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
..
Reviews study Bibles, new translations, large print editions, children's Bibles, commentaries, and other Bible resources
November 7, 2013
November 4, 2013
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
~~~
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
~~~
October 29, 2013
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
~~
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
~~
October 24, 2013
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
…
“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
…
October 3, 2013
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.
…
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.
…
August 27, 2013
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.
~~
August 9, 2013
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
~~
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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