A Review of the Holman HCSB Military Families Bible in Navy and Crimson Leathertouch, Red Letter Edition.

July 4, 2016July 4, 2016 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

I want to get the failings of this Bible addressed right off the bat. In my opinion it fails at what it aims to accomplish. Here is a quote from the B&H product page, “Family, friends, and loved ones of military service members want comfort and guidance in how to pray for those in harm’s way and in how to cope with those tensions in their own lives so that they will have peace of mind. The Military Families Bible provides 60 pages of devotionals and prayers that minister to family members and loved ones of military personnel as well as equip the reader to minister to and intercede for those in the military.” All of these articles are in this Bible, but (come on, you knew there was going to be a but…) They are all in the back of the Bible. They don’t have page numbers, and they are not indexed in any way shape or form. You might be asking, “What’s so bad about that?” Well, say for instance you are having a specific problem, that one of these articles addresses, wouldn’t it be great to be able to look it up? The next problem is that these articles should be interspersed throughout the Bible and be attached to relevant scripture passages. As it is, they are just lazily thrown into the back of this Bible. Sure, it puts them in one convenient place to read, but they literally could be a separate devotional book instead. My final problem with the devotionals is that some cited scripture passages have been torn out of context and misapplied by the writer. This doesn’t happen a lot, but it shouldn’t happen at all.

I would offer a solution instead of just seemingly complaining. First, get the feel good authors out of the exposition business. Second, get some vets, their families, and some theologians together, to talk about their experiences, and to help them connect with the Biblical doctrines that comforted them. Third, intersperse the articles throughout the Bible, and connect them to sections of scripture in context, and properly apply the scripture to the situations the military families and soldiers are going through. Fourth, index the articles so that people can find them and the scriptures that can offer them soul care pertinent to their situation. See, was that so hard? Seems legit to me…

Now let’s get into the physical attributes of this Bible. It is a handsome little Bible in the HCSB translation. It came in a two piece, sturdy, retail box. The cover is a synthetic Navy blue, and crimson color leather like material. It is perimeter stitched and case bound, with a paper liner. The page edges are silver, the spine and corners are rounded. This Bible’s spine is smyth sewn, regardless of what the retail sites say.

There is some page crinkling at the beginning of the Bible, but it isn’t very bad. There is a patriotic themed presentation page. The single ribbon marker is red/crimson, to match the stripe on the cover. The publisher’s information page indicates this Bible is manufactured in China… patriotic Bible… made in China… just sayin’

I found this Bible to be just the right size. It measures approximately, 8 ½” by 5 ¾” by 1 ½” It is really more of a text Bible with devotions in the back. The paper is opaque enough, and the print is a 10 pt. font, printed uniformly throughout the Bible. This is a double column, paragraph format, red letter edition. The red print is pretty average, not too bright, not too dull. It is an easy to read Bible, mostly because of the size of the font.

It would be even better if line matching was employed. While the paper is decent, and the font is a good size, there is still some ghosting. Limited footnotes at the bottom of the page reduce clutter. The sewn spine makes this Bible nice and flexible, right out of the box. It lays flat on the table, and that is a big deal for an inexpensive Bible.

It truly is a great value with just the legibility and sewn spine. The 60 pages of devotional material are useful. Don’t get me wrong. I just wished a better implementation had occurred. Of the 60 pages, 30 are devotions and 30 are prayers. I believe that theology makes a difference, and that a firm foundation in God’s word will help you through the storms of life better than anything else. The sovereignty of God, God’s omniscience, and omnipresence, as well as all that those attributes entail gives me peace and comfort in difficult times. Besides these features there are HCSB bullet notes, “Where to turn to” scripture index, and 8 full color maps.

Make sure to check out the rest of the pics at my Flickr page. You can pick up your copy at Christianbook, or Amazon.

ISBN-13: 9781433619670

Bible Reviews · Uncategorized

A Review of the Thomas Nelson NKJV Study Bible, Personal Size, Paperback.

June 17, 2016June 17, 2016 Bob Snyder2 Comments

This Bible is the same in content as the NKJV Study Bible that I reviewed here.
The differences are a smaller font, and format size. It measures approximately 8.5″ by 5.5″ by 2″ The font is 7 pt. for the main text and 6 pt. for the notes. This is a red letter edition. It is arranged in a double column, paragraph format, with cross references in the center column. Notes are at the bottom, with different full color features dispersed throughout the Bible. There are very small margins. Note taking will not be done in the margins. The paper is sufficiently thick. Ghosting is minimal. The paper is pretty white and contrasts well against the uniformly printed text.

This is a paperback instead of a hardback. I found the font to be a bit too small for my liking and it runs into the gutter of the page. Trying to open this thick of a glued Bible enough to read the text in the gutter is a tedious chore. I don’t think Thomas Nelson considered this when they chose to use a glued binding. It should have been obvious that this would have required a sewn binding or pages with extra width to provide for the pages bending around each other. If the pages are sewn into signatures and then bound together, the spine will arch. This allows for less of a gutter, as the book will open more fully. The did use a hybrid glued binding which employs signatures glued into the spine. It is more flexible than a typical glued or “perfect binding.” Even with the hybrid binding process, this Bible is not as practical as it could have been in a truly sewn binding. I guess for $20 they figure who will care… I do, and so do thousands of other potential customers. Perhaps the people who only crack their Bible at Church won’t mind, because it won’t wear out being used once a week, but if you are going to use it, I suggest getting NKJV from Holman or one of the ones with a synthetic fake leather cover and sewn binding. Sure they cost more, but they will be more usable and last longer.

This Bible is ok. It could have been much better. The notes and aids were somewhat helpful for a general knowledge. I would recommend the Holman NKJV Study Bible for better notes. My personal favorite is the MacArthur Study Bible. If you can afford the ESV in Calfskin, that is the best made one you can currently get. My advice, don’t waste your time and money on this unless you need a mediocre, smallish, study Bible, to hand out or give away, but there are so many other better choices out there in the same price range that I would get them instead.

ISBN-13: 9780718081980

Bible Reviews · Bibles · Crossway · Uncategorized

Review of the Crossway ESV UltraThin in Black Top Grain Cowhide Leather.

June 2, 2016June 2, 2016 Bob Snyder2 Comments

I purchased this Bible on sale from Christianbook.com I was curious because it was listed as having a top grain leather cover. I was glad I ordered it. It turns out that it is now out of print. So if you can find one, I suggest you purchase it. I was pleasantly surprised by this less than a half inch thick little gem. This UltraThin came in a clamshell retail box with a clear plastic window. I retained the box for storage purposes. Once you open the box up you smell the leather and not glue or dye. The leather was very supple and soft to the touch. The grain appears to be natural. There is a nice perimeter groove and spine hubs.

The hubs add to the ornamentation along with the gold letters stamped into it. From the top of the spine down it reads, “Holy Bible, ESV, the ESV logo, English Standard Version, Then the Crossway logo.”

The spine is sewn affording this very thin Bible with great flexibility for a paste down, case bound Bible. In my opinion the cover offers a perfect compromise of flexibility, and structure.

The head and tail bands are gold and black, complementing the color of the cover, and the gold page edge gilt. There are two ribbon markers, even though the retail site only lists one. The ribbon markers are narrow, but thicker than most employed in Bibles under $100.

In the front of the Bible there is a presentation, marriages, births/adoptions, and deaths pages. They are printed on a thicker matte finish paper that takes ink well. Unlike higher gloss papers, these won’t crack or tear as easily.

Then there is the copyright/publishers page. Before Genesis begins the Old Testament we have the table of contents, preface, and explanation of features.

The text of this Bible is double column, paragraph format. This is a red letter edition. The red lettering is not too red or too light. It contrasts well against the white paper and surrounding black text. The main text is a 7.5 pt. lexicon font. Line matching is employed to aid in reduction of, “ghosting” or the appearance of the text from the opposite side of the page showing through the paper due to the opacity allowing it.

The paper’s opacity is pretty good considering how thin this Bible is. At just under a half inch, it is one of the thinnest UltraThins I’ve seen. I had assumed that they used a thinner paper. That was not the case. The paper is 31 g.s.m. 20# Thincoat Max. This is not a thin or lightweight paper. It looks like they made up for the thickness of the paper by not having any cross references. There are some footnotes at the bottom of the pages. This way they could fit the entire text into this UltraThin.

So we have a nice, legible, well printed, and bound Bible in this truly UltraThin format. It is also so soft and flexible due to the quality binding and cover, that I can fold it over itself. It is almost as flexible as an edge-lined Bible.

At the end there is a weights and measures page, and an abbreviations page. A three column concise concordance follows. Finished off with eight maps in color.

Make sure to check out the pictures I took of this Bible on my Flickr page here. You can still purchase these on Amazon until they run out. Then you’ll have to get them used. ISBN-13: 9781433538834

Bible Reviews · Bibles · Crossway · Uncategorized

Review of the Crossway E.S.V. TruTone Single Column Heritage Edition Bible.

May 21, 2016May 21, 2016 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

I purchased this Bible because it was on sale for 80% off. I figured I could write a review, and then gift it to someone. After receiving it, I might just keep it for a rebind project. It arrived undamaged. It was in a cardboard box with two other ESV Bibles, I ordered at the same time. This one has a clamshell retail box. If you need to store your Bible, it is always a good idea to keep the retail box.

This Bible is the soft leather-look, TruTone brown/burgundy, with band design. TruTone is a synthetic cover material that simulates leather. It is one of the better synthetic covers on the market.

The inside liner is paper as this is a case bound Bible.

The cover around the spine is ornamented with, “Holy Bible, ESV, the ESV logo, English Standard Version, and the Crossway logo” in gold.

There are brown head and tail bands, as well as one brown ribbon marker. The spine, and corners are rounded. The page edges are gold gilt.

There is a presentation page up front, along with the typical copyright/publisher’s information page.

I really like the size of this little text edition. It isn’t too big, or small. It measures about 5.5”x7.5” It is pretty portable, though not as much as a true compact, pocket size, thinline, or ultrathin.

Of course you would lose the font size and paper quality to drop down to those sizes. I think this is a pleasing compromise in Bible design. Since it is a single column text edition, it can afford to be smaller than a reference Bible. It also utilizes a 9 point Lexicon font, which is a great choice for a Bible of this size. Crossway also employed line matching, which greatly reduces ghosting. (being able to see the text from the opposite side of the paper) The paper is 31 g.s.m. Thincoat Max, 1720ppi.

Between the great paper, clear uniformly printed text, and line matching, this Bible is very legible.

The spine is smyth sewn.

This in conjunction with the soft cover, make this a very flexible Bible.

I can fold it over on itself. Then, hold it like a magazine in one hand. This is my prefered way to read. It also opens fairly flat. I don’t think it is suited well to pulpit duty as it is a paragraph format Bible. It lends itself to devotional, and daily reading. It would be perfect for that with one more ribbon marker. There is not a concordance or any other helps or features except for some colored maps in the back.

My overall impression of this Bible is favorable. I think it fulfills the purpose for which it was designed in an exemplary manner. It is a great value, legible, portable, durable, and flexible. It is not so nice, that I’m afraid of hurting it. It is a good value and should provide you with years of service.

You can pick up your copy at Christianbook. Amazon also sells them.

Make sure to check out all of the pictures of this Bible on my Flickr page.
ISBN 9781433537370

Bible Reviews · Bibles · Uncategorized

Review of the Trinitarian Bible Society’s (T.B.S.) Hebrew/Greek Bible.

May 17, 2016 Bob Snyder4 Comments

This Bible was well packaged in a heavy duty clamshell type paper covered cardboard box, with packing foam inside. TBS does an excellent job of packaging their Bibles. I have never received one damaged in the least.

This edition is a vinyl covered hardback, with the Hebrew Old Testament starting where the back of the book would be, and the Greek New Testament starting where the front would be. This might seem backwards to you if you are unfamiliar with Hebrew, but you wouldn’t be buying this book if you were… would you?

I was very impressed with the apparent quality of this book considering the low cost. Those two things alone make this a great value. Other original language Bibles go for three times this price to start and climb up from there. I assume that the low price can be attributed to the fact that TBS is a ministry not a for profit corporation. I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at the copyright/publisher information page, and found that this volume was printed and bound by Jongbloed.

They are the premier printer and binder of premium Bibles. I don’t think any company in the world does a better job at this point in time. This fact explains the excellent print job. All of the masoretic vowel marks are printed sharply and uniformly, along with all of the 9 pt. Greek and Hebrew text.

This makes them supremely legible compared to other lesser print shops work. All of the text is printed in black. The notes at the bottom of the Hebrew section are so small they are difficult to read.

The Greek is text only. The pages are a smooth Bible paper, comparable to the paper of the Cambridge Clarion, but perhaps a bit whiter. I found it to be opaque with limited ghosting.

The page edges are white. The spine is rounded and smyth sewn. The corners are not rounded. There are two round ribbon markers, that are silver. The head and tail bands match the markers in color.

This Bible is close to the same size as the Cambridge Clarion. The specific texts used in this Bible are, the Ginsburg/Bomberg edition of the Hebrew Masoretic Text, and the Textus Receptus of F.H.A. Scrivener for the New Testament. I imagine if you are thinking of purchasing this Bible it is because of the source texts. I am not a KJV onlyist. I don’t agree with their assertions. However, I do understand people who prefer the KJV. Some prefer it because of the source texts, some prefer the way early modern English sounds. While I can appreciate those preferences, I oppose those who make it a matter of salvation. There are groups out there that say, “If you haven’t heard the gospel preached to you in KJV English, then you are not saved.” I don’t believe that is what T.B.S. is about. From what I’ve read on their site, they use the KJV because they believe it has the best source text. I use the NASB primarily, but still enjoy reading from the KJV and 1599 Geneva from time to time.

Make sure to check out all the pictures I took on my Flickr page here.

You can purchase it from TBS on their site here.

You can also purchase it on Amazon

ISBN 9781862281165

Bible Reviews · Bibles · Uncategorized

Review of the Chronological Study Bible in NKJV from Thomas Nelson. Earth Brown/Auburn Leathersoft.

May 11, 2016May 11, 2016 Bob Snyder3 Comments

It is a novel idea, but not very practical. It is also not a study Bible. It is more of a reference Bible with added notes. If you want to look up a verse you have to go to the verse index in the back, find the verse you are looking for, then go to the page indicated by the index. I know that if you have purchased this Bible it is probably for the chronological arrangement, but the trouble of finding your way in this is not worth the trouble in my opinion. There is a good reason for having the Bible arranged in books instead of epochs. They could have scrapped the book, chapter, and verse, format altogether and went solely with the epoch arrangement. This would have required the user to learn the location of verses within their historical location, but would have negated the need for an awkward index system utilized by this hybrid arrangement. Of course they wouldn’t be able to reach as many customers that way. The best option, in my opinion is to stick with the book, chapter, and verse arrangement, and use book introductions with the appropriate notes. The typical commentary notes you’d expect from a study Bible are missing. Instead there are features, or small articles interspersed throughout the Bible. Many of these are not Reformed, or complementarian friendly. They also seem to employ a cultural hermeneutic to many scripture passages instead of the proper hermeneutic for the particular passage. It is obvious that this Bible’s articles are focused on appealing to the modern cultural sensitivities in hopes of selling more Bibles. If you are a Methodist, Nazarene, Arminian Baptist, or any other non-Calvinistic confessor you will like the notes.
The heading for Romans 8 says that it is about the rejection of the gospel by Israel. From that heading it is meant that Romans 8 is about a national election not an individual one. Which is quite odd considering how most of the converts of the early Church were Israelites. The gospel came to them first and then the gentiles. In Ephesians 5 there is an article imposing a cultural hermeneutic on the passage instead of making it prescriptive it is implied that this was just for that culture. The same thing is done with 1 Timothy 2.

The Bible was shipped in a cardboard box with air bladder packing material. The Bible arrived undamaged.

It has a two piece retail box.

The synthetic cover has perimeter stitching.

The stitching would have been a nice feature if the inside liner were not paper.

The cover is pretty flexible. That in conjunction with the sewn binding makes the entire Bible flexible.

There is a single ribbon marker, along with gold gilt page edges.

The text is in a double column format with full color features interspersed throughout. The 9 pt. font is legible and uniformly printed.

There is a substantial concordance in the back and some ruled paper for notes.

This Bible is advertised as a study Bible, but it is definitely not. It forgoes them for biased articles. If this were just a NKJV Bible I would recommend it, but due to the bias in the articles, and notes I cannot. I would definitely not purchase this Bible unless I was not a Calvinist. I found it insulting to be honest.

2383E
ISBN 9780718040536

If you’d like to purchase this Bible you can get a copy here.

Make sure to look at all the pictures I took of this Bible on the Flickr album page.

American Made · Bible Reviews · Bibles · Uncategorized

Review of the, “The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible in Genuine Leather.

May 7, 2016 Bob Snyder3 Comments

I requested a review copy quite some time ago, and was refused. This is why it has taken a while for me to do a review of this Bible. Recently I purchased a copy, at my own expense for the purpose of review. I was curious about this Bible because of the title. I am a Reformed Baptist. I hold to reformed soteriology. Since I affirm believer’s baptism, or credal baptism, I cannot be said to have Reformed theology proper, as that would include infant baptism, or paedo-baptism along with some other theological distinctions.

This Bible came shipped by Amazon in a cardboard box with no padding.

One of the corners of the retail clamshell box was dented. The Bible inside was undamaged.

When I first examined the Bible I didn’t notice that some of the pages were folded under and failed to be trimmed with the text block. I had to trim them myself with an exacto knife. I contacted Reformation Heritage by e-mail. It has been several weeks without a response. I was waiting to do the review because part of my e-mail had to do with questions about this Bible’s manufacture. I wouldn’t let their failure to respond stop you from purchasing this Bible.

This edition has a genuine cowhide leather cover and not pigskin leather. On the front cover, “Holy Bible” is hot stamped in gold color foil. The texture of the leather seems to be natural and comfortable to hold. this is a case bound Bible.

It is not as high grade as some, but far exceeds many lesser quality covers on Bibles in the same price range. This Bible lists for about $80.00, but I purchased it on sale for $55.88 from Amazon. You would be hard pressed to find a study Bible with all of the features this Bible has for the same price. We are talking about an American printed and bound Bible with smyth-sewn spine, cowhide leather cover, unique study notes, creeds and confessions, notes on family application, and numerous articles in back along with a concise concordance and maps.

This Bible is only available in the King James Version. (KJV) It is a verse format, double column, layout with notes at the bottom of the page.

Before each book is an introduction and outline of the book.

A sharply printed and uniformly inked 9.8 pt. Minion Font is used for the text of the Bible, and 8 pt. Myriad SemiCondensed Font for the notes is employed.

The page margins are pretty small, so you won’t be making many notations in them. The page edges are gold gilt. The corners are rounded, the spine is not.

Since this Bible employs a sewn binding it lays flat without having to fight the binding or cover. It is pretty flexible.

There are gold and burgundy head and tail bands as well as two narrow yet, substantial black ribbons.

The ribbons are both fixed in the spine at the same place making them a bit awkward compared to others that are glued in differently.

I truly like the paper used for the presentation/records section in the front and the maps in the back. RHB made the best decision of not using the glossy papers that crack. Instead they went with a thicker matte paper that will last a long time.

I would have liked to see a thicker, more opaque paper employed, however, to include all of the features in one volume without making it a behemoth like the ESV study Bible, I can understand why the chose the paper they did. Don’t misunderstand me, the paper isn’t bad. It is just a little less opaque than I would like. Ghosting isn’t bad at all and it appears that line matching was employed. For the money, there aren’t many full study Bibles on the market that could compete with this one. I highly recommend this Bible if you are a fan of the KJV, and historic creeds and confessions. It is an all around solid study Bible. Here is a link to the publisher’s page for this edition. Here is a link to this edition on Amazon. Finally, here is a link to this Bible on Christianbook.

Don’t forget to visit my flickr album of all the pictures I took of this Bible.

ISBN: 9781601783264

Bible Reviews · Uncategorized

A Review of the 2015 Amplified Bible in Paperback, from Zondervan

April 18, 2016April 18, 2016 Bob Snyder18 Comments

Instead of going through and listing several changes between the older Amplified Bible and the new for 2015 Updated Amplified Bible, I decided just to show one as a brief example. Then I will explain some pros and cons. The verse we are going to look at is 1 John 3:9.

First we’ll look at the familiar KJV.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

[1 John 3:9 KJV]

Now the NASB.

No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

[1 John 3:9 NASB]

Next, the old version of the Amplified.

“No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and[a]habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.”

The same verse in the 2015 Amplified.

“No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because [a]God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually[live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him.”

SBL Greek, “1 John 3:9 (SBL NT) πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει, καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται.” Pas ho gegennamenos ek ton theou amartian ou poiei, hoti sperma autou en auto menei, kai ou dunatai hamartanein, hoti ek tou theou gegennetai. Anyone having been born of God sin not practices because seed of him in him abides and not he is able to continue sinning because of God has been born.

Now after looking at all of those versions for comparison you might have noticed a few differences. In the KJV the Greek word, “ποιεῖ (poiei)” is being translated as, “commit” when it more accurately means, “practice.” So all of the other versions have a more accurate translation of the first part of this verse. What is inside the []’s in the Amplified translations is added commentary that is put in line with the Biblical text. It is not the actual translation. So the added, “[deliberately, knowingly, and habitually]” is intended to help you understand what is meant by, “…practices sin…”

The KJV renders the next part as, “…for his seed remaineth in him:…” The NASB is pretty similar with, “…because His seed abides in him;…” And then the old Amplified has, “…for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him];…” This caused some people to get a bit testy. I think the 2015 fixed the problem by changing their comments to, “because God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose];” but in my opinion added another problem, that being excessive commentation. Finally, the last part of the verse is the same in the KJV and the NASB. “…because he is born of God…” and the old Amplified, “… because he is born (begotten) of God.”

and the 2015, “…because he is born of God and longs to please Him…” Now here is a problem that might not be evident at first. Notice that there are no brackets around, “and longs to please Him.” These words are not in the Greek, KJV, or the NASB. They are added as if they are part of the translation. There is no notation to let you know they are added text. Now perhaps the people who compiled the 2015 Amplified meant to put them in brackets, but didn’t. Nevertheless, it is a cause for concern.

Having brought your attention to these things, I think it is prudent to say that I can give a qualified recommendation for this Bible. I would recommend it for mature Christians who understand textual criticism, and want some insights into the translation process. I wouldn’t recommend this for Christians who have no understanding of textual criticism. False teachers are always going to find some way to twist the Bible around to make it say what they want. People who say the Amplified version is a responsible are placing the blame on the translation and not the false teacher. I think the Amplified might be helpful as a side Bible for comparison, but I wouldn’t use it for a study Bible. I also wouldn’t use it to read from as the added text causes some discontinuity.

The Bible itself is a paperback with a hybrid binding. The paper is fairly opaque, for the cost, and the print is uniform and clear. It is arranged in a double column, paragraph format. There are notes at the bottom of the page. The page numbers appear at the top outside corner of the pages with the book name, chapter, and verse range. There are section headings in bold type. The expanded text shows up in brackets in line with the text [like this] see how that works? The hybrid binding and creased cover allow this Bible to open well considering the fact that it is not a sewn binding. I wouldn’t count on this Bible lasting a long time as a daily reader because of the construction. It is a value line type of Bible. The most expensive binding I found this in was an imitation leather, so it isn’t exactly meant to be a durable product.

Here is a link to the Lockman page for this Bible, The Amplified Bible is a Literal Equivalent translation that, by using synonyms and definitions, both explains and expands the meaning of words in the text by placing amplification in parentheses, brackets, and after key words. This unique system of translation allows the reader to more completely and clearly grasp the meaning as it was understood in the original languages. Additionally, amplifications may provide further theological, historical, and other details for a better understanding of the text.

Here is a blurb from a Christianbook.com

Product Description

If you want to get all the rich nuances of the original Bible languages, the Amplified Bible is for you. No working knowledge of Greek or Hebrew is required—just a desire to know more about what God says in his Word. With its unique system of brackets, parentheses, and italics, the Amplified Bible defines and expands key words and phrases right in the text. Verse by verse, the deeper meaning behind the message of Scripture unfolds as you read.

This updated edition of the Amplified Bible is even easier to read and better than ever to study and understand. It includes more amplification in the Old Testament and refined amplification in the New Testament. Additionally, the Bible text has been improved to read smoothly with or without amplifications, so that the text may be read either way. It’s the same feel and style of study material that you expect from the Amplified Bible–now with even clearer wording for deeper understanding

Now available in a more portable size, the Amplified Bible is perfect for an on-the-go lifestyle. Whether you are headed to class, to church, to a coffee shop, or on a trip around the globe, the Amplified Bible can travel with you.

Features

Complete Amplified Text
Thin, portable size
8.50″ x 5.50″

Product Information

Format: Paperback

Number of Pages: 1440

Vendor: Zondervan

Publication Date: 2015

Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.50 X 1.25 (inches)

ISBN: 0310443903

ISBN-13: 9780310443902

Availability: In Stock

Text Layout: Double Column

Text Color: Black Letter

Text Size: 8 Point

Thumb Index: No

Ribbon Marker: No

Spine: Glued

Page Gilding: None

Page Edges: White

Bible Reviews · Bibles · Uncategorized

A Review of the ESV Verse-by-Verse Reference Bible, in Black Top Grain Leather.

February 12, 2016February 12, 2016 Bob Snyder9 Comments

Crossway sent me this beautiful Bible for review. It is a wonderful value. You get so many great features with this Bible. It is also a good multipurpose Bible. Initially I thought the font might be too small for Pastors to use it from the pulpit, but I was wrong. The verse format layout, terrific paper, and crisp clean print, make it well suited to serve as a preaching Bible. It is a reference Bible, so it also lends itself to study. The references and notes are out of the way at the bottom, so it also works good for reading. If you are in the market for a new Bible to fill a few roles, keep reading. I think you’ll be as impressed with this edition as I am.

The ESV Verse-by-Verse Reference Bible was packaged in a small white cardboard box.

The Bible itself was inside the retail clamshell box. Keep the box for storage. This is not a Bible to be stood up on edge like a hardback book. The Bible arrived undamaged from Crossway. Inside the packaging the Bible was wrapped in clear plastic.

Once removed, I was able to begin assessing the top grain leather. It had a very supple feel to it. It was nice and soft. There is also a perimeter groove on the cover.

The inside liner seemed to be a bit different than the outside cover. I e-mailed Crossway and asked them about it. They informed me that it is Cromwell® bonded leather. For those of you who are balking at that, keep in mind that Cromwell® bonded leather is not the same as the low grade bonded leather you are used to seeing in the past. It is a far superior product and should last as long as the top grain leather cover, if not longer. One of the bonuses of using this material as a liner is that it can be had in thin sheets. This makes it possible for the bindery to get the cover mated to the liner with more precision and less bulges on the corners.

This, being an edge-lined Bible, it is important to not use a heavier material that would reduce the supple feel of the cover.

In my opinion, it was implemented quite well. For the price, I would definitely recommend purchasing this edition over the ones with genuine leather or synthetic covers if you can afford the extra money.

In the front you’ll find a Presentation Page, Publisher’s Page, Table of Contents, Books of the Bible in Alphabetical Order, Preface, and an Explanation of Features.

The spine is ornamented with four spine hubs, and gold lettering.

The page edges are gold gilt and the corners are rounded. There are also decorative gold and black, head and tail bands.There are two black ribbons that are decent quality.

They are thicker than some less expensive ribbons. For me two ribbons or more is a must. Three ribbons is perfect in my opinion. You get one for the Old Testament reading, one for devotional reading of Proverbs, and one for the New Testament. Of course, two will suffice, and is certainly better than only one. Four just seems supernumerary to me.

Of course where this Bible shines is the paper and print. Crossway has done a good job utilizing superior paper compared to their competitors. Rarely do you find Bibles in this niche with paper of the same weight and opacity. Crossway is employing a 36 g.s.m. Apple Thin Opaque paper. Keep in mind that many of their competitors call 28 g.s.m. paper top notch. The print in this black letter edition is sharp and uniform throughout. I haven’t run into any areas where the print fades or is smudged. The font is 9 pt. in size and is Lexicon face. At first glance it seems larger than it is, in my opinion. I think that is due to the opaque paper, print, and line spacing, making it very legible. It is easy on the eyes.

Preaching from the pulpit and looking down at a 9 pt. font in another Bible with lesser paper and more ghosting would be a bad idea, but with this Bible you could easily do it. There is also a generous outside margin for some limited note taking.

The drawback of course is that some of the type gets lost in the gutter.

In some regards, like the paper and print, I would rate this Bible up there with the premium ones. Due to the lack of some of the more ornate features, like art gilt page edges, better ribbons, gilt perimeter lines, and better leather for the inside liner I can’t call it a premium Bible. Of course the price on this edition more than makes up for what little quibbles I might have. I’ve paid over $200 for an Allan. This Bible can be had for a bit over $80. That makes it an outstanding value. The suggested retail is $149.99. Some publishers list a suggested retail that I would never pay. This Bible is worth the suggested retail. On some retail sites it can be found for as little as $84.99. Other than the gutter complaint, the layout is great. You get a double column, verse format, with approximately 80,000 cross references located at the bottom of the pages. You also get a 76 page 3 column concordance, and 8 color maps in the back.

At the start of each book is a brief introduction. I personally love well written book introductions.

You also get a smyth-sewn spine with this edge-lined Bible adding to the durability and flexibility.

You would be hard pressed to find a Bible with all of these features even in a higher price range. In my opinion, Crossway has hit the ball out of the park with this edition and set the standard for their competitors in the $80 to $150 range.

Make sure to check out all of the pictures I took of this Bible on my Flickr page.

ISBN-13: 9781433545689

Bible Reviews

Oxford NKJV Scofield Study Bible, Reader’s Edition, Genuine leather, Black Thumb-Indexed

December 22, 2015December 22, 2015 Bob Snyder4 Comments

I received the Oxford University Press New King James Version Scofield Study Bible III in the mail gratis from Oxford, for the purpose of review. It was shipped in a cardboard box with paper packing.

It arrived safe and sound, with no damage. Inside the shipping box, was the retail box. It is a two piece box, with a clear plastic window in it. It is sturdy enough to retain for storing the Bible in.

Inside the retail box, the Bible is wrapped in plastic wrap. This Bible is black in color, and is listed as genuine leather. It feels like pigskin leather. It is hard and shiny like pigskin leather. This one had an odd impression across the front cover. It has been being used for a couple months now and the impression is still there. If I had purchased this Bible I would have sent it back for an exchange, even though it does not affect the function.

Upon opening it, I was struck with a strong odor. It smelled strongly, and not in a pleasant way. I have had it opened for a few days now, and the smell has dissipated quite a bit. There is a groove around the perimeter, and on the inside there is a gilt line.

This Bible has a decorative head and tail band. It also has a gold/yellow colored ribbon marker. The spine and corners of this Bible are rounded.

The thumb indexes are pretty typical of other thumb indexes. Some people love them, I don’t really use them. This Bible is printed and bound in Korea. They seem to be the new middle of the pack printers as far as quality and price go. Most of the Korean made Bibles are a good value. They aren’t as well made as the Jongbloed Bibles, and they aren’t near as expensive either. They far exceed the quality of the Chinese made Bibles and are generally about a third to twice the cost. In my opinion, it is worth it to spend the extra money. The Chinese quality is so hit or miss, it is ridiculous.

This Bible seems to be pretty well made. The binding is sewn and overcast stitching is employed to further strengthen the binding. This is a very desirable feature. The leather is decent grade pigskin genuine leather.

I am pretty pleased with all of the features this Bible has for the price. It seems to be a good value. The presentation and family records pages are attractive compared to most. They are printed on a textured, colored paper. They look fancy compared to the plain paper ones, and they take ink better than the glossy paper in others.

There are a lot of articles, cross references, chain references, maps, footnotes, and other helps dispersed throughout this Bible. Book introductions at the beginning of each book are just enough information without being information overload.

The Bible is a bit thicker than some study Bibles, but not near as large as others, like the ESV Study Bible. I think they made a decent compromise between features and size. Sometimes it seems there is never enough in a study Bible to please some customers, and if there were, it would be so large they couldn’t carry it. A good editor is a must.

The paper is opaque enough so that ghosting is minimal. The 9 point font is inked uniformly and printed clearly, to contrast well with the paper. The layout is double column, verse format, with side column references in the gutter and margin, notes are at the bottom of the page. The text that is in red is also printed uniform, and clean. The verse numbers are in black regardless of whether or not they precede black text or red. The page edges are gold gilt. There is a large, useful concordance, and 12 color maps in the end of this Bible.

Here is what Oxford says about this Bible on their product page;

This book, which represents a quantum leap in the development of the respected Scofield® Study Bible, combines a popular modern Bible translation with the highly regarded Scofield® study system. The new edition includes a host of useful features that are sure to enhance the augmentation (not revision) of this renowned one-volume resource, thereby broadening its readership.

Bound in beautiful black genuine leather, this style features sewn pages, gold page edges & fillet, 1 ribbon marker, Presentation Page & Family Record, a gift box, and helpful thumb-indexing.

Includes a subject-based topical chain reference system for following major themes throughout the entirety of Scripture; over 100 factual articles, charts, and lists that put a wealth of fascinating information at the reader’s fingertips; expanded introductions that include detailed outlines of each book; study note biblical references in the familiar, “chapter-and-verse” format; bottom-of-the page study notes that permit quick retrieval of interesting data; a striking page design and easy-to-read typeface; in-text black and white maps that orient the reader to geographical references in the biblical text; notes crucial to understanding the Scofield® are formatted in accessible, in-text articles; sectional headings have been added for ease in following God’s guiding hand in human history; and, there are 16 pages of accurate, full-color New Oxford Bible Maps (with index of places and natural features) that illustrate the biblical world.

* An exclusive, subject-based topical chain reference system.

* Over 100 boxed factual articles and lists.

* Expanded introductions with detailed outlines of each book.

* An expanded Subject index.

* Study not biblical references are in “chapter-and-verse” format.

* Side-column references are grouped by chapter and verse.

* Over 550 in-text definitions of proper nouns for people and place names.

* Nearly 70 in-text black and white maps and charts.

* In-text articles of nearly 250 notes crucial to understanding the Scofield®.

* Indexes to Proper Nouns, Chain References, and Subjects.

* 16 pages of accurate, full color New Oxford Bible Maps (with index of places and natural features).

* Bottom-of-the-page study notes.

* Sectional headings.

* Select NKJV Concordance.

You can purchase your copy at Christianbook, Oxford University Press, or Amazon.

Don’t forget to check out all of the pictures I took of this Bible on my Flickr page.

ISBN-13: 9780195275360

474RRL

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