. However, the NKJV consistently has a darker, highly readable font so uses italics to emphasize those biblical quotes.

If you’re not familiar with either translation, you might compare some of your favorite verses and/or some hard-to-understand passages of scripture as I often do on BibleGateway.com.

To give you a brief recap here: Holman Bible Publishers worked with an interdenominational team of biblical scholars dedicated to precision in providing a mostly literal translation yet open to an “optimal equivalence” when a word-for-word rendering of the text might prove confusing. The resulting HCSB Study Bible, which won the 2011 ECPA Christian Book Award, gives students, teachers, pastors, and Bible lovers an accurate, readable, contemporary translation. With similar intent, the NKJV might be less contemporary in word choices but has a poetic flow similar to the original KJV.

Since both editions deserve high praise, I highly recommend you get whichever translation you don’t have or, if you’re fortunate enough to have both, whichever one you will be most apt to read. Either way, this hefty edition will add biblical heft to your study at home, at church, or in a Bible study group.

©2013 by Bible Reviewer, Mary Harwell Sayler

HCSB Study Bible, hardback



Holman Study Bible, NKJV edition


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Faith-building Bible for teens

The Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for teens from Zondervan isn’t as heavy as a rock like many study Bibles are. Just under 6”x9”x2”, this edition of the NIV (New International Version) has a regular, readable font and an Italian Duo-Tone™ cover that lays flat, endures like leather, and comes in a slate-blue-gray color in keeping with the “rock” theme. For example, sidebars throughout the text include:

“Rock Solid Truths” about Christian beliefs
“Rock Solid Principles” for making choices and meeting challenges.
“Rock Solid Promises” to build faith in God’s Word and goodness
“Rock Solid Plans” to consider God’s thoughts for the future

Each of those rock-solid themes can be located by topical index as teens look in the back of the book for subjects of special interest or concern such as “Alcohol,” “Depression,” “Enthusiasm,” “False Teachers,” “Joy,” “Temptation,” “Wisdom,” or “Worry.”

Additional features such as a concordance, maps, and suggestions for Bible reading make this an excellent choice for teenagers to take to a Bible study class and, hopefully, use to develop the lifelong habit of reading the Bible regularly at home.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler

Rock Solid Faith Study Bible for teens, NIV



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Bible for our Shared Heritage

Previously we discussed The Complete Jewish Bible – a translation by David Stern that shows the connection between the Jewish family of God to which Jesus belongs and Christianity, which began as a sect within the Jewish community. These deep roots remain and entwine us like a vine, so the more we understand our Jewish heritage in the Christian faith, the more we understand Jesus as Messiah or Mashiach, Jesus as The Anointed One, Jesus as the Passover Lamb, Jesus as The Vine.

With the Shared Heritage Bible, an impressive team of scholars gives us insight into Hebrew Scriptures and also the New Covenant, newly translated as the Tree of Life Version (TLV) from a Messianic Jewish perspective. This helps us to see, for example, that the Holy Spirit, Who descended on us and the church at Pentecost (a Jewish holy day) was also present in the beginning of creation as Ruach ha-Kodesh, the Spirit of God or Holy Breath. And, we begin to see the Glory of God, manifested as the guiding cloud during Exodus or over the Ark of the Covenant where the Ten Commandments were kept or in the Temple, is the same Glory Who visited the virgin Miriam, prior to Yeshua’s birth.

“And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We looked upon His glory, the glory of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth,” John 1:14, TLV.

Other Features: A Glossary at the back of the book gives key words in English and Hebrew with pronunciation clarified and definitions so enlightening that readers might want to just sit down and read these perceptive pages. The stark white paper, highly readable font, and contemporary language make this a pleasure too.

Another feature I’ll most likely return to again and again is the section “Welcoming the Sabbath” with traditional and Messianic blessings for the candle lighting as Shabbat begins and ends. I also welcomed the original maps of the Promised Land as shown during Jesus’ time and the Land of Israel as measured today.

One feature, however, may be slightly confusing if you take this reader edition to a church Bible study group and have to look up verses quickly as the arrangement follows the traditional Jewish presentation of the Torah (first five books) followed by the Prophets and then the Writings. This differs from the sequence most Christians have become accustomed to - i.e., the Torah, historical books, wisdom books, and then the books of prophecy. For example, the Writings begin with Psalms and end, not with Malachi, but with I and II Chronicles, concluding the First Testament or Hebrew Bible with "Whosoever there is among you of all His people - the LORD his God be with him - let him go up," II Chronicles 36:23. From there, we go up to the New Covenant as we seek Jesus, Yeshua, Messiah, the Holy One, the Son of God, and also the Jewish Son of Man.


©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler

Reader edition of the Shared Heritage Bible from Destiny Image Publishers, Inc.


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Gospel Transformation Bible in ESV

Unlike other releases of ESV or other editions, what’s different about the Gospel Transformation Bible (GTB) is its approach. Instead of repeating or condensing the background information in the notes and study aids of the ESV Study Bible, the GTB takes a new tack. It focuses on the transforming power of God’s love.

Even if we read a Bible story dozens of times, we might still feel disconnected or short-circuited from God’s love, a love meant to be The Transformer – power source, energy supplier, convertor, and converter of our lives. With the goal of reconnecting us to that love in the GTB, the Introduction states, “Every text, seen in its redemptive context, is reflecting an aspect of humanity’s fallen condition that requires the grace of God.”

Grace of God! Grace of God – how often have we called upon that loving mercy when we deserved, well, nothing. But that ongoing Grace did not suddenly appear with Jesus’ birth. From the beginning of time, God has provided for, loved, and proclaimed goodness over creation, over us. And shortly after the Fall, God began a plan of redemption we can track from Genesis to Revelation, especially with the notes in this edition to guide us as we read.

What a faith-builder! What a Holy Presence we find throughout Holy Scripture when our eyes have been opened to see! And what integrity the GBT brings to our reading and our Christian lives by showing us how “the unfolding gospel truths in any given passage of Scripture motivate and enable believers to honor their Savior from the heart – in short, how grace transforms.”

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler



According to the information I’ve received, Crossway plans to release the Gospel Transformation Bible by the end of September but until September 2 will offer a 50% discount on paperback and quality leather-covered copies. In case you see this after those dates, I’ll post an Amazon ad for GTB in hardback.



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NIV Study Bible

As a lifelong student of the Bible I’m blessed to have study editions in most of the major English translations. When I begin to research a topic or background material for a book, blog, or discussion in my Bible study group, I gather my favorites around me, look up what’s needed, find all sorts of insightful information, then go borrow my husband’s NIV Study Bible!

For decades I borrowed, and he carried around the first study edition of the New International Version (NIV) until the bonded leather began to split around the edges like chapped fingertips. So I bought him an updated edition, covered in genuine leather, and promptly began to borrow it too.

Almost without fail, the footnotes in the NIV Study Bible gave me something I hadn’t found anywhere else, so why not just get my own copy? Besides not wanting another big, bulky Bible, I objected to being called a “son of God.” If you say “hey, man!” I might turn around, but call me “son,” and I probably won’t respond and definitely will not connect well or identify with what’s said.

The King James Version (KJV) can get away with a heavy male orientation as age and poetic beauty bring special entitlement. The wordplay on “man” includes both male and female anyway, so no problem there, and, if the Bible refers to males only, that’s fine too. In fact, a verse can specify “sonship,” and we daughters of God can see how that legal reference gave optimal rights during Bible days.

Then, everything changed.

The new NIV came out.

Lovers of the 1984 version might object to not finding everything they’re used to reading, but guess what I found in Romans 8:14: “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” Yes! That’s my italics, and that’s me - one of God's countless children.

That wasn’t the only change though. The new NIV Study Bible comes in a compact edition. Since the extensive study aids and color photographs carry more weight, this option still has heft and bulk but fits into one hand. To be more specific, the stats for the compact NIV edition shown below state the size as 2.3 x 5.2 x 8 inches and shipping weight at 2.8 pounds.

Binding: Listed as “leather,” Zondervan has a trademark on this Italian Duo-Tone cover with attractive stitching that also reinforces the edges of the compact edition. When closed, the cover pops up slightly, but opened on your lap or desk, the Bible nicely lays flat.

Font: If you have difficulty reading small print, the text may be a strain, especially because of the light ink. Although the font used for the footnotes is even smaller than the text, the darker ink makes it readable, so the biggest challenge, visually, may be the tiny, light ink font used for cross-referencing. In case that’s a concern for you, I’ll post a link to a large print edition in hardback, which will be bigger (2.2 x 7.3 x 10.3 inches) and heavier (4.8 pounds) and not as prettily bound as the compact version shown but should include the same study aids.

Study Material: In the front matter of the NIV Study Bible, Compact Edition, you’ll find a three-page layout briefly describing “Ancient Texts Relating to the Old Testament” such as Sennacherib’s description of the siege of Jerusalem in 701 B.C. when Hezekiah became a prisoner in the city where he once reigned. A chart of “Old Testament Chronology” follows with time periods and approximate dates to set each Bible era within the context of world history. Similarly, the chart “From Malachi to Christ” and article “The Time Between The Testaments” also help to show the Bible as part of the ongoing history of mankind. Then, at the back of the book, you’ll find “Index to Topics,” “Index to Notes,” an extensive concordance, and maps of Bible terrains.

Notes: Besides notes to introduce you to the “Author, Date and Sources,” “Purpose and Themes,” “Outline,” and other information relevant to each book of the Bible, footnotes flower and flourish at the bottom of each page but pruned from overgrowth into actual scriptures. (If you have ever seen a Bible with only a verse or two squeezed up top and the rest of the page overrun with elucidation, you know what I mean.) This page-by-page layout also deserves additional accolades because the footnotes have been exceptionally well-packed with information to set the verses in context, aid reader-comprehension, and present different views in the balanced perspective and soothing voice of a respected peacemaker.

Long before the NIV Study Bible contained the present updates and expansions, those impressive footnotes kept me grabbing my husband’s Bible to gain more light on a subject or more insight into a difficult passage. Lord willing, I won’t ever need to do that again. For my birthday last month, he gave me my very own NIV Study Bible in the compact edition like the one described above and shown below.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler

NIV Study Bible, Compact Edition, indexed


NIV Study Bible, Large Print, Hardback edition


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Ignite: The Bible for Teens

The best way to know if a teenager will respond well to this 2013 edition of the New King James Version (NKJV) is to ask. So I did.

Previously, my thirteen and a half-year-old granddaughter had chosen NKJV as her favorite, saying she liked the poetic sound when we read the same verses aloud from a half-dozen translations. Me too. And, having memorized KJV verses when I was her age, I could also relate those verses to this contemporary rendering.

But back to my grand reader. When she picked up this edition, she commented on the simplicity of the cover with its red-orange flame above the word “Ignite” that's been embossed into a thick paper cover with the look of parchment. She liked it.

Inside that non-curling cover, the color motif serves more than decoration as dark orange highlights study aids with such lively titles as “Sparks” (of God’s Promises), “Spotlights” (like headlines for a story), “Flashpoints,” (flashing back to questions or thoughts teens are apt to have during the day), and “White Hot Topics” (to link Bible stories and show their relevancy to concerns teens typically have.)

In addition to those study aids throughout the book, chocolate-colored “Soul Fuel” gives readers an array of delectable verses to taste, remember, and hold close.

Each of those colorful aids will help young people enjoy the Bible on their own and turn to appropriate pages in times of crisis too. For example, the “Find It Topical Index” in the opening pages will help teens know where to look for biblical responses to diverse topics ranging from “Abortion,” “Alcohol,” “Ambition,” and “Anger” to “Witchcraft,” “Worry,” and “Worship of Idols and Heroes.”

Most likely, teens will look up those subjects when alone or with a BFF, but this Bible stands up well to group study too. Besides the key-word concordance and maps at the back of the book, a reader can quickly find any book in the Bible by going to the alphabetical list just inside the flyleaf. A few pages later, a standard table of contents has been included too, and for additional help on finding one’s place or keeping up with the group, large vertically-printed letters show the book, chapter, and verse on the edge of each page.

Although I want to thank Thomas Nelson, Inc., for this review copy, I give deep thanks for an edition that doesn't try to do too much but actually ignites teen interest in what the Bible has to say and shows its relevance to their lives. May God keep these sparks alive and aglow in Jesus’ name.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler



To order this particular edition from Amazon, click on the ad below:




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NASB wide-margin Bible in goatskin

When I posted “Judging the cover on The Book” last year, I mentioned goatskin as the Bible cover of choice and, since then, have found lambskin to be even softer. Either will last longer than the reader, but goatskin has usually been the easier of the two to find. Since both cost more than most editions, however, you might wonder why anyone would want the extra cost.

Besides the fact that the Word of God is priceless, most Bible lovers want a Bible that will endure for years. If you also like to carry on conversations with your Bible, as I do, you’ll want ample margins and an erasable pencil for responding as you read.

A big point to consider before you make an expensive choice is the translation itself. When I just want to read, I like to curl up with an easy-to-read contemporary translation (not paraphrase!) such as the New Living Translation (NLT), Good News Bible, or other thought-by-thought translation mentioned in the posting, “Which Bible would Jesus choose?” Or, if I want to research a topic or study a book of the Bible in depth, I’ll keep my ESV Study Bible, Archaeological Study Bible, or Life Application Study Bible close beside me and, most likely, borrow my husband’s NIV Study Bible too.

But when it comes to reading and responding to a Bible, I want a lap-friendly reader edition with wide margins, a top quality cover, and an accurate word-for-word translation.

For overall accuracy, the main choices include Amplified, Douay-Rheims, English Standard Version (ESV), King James Version (KJV), New American Bible (NAB), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and New King James Version (NKJV.) Any of those work well for a long-term relationship, but most do not come in a wide-margin edition with high quality leather cover, except for KJV, which I love but often miss what’s said.

I’m dismayed to say that the overall quality of Bibles seems to be declining. Many of the newer editions seem more like give-away or throw-away items with cheap paper, glued pages, and short-lived covers that cost more than they’re worth simply because they’re faddish or cute. But, when I ordered the NASB shown below, I discovered an edition of the very highest quality.

Within the two-column text, the cross-references in the center of the page provide help for looking up a subject or following a biblical train-of-thought, and an A to Z topical concordance at the back of the book eases that search too.

Since footnotes appear only as needed, this reader’s edition encourages me to keep on reading as I would any good book. The font is somewhat on the small side but very readable, and I like the writing space all around – even at the bottom of the page.

If that’s not enough for the thoughts, insights, and responses God gives to you as you read, you’ll be glad to know that a bunch of lined pages at the back of the book have your note-keeping in mind.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler


NASB wide-margin Bible in top quality leather [Note: Sorry! My copy described above is no longer available on Amazon, but I found the same edition in split-cowhide which has recently become my favorite.]



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Life Application Study Bible

For about 30 years at least one person in every Bible study group I’ve participated in has brought a Life Application Study Bible (LASB.) Sometimes we met in church fellowship or parish halls, but often we met in homes where members of most denominations came together regularly to study the word of God.

What first impressed me was how people almost always found something helpful or interesting to add to our discussions, thanks to the extensive footnotes in the LASB. What did not impress me was how the notes sometimes went a bit far in telling readers what to think or how to act with each “must” or “should.”

So while I kept looking for a study Bible that might better suit my needs or preferences, I couldn’t help but notice that Christian friends were buying new editions of the LASB when theirs fell apart from heavy use. Or they began buying editions of the Life Application Study Bible in additional translations -- and there are many!

A quick search on Amazon, for example, shows that the LASB comes in the New Living Translation (NLT), New American Standard Bible (NASB), King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV), New International Version (1984 NIV), and the newer NIV that, yes, I finally bought. Other versions may exist, but you get the picture. The LASB comes in many translations for one reason. People like it! And it helps.

Although I really do not want anyone to tell me how to think, I do want to know what other people think, and the LASB helps me to hear those voices and hopefully respond to those needs in my writing. For example, those of us who heard “Jesus Love Me” in early childhood have probably responded to that song from our earliest memories. So when we study Matthew and read the LASB footnotes, we’re reminded that everyone has not had our blessed experience. Some children grow up hearing nothing about God or only hear of Jesus as a baby born at Christmas, and so they may need to hear the footnote for Matthew 21:44, which explains what Jesus meant when He applied to Himself the metaphor about “the stone the builders rejected,” then ends by saying, “He offers mercy and forgiveness now and promises judgment later. We should choose him now!” True, and perhaps a reminder to us lifelong Christians to choose Christ again in the now of every day.

As I became familiar with what the LASB actually says instead of staying locked into first impressions, I discovered a spiritual depth rarely found in study editions of the Bible. Since childhood, for example, I’d loved the Bible story about Solomon and even thought it’d be cool to be wise, which led to a lifelong love for the Bible that I’ve continued, now hoping to get into the mind of Christ. I don’t recall ever having this discussion with anyone before, so I’m doing some soul-baring here, but I cannot tell you what comfort and blessing I found in the LASB note on Ecclesiastes 1:16-18: “The more you understand, the more pain and difficulty you experience. For example, the more you know, the more imperfection you see around you; and the more you observe, the more evil becomes evident. As you set out with Solomon to find the meaning of life, you must be ready to feel more, think more, question more, hurt more, and do more. Are you ready to pay the price for wisdom?” Wow!

No matter what level you’ve reached in your life in Christ, the LASB helps each reader get closer to God. Sometimes, then, the footnotes won’t be for you but for the person next to you or, perhaps, a means of better understanding Christians still new to the faith. Most of the time, though, the footnotes make me feel as if a dear, wise, spiritually mature, well-informed, older friend is responding, explaining, and encouraging me as we read the Bible together.

Special Features: In addition to the extensive footnotes in this hefty edition, each book has an overview or Introduction with a timeline across the top of the page to get you into the era or historical setting. The sidebar, “Vital Statistics,” lists the purpose for each book, the most likely author and date, and the audience first intended. An outline of each book and list of “Megathemes” aid study, too, as do clear black and white maps that show the places mentioned as they're mentioned throughout the text.

Other special features include “A Christian Worker’s Resource,” which provides a teacher’s guide or a way to instruct and edify new Christians. For topical research or Bible studies, an extensive Dictionary/ Concordance helps you find biblical references to a particular subject.

Covers: The quality or type of cover depends on your choice of translations. Most LASB editions come in paperback, hardback, and colorful covers that feel like real leather but may be apt to curl and wear out sooner. However, with the newer NIV available in LASB, you may still be able to find a huge discount on high quality leather covers in the original NIV (1984.)

With copies of the other translations already on my bookshelves, I ordered my LASB in a large print edition of the newer NIV, which I’ll refer to here and feature in the ad below. Instead of the typical leather Bible with one color or piece, this one has a two-tone cover with saddle stitching all around the outer edges and down inner margins, attractively reinforcing areas where hands hit and wear typically occurs.

Format, Font: With its ample size and ink, the large font feels easy on the eyes, but footnotes have a readable font, too, in about the size normally used for the main body of a text. I especially liked the bold type for the chapter and verses to which each footnote refers, making a note quick to find during a discussion. Added subheadings also provide a quick way to scan for information and keep track of where we are as we get closer to God and each other in our search for an ever-deepening life in Christ.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler

Life Application Study Bible in the new NIV


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The Complete Jewish Bible

If you have an edition of the Bible with cross-referencing to indicate the connections between the Old Testament (OT) and the New, you have probably noticed how Jesus fulfills prophecies and embodies the Word of God – literally and figuratively – in His own being. This translation of the Bible not only emphasizes that but helps us to understand the Jewish family of God to which Jesus belonged and of which Christianity is close kin.

As the translator of this fine work, David Stern explains in the Introduction, “I wanted to produce a single book that would deal with all the ‘Jewish issues’ I could think of in connection with the New Testament – questions that Jews have about Yeshua (Jesus), the New Testament, and Christianity; questions Christians have about Judaism and the Jewish roots of their own faith; and questions we Messianic Jews have about our own identity and role in the light of two thousand years of separation and conflict between the Church and the Jews.” Before bringing us the Complete Jewish Bible, however, he wrote the Jewish New Testament Commentary, which I viewed on Amazon and immediately added to my Wish List.

Special Features: In addition to introducing us to the translator’s Jewish background before he became a seminary-trained Messianic Jew in Israel, the Introduction describes the 7 sections of the Bible with the Hebrew scriptures arranged in the sequence Jesus would have known with their original Hebrew names:

The Torah (the Pentateuch or first five books of the Bible which reveal and express God’s law or will)

The Prophets (early and late with most of the historical books included in this section as in the Jewish canon)

The Writings (wisdom literature with the remaining historical books such as Ruth and Chronicles)

The Gospels (Mattityahu/ Matthew, Mark, Luke, Yochanan/John)

The Acts of the Emissaries (of Jesus aka Apostles)

The Letters (to the early churches or Greek and Jewish Christian communities who met in common-union)

Revelation

The Introduction also includes 4 pages of Hebrew prophecies fulfilled in Christ and gives us a peek inside a Jewish synagogue such as Jesus would have regularly attended.

Other Special Features include a Glossary in the back of the book with a pronunciation guide and maps with their true Hebrew names (“Natzeret” instead of the Anglicized “Nazareth” or “Yerushalayim” for “Jerusalem.”) Several blank pages follow with room for “Notes.”

Covers, Size, Font: My copy of the Complete Jewish Bible is slightly smaller than the one I found on Amazon (see ad below), but both have a hardback cover unless you prefer the Kindle edition, also available on Amazon. The font might have changed with the newest edition too, but my copy has a thin but readable font with a little less ink than I prefer. However, the many, many OT scriptures quoted in the New Testament have been set in bold type for easy identification and emphasis, offering us frequent reminders of our spiritual roots and connections to one another in the Family of God.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler welcomes review copies of new translations of Holy Scriptures into English, new study editions, new children’s Bibles, and new treatments of older translations of the Bible. May God bless this work and that of David Stern, who saw a schism in God’s family and wanted to do what he could to resolve this as a “contribution to tikkun-ha’olam (repairing the world.)” Amen! and Shalom.

Complete Jewish Bible

Jewish New Testament Commentary

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Review of the Amplified Bible

Study Bibles bring insights and information we might not know without all those notes and extra articles, so I recommend having many! Sometimes, though, the study aids can become a distraction or, worse, get in the way of just reading. Also, most study editions weigh a lot, making the overall size and page length overwhelming to pick up, much less read.

In the 1980’s The Lockman Foundation came up with a unique solution – a translation to get nothing lost in translation. Instead of study notes, the Amplified Bible, published by Zondervan, includes the various choices of synonyms and other options that arise when translating one language into another. For example, look at these familiar verses from Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayers” in the Gospel of John.

“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that I Am], He may give it to you,” John 15:16.

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you],” John 16:33.

My favorite print edition of this translation came in top grain leather, which I can no longer find on Amazon, so I'm showing a bonded leather edition and hope it also places biblical references directly after the related verse. This might occur, for instance, when a verse mentions a king, and Amplified brackets the book, chapter, and verse where you can find the story of that king. Or, right after a prophetic word in the Hebrew scripture (Old Testament), you’ll find the New Testament reference that shows the fulfillment of that scripture or ones yet to be fulfilled. For example:

“One will say, I am the Lord’s; and another will call himself by the name of Jacob; and another will write [even brand or tattoo] upon his hand, I am the Lord’s, and surname himself by the [honorable] name of Israel. Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the First and I am the Last; besides Me there is no God. [Rev. 1:17; 2:8; 22:13],” Isaiah 44:5-6.

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler welcomes review copies of new translations, study editions, and children’s Bibles.

The Amplified Bible, bonded leather

Spirit-Filled Life Bible, NKJV

The previous article on the Bible Reviewer discussed “Bible editions for research and accuracy,” ending with my list of personal favorites, but I forgot the study Bible I often borrow from the most scholarly and liturgically-minded person in my home – the Spirit-Filled Life Bible, New King James Version (NKJV) published in 1991 by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

In the “Introduction” of this innovative edition, the General Editor Jack W. Hayford explains: “The Spirit-Filled Life Bible is the first of its kind, in which a broadly representative team from more than twenty denominations and independent fellowships has been banded together to produce a study Bible integrating the Pentecostal-Charismatic viewpoint.”

Since that viewpoint comes from such a wide-ranging group of believers, common beliefs needed to be established first to prepare a work that would be acceptable and helpful. Interestingly, these basic points of agreement included the main convictions of most denominations, who come together as one in the Body of Christ held by these beliefs:

Belief in the virgin birth of Jesus
Belief in the sinless life of Jesus
Belief in the atoning death of Jesus
Belief in the Risen Christ
Belief in Christ’s ascension into Heaven
Belief in the divine inspiration and authority of the Word of God
Belief in the Holy Spirit, at work today, empowering Christians and the Church Body of Christ

With the above beliefs and ongoing prayer to unify the team, this study edition opens with a large section on “Kingdom Dynamics” from Bible teachers and pastors whose names you might recognize from television – men and women, who love God and continually devour Holy Scripture.

Each of these contributors presents a theme topic with a short description and list of “Kingdom Dynamic” principles keyed to relevant scripture. When you turn to those verses, you find a box inset in the text, briefly expounding on that particular passage.

Other textual inserts include “Word Wealth,” which defines words we often hear without always knowing the origin or imagery they’re meant to convey. For further options in word studies, the back of the book includes a concordance followed by pages of very clear and colorful maps.

As typically occurs in the fine quality of Bibles published by Thomas Nelson, the font used throughout this edition is clear and readable in the text but also in the footnotes. Those footnotes, in fact, drew me to investigate the above, so I could tell you about the insights and interesting info I found, but better, the notes can show you.

For example, remember the story where some believers bring a paralytic friend to be healed, but crowds prevent them from getting anywhere near Jesus? So what do they do? They lift the tiles off the flat roof of the house where He’s teaching and lower the paralyzed person down from the ceiling! As the New King James Version (NKJV) goes on to say:

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you’,” Mark 2:5.

If you grew up hearing Bible stories, you’ve surely heard that one. I had too, but the footnote in the Spirit-Filled Life Bible came as news to me! To quote that note with my parenthesis and italicized emphasis added:

“The response of Jesus reflects the Jewish view (at that time) that forgiveness of sins must precede physical healing.” (i.e., Since the friends undoubtedly knew that, Jesus addressed the whole situation from their understanding, background, experiences, and perspective as they peered down on their paralyzed friend.) “Whether or not this particular disease was the consequence of sin, Jesus went to the heart of the matter. Sin and disease are effects of evil, and Jesus reveals God’s opposition to evil in any way it may manifest. His goal is to bring complete wholeness to people.”

Amen and amen!

©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler

P.S. Well, once again, I went to Amazon’s website to find the study Bible just described and discovered a newer edition! That would not, of course, change the genuine leather-covered copy I hold in my hand, but it might mean you can find a good price on one like it with a little searching on the Internet. (My search would start with Christianbook.com) If, however, you want the updated version, here’s a place to order a paperback copy of the newest edition:



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