Review of the KJV Study Bible in Black Genuine Cowhide from Holman

September 21, 2014 Bob Snyder3 Comments

What we have here is a King James Version study Bible from Holman covered in genuine cowhide black leather.

The leather is soft and flexible with a nice grain to it. The entire Bible flexes and bends very easily without being too floppy.

The inside cover is lined.

It has a sewn binding which enables it to lie flat when opened fresh out of the box without requiring to be broken in. It will also last much longer with this kind of binding making this Bible an excellent long term Study Bible.

It comes with two ribbon markers. One is black the other is silver. The ribbons are good quality, not those flimsy thin things you find in cheaper Bibles.

The utilization of full color features is eye catching and will invite the reader to explore many side studies, however due to the full color features the pages do stick together right out of the box and require some working in. Be careful not to tear any pages while you are separating them. Included are a one and three year reading plan to keep you on track.

The books have introductions, time-lines, and outlines.

The headings, chapter and verse numbers are in blue.

The words of Christ are in red. The print is in a two column format with references in the center column. The font is crisp black 9 point font, with high contrast against the white paper behind it.

The page edges and spine are gild in silver.

This a well crafted Bible made here in America, that will give you many years of service backed up by a lifetime warranty.

If you are in the market for a study Bible you have many options these days. You can opt for a signature one like a, “Macarthur Study Bible” or you can choose one with numerous contributors like the, “ESV Study Bible.” Why would you choose the Holman KJV Study Bible? I know my KJV only friends won’t want this Bible because it lacks the Authorized Version stamp of approval because it has a copyright. I know my hipster friends won’t want it because it isn’t gender inclusive enough for them. I know my peers won’t buy it because, “The KJV is too hard to understand…” To all of them I say, “You don’t know what you are missing.” Listen I love the NASB, KJV, ESV, NKJV, and HCSB translations.

I’m not so misinformed or deceived that I’ll write off a Bible translation just because of some laymen’s haphazard critique. I read and study for myself and accept Biblical counsel from men who are more learned and mature. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate the history behind translations like the KJV and the Geneva Bible. This particular Bible has so many articles, notes, maps, pictures, and helps that it would be ridiculous to write it off just because it is KJV. Matter of fact most people that have a problem with KJV have not even really tried to read one.

I think after you look at some of the pictures, and realize how well constructed this Bible is and see many of the wonderful features it includes it might generate some new interest in this venerable old version.

Here are a list of features that I might have left out;

Full-color page designs
Full-color maps, charts, and reconstructions
Extensive book introductions and commentary notes
40-page concordance
Essays on practical and theological issues
Feature-length articles on the origin and transmission of the Bible
41 photos
62 timelines
59 maps
20 articles and essays
16 illustrations and reconstructions
15 charts
A helpful glossary of 17th century expressions relative to the KJV’s signature phrasing
Self-pronouncing text
Two-column text setting
Center-column cross references
The words of Jesus in red
One- and three-year Bible reading plans
Presentation page
Family Registry
Two ribbon markers
Silver page edges
9-point text size
9.50″ x 7.00″ x 2.25″
Product Information

Format: Cowhide Leather
Number of Pages: 2304
Vendor: Holman Bible Publishers
Publication Date: 2013
Dimensions: 9.50 X 7.00 X 2.00 (inches)
ISBN: 1433603780
ISBN-13: 9781433603785

Bible Reviews

Review of the Hardcover In Touch Ministries NASB Holy Bible from Lockman Foundation.

September 21, 2014July 4, 2015 Bob Snyder3 Comments

I know, you don’t see that many reviews of Hardcover Bibles these days. Well, get over it. This is a well constructed Bible and you’d be missing out if you overlooked it as a daily reader. I mean, seriously, this is a great Bible for reading. It arrived, wrapped in plastic like the picture above shows. The hard cover may not be supple like leather, but it add structure. You can hold this in your hands and it won’t flop all over the place. Plus, since the binding is a sewn one you won’t be fighting the cover to keep it open. Matter of fact if you look at the pictures I’m posting you can see many of the great qualities of this wonderful value. It is a New American Standard Bible (NASB) one of the most accurate English translations. It is printed on high quality paper with excellent contrast with the texts sharp black 10 pt. font. Very easy on the eyes to read for long periods of time. There are no notes or references in the text to distract you. The text is in a double column format. The margins are nice and wide for all kinds of note taking. The text block is very well glued into the book board. Lockman Foundation gave this thing a lifetime warranty.

They rounded the spine. You can also see the signatures and how they are stacked before being sewn to the signature tapes.

You can see the open side here. It is nice to see attention paid to manufacture like this.

This Bible comes with a 70 page concordance in the back as well as some really useful maps.

Here you can see how the Bible just opens flat right out of the box without needing to be broken in.

Another great feature of this binding is that they glued the first pages and last pages further up to keep the Bible bound in the cover and stop the pages from coming out.

and just look at the contrast of the black text on this bright white paper.

This particular Bible is printed right here in the good ol’ U.S. and it is very affordable. You should definitely keep one at your desk.

You can purchase one of these on Christianbook.com or Amazon.com

I included a feature list from another website at the bottom of the review for your convenience in case I left something out.

Here are some pictures I took of this Bible. I included a ruler in some of them so you can get an idea of the dimensions;

Presentation page
10 point type
Double-column format
Concordance
8 Full-color maps
Unique binding that allows the Bible to lie flat
Smyth sewn binding
Expanded margins of 1″ for extensive note taking
Imported high quality French paper that doesn’t bleed through
Reinforced spine for increased durability
A lifetime guarantee
Hardcover
Product Information

Format: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 1564
Vendor: Foundation Publications Inc
Publication Date: 2000
Dimensions: 9.75 X 7.0 X 1.75 (inches)
ISBN: 1581350732
ISBN-13: 9781581350739
Availability: In Stock
Text Layout: Wide Margin
Text Size: 9-10 Point
Text Color: Black Letter

Bible Reviews

Review of the HCSB Study Bible, in Black Deluxe Leather

September 20, 2014September 20, 2014 Bob Snyder1 Comment

First I’d like to start out by saying that study Bibles in general have some benefits and some drawbacks. One of the great advantages is that you have a set of commentaries with your Bible to be carried with you wherever you go. One of the obvious drawbacks is that all those notes and features add to the bulk of the Bible making it heavier and bigger. The size and weight isn’t the major drawback. Most people expect that when they are shopping for a study Bible. The major drawback of course comes into play when you ask, “Who wrote my commentary?” For instance if your theology is very liberal and intolerably inaccurate then you would absolutely hate the, “MacArthur Study Bible.” You would probably love a study Bible caters to your liberal theology. The downfall of having a study Bible with just one mans commentary is that you just get his point of view, and if he is a false teacher you get more false teachings. The benefit is if he is a good teacher, you get very focused and direct answers to difficult passages.

When you have a study Bible where hundreds of theologians were utilized for the commentaries, you end up with what could be a mixed bag of theologies. Unless, that study Bible is put out by an organization or denomination with set doctrine, then they would make an attempt to have the commentaries conform with their doctrines.

Well what if the denomination has a split opinion about some doctrines, like oh, I don’t know… perhaps the Southern Baptist Convention? You guessed it, you’ll have some Reformed doctrines and some Arminian doctrines espoused. I’m not knocking the SBC, after all I’m a member. I’m not knocking this study Bible either. So far I quite enjoy it. I think it is kind of a, “Jack of all trades, master of none” study Bible. I don’t mean to imply a lack of direction or focus on the part of the publishers. I think that this study Bible will fit a very large cross section of evangelical Protestantism. This can frustrate some or be refreshing to others. Like I said just a bit ago, I am enjoying it. I myself am in the Reformed camp when it comes to soteriology, but I am not the type of person who cries heretic when I see an Arminian walking down the street. With that all out of the way, we’ll start by taking a look at the construction of this Bible.

The most important physical feature of this Bible is the sewn binding. I verified with Holman that in fact, this does have a sewn binding. You can see here how the binding bends in the spine wherever it is opened. A sewn binding bends and the Bible can open flat because the pages don’t have to bend around a fixed glued point. The pages are also set up in journals and stacked before they are sewn to binding straps (tape)

With this method of binding comes some added expense to the consumer, but in my opinion it is well worth it for durability and usability. The pages don’t fall out of the front or back of the Bible as easily with a sewn binding.

The leather they use here is supple with a good grain.

It just drapes over your hand.

Here you can see it rolled up on itself.

I don’t usually treat Bibles like this, but I wanted you to get an idea of how well bound this one is. Most large study Bibles will fall apart if you do this with them. Because of the sewn binding and the quality cover this Bible is going to last a long time. It has a lifetime warranty from Holman.

The inside cover does not appear to be lined at first glance, but upon closer inspection you can see that it is lined with some very flexible material that doesn’t crease like the normal vinyl and card paper you typically see. I like that feature a lot. It makes the outer cover that much more enjoyable.

The Bible has two ribbon markers. One is kind of a gold color and the other is black. They used good heavy ribbons instead of the thin cheap ones that fold up and crease.

Another part of the binding process I truly appreciate is the first page being glued in further up and away from the gutter, keeping it more securely locked into the cover.

As you can see the pages are edge gild. The spine is gild as well.

If you are like me you may be curious as to what exactly makes those pages so shiny. I always thought it was gold leaf. I e-mailed Holman and they referred me to their expert. He told me that it is actually a gold colored foil made from colored aluminum particles. The page edges get sanded and then the foil is rolled on. The heat that is generated by the sanding process makes the inks that are printed on the pages sticky. So that is why the pages stick together. Here is a link to a video that they sent me showing how the machine works;

When I received the Bible it was packaged in a retail box. It got banged around a bit during shipping and one of the corners of the cover was a bit bent.

This Bible is a double column format with center column references. It is a black text edition. The font looks to be a 9 pt. font. It is printed clearly with good contrast. The ghosting is minimal even though the pages are very thin. This Bible is made here in the U.S.

I think the blue headings and chapter numbers are a nice touch. The reference chapter and verse numbers are also in blue. It seems to make them easier to locate for me. You can also see there is a colored band separating the text from the study notes at the bottom of the page. The inside of this band is utilized for more references. It is all quite readable and there is a plethora of information.

In the picture above you can see one of the word study boxes in the lower left of the page.

In the picture above you can see one of the colored maps that is spread throughout this Bible in addition to the typical maps at the back.

These closeup pictures should give you an idea of how clearly the text is printed.

The page margins are pretty good sized as you can see in the picture below. They look to be about 9/16ths of an inch.

I can’t get over how many full colored features this Bible has. It is chocked full of stuff. This could be distracting if you are just wanting to read, but if you are studying it could add a number of side studies to your use.

I know that there are people out there like me who like to see as much as they can before they plunk a chunk of change down on a purchase so I’ve included a photo gallery at the bottom of this review so you can see the features for yourself. There are book introductions, outlines, topical concordance, presentation pages, records pages, lined not pages, one and three year reading plans, word studies, essays, and on and on and on. This isn’t a cheap Bible. It is a good value for all of the features and the quality binding. You are getting what you paid for here. I hope you enjoyed the review.

Here is a link to this Bibles page on Christianbook.com where it can be purchased.

You can also purchase it on Amazon.

This list of features comes from the Christianbook.com page for this Bible. I noticed that some of the features listed there were different from the ones listed on the Holman site. I think the Christianbook.com list might be more up to date.

Top-quality black cowhide binding
Online access to the HCSB Study Bible and Bible study resources
408 word studies
More than 100 photographs
59 timelines
59 maps
24 articles on practical and theological issues
Feature-length article on how to reaed and study the Bible
16 illustrations/reconstructions
15 charts
Four-color presentation pages
Two-column text setting
Center column references
One-year Bible reading plan
Topical subheads
Black letter text
Gold page edges
Lined pages for personal notes
Presentation page
Two ribbon markers
9.75″ x 7.00″ x 2.00″

The following information is from Holmans site.

Format: Cowhide Leather
Number of Pages: 2304
Vendor: Holman Bible Publishers
Publication Date: 2010
Dimensions: 9.75 X 7.25 X 2.00 (inches)
ISBN: 1586404571
ISBN-13: 9781586404574
Availability: In Stock
References: Center Column
Text Layout: Double Column
Text Color: Black Letter

Bible Reviews

Review of the Holman NKJV Ultrathin Reference Bible in Brown Genuine Cowhide.

August 18, 2014September 13, 2014 Bob Snyder10 Comments

***Update 09/12/14*** I heard back from the publisher and they confirmed that this particular print of this Bible was not a sewn binding however the ones made after it in the same year do have a sewn binding.

*** Update 08/21/13*** Ok, I have to add some info here. You can still read my original review below, but as I’ve been using this Bible I have been able to see some things I originally missed. The first thing is that the paper is much better than I expressed in my original post below. It is pretty smooth in texture and the ink is sharply printed on it offering good contrast and limited ghosting. The second thing is that the cover is much softer leather than perhaps I explained. If it wasn’t on card paper and lined inside with vinyl it would be floppy. It is also pretty thick leather. I doubt it will be easily hurt. Last, I’d like to note that Holman as of yet has not responded to my questions about the binding. I can observe that the maps in the back and the presentation pages in the front are sewn into the Bible, but that doesn’t mean the Bible itself has a sewn binding. I still can’t see any dimples on the inside that would indicate stitching and the binding doesn’t bend like a sewn binding. I’m going to wait a bit longer before I damage the Bible to find out if it is in fact sewn. I really hope it is sewn. Even if it isn’t, this is a great Bible. I love the size and weight. It is a good all around thinline reference Bible. If it turns out to be a sewn binding, I would compare it to the $35 Lockman Foundation NASB.

The Holman Ultrathin NKJV Reference Bible almost got it perfect. My only gripe is that it is a glued binding. The advertisement on Christianbook.com says it is a sewn binding http://www.christianbook.com/nkjv-ultrathin-reference-brown-genuine-cowhide/9781433615030/pd/615030?event=ESRCG and reviews on other sites have also said it is a sewn binding, but I don’t believe it is. I took a close look at it and it looks and lays like a glued binding. Here is what a sewn binding looks like when it is opened up

Notice how it bends where it is opened. The pages don’t have to bend from a central glued point in a sewn binding. This is what the Holman looked like.

I would hate to have to cut such a nice Bible up to see if it is truly sewn or not so I think I will first e-mail Holman and ask them. If they say it is sewn, I’ll probably have to cut this Bible up to see. They might be paying for it to be sewn in Korea, but who knows if it is getting done. Perhaps there is a mix up over at Christianbook.com?

Having that said let’s take a look at what makes it a good buy. First off, I like the New King James Version (NKJV) it is a good translation. It is easy to read and it is accurate. It has been around for quite a while now and I am pretty familiar with it. My favorite is the NASB, but the NKJV comes in fourth for me. NASB, ESV, KJV, and NKJV. I don’t think I’d bother with any other translations. Too many agenda driven ones out there now.

The Bible came in a cardboard box, cushioned with paper. The Bible was inside a retail box that would be good to store the Bible in as it is pretty sturdy.

The Bible itself was wrapped inside two sleeves of thick, brown, paper. This was to protect the cowhide cover.

I liked the cover. It was genuine cowhide and pretty thick. It was somewhat tacky in texture making it easy to hold on to. It is lined with what looks like vinyl glued to the inside which is pretty typical of Bible in this price range. The Bible has a suggested retail of $49.99 but sells for approximately $39.99 on Christianbook and about $45.00 on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Large-Ultrathin-Reference-Genuine-Cowhide/dp/1433615037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1408390491&sr=8-1&keywords=9781433615030

The Bible measures about nine inches by six inches by an inch.

The spine of the Bible has raised hubs on the back that appear to just be decorative. Just because there are hubs doesn’t mean it is a sewn binding. I do like the look and feel of it.

There is one brown ribbon marker and the page edges are gold colored as well as the spine. I don’t know if it is real gold leaf or not. For the price I’m guessing it isn’t.

The font is 8 point. It is clearly printed and easy to read. The words of Christ are in red. The Bible is printed in Korea.

The Bible is printed in a double column format with center column references. There are also book introductions.

There is a sixty six page concordance and eight color maps. The paper that the maps are on aren’t as glossy as some and might hold up better because of it.

The paper is good quality.

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ISBN: 1433615037
ISBN-13: 9781433615030

Bible Reviews · Theology

Review of the Lockman Foundation NASB Side-Column Reference Wide Margin

August 9, 2014April 22, 2017 Bob Snyder5 Comments

“Wow, this is something special!” was my first reaction when unboxing the NASB Side-Column Reference Wide Margin. It was delivered in a cardboard box packed with paper. Inside, I found the Bible in its retail packaging. The retail box it is packaged in should be saved to store this very supple Bible. I opened up the box to find a black fabric envelope containing the Bible. It had kind of a velour feel to it, but without the elasticity. It is probably a polyester frocked woven material. (I e-mailed Lockman Foundation to find out)

I was surprised when I opened it and took the Bible out of it. The leather was so soft to the touch.

I thought, “For a Chinese bound Bible this is a really great cover.” Then I thought, “For a Chinese bound Bible? For any Bible this is an outstanding cover.”

I have a, “Cambridge Clarion NASB Bible” bound in black goatskin leather. It sells for about $199.00 on Christianbook.com NASB Clarion Reference, Goatskin, black on Christianbook.com

Well the cover on this Bible is just as soft and supple. The Lockman Foundation sells for about $100.00 less than the Cambridge. NASB Side-Column Reference Wide Margin on Christianbook.com

The texture of the cover begs for the Bible to picked up and read. The inside cover is calfskin as well. It smelled the way a leather Bible should smell. Some value Bibles smell like paint, adhesives, or just have a chemical smell to them. The page edges are gold gilt. The spine is gold hot stamped.

There are two ribbon markers to help you keep your place in both the Old and New Testaments.

I found myself taking care and treating this Bible with respect due to the quality cover and its flexibility. The smyth-sewn binding seemed different than the European smyth-sewn bindings in how the cover is connected to the Bible,(again I e-mailed Lockman Foundation to find out) but it was loose enough so that the Bible lay flat, and the pages were not puckered or wrinkled in the gutter. ***Update 7/4/15 since the time I wrote this review I learned more about Bible binding. This Bible is edge lined as opposed to being case bound. That is what I didn’t know about the binding when I thought that the smyth sewn spine was different than other Bibles I’d looked at.***

They were all trimmed with no dog-eared pages. I can’t say that of the more costly Bibles I have. So even though this Bible is made in China, I wouldn’t hesitate in suggesting it to someone looking for a premium Bible without paying $250.00 for an R.L. Allan or a Schuyler. The paper and the page gilding might not be up to the level of a $250.00 Bible, but then again they are superior to the Bibles in its price range and market niche. The transparency of the pages is a little too transparent so there is ghosting. It isn’t any more than Bibles in it’s same category, but it isn’t as good as say an ESV with line matching.

The photo above is of a page held away from the other pages and taken with light behind the page. The page trim size is six and a half inches wide by nine and a quarter inches long. It is about one and a half inches thick.

The pages are laid out in a single column, verse by verse format.

I realize that many people find this hinders the continuity while reading, but I count it as a positive. It helps me to find a verse in a hurry. I don’t have to read through a paragraph looking for the verse. I have some paragraph format Bibles and I am biased towards the verse format. It is a black text only edition. If you’re one of the folks who like the words of Christ in red you are out of luck. Fortunately I don’t mind either way so in that regard I’m easy to please. There are 95,000 cross-references on the outside edges of the text. The cross-references are so helpful when following a word or theme through the Bible. Generous room for note-taking is available in the one inch margins. This edition replaces a previous edition that had half inch margins.

Even though the Bible is full size, its weight doesn’t seem as noticeable while reading. I believe this is due to the flexibility of the Bible’s binding, and the eleven point font. When I lay it on my lap while sitting in my recliner I can easily read the text. I don’t have to hold it up to my eyes, or fight with a cover that keeps flipping through the pages like a Bible with a bonded leather cover.

The concordance in the back is a useful feature.

I don’t know if you are like me, but every once in a while I get curious to see where else a specific word is used by God in His progressive revelation. I want to see what He has said about it in other places, at other times, to other people. The concordance gives you a quick way to do a simple word study. Just remember to apply good hermeneutics in an exegetical exposition of God’s word kids! Just a note about the New American Standard Bible in comparison to many of the other versions today with a few exceptions, the NASB copyright is owned by Lockman Foundation. They do this to maintain the text so that it isn’t corrupted by people looking to make a buck. As of late the big Bible publishers have been bought by people more concerned with money rather than the purity of the word. Zondervan and Thomas Nelson are owned by Harper Collins. The debacle that was the TNIV was a direct result of trying to make the Bible more gender neutral. This was to make the word of God seem less offensive to women in my opinion. Well, needless to say when you start twisting the Bible around some people take note. The SBC and the Lutherans weren’t fooled when Zondervan dropped the, “T” from the TNIV and stopped printing the NIV to exclusively print their very bad translation. Thomas Nelson didn’t fare much better. They have always been the home of the NKJV or New King James Version, but hey! Why not make a completely evil version called the, “Voice?” I along with many other people still can’t get over people actually embracing this mess. So it makes me exceedingly joyful to find Lockman Foundation being loyal to God and working to keep the NASB from being perverted. I also appreciate Crossway for doing the same with the ESV and public domain for the Authorized KJV. God keeps His word from being lost. When I hear back from Lockman I will add the information That I had e-mailed them about.

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ISBN: 1581351607 ISBN-13: 9781581351606 This Bible was provided free of charge by Lockman Foundation for the purpose of a product review. I am not obligated to give a positive review.

Bible Reviews

Review of the Holman New King James Study Bible in Genuine Leather.

July 25, 2014July 25, 2014 Bob Snyder31 Comments

I was curious about this Bible because most of the ones I have purchased or received for review purposes have had smyth-sewn bindings. It had been a while since I looked at a Bible with a glued binding as I prefer the durability of the sewn bindings to the glued ones.

After looking at this Bible for just a little while now I can honestly say that I love all of the notes, papers, pictures, and resources in it.

I also love the layout and text. It is a great size font and very clear.

This would be a much better Bible if it were a sewn-binding. I am still not a fan of the glued bindings. The genuine leather cover is pretty typical for a Bible in this price range.

I was surprised at how badly the pages stuck together. It would be a pity if any of them tore because of the cheap silver colored gilding.

The pages are printed and laid out so beautifully. The Bible also has two ribbon markers.

This Bible is made in America which is a rare thing these days, when most of the low to mid-range ones are made in China or Korea.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was made here in the USA. There are so many features and things this Bible has got right, but the couple of draw backs are big ones for me. For $79.99 I expect much more in the quality department. So my two biggest gripes would be the glued binding, which is pretty standard these days, and the silver colored edge gilding that made the pages stick together. If they would put this in a sewn binding with real art gild page edges and a goatskin cover for $150.00 I think they would have a winner here. As it is I think this Bible falls prey to the quantity over quality error. Don’t get me wrong, this is a wonderfully useful and informative study Bible. It would be very helpful to someone doing daily studies and it comes in a decent price on Christianbook.com. Here is a list of some of it’s features;

15,000 study notes
141 photos
62 timelines
59 maps
40-page concordance
20 articles and essays on practical and theological issues
16 illustrations and reconstructions
15 charts.
Two-column text setting
Center-column cross references
The words of Jesus in red type
Extensive book introductions
One- and three-year Bible reading plans
Notes section for personal notes
Ribbon marker
Presentation page
Family record section
9-point text size
9.50″ X 7.00″ X 1.75″

I wouldn’t let my two gripes about this Bible dissuade you from purchasing it because even though it lists at $79.99 it is available for much less on Amazon and Christianbook.com I will include links to both sites at the end of the review. I am kind of a stickler for bindings. Holman did put a lifetime warranty on this Bible so I imagine if the pages do start falling out you can ship it back to them and get a replacement. So in conclusion if you are looking for a deluxe daily driver then this is your Bible, but if you are looking for a premium Bible you are in the wrong price range. Features for miles and miles with just a couple little quibbles. Hope you enjoy all of the pictures below. http://www.amazon.com/Holman-Study-Bible-Edition-Genuine/dp/1433605147 for Amazon and http://www.christianbook.com/nkjv-holman-bible-black-genuine-leather/9781433605123/pd/605123# for Christianbook.com

Holman New King James Study Bible in Genuine Leather

Holman NKJV Study Bible in Genuine Leather

I received this Bible from Holman free of charge for review purposes and am in no way obligated to give a good review of this product.

Bible Reviews

Review of the Trinitarian Bible Societies (TBS) Royal Ruby Text Bible with Zipper, Thumb Index, and Metrical Psalms in Black Calfskin Leather.

July 23, 2014January 7, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

I was looking for a nice compact Bible to carry with me at work. Most of the Bibles I found were not of good enough quality. They would not withstand daily use and carry. I wanted one that had a smyth-sewn binding and was covered in genuine leather. While scouring the usual online retail sites I kept finding the same low priced compact Bibles. Don’t get me wrong, for the price a person could afford to replace them when they fall apart, but there are other problems with inexpensive value Bibles. The paper is usually not Bible paper, the font is not printed sharply and clearly, the Bible is put together in China or Korea where the workmanship isn’t as conscientious, The Bibles are stiff and by the time you brake them in they are falling apart, the bonded leather cracks and swells, the bindings come unglued and pages start falling out, and so on. If you are like I am you’d rather spend a few extra dollars and get a Bible that will become an old friend, or something you’ll be able to hand down to loved ones when you pass. Something that you would have used so often that it takes on your scent and the wear and tear you cause remind your loved ones of your love for God’s word. Maybe it will inspire them to open it up and read it as well.

So with all of that in mind I did a search for, “compact smyth-sewn Bible” and found out about a Bible publisher called, “Trinitarian Bible Society.” We’ll refer to them as, “TBS” for the rest of the review. I tried to visit their web page, but to my surprise it was closed for business due to it being Sunday. This was a pleasant surprise and caused me to become even more curious about them. I did some research and found this little gem.

It is the TBS PS31UTZ/BK Royal Ruby Text Bible

in black genuine calfskin leather

with a zipper,

thumb indexes,

gold gild page edges,

spine,

and Holy Bible on the front cover,

metrical Psalms,

two ribbon markers,

presentation page,

dictionary of King James era words,

reading plan,

Bible paper, set by jongbloed and printed in Belarus,

and in the Authorized King James Version.

I’d like to take a bit of time here to tell you a little about TBS. They are a ministry based in England. They use the money they make off of the sales to provide Bibles to those who can not afford them. They only print the Authorized King James Version, so if you want a different version you might try Cambridge. I sent them an e-mail and asked for a review copy. They sent one gratis with no strings attached.

I really like the size of the Bible.

It’s cover is a bit stiff as it is glued to card paper and then lined with vinyl. The grain of the leather is pretty defined so that makes it easy to hold on to.

The zipper is sewn to the semi-yap cover. It does a good job of protecting the pages.

The Bible feels like it is going to break in nicely. It looks like it is put together well. It fits in my hand easily and it is light weight enough to hold for long stretches of time. The Bible having a zipper makes this Bible able to survive my B.D.U. pants pockets. I don’t have to worry about it opening up and having the pages get wrinkled, bent, or mutilated. The genuine calfskin is pretty tough so it is protected from getting scratched of torn. The font is a bit on the small side at 6.5 point, but it is a compact Bible.

If you have descent vision it shouldn’t be a problem. Mine is about 20/25 and I can read it fine. I didn’t notice any production errors or defects. The Bible came packaged in a cardboard box packed in foam packing shells.

The Bible itself was in a cardboard sleeve, neatly wrapped in clear plastic.

One might save the cardboard slip case for storage purposes. Unlike the card paper sleeves that many value Bibles come in this case can provide a service to the owner rather than being thrown away.

I hope this review has been helpful.

ISBN 9781862283527

Bible Reviews

Review of the NASB Ultrathin Reference Bible

July 19, 2014March 29, 2017 Bob Snyder4 Comments

The Lockman Foundation has been producing some affordable and well made NASB (New American Standard Bible) Bibles for quite some time now. The NASB has become known for its excellence in staying true to the original languages. The NASB Ultrathin Reference Bible is no exception. It is bound in genuine leather and is smyth-sewn. A sewn binding makes the Bible more durable and helps it to lay flat as opposed to a glued binding. Pages are folded into groups of pages and stacked, then sewn together. In a glued binding the pages are just cut and glued in the spine. These types are always loosing pages. Sewn bindings are far less apt to fall apart that way.

The Bible has center column references and is a two column format in approximately an 8 point font.

This Bible is almost 9 inches long, 6 inches wide, by almost and inch thick. It is a light bible to carry.

This Bible is light to carry and the pages are pretty thin because it is an Ultrathin. Here is a shot of one page held up to the light.

The page thickness is sufficient and doesn’t lend itself to as much show-through as is prevalent in similarly priced ultrathins. There is ghosting.

The font is clearly printed and easy to read. There is some room in the margins for limited note taking. This Bible is crammed full of quality and features for the price making it a very good value for the price of around $25.00 depending on where you pick one up.

This Bible is a red-letter edition.

I mentioned that this Bible is a smyth-sewn binding and you can tell from this picture that right out of the box it lies flat on the table.

This is a case bound book. The covers are lined with vinyl paper.

You can see where the corners are glued here.

The pages are edge gilt and the spine is hot stamped with gold colored foil as well.

There are some pages in the front that record family info and the like,

One thing I noticed and liked about the construction is where the first and last pages are glued into the lining to stop the Bible from falling apart as easily.

There are also decorative head and foot bands.

The Bible came in a hard cardboard box. The Bible was wrapped in clear plastic.

This Bible also comes with a quite useful concordance which is a surprise for a Bible this thin.

As well as a concordance there are 8 color maps.

There is also on ribbon marker to keep your place. I hope all of the pictures were helpful. Lockman did a good job of making a “users” Bible. This thing is a good value and can take all the punishment of being dragged along where ever you happen to go… within reason, I mean come on, it isn’t water-proof or fire-proof. If you are in the market for an ultrathin and you don’t want to spend big bucks for a premium Bible this is the way to go. Again it is genuine leather, and has a sewn binding all for about $25.00! Come on people, that is pretty good.

Disclaimer, I received this Bible free from the publisher for review purposes and am in no way obligated to give a good review.

Bible Reviews · Theology

The Voice isn’t the Word!

July 16, 2014 Bob Snyder1 Comment

Don’t listen to the, “Voice” because it isn’t the Word!

I am pretty picky about Bible translations. Call me crazy, but I think we shouldn’t try to make the Bible easier to read. I mean come on, how hard is it to read already? What more do you want? It has been translated into English in the KJV, NKJV, NASB, and ESV. If you can’t understand the last three a new translation isn’t going to help you however, a G.E.D. or E.S.L. class might. People don’t fail to read the Bible because it is over their reading skill. They fail to read it because it is beyond their desire scale. They simply don’t want to. The unregenerate find it boring at best and offensive at worst. The, “Voice” claims that people need this version because the others are too difficult to understand. I say, “Hogwash!” Thomas Nelson got purchased and now it is all about the bottom line. They have to have their own copy written versions to print so they can keep all the cash. Lockman Foundation and Crossway made their translations copy written to keep other from changing them. They did it to protect the translation from those who would do violence to the Word.

If a person is regenerate and has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we know that they will desire to read the word and it will be understood by them. We also know that God’s word is always relevant and efficacious. So instead of twisting it all around to fit some emergent church movement agenda how about we just do good faithful translations and leave all of the Creative Teams and Writing Teams out of it. Hers is the, url for the list of contributors on the Voice Writing/Creative Team, http://www.hearthevoice.com/team Notice these names on the list Brian McLaren, and Phyllis Tickle. They are two of the most heretical emergent church movement leaders.

So for my litmus test I always compare what the new version says in John 1:1-14 to my good old NASB.

Here is the text from the, “Voice”

1Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God.	1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.	I believe the NASB is actually easier to understand here than the Voice lol.
2This celestial Word remained ever present with the Creator;	2He was in the beginning with God.	Ditto my previous statement.
3His speech shaped the entire cosmos. Immersed in the practice of creating, all things that exist were birthed in Him.	3All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.	Nope, I checked the Greek, they added all the artsy verbiage.
4His breath filled all things with a living, breathing light—	4In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.	ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· Word for Word the NASB is the same as the Greek.
5A light that thrives in the depths of darkness, blazes through murky bottoms. It cannot and will not be quenched.	5The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.	Light thrives? Did these clowns even read the Bible first? Hey Phd’s do a word study κατέλαβεν.
6A man named John, who was sent by God, was the first to clearly articulate the source of this Light.	6There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.	So they just added,” was the first to clearly articulate the source of this Light.” Because, you know, they are smarter than God…NOT!
7This baptizer put in plain words the elusive mystery of the Divine Light so all might believe through him. Some wondered whether he might be the Light,	7He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.	Tell me again how the Voice is supposed to be a simpler, easier to read version ha! What a joke. It is a perversion.
8but John was not the Light. He merely pointed to the Light.	8He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.	Μαρτυρέω to testify or bear witness… I wonder where they got, “pointed?”
9The true Light, who shines upon the heart of everyone, was coming into the cosmos.	9There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.	The English word, “cosmos” doesn’t have the same meaning as the Greek word, ”kosmos.”
10He entered our world, a world He made; yet the world did not recognize Him.	10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.	Again, NASB more accurate and simple.
11Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him.	11He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.	ditto
12But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God;	12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,	ditto
13He bestowed this birthright not by human power or initiative but by God’s will.	13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.	The Voice loses some of the meaning retained in the NASB.
14The Voice took on flesh and became human and chose to live alongside us. We have seen Him, enveloped in undeniable splendor—the one true Son of the Father—evidenced in the perfect balance of grace and truth.	14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.	Λόγος Logos!!! Not voice. You just called Sovereign God a voice when He called Jesus the Word! Repent! ARRRRGG!!! I can’t go on!

So in conclusion, DON’T READ OR BUY THE STINKING VOICE VERSION OF THE BIBLE!!! IT ISN’T THE BIBLE, IT IS A SCAM TO MAKE MONEY AND TWIST THE WORD OF GOD SO EMERGENT NUTS CAN CORRUPT THE TRUE FAITH!!!

Bible Reviews

Review of the Holman NKJV Large Print Compact Reference Bible

July 4, 2014July 4, 2014 Bob Snyder9 Comments

I received a copy of the Holman NKJV Large Print Compact Reference Bible in black bonded leather promptly after requesting it.

The bonded leather is quite stiff.

That is to be expected on a small Bible like this. The Bible did not come in a box, but rather a card-paper sleeve. The spine is gilded as well are the page edges.

The cover is about six inches long, and four inches wide.

It looks to be an inch thick.

The older version of this that I have in the KJV was smyth-sewn, had decorative head and foot bands. These are conspicuously missing in this newer iteration.

Being made in China could account for the lower production quality.

That isn’t to say that this isn’t a good value. It appears that the binding is glued. The Bible doesn’t as yet lay flat. It might once it is broken in. The inside is lined with black card-paper.

This also makes the cover a bit more stiff. This Bible has 8 point font for the text which makes it very easy on the eyes for such a compact and small Bible.

It is very easy to hold and read. For those of you who think the 8 pt font is too small, what are you doing getting a compact Bible anyways? As with most compact Bibles the font is always going to border on the ridiculously small. Again, at 8 pt. this is a great little Bible. The paper is thick enough to endure use and not so transparent as to ghost horribly.

The text is printed clearly and sharply. The print quality is pretty good for an inexpensive, “take anywhere Bible.” This little Bible has a concise concordance and eight maps in the back.

This Bible does have a lifetime warranty. Contrary to some descriptions this Bible does not include a reading plan. I would recommend this Bible for anyone looking for an easy to transport and read Bible.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/104300587445797986685/albums/6031977939005781313

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