Need a Complete Bible in a Handy Size to Slide into a Pocket? The NASB Compact Bible in Black Bonded Leather with a Snap-Flap Fills the Niche at a Great Value.

April 22, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

As a fan of the NASB translation, I find myself needing a copy of it for several applications. The problem is that my choices are limited once I demand a sewn binding. If I want a compact NASB with a sewn binding, I can either spend around a hundred dollars for a Cambridge, or I can spend around twenty for a Chinese made Lockman Foundation. I know how nice a Cambridge can be, but I there are some benefits to spending less, especially when you are getting a compact Bible. If you tend to carry the compact with you everywhere, it can get worn out from travel. You might also forget it on a table somewhere after a talk. Not to mention the accidental spills and drops. If you spend around a hundred dollars on a Bible, and then have all of that happen, it would probably give you some heartburn.

Then there are the numerous glued Bibles from companies like Yawn-durp-ven, you know who I mean. I can’t begin to tell you how much I hate glued bindings. Constantly losing the front pages and pages from the back, the spine breaking in the middle, I mean, come on already! I’ll pay the extra few bucks for a sewn binding. Wait, what’s that? Lockman Foundation makes a value priced, compact Bible, with a sewn binding? Do tell. Yes, it is true. Now don’t get me wrong, these are not premium Bibles, but if you need to have access to the printed word and you don’t want to use an app on your phone, this little Bible could do the trick. I know, I know, “It has rubber on the flap… It smells funny… The pages pucker where the treads secure the signatures… It is covered with bonded leather…” I understand the complaints, but there has to be a compromise. Like I just got done explaining, do you want to lose a hundred dollar Bible at a coffee shop? I didn’t think so. Do you want to open your Bible up to help someone out, and have pages fall out on the ground? I didn’t think so. So you see there is a niche that this little Bible fills quite well.

As for some of the gripes, the rubber flap holds up much better than just having a bit of bonded leather there. The smell is not as strong after it airs out for a couple days. The puckers are there, you have a sewn binding, deal with it. Better to not have pages falling out. The bonded leather keeps the cost down. Hides are expensive. This is a value Bible. You can even afford to lose them or give them away. I think I saw this one online for like fifteen bucks. Come on, that is extremely affordable. So, don’t be a Bible snobs like Bob, get what works for your application.

Time for the rundown, this Bible was shipped in a cardboard box, packed with paper padding.

It was in a two piece retail package. Inside the retail package it was wrapped in plastic.

Some of the features of this Bible are a sewn binding,

verse format with section headings,

bonded leather cover, protective snap-flap,

gilded page edges, presentation page, black ribbon marker, 6.8 pt. font, and compact size. (4.5″ x 6.5″ x 0.75)

Due to the sewn binding this Bible can be opened up without hurting the spine. The spine is stamped with, “New American Standard Bible” in gold. The snap-flap protects the page edges, so you can just slip it in a pocket. The verse format helps you find verses quickly. The 6.5 pt. font makes it legible. The end pages are a bit flimsy, but I think that is to keep this small edition from being too rigid. Overall, this Bible performs the purpose it is intended for. I would recommend it based on the low price and sewn binding.

be sure to check out the rest of the pictures on my flickr page

If you’d like to purchase a copy of this Bible here are a couple of links,

amazon.com

Christianbook.com

Bible Reviews

The NET Bible, Full Notes Edition, for Language Geeks or for all Bible Students?

April 21, 2015 Bob Snyder4 Comments

I was aware of this translation a while back, but haven’t had the time or ability to look into it until now. I was gladly sent a copy of the, “NET Bible Full Notes Edition” covered with Tuscany style brown Cromwell bonded leather for review on my blog. It was well packed in a cardboard box with paper packing. Inside the shipping box was another two piece box containing the Bible. The two piece box was not your typical retail box. It was less sturdy. You could retain it for storage, but I don’t think it will make a difference either way.

The NET Bible was also wrapped in plastic, and was shipped with a book mark.
I was very curious about the notes and the results of the translation methods. Let me begin by saying that I am a big fan of open access, whether it is software or public domain books and music. The NET translation is available for free on the internet. You can read their copyright information on their page. With the knowledge that this work has been made available for free, I was inspired to do a little more research. I found that there are some groups that hate this translation. That would be you KJV onlyists, and some of your folks who are like me with their love for formal equivalent translations. The formal equivalent lovers usually love formal equivalent translations because they love the word of God, and appreciate the hard work of translators. Sometimes they are just Bible snobs. (Myself included) The NET Bible doesn’t seek to be a formal equivalent, but I wouldn’t lump it in with agenda driven dynamic equivalents like the NRSV, NIV, or NLT. The NRSV has, as part of their translation agenda, the direction to be gender inclusive, even if the text does not indicate doing so. In my opinion the NIV has the same type of agenda, but watered down and minimized, so as to keep selling copies to the folks who don’t know anything about the agenda. I thought the NLT was just extremely dumbed down, until I obtained a review copy. It is just as gender inclusive as the NIV, if not worse. The NET however, seems to be concerned with accurately conveying the intent of God in His progressive revelation. So rather than changing a word based on a gender agenda, the translators would make changes based on how they understood the intended communication. I guess what I am trying to say is that I believe they are honestly attempting to make a genuine dynamic equivalent true to God’s word. It reminds me of the 1984 NIV in that regard, but not in how it reads.

From looking at this Bible’s size you might erroneously assume it is a study Bible. With a cursory perusal you might think it is a reference Bible. Both assumptions are somewhat incorrect. Unlike a conventional study Bible this one is full of translation notes. Notes that cite Hebrew and Greek texts, with explanations as to how and why the translators translated a passage the way they did. There are notes besides the translation notes, but predominately the notes are about the translations. These notes are not just every few pages, but instead are extensive. There are approximately 60,932 notes.

I couldn’t find any information about where the NET Bible was printed and bound. I e-mailed the publisher and asked them. They informed me that the, “NET Bibles were printed by World Wide Printing whose office is in Dallas, but the actual printing was done in Belarus.” I thought that was interesting. I have a TBS ruby text KJV that was printed in Belarus. I wonder if they used the same printer. I was pretty happy with the smyth-sewn binding. It is a large Bible and the binding is good and flexible.

There is one ribbon marker that matches the color of the cover. It is a pretty good ribbon compared to the anemic, twisted, little things you find in most Bibles.

The paper is as thick as it can be at 28 g.s.m. considering the bulk of this volume. If it were thicker, this Bible would be as well, and it is already quite thick. The paper is just opaque enough. The page edges are gold gilt.

The layout is double column, paragraph format, with the notes underneath.

The font is a good compromise in size and legibility at 9.5 pt. The notes are 7.5 pt. making them easy to read as well. Since there are so many of them it is a good thing they are very legible. The face is Times New Roman. It works. There are certain finite qualities that when changed cause necessary changes in other qualities. If they would have used a larger or different font, then the Bible would have been even bigger. Considering the publisher’s goal, I agree with their choices in design.

The end pages are marbled brown pattern, and pasted down to the bonded leather cover.

The cover has an artificial texture to it. It feels like it will withstand scratches, and abrasions better than some natural hide covers. According to the publisher, the bonded leather used for this cover is the top of the line for this type of application. They say the modern bonded leather is not the same old bonded leather of the past, that we have all come to dislike. I am told that the leather fibers are bonded to polymer instead of paper like in the old fashioned bonded leather and that this cover could last more than 100 years.

The corners are pretty typical. This is a case bound Bible. The spine is stamped with, “The NET Bible, with 60,932 notes, Bible.org.”

There are five sheets of card paper in the front and in the back, that could be utilized for notes. Hebrew and Greek alphabet charts are included in the back. The black and white maps in the back are nice, and they are bolstered by a unique set of satellite image maps printed in full color on a glossy paper. These include a fold out to.

Here is an excerpt from their description page,

“Full Notes Edition

The NET Bible is a completely new translation with tens of thousands of notes! Completed by more than 25 scholars working directly from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts this translation is the most accessible ever due to the unparalleled detailing in the notes and up-to-date language.

To read this translation along with all the notes go to net.bible.org where it was the first translation to be made available free online. You can read more about the NET Bible translation process, see sample pages and view the state of the art maps on bible.org. Or check out the short video about the development of the NET Bible.

“The NET Bible is ingenious. Its continuously updated translation, supported by an array of quality footnotes on the original languages, will be an invaluable resource for pastors, missionaries and well-trained laymen. Bringing instant access to the best research with just a few clicks, the NET Bible has truly brought a visionary form to a timeless function. It’s a great step in the Church’s preparation for the next millennium.” — Dr.Gene Getz

Full Notes Features: • All 60,932 translators’ notes
• Full color satellite maps of the Holy Lands
• 9.5 point font
Print Bible features: • Premium Cromwell Leather
• Premium Bible paper
• Premium Smyth sewn binding
• Gold gilded edges and a premium ribbon
Bible Specifications •Width – 6 3/4″
•Length – 9 5/8″
•Thickness – 2″ ”

This Bible seems to be for a niche of Greek and Hebrew students at first glance, but after using it for a while I can say that all Bible students could use the Full Notes edition of the NET Bible. They have done an excellent job at explaining why they chose the words they chose during the translation. You might not agree with them all of the time depending on your expertise or lack there of, but you can’t deny that they have well documented their work. I would recommend this to any serious Bible student. It comes in very handy.

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

ISBN-13: 978-0737501933

You can purchase your own copy at these sites,

Christianbook.com Amazon.com and the publisher’s site Bible.org

Bible Reviews

The Cambridge NASB Wide Margin Reference Edition NS741:XRM, is the Quintessential Wide Margin Bible for Writing in.

April 17, 2015 Bob Snyder3 Comments

I know this might sound like heresy on the level of Arius but, I like this Bible more than its goat skin, edge lined, art gilt, counterpart. This has got to be about as close to perfect for note taking as one can get. I reviewed the goat skin leather one a while back. You can read about that edition here. Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying it is better quality or better in features. What I am saying is that the goat skin leather edition was so nice that it was difficult for me to write in. That might sound strange to you, but it wouldn’t if you held it and realized how much it cost. It is probably the first or second best Bible I’ve ever owned.

The hard back edition has the same lovely, enlarged, Pitt Minion typeset. It has the same generously wide margins. It has the same durable, flexible smyth-sewn binding. The quality binding ensures that it will open easily and lay flat right from the get go. That means you don’t have to put a paper weight on one of the corners to keep it open, like some cheaper bindings. It was printed and bound by Jongbloed in the Netherlands just like the luxury goat skin leather edition. It is exactly the same except it has a hard back cover. It is case bound.

The page edges are not gilt. There is one lovely, red ribbon marker, contrasting beautifully against the thick, white, paper.

The hard back is much less expensive. You can buy it online for approximately $50 to $70. I’ll include links at the end of the review. The cover is a built in desk, for when you are in Church, or at Bible study. With the goat skin covered edition you really can’t write in it unless it is on a desk or table. The cover is just so flexible. The hard back of course doesn’t have that issue.

The biggest ooh and ahh feature to me is the gorgeous paper. I just love the paper in this Bible. Look at this close up picture of the signatures and tail band.

Here is a picture of the paper from the Bible opened flat.

From the pictures you can see the outstanding quality of the paper. It is smooth, opaque, uniform in color and texture, as well as being thick.

The print is 8 point in size. It is a larger version of the Pitt Minion. I know some of you might expect larger text in a Bible this size, but don’t forget, this is a wide margin. If you want room for notes and you don’t want a two inch thick Bible you have to compromise someplace. I think the text is just the right size. It is so wonderfully done that it is easy to read, very legible. The printing is uniformly done and consistent throughout. Even the red text is printed with the same quality. Just look at the picture above closely and you will see. The text is arranged in a double column paragraph format, with references in the center. The margins are nice and wide. The extensive Lockman Foundation cross references are very helpful. I use them often.

I wanted to show how well the paper took ink, pencil, and highlighter. I used a Lammy fountain pen, with and extra fine nib, and Waterman’s black ink. I also used a medium point ball point pen, with black ink, and a #2 graphite pencil. You can see that neither the fountain pen or ball point ink pen showed through the page significantly. The wet highlighter did much better than I expected. I thought it would bleed through more than it did. On most other Bibles it is like highlighting the verses on the other side of the page as well. Since this paper is over 30 g.s.m. it takes the stands up to ink better.

There is a useful concordance in the back along with 15 maps that make use of the big pages.

Cambridge included several pages of ruled paper in the back for notes as well as an index section that is blank so you can fill it in yourself. I would highly recommend this Bible for anyone looking for a wide margin.

You can purchase a copy on Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, and evangelicalbible.com

Be sure to look at all of the pictures I took of this Bible here on my Flickr page.

isbn: 9780521702638

Bible Reviews

Oxford University Press, King James Version, Scofield Study Bible III, Red Letter Edition, in Burgundy Genuine Leather, with indexes, Model 524RRL.

April 7, 2015April 9, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

I received the Oxford University Press 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 burgundy in color, and is listed as genuine leather. It feels like pigskin leather. It is hard and shiny like pigskin leather. 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 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 is a lot of articles, cross references, their version of 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;

Packed with new supplementary materials, each Scofield® Study Bible is durable and made to withstand daily use. Each volume includes a presentation page for gift giving, a full-color map section, and attractive binding in a variety of styles to suit any occasion.

This burgundy genuine leather edition combines the renowned Scofield® study notes and reference system with the historic King James Version translation. Generations of Bible students have chosen the Scofield® Study Bibles for its unique study and reference features. Clean, clear text and annotations are laid out in an easy-to-read format, guiding readers to a fuller understanding of the Bible.

The Scofield® Study Bible III KJV includes cross references that link topics and words together, introductions to the various books of the Bible, a superb system of chain references, the concordance, study notes, charts and diagrams, a subject and a proper name index, and much more.

* 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 KJV Concordance.
* Red Letter.

I have 70 pictures you can see on flickr.com

ISBN-13: 978-0-19-527860-6

ISBN 9780195278606

Apologetics · Bible Reviews · Theology

Not a Study Bible, Rather an NIV Reference Bible.

April 3, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

On the front of the dust jacket of this Bible, the testimonial from Tim Keller is featured, “There are many Study Bibles, but none better.” This is very misleading. I have no idea why this quote is featured. I would hope that there is some good reason why Zondervan did this. Unfortunately, I can think of one and none has been provided. This is most definitely not a Study Bible. It is simply a Reference Bible with Book introductions, Concordance, and Maps. In no twist of the imagination could this be considered a Study Bible. If you are looking for a Study Bible, this is NOT one.

My guess, in my opinion, is that Zondervan knows the NIV has taken a serious hit, and as a result has a black eye. It no longer has the credibility it once enjoyed. It is not as popular as it once was. Back in 2011 Zondervan released this gender inclusive mess of a dynamic equivalent in an attempt to sneak it by everyone. They had the TNIV, and simply dropped the, “T” and changed a few more things to further comply with the translation agenda. The Southern Baptist Convention caught on to what was happening and officially disavowed the translation. Here is their resolution,

“WHEREAS, Many Southern Baptist pastors and laypeople have trusted and used the 1984 New International Version (NIV) translation to the great benefit of the Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, Biblica and Zondervan Publishing House are publishing an updated version of the New International Version (NIV) which incorporates gender neutral methods of translation; and

WHEREAS, Southern Baptists repeatedly have affirmed our commitment to the full inspiration and authority of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:15-16) and, in 1997, urged every Bible publisher and translation group to resist “gender-neutral” translation of Scripture; and

WHEREAS, This translation alters the meaning of hundreds of verses, most significantly by erasing gender-specific details which appear in the original language; and

WHEREAS, Although it is possible for Bible scholars to disagree about translation methods or which English words best translate the original languages, the 2011 NIV has gone beyond acceptable translation standards; and

WHEREAS, Seventy-five percent of the inaccurate gender language found in the TNIV is retained in the 2011 NIV; and

WHEREAS, The Southern Baptist Convention has passed a similar resolution concerning the TNIV in 2002; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, June 14-15, 2011 express profound disappointment with Biblica and Zondervan Publishing House for this inaccurate translation of God’s inspired Scripture; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we encourage pastors to make their congregations aware of the translation errors found in the 2011 NIV; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we respectfully request that LifeWay not make this inaccurate translation available for sale in their bookstores; and be it finally

RESOLVED, That we cannot commend the 2011 NIV to Southern Baptists or the larger Christian community.”

Shortly after the Lutheran Missouri Synod did the same. Here is the most important part of their statement as I see it,

“We find the NIV’s Committee on Bible Translation decision to substitute plural nouns and pronouns for masculine singular nouns and pronouns to be a serious theological weakness and a misguided attempt to make the truth of God’s Word more easily understood. The use of inclusive language in NIV 2011 creates the potential for minimizing the particularity of biblical revelation and, more seriously, at times undermines the saving revelation of Christ as the promised Savior of humankind. Pastors and congregations of the LCMS should be aware of this serious weakness. In our judgment this makes it inappropriate for NIV 2011 to be used as a lectionary Bible or as a Bible to be generally recommended to the laity of our church. This is not a judgment on the entirety of NIV 2011 as a translation—a task that would require a much more extensive study of NIV 2011—but an opinion as to a specific editorial decision which has serious theological implications” You can read the entire statement here.

Here is a link to an excellent paper in the Westminster Theological Journal. The article was written by Dr. Vern Poythress of Westminster Theological Seminary. Dr. Poythress was also part of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version. By prominently featuring Timothy Keller’s testimonial on the front of this Bible edition Zondervan is trying to do some damage control. As most of you know Tim Keller also was faculty at Westminster Theological Seminary. He and Poythress share much in the field of theology. By getting his stamp of approval on this Bible I believe they were hoping to bring some of us back. Admittedly, the only reason I requested this Bible for review, over the other ones offered is that his name was on the front. I was curious if something had changed for the better. I was disappointed. Not only was this the same NIV, with all of the gender inclusive language, but it was NOT a Study Bible.

As far as the physical attributes of this Bible go, it is a pretty average to above average publication. It is blue hard back. It has a dust jacket. It is printed in China. It has two mediocre silver ribbon book markers. It is a sewn, case bound book binding. It is printed on good quality paper that is pretty opaque. The type is clear and uniform. It is 9 point font. There is limited ghosting. It is a double column, paragraph format, with references, concordance, and 14 color maps. It is nothing special, nothing distinctive, just a good quality hardback. If only they would revert back to the 1984 NIV and leave these other agendas behind.

ISBN-13: 9780310437956

Bible Reviews

The Apologetics Study Bible, in Black Genuine Leather, HCSB Translation, is not Your Usual Study Bible.

April 1, 2015 Bob Snyder2 Comments

Most people assume all study Bibles to be pretty much alike. If you get one with a person’s name on it, more than likely, it will reflect that person’s theology. If it doesn’t have someone’s name on it, then it is usually an eclectic grab bag of information. Well, “The Apologetics Study Bible” is not your average study Bible. Instead of just tossing in an abundance of information in some haphazard fashion or having one group’s theological presuppositions espoused, it systematically provides specific information about, the scripture, ethics, science, archaeology, philosophy, and non-Christian belief systems. It does it in a very thoughtful manner. I found the sections called, “twisted scripture” to be very helpful.

Just the list of contributors on this one had me sold on the idea; Albert Mohler, Ravi Zacharias, Phil Johnson, Chuck Colson, Norm Geisler, Josh McDowell, J. P. Moreland, and Hank Hanegraaff. Not to mention the features; the easy to read HCSB text, presentation page,

the two-color page layout for contrast, introductions and book outlines to each Bible book that focus on apologetics,

double-column paragraph format in black 10 point text,

translation footnotes, study notes that explain “problem” passages, sidebars on scriptures misused by cults, (twisted scripture) profiles of historic Christian apologists from Justin Martyr to C. S. Lewis, plan of salvation, lined pages for recording personal notes,

silver page edges,

5 full color maps, charts, and two ribbon markers, make this an excellent choice for the student polishing up their apologetics chops. This Bible lives up to the name, “The Apologetics Bible.”

Every believer is called to give an answer for the hope that they have, we are supposed to evangelize, and make disciples. This Bible definitely will help with the Great Commission. Everyone should have a copy of this to refer to. It puts some of the most expertly done work at your disposal.

This Bible was shipped to me in a cardboard box padded with paper. It arrived undamaged and in good condition. It was packaged in a two piece retail box that should be retained for storage. The Apologetics Study Bible is 9 1/2″ x 7 1/4” x 1 1/2” it has a genuine leather cover.

The cover is what you would expect from a genuine leather cover. It is made from pigskin leather. It is a bit shiny compared to calfsplit or cowhide leather, but not near as pricey, while offering superior quality to most synthetics and bonded leather covers. The corners are machine cut, formed, and glued, so they are nice and uniform. It is case bound with a sewn binding. There are decorative head and tail bands. The page gilt and stamp work is done in silver. The font is uniformly inked and printed. It is 10 point in size and is easy on the eyes. The coloring of some of the elements on the page can be a bit distracting if you are a purist. The paper seems to be opaque enough. The study attributes of this Bible are the big features. You are getting a lot for your money. This Bible is a great value.

ISBN-13: 9781433602917

ISBN: 1433602911

Bible Reviews

The Best Bibles in the World! Yes, Premium Bibles are Still Being Made. R. L. Allan’s Readers NASB R1 R.

March 27, 2015April 10, 2020 Bob Snyder49 Comments

The perfect Bible… For me, that is. Let’s face it, perfection can be subjective, when it comes to Bibles. Everyone has different deal breakers and necessities, when it comes to features. I know for me, a glued binding is a deal breaker. It is the unpardonable sin amongst Bible publishers. They really need to just stop trying to save a buck and do it right. Of course that is my opinion. Many people don’t even know the difference between a sewn binding and a glued one. To them other features are more important. They might insist on having a specific study Bible.

There are three premier brands today that I know of, Cambridge Press, Schuyler(skyler), and R. L. Allan. I’ve done reviews of Cambridge Bibles. They have been very generous providing me with review copies. Schuyler does not provide gratis review copies and neither does R. L. Allan. I had to wait for a time when I could afford to purchase one. I had seen a Schuyler. Our Pastor at Church received one for his Ordination. His is an E.S.V. Quentel in green goatskin. Reviewing Bibles exposes you to the differences between materials, features, and manufacturing methods.

With the knowledge gained by reviewing so many Bibles, I knew the attributes I wanted. I knew that first of all, it must be as legible as possible. I’ve reviewed several Bibles that either used paper that isn’t opaque enough, old typesets with edges that are not sharp, small font, thin font, poorly inked and inconsistently printed font, and cheap paper that offers little contrast.

Second, it had to have a sewn binding. Without a sewn binding it would not be flexible enough to make it easy to read, and it would not be durable enough to last a lifetime.

Third, it had to have a high quality, edge lined, goatskin cover. This might not seem like a must, but if you have held one of these Bibles before, you would agree. It is durable, flexible, and the grain is tactilely pleasing.

Fourth, it had to be in the New American Standard Bible translation.(NASB) This is by far my favorite translation, to both read and study. If you haven’t read this translation, you should. It is a formal equivalent, and very accurate. This is the translation to read, if you have ever wanted to get as close to the original languages, without learning them yourself.

Fifth, I wanted a double column, verse format, with center column references. I know, I know, it is old fashioned of me, and I need to get with the times, but it is so much easier to find a verse, in a verse format Bible. I have the Cambridge Clarion. It is a single column, paragraph format Bible, with references on the outside of the page. People informed me that this is the easiest to just sit and read. Well, that might be so, IF your brain, and eyes haven’t been trained to read a double column, verse format, over the years. I tried to teach an old dog a new trick, and it just didn’t work out for me. So this was a necessary feature.

Sixth, was size. I wanted a Bible for reading out of in my chair. It couldn’t be too heavy or big. Arm fatigue is a real thing people. Perhaps I’m just getting old, but if you are holding a big Bible in your hands for an hour or so, it gets heavy. Plus they can be downright unwieldy. I despise fighting against a Bible or the cover while trying to read.

Finally, it had to have more than one, crumby, cheap, nasty, ribbon marker. I know it seems minor, but I like to follow Ligonier’s TableTalk reading plan. It has readings out of the Old and New Testaments, daily. For that, I need, at least two ribbons. I didn’t want a Bible with the cheap, thin, anemic, looking ribbons, that fold over, and get wrinkled either. I wanted some ribbons of substance that would lay flat and help me turn to the page, without tearing the paper or rubbing the gilt off of the page edges.

The only publisher to publish a Bible that met all of my demands is R. L. Allan formerly of Scotland, now located in London. Robert Allan established R. L. Allan’s in 1863. They are still making some of the finest Bibles in the world. In 2013 they moved to London. The NASB R1 R uses the Lockman Foundation’s NASB double column, verse format, reference Bible, typeset. The reason I didn’t purchase the Lockman Foundation produced Bible is quality. Lockman is printing and binding their Bibles in China. Although they are less expensive to purchase, they did not measure up to the standards that I set for my, “perfect Bible.” R. L. Allan’s NASB R1 R is printed and bound in the Netherlands by Jongbloed. Jongbloed is, in my estimation, the premier Bible printer and bindery in the world. Cambridge Press, and Schuyler, use Jongbloeds as well. It is no coincidence that the three Best Bible publishers use the same printer and bindery. They all use Jongbloeds because of their continued excellence.

My choices were limited right off the bat. There are literally no other publishers making the Bible I was after. I could have compromised on a couple of things like, cover material, or case bound instead of edge lined. Providentially, I didn’t have to compromise. It really is a blessing to be able to find a Bible just like I wanted. I feel so very blessed to be living in a country, during a time, like this. The Reformers went through much persecution to get us translations in our native tongues. There are people today, deprived of God’s word by law of their governments. So I don’t take the blessing lightly.

I received my order less than two weeks after I placed it. It arrived in a cardboard box. It was cushioned with bubble wrap and little foam puffs.

The Bible was in a two piece box. The box is covered with a woven blue material. I am keeping it to put my Bible in when I am not using it. It will sit by my chair safe and sound.

It was wrapped in paper inside the box.

It arrived undamaged from shipping. While unwrapping the Bible I was welcomed with the aroma of quality goatskin leather. Some Bibles smell like chemicals and adhesives. The cover is thicker than I expected. It is a rich crimson red. There are two channels around the perimeter of the cover.

It has a wide yapp, that is the overhang of the cover. It protects the page edges. The inside cover is lined with dark blue leather. There is a gilt line around the inside perimeter.

The edges of the cover are folded over and glued perfectly. The corners are nice, neat, and tight. The spine of the Bible is stamped in gold with, “Holy Bible” at the top, “New American Standard Bible” under that, and, “Allan” at the bottom.

It has white, head and tail bands, art-gilt page edges, and three lovely, navy blue ribbon markers.

In the front you’ll find the presentation page, family records pages for parents, children, marriages, grandchildren, and deaths. These are printed on heavier paper, but not so heavy as to inhibit the opening of the Bible. Then, there is the Title page, Publishers info,Foreward, and a list of the Books of the Bible.

As I mentioned earlier, the Bible is in a double column, verse format, with center column references. The center column is bordered by a single line on either side of it. The chapter numbers are bold and large. There are topic headings throughout. This is a black letter edition. Lockman has over 95,000 cross references in this luxurious publication from R. L. Allan.

The font is 10 point in size. It is one of the sharpest and uniformly printed Bibles I’ve seen. The black contrasts against the off-white Bible paper, making it very legible. The paper is beautiful and opaque.

The concordance in the back is large enough to be useful, but not so large as to bulk it up. There is 40 pages of lined writing paper in the back for notes. Lockman’s colored maps are retained, but printed on the same type of paper that is used in the front for the records pages, instead of the glossy paper that Lockman uses. There are 8 maps. The glossy paper tends to crack and tear, so I am glad to see that it was not used in this edition.

This is a pretty thin Bible. It measures 1″ thick. The text block is 9″ tall by 6 1/4″ the Bible when closed measures almost 10″ tall by 7″ across. It is very handy. Just the right size to contain all of my desired attributes, while not growing too large with undesired features.

Since this Bible has everything I could want in a Bible it is no surprise that I would think so highly of it. I can’t get over how satisfied I am with it. I am so happy with it that I mailed several of my other Bibles to friends. This one replaces about 5 others I was holding on to for various uses. I have taken some ribbing that was unexpected. It was brought to my attention that this should be called the, “Spiderman Bible” due to the red and blue colors. I thought that was amusing, but come one? If I’m going to associate it with a super hero it would be Superman not Spiderman lol. In all seriousness, this is probably the best Bible I’ve ever owned. That is saying a lot, because I’ve been sent some pretty good Bibles.

If you decide you need a premium Bible, you should purchase one from

evangelicalbible.com They are the best online retailer of premium Bibles.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/snyderssoapbox/sets/72157651327362360/

Bible Reviews

Have you ever wanted to compare the changes in the 2011 NIV against the KJV or NKJV?

March 26, 2015 Bob Snyder6 Comments

Have you ever wanted to compare the changes in the 2011 NIV against the KJV or NKJV?
Hendrickson’s Complete Evangelical Parallel Bible with the KJV, NKJV, NIV, & NLT in black bonded leather gives you that opportunity.

I saw this Bible on Hendrickson’s web page. It struck me as an interesting opportunity to look for myself at the changes made in the NIV and compare them to a trusted version like the NKJV. I’ve read a number of books on the topic. My studying was done between the time when the TNIV was introduced and when the 2011 NIV replaced it. I’m not going to say I can tell the future, but I called it when I told my wife that they will just drop the, “T” off of TNIV and try to sneak it by everyone. Well, I was right. That is what happened.

Hendrickson did a decent job of packaging this large Bible. It was shipped in a cardboard box, with airbag type packaging cushions inside.

The Parallel was wrapped in plastic, and was in a clamshell retail box, that should be retained for storage.

The Parallel has a black, bonded leather cover.

Bonded leather is less expensive than genuine leather, which is made from pigskin. Good bonded leather can last a very long time. Bonded leather is kind of like the particle board of leather. It is bits and pieces of leather that are pressed together with adhesives and die to make sheets of bonded leather. It is typically a bit stiffer than calfskin leather and very stiff compared to goatskin leather. It is the lowest grade of leather cover, but it does fill a niche in Bible cover options. If I were to buy a goatskin hide from a supplier it would cost me about $80.00. I could probably get about three or four Bibles this size case bound. So if the publisher wanted to make any money they would have to pass the costs along to the consumer. Synthetic covers are less expensive. They are also almost as flexible as premium covers. The problem is that they aren’t as tough and don’t last as long. Bonded leather covers, in my opinion are tougher than the synthetic covers. It might not be as flexible as a synthetic cover, but it will add more structure to a big Bible like this than a synthetic one. Your other option is to get a hardback. These are good for giving the Bible structure. They are also pretty durable, but they can get bent, torn, scratched, and waterlogged pretty easy. They are easy to rebind as well. So you see, there are several options, you just have to decide how much you want to spend, what features are must haves, and what you can compromise on.

I think as far as parallel Bibles go this one is built pretty well. This Bible has a sewn binding. That is almost a necessity on a Bible this size. You actually have four complete Bibles in one volume. The sewn binding makes this Bible much more flexible than a perfect bind. Perfect bound books have all of the pages stacked up, cut square, and glued together to form the spine. A sewn binding stacks pages into separate pamphlets called signatures. These are stacked up against strips of material called binding tapes. The signatures are sewn to the tapes and to each other. This gives the Bible the ability to open fully, last longer, not lose pages, and hold together even if the glue gives way.

It is case bound, which means it is glued into the cover by the end papers. An edge lined binding glues the inside cover tab to the end papers of the text block and then covers the tab with another piece of paper, vinyl, or hide/fabric. You see edge lined bindings on premium Bibles. Premium Bibles usually are $150 and up. Case binding is the most common kind you’ll see.

On top of having a sewn binding, four Bibles, ribbon marker, and a bonded leather cover, this Bible has pretty decent paper and print for a giant like this. I was expecting to have some difficulty with legibility due to how much they had to put in this volume, but this one uses clean sharply printed modern digital typeset.

It was printed in China. The font is 8 point in size. That doesn’t sound like much. Don’t let that fool you. It is very legible. I was pleasantly surprised. The paper is pretty good too. It offers good contrast with the font without being too white. The spine is square, not rounded. There are decorative head and tail bands, a ribbon marker, publisher’s notes, limited foot notes, and gold colored gilt page edges.

I am not going to address the translations in depth for this review. I wanted to focus on the quality of materials, features, and manufacture of this parallel Bible. If you want know more about translations and methods just do a search for translation notes, the version you want to know about, and the year of the edition. Google is your friend, kind of… It is also the gubbermint’s intelligence machine! Put on your foil hats and look out for the black helicopters! I’m not joking! Do it NOW! GET TO THE CHOPPA!!! (In conspiracy mode the government is always referred to as gubbermint)

I don’t want to sound like a, “negative Nelly” and wait for it… wait for it… BUT I didn’t expect to dislike the NLT so much. I’ve always heard that it was, “dumbed down.” I never expected it to be as gender neutral as the NIV. Now, don’t get the wrong idea, I am not anti-NIV or NLT per say. I am just a big fan of formal equivalent translations. Dynamic equivalents have their place. There are many new Christians who have trouble and need the extra help. My first Bible I was given was a parallel KJV/NIV. There are people who have trouble with English and need a little help. When you get down the road a little bit, you really need to get an NASB or ESV in my opinion. If you feel that you need a little help, I would suggest an HCSB over either the NIV or the NLT.

Overall a person buys a parallel Bible for the purpose of comparing translations. In that regard alone this Bible handily accomplishes that end.

ISBN-13: 9781598569490

ISBN: 9781598569490

Size: 6.5 x 9.5 inches

Pub Date: February 2013

Item Number: 569490

Bible Reviews

A Workhorse of Lockman Foundation is the NASB Large Print Ultrathin Bible in Black Genuine Leather.

March 21, 2015 Bob Snyder5 Comments

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Lockman Foundation, they are responsible for the New American Standard Bible translation. (NASB) They keep the copyright so it doesn’t get changed. They are not in it for the money. They are a non-profit corporation. The money goes back into making Bibles.

The NASB is my favorite translation because of the accuracy. When you look up Greek words and compare them to how the NASB has rendered them in English, I think you will find that it is the most reliable translation out there. I encourage you to read up on the history of the Lockman Foundation. I am encouraged when I see how God used Dewey and Minna Lockman to spread His word.

This typeset is one of the most popular typesets Lockman Has produced. It is a favorite among the NASB fans. There are plenty of good reasons for this. First it is a pretty good sized font coming in at 10 pt. Second, it is arranged in a double column, verse format, with center column references. Third, it is a modern typeset. It is clear and sharply printed. These are the top reasons why it is so popular.

The text block is smyth-sewn. This means that instead of what is called a, “perfect binding” which is, stacking the papers together, cutting the ends, and then gluing them together at the spine. They stack up pamphlets called signatures. These are stacked up and sewn to signature tapes. Then, they are sewn to each other as well. The spine is sometimes glued to reinforce it. A smyth-sewn binding holds together much longer because the pages are sewn together, and sewn to cords or tapes in the spine. Glued bindings often lose pages from the front and back of the book, as the glue loses its flexibility, and hardens. A sewn binding opens better, and it stays open, once it is opened.

This Bible was shipped to me gratis for review. It arrived packaged in a cardboard box with paper packing. It was not damaged during shipping. It comes in a two piece retail box that should be retained for storage. This Bible looks like it will be heavy, but it isn’t. It is pleasant to hold and read. It isn’t too heavy or big, even though you get a nice size font. The cover is genuine leather, not to be confused with more expensive cowhide/calfskin, or less expensive bonded leather. Genuine leather is a good durable choice in Bible covers. This Bible is case bound. The corners are cut and glued well. The vinyl liner matches the cover in color. The front of the Bible has a presentation page as well as family records pages. These are printed on a glossy paper. Sometimes ink will smudge so make sure if you write in pen on these that you allow the ink to dry before you close it. Maybe pat them with a tissue as well. Then, there is a section about the translation. It is pretty informative. You should read it at least once if you never have. The text of this Bible is as I mentioned before, a double column, verse format, with center column references. The NASB has over 95,000 cross references. This makes it an extremely useful reference Bible. This is a black text edition. That means all of the words are printed in black text. Some Bibles are red letter editions. Those have the words of Jesus printed in red. Well, since the entire word of God is God’s word, we should have it all printed in red, or we could just print it all in black. The paper is decent quality. For the price of this Bible you really do get a lot. There is a pretty good sized concordance at the end. In the back are eight, colored maps printed on the same glossy paper as the presentation and family records pages. I would recommend this Bible for anyone looking for a good reference Bible that will get used. It will provide you with a good translation and a utilitarian functionality. Since it isn’t a premium Bible, and it is pretty tough, you don’t have to be afraid of hurting it. You can purchase them here.

ISBN-13: 9781581351316

Bible Reviews

The Cambridge KJV/RV Interlinear Bible, in Black Calfskin Leather, A Bible you might not have known that you needed.

March 18, 2015March 18, 2015 Bob Snyder13 Comments

The KJV/RV Interlinear is an amazing tool. For anyone who has had difficulties with the Early Modern English of the KJV, you are not alone. The Revised Version was the first big translation to come from the Authorized 1611 KJV. The 1611 KJV was in Early Modern English. By the late 1800’s English had changed significantly. On May 6^th of 1870, at Canterbury, England, the general assembly of Episcopal clergymen, met and determined to, revise, for public use, the authorized 1611 KJV. This was notable for a few reasons, my favorite of which is that it was a cooperative effort between British and American theologians, who were experts in the Biblical languages. Their objective was, “From the outset the object sought by the revisers has been “to adapt King James’ version to the present state of the English language without changing the idiom and vocabulary,” and further, to adapt it to “the present standard of Biblical scholarship.” Since 1611 this latter has made great advances, especially during the last quarter century.” Here is some information I was given from Cambridge, “A little historical data/background: The Interlinear Bible is really two Bibles in one. It combines the King James Version of 1611 with its first authorized successor, the Revised Version of 1885. This edition includes the highly respected cross-references from the Revised Version, which are considered to be among the finest ever produced. It also carries the footnotes from both versions, giving at times four different renderings of difficult passages.”

A little later in 1901 American theologians made a few more revisions to come up with the American Standard Version. This translation of course is where we get my favorite translation the New American Standard Bible. For all of the NASB fans out there, be glad this work was done.

When you have an interlinear Bible usually the texts are run linearly parallel with one as the superscript and the other in subscript. When you have a parallel Bible usually there will be at least two columns of text, where one column is a translation and the other in the column running parallel to it side by side. This gives the reader an easy way to compare the two translations. This Bible however, is unique to my knowledge. Where the two translations are the same you will see only one line of text. Where they are different from one another the text will be more like an interlinear. The Revised version text when different from the KJV will be written in superscript and the KJV will be in subscript. It looks like this.

When there are a lot of differences, in a short space, it can get a little confusing, or distracting to read. This doesn’t happen very often. I find that this method, with these two specific translations, works quite well. When I come to a difficult section in the text, I have the RV to look at. It does help. Another attribute of this type of interlinear is that it avoids the bulk usually associated with parallel Bibles and other interlinear Bibles. Most interlinear Bibles have both texts in their entirety. This one only becomes interlinear when the text is divergent. This cuts down on the space needed.

It is a nice addition to any Bible collection, and for modern application, it makes the KJV more accessible, without losing the old world style of the KJV. Granted, there are more modern translations, and there are modern parallels, but they do make you aware that you are reading a modern translation. So if you love the KJV, but sometimes have difficulties with it, and you love the way the English language sounded then, this is a Bible you should own.

Aesthetically, this is a very nice Bible to look at. Cambridge has a good reputation for producing high quality Bibles that will last longer than you will. This Bible came packaged in a cardboard box. It arrived at my house undamaged and in good condition.

It was inside of a clamshell designed retail box that should be retained for storage.

The KJV/RV Interlinear is not a small Bible. It is about the size of my NASB, MacArthur Study Bible. The Cambridge is covered in very nice black calfskin. The cover is obviously, leather. There is no shiny, artificial look to it. It doesn’t feel hard, and slick, like the cheaper, pig skin leather covers on lesser Bibles. The leather smell also reinforces in your mind that this is not a synthetic cover or overly processed leather.

The binding is smyth-sewn. The Bible is case bound. The inner cover is lined with a black vinyl adhered to it. The corners are nicely cut and glued.

The cover is stamped with, “Holy Bible” in gold. The spine also is stamped in gold with, “The Interlinear Bible” at the top, “King James Version” under it, and “Revised Version” under that. On the bottom is the Cambridge logo with the word, “Cambridge” under it.

The page edges are art-gilt. The red under gold gives the page edges a warm look, when the Bible is open.

There are decorative red and gold, head and tail bands.

The two black ribbon markers are higher quality than you would find in cheap, mass produced Bibles.

I know some people complain about page corners curling with some Cambridge Bibles like the Clarion. When I first opened this Bible, the paper did seem a bit wrinkled and the page corners curled just a bit.

After being out of the box and giving this Bible a while to come to a state of homeostasis with the dry Idaho air, the page edges flattened out and the wrinkles went away. I do wish I had waited a while to take the pictures. The paper is behaving much better now that the Bible has been opened for a while. I personally, like the page corners to curl up just a bit. Have you ever tried to get the pages apart to turn them, on a Bible with very thin paper, only to be frustrated page after page? There you have it; I made a negative quality into a positive feature. Now don’t get me wrong, I hate it when the entire page edge curls up, and interferes with my reading, but let’s not get too crazy with our demands. After all, the paper on this Bible is very nice. It has wide margins and is thick enough to take notes on. The margins are about an inch.

It is also a pleasant off white color that contrast well against the dark, 10/11 point Millers 2n Small Pica No.4 (small body) typeface. It does look like an older typeset, but unlike some of the very old ones it has held up pretty good. It is also a larger size which helps. Again, thanks to the way this interlinear is set up. This is a black text edition.

In the front of the Interlinear you’ll find a presentation page.

After that, the publication information including that the Interlinear is printed in the Netherlands. I verified with Cambridge that Jonglboeds did the printing and binding. They are the premier bindery for Bibles. You can’t buy better that I know of.

Then there is some information about the Interlinear and translation information about the KJV and RV. The Old and New Testaments are both introduced with a Preface. Usually the older type settings of the KJV are verse format. This was one of the first editions to use paragraph format. It does so in a double column layout with center column cross references. Notes are at the bottom of the page.

At the end of the Interlinear there is a section called the, “Bible Companion” which is basically a Bible reading plan. Also there is an alphabetically arranged blank index. This is great for adding your own notes and references.

After that we have fifteen color maps, a map index, and a large list of variant readings preferred by the American Standard Version translation committee. All of this together makes for one highly usable, functional, and handsome Bible. If you like the majesty of Early Modern English, but need a bit of help from time to time, or if you just like the KJV and the RV because of their rich history, the KJV/RV Interlinear Bible from Cambridge is an excellent addition to any Christians library, even if it is the only book in it.

Be sure to check out the picture gallery at the bottom.

RV655X isbn: 9781107630932

You can purchase the Cambridge KJV/RV Interlinear in black calfskin on these online retailer’s sites,

Cambridge University Press

Amazon.com

Christianbook.com

Evangelicalbible.com