A Tome of Tomes, The Lockman NASB New Illustrated Bible of Jerusalem.

February 20, 2015February 26, 2015 Bob Snyder2 Comments

tome of tomes, get it? Well, I thought it was funny.

The Bible has been called the, “Book of books.” This Bible gives you the impression that it is a, “Tome of Tomes.” It is large and substantial. The size of this thing is not in vain. The paper is terrific, the print is great, and the binding is sewn. Not to mention all of the 436 interesting photographs. (Yes, they are from real photographs, not pictures snapped by a teenager with their phone, while on vacation.) The photographs are from the 1800’s and early 1900’s. They give you the feel that you are looking at an Israel before modern tourism. Of course there was tourism in Israel back then. These are just lacking modern accoutrements. The pictures help you to connect the places that you are reading about, to their actual locations. The photographs enrich the readers experience. I don’t know of any other Bible out there like this one. It isn’t really a family Bible. It isn’t one that I would take to Church, or carry around, due to the size, but it definitely scratches an itch for those of us who want to see the sites. It fills a niche that leaves it with little competition. There are archeological Bibles with pictures, but there is a distinct difference in their purpose, design, and layout.

It is also appealing because of the cover. I realize it is not genuine, tooled leather. It is a synthetic cover, but it does a good job of masquerading as an ancient tome that you discovered in an old library, far from home. That makes it kind of fun to have and put on display. I put it on the coffee table for a while and now it is on the mantle. Here is what the description on Lockman Foundation’s page says about it,

From Sacralion Publishing House, Includes 436 pictures of Holy Places taken between the middle 19th – early 20th centuries. These images are spread throughout the whole biblical text and correspond exactly to the specific verses in the Holy Bible.

Features include, Concordance, Maps, Full Column Cross References and notes, Verse Format, Black Letter, Two Column Text, Photograph Index, Two Marker Ribbons, Old Testament Genealogy Tables, and Illustrations.

Lockman Foundation credits Sacralion Publishing House with the NASB New Illustrated Bible of Jerusalem. If you are interested in them you can check out their pages here and here.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the NASB translation of the Bible, I can assure you it is one of, if not the most accurate translations out there. Lockman Foundation is dedicated to being loyal to God in their translation work. You won’t find any gender inclusive agenda with them. Some people say it is a bit more difficult to read, but I have never experienced that. I have found it an accurate translation that conveys the majesty of God’s word in a modern English translation.

So without further eloquence I will now show you the pictures.

The Bible arrived packaged in two boxes. One was inside the other cushioned with paper. I imagine this was due to the size and weight of this Bible. It arrived undamaged and in good condition.

It was shrink wrapped and labeled.

The spine is hot stamped with, “Holy Bible” at the top, “The New Illustrated Bible of Jerusalem” next, and then, “Updated New American Standard” and finally at the bottom, “Sacralion Publishing House.” The front cover is stamped with, “Holy Bible.” As well as being gilded it is ornately decorated like the cover.

As I mentioned earlier the synthetic cover is stamped to look like tooled leather. It does add to the aesthetic value of the Bible as well as the tactile experience. Of course this leads one to wonder what this Bible would look like with a tooled leather cover.

The first few pages are an, “Introduction to the New Illustrated Bible of Jerusalem.”

Then we have, “A note to readers.”

The, “List of Photographic Illustrations” in the front of the Bible is very helpful in being able to match a photograph to scripture and its real location, as well as the page number it is on.

The Bible is wonderfully formatted. It is a joy to read. The double column, verse format has a center column reference. The center column is black text on a grey background. The font is printed sharply and well inked against the cream colored paper. The paper is very opaque. There is virtually no ghosting making this one of the least distracting Bibles to read.

There are two ribbon markers that are quite different from what I am accustomed to. They aren’t flat. They are round. The ends are frayed, and it looks like they are supposed to be this way. I have a Greek New Testament that has the same style ribbon marker. It was bound in Germany. Since both came new out of the packaging like this and I have seen others like this, I assumed this is the style. One is a white and the other is blue.

The photographs are black and white. They are placed with relevant scriptures to help the reader connect to what they are reading. Here is an example of some of the photographs you’ll see in this Bible.

The binding on this large Bible is sewn. That is in my opinion a must for a large book of any kind. It enables a book of this size to fully open. At the end of the Bible is a Concordance, The Old Testament Genealogical Tables, and 11 maps. I think that this is a compelling enough edition that every home library should have one of these.

If you want to order one of these you can find them here Lockman.org and here Amazon.com and here Christianbook.com

ISBN: 0984234306
ISBN-13: 9780984234301

If the LDS are right about who God is, then God and His word are wrong.

February 10, 2015February 14, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

If the LDS are right about who God is, then God and His word are wrong.

In the Bible we have doctrines that are expressed by Jesus Himself, The one and only God incarnate, none ever before Him and none after Him anywhere or anytime. These doctrines are repeated and expounded upon by the Apostles in the Epistles of the New Covenant recorded in the New Testament. These doctrines are exclusive claims to actual truths. When someone else confesses a doctrine that asserts something other than what has already been established by the one true, immutable, and infallible God, then our only option is to reject their assertion as heresy.

Let’s look at some of their doctrines that conflict with Biblical doctrines, and are mutually exclusive in their claims. Christians claim there is only one true God. There has never been any other god besides Him. He has always existed in trinity. He has never not existed. We also claim that if you don’t believe in Him as explained here, as one being in three personages, that you can not be called part of the Church. Because, you have put your faith in a different god. Obviously, worshipping a different god makes you not a Christian.

Latter Day Saints (LDS or Mormons) do not have one triune God. They actually have a number of gods approaching infinity. They choose to worship just one of the gods Joseph Smith imagined for them. The god they choose to worship, was once a man named Elohim. He lived on a planet orbiting a star called Kolab. So their god is an E.T. extra terrestrial, alien from outer space. Allegedly he was such a good follower of the mormon doctrines that he was promoted to being an exalted man. He eventually became the god of this solar system and the Earth that we live on. So the one god that they worship out of the billions of gods they have, was once a created man. He was born of his father god and goddess mother. They now call him Heavenly Father and believe he has a body of flesh and bone. They believe that he had sex with Mary the virgin and that Jesus the spirit child was then embodied in his biological son with Mary. Here is a quote from the Brigham Young University site,

As the Prophet Joseph Smith said, “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret” (TPJS, p. 345). Thus, the Father became the Father at some time before “the beginning” as humans know it, by experiencing a mortality similar to that experienced on earth. There has been speculation among some Latter-day Saints on the implications of this doctrine, but nothing has been revealed to the Church about conditions before the “beginning” as mortals know it. The important points of the doctrine for Latter-day Saints are that Gods and humans are the same species of being, but at different stages of development in a divine continuum, and that the heavenly Father and Mother are the heavenly pattern, model, and example of what mortals can become through obedience to the gospel (see Mother in Heaven). Knowing that they are the literal offspring of Heavenly Parents and that they can become like those parents through the gospel of Jesus Christ is a wellspring of religious motivation. With God as the literal Father and with humans having the capacity to become like him, the basic religious questions “Where did I come from?,” “Why am I here?,” and What is my destiny?” are fundamentally answered.

Keep in mind that our LDS friends co-opt many of our words. They mean something completely different to them. When we talk of God the Father or Jesus we are talking about a very different God than they are. They might believe we are talking about the same god, but they have better and more true information than we do. The gospel to them is not the same things we think of. Their gospel is a bunch of laws, rules, do’s and don’ts, from their book Doctrine and Covenants. Our understanding comes from the Biblical definition. The word, “gospel” means, “good message or news.” When we think of the gospel of Jesus, we understand it to mean the penal substitutionary atonement wrought by Christ God Himself for the salvation of His sovereignly elected saints to bring glory to His name. In Christianity the work has been done by Jesus. He paid for our sins. By repenting and believing in Him, his work is imputed to us. It is done, done, done. We do good works because of our new affections and desires born from a regenerated spirit as born again believers.

with this article on only of few of the many differences, I hope it is obvious that the LDS are not Christian. They are a polytheistic Arian cult, created by the false prophet Joseph Smith.

Bible Reviews

Hey women! Are you tired of the pink, “so-called” Study Bibles, that are full of fluffy self-esteem candy?

January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

Well, Holman has got a surprise for you! Their, “Study Bible for Women” in the HCSB translation. It comes in this quality chocolate color, genuine cowhide leather, with thumb indexes. It was a very pleasant surprise to see some actual study aids as opposed to junk food. There is academic quality here. There are some notes on hermeneutics, theology, some original language notes and transliteration help. Most women’s Bibles are pink and have a bunch of Osteen-esque, self help, self-esteem, feel good, prattle in them with little in the way of useful exegesis of scripture or how to apply it today. This study Bible has significant work in it from two established Christian women. Here are short bio’s from Holman’s site,

“Dorothy Kelley Patterson is Professor of Theology in Women’s Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She is a homemaker, popular speaker, and successful writer, editor, and compiler of numerous books including A Handbook for Ministers’ Wives, The Family, BeAttitudes for Women, and Touched by Greatness: Women in the Life of Moses. She is co-editor of the two volume Women’s Evangelical Commentary:Old Testament and New Testament. Her husband Paige is President of Southwester Baptist Theological Seminary.”

and,

“Rhonda Harrington Kelley is President’s wife and Adjunct Professor of Women’s Ministry at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a frequent speaker for women as well as an author of books including Divine Disciple, Life Lessons for Women of the Bible, and Personal Holiness: A Biblical Study for Developing a Holy Lifestyle. She is co-editor of the three volume Women’s Evangelical Library including Women’s Evangelical Commentary: Old Testament, New Testament, and The Study Bible for Women. Her husband Chuck Kelley is President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.”

There is some of the fluff, don’t get me wrong. It is just kept in its proper place and proportion. I think that women should find this very helpful. However, I am not a woman and am just commenting because I want one like this for men.

Here is what the Publisher has to say about this Bible,

“Publisher’s Description

The Study Bible for Women will equip you to reach deep into God’s Word. Perhaps the single most powerful aspect of this Bible are the “threads” of specialized study thoughtfully woven throughout, pointing you to God’s larger story and allowing the Holy Spirit to write His revealed truths on your heart.In The Study Bible for Women, you’ll join a host of other women, all academically trained in the original languages of the Bible and passionate about God’s Word, for an intimately deep dive into Scripture that will equip you to unlock the riches and majesty of His Word, and ignite a passion to mentor others in your life to do the same. The Study Bible for Women includes the full text of the Holman Christian Standard Bible, a clear, contemporary English translation that’s faithful to the original languages of the Bible.

Features include extensive commentary notes, word studies, answers to hard questions, doctrinal notes, Biblical womanhood articles, character profiles, Written on My Heart applications, extensive book introductions, presentation pages, in-text maps, charts & timelines, full-color maps section and concordance.”

The Bible was shipped in a cardboard box with paper packing material.

The Bible was inside a two piece retail box. It arrived undamaged and in good condition.

Inside the retail packaging it was wrapped in two pieces of black construction paper to keep it from getting bent corners.

The genuine cowhide is a chocolate brown color with a soft texture. I can’t stress enough that this is not some cheap synthetic leather, nor is it some hard, shiny, pigskin leather you would find on other Bibles in this price range. This is a soft and supple cowhide leather.

The spine is hot stamped with, “HCSB” at the top, “The Study Bible for Women” orientated horizontally along the spine in the middle, and at the bottom is the Holman logo.

The page edges are gilded gold. The Bible is thumb indexed with gold text on black for the Old Testament and gold text on Red for the New Testament.

The pages are white with a faded blue color that becomes more solid as you approach the page edges and perimeter of the page.

It kind of gives it an art gilded look of blue under gold. It might have been better to gild this with silver instead. However, the effect is minimal so as not to be unattractive. The paper is 30 g.s.m. making it pretty opaque. Lighter paper would not have been good. With this weight of paper you don’t have much in the way of ghosting (seeing the text on the backside of the page show through)

There are numerous decorative designs throughout. I don’t know what your opinion is of that, but I could do without them. The font used for the main text is 10 point in ITC Clearface Standard. (Open-type) This makes it easy on they eyes unless you have bad eyesight. The coloring of the page perimeters could cut down on the contrast of the text to the paper. The paper could be a little brighter white where the text is, but then the perimeter effect would be lost. The text is laid out in a double column, paragraph format with the cross-references on the outside of the page instead of at the bottom or in a center column.

Interspersed throughout are other features. The inside cover is made of vinyl of the same color and glued down. They did a good job with the corners.

There is one ribbon marker and it is matching in color as well.

The binding on this Bible is a South Korean, sewn binding. They have been doing a lot of Holman’s bindings and are holding up quite well. This also makes them flexible on top of being durable. Way better than a glued binding.

Even though this is a study Bible, I don’t want you to be afraid that it is a behemoth. (funny right?) For a study Bible this thing is very manageable. It is just the right size for ladies who don’t want to use a hand-truck to carry their study Bibles to Wednesday night Bible Study. I think it is a very good investment if you are looking for a women’s study Bible that has good content instead of the motivational junk you get pushed on you nowadays.

ISBN: 9781586400941

http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/products/the-study-bible-for-women-chocolate-genuine-leather-indexed/

You can purchase this Bible on Amazon or on Christianbook

Bible Reviews

The Modern English Version (MEV) a Curious and Surprising Translation.

January 14, 2015January 15, 2015 Bob Snyder15 Comments

I came across the MEV by chance while searching for different translations. I was curious because I have never heard of the MEV before. When looking into it I found out some more details that made me even more curious. I found out that it is a modern translation that seeks to be as “word for word” accurate as it can be while maintaining the King James text in modern English. I was a bit puzzled by this as we now have many more manuscripts, some are older and some are more reliable than the Textus Receptus. As for a modern version of the KJV, well we already have the New King James Version (NKJV) as for modern translations, I prefer the NASB as it makes use of many of the manuscripts we have discovered over the last couple hundred years without including the errors Erasmus made for the sake of expediency. This is one of the differences between the MEV and other modern translations. It is kind of like building a modern car, but using an old flat head motor. The Textus Receptus isn’t horrible, it just isn’t as good as the manuscripts we now have.

With those concerns considered I turned my attention to the actual translation of the MEV. I’m glad to say, that so far this has turned out to be pretty accurate and reliable. I’ve been reading it with my NA28, NASB, KJV, and NKJV side by side. I actually prefer the way the MEV renders some words over the NASB. For instance, in the New Testament the NASB renders, “Χριστός” as, “Messiah” instead of, “Christ” where the MEV renders it as, “Christ.” The MEV makes us of capital letters when referring to God, but not as much as the NASB. The NASB does a better job in other areas as well. For instance in John 1:5 I like the rendering of, “κατέλαβεν” as, “comprehend” more than, “overcome.” I understand that there is the implication in the Greek of struggling with a concept to finally comprehend it or overcome it. I just think that the English word, “overcome” has connotations that could lead one to think of a contest, battle, or race, without and missing out on the more important implication of comprehension.

Here is an excerpt from the MEV page, “The MEV is a translation of the Textus Receptus and the Jacob ben Hayyim edition of the Masoretic Text, using the King James Version as the base manuscript. The MEV is a literal translation. It is also often referred to as a formal correspondence translation. The Committee on Bible Translation began their work on the MEV in 2005 and completed it in 2013.” It also appears that some of the endorsers mention that this is the 1611 authorized with modern language. These lead me to believe that they haven’t fixed the problems that Erasmus introduced. Here are the last 8 verses from Revelation out of the 1611 Authorized KJV, the Cambridge KJV, The MEV, and the NASB, in that order:

“14 Blessed are they that do his commandements, that they may haue right to the tree of life, and may enter in thorow the gates into the citie.

14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoeuer loueth and maketh a lie.

15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

15 Outside are dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters and everyone who loves and practices a lie.

15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

16 I Iesus haue sent mine Angel, to testifie vnto you these things in the Churches. I am the roote and the offspring of Dauid, and the bright and morning starre.

16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things [fn]for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

17 And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth, say, Come. And let him that is a thirst, come. And whosoeuer will, let him take the water of life freely.

17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let him who hears say, “Come.” Let him who is thirsty come. Let him who desires take the water of life freely.

17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

18 For I testifie vnto euery man that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke, If any man shal adde vnto these things, God shall adde vnto him the plagues, that are written in this booke.

18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book.

18I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

19 And if any man shall take away from the wordes of the booke of this prophesie, God shal take away his part out of the booke of life, and out of the holy citie, and from the things which are written in this booke.

19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and out of the things which are written in this book.

19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and [fn]from the holy city, which are written in this book.

20 Hee which testifieth these things, saith, Surely, I come quickly. Amen. Euen so, Come Lord Iesus.

20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus!

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. {THE END.}

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with [fn]all. Amen.

You can see some of the differences between translations due to the error of Erasmus in the above verses. Of course the first three translations will look more alike when compared to the last one. The NASB is a modern translation that utilized more than just the Textus Receptus. It used the third edition of Rudolf Kittel’s Biblia Hebraica, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia for the Hebrew. It used the Eberhard Nestle’s Novum Testamentum Graece for the Greek.

According to their web page they were not allowing any cultural or theological agendas to dictate how they did their translation. I’m glad to see that there isn’t any gender neutral nonsense so far as I have read.

Overall it accomplishes what it sets out to do. It brings the KJV into modern English. I think it does a better job in some areas and could be better in others. I think they should fix the problems with the work of Erasmus.

The Bible Passio sent me to review is a Thinline Reference Bible. Here is an excerpt from their product page, “Thinline Reference Bible Black Leatherlike ATTRACTIVE AND LIGHTWEIGHT, this Thinline Reference Bible is a Bible your customers can take anywhere. Complete with study tools such as cross-references, a concordance, and four-color maps, it is sure to be a favorite for home, church, or giving as a gift.” The Bible was provided gratis for the purpose of review by Passio. It arrived in an envelope.

It was packaged in a card-paper sleeve. The sleeve or slipcase is not heavy enough to use for storage and actually was bent quite a bit from being mailed.

The Bible itself didn’t suffer too much, just some bent corners. The MEV was printed and bound in America.

I found this refreshing. So many of the Bibles I review are imported from China and South Korea. The Bible was covered with what they call a black leatherlike cover. It was black. It was textured. That was about where the similarities ended. This had some of the cheapest cover material I’ve ever seen.

The inside cover is lined with paper.

Keep in mind that this Bible has a very low price, very white opaque paper with sharply printed text.

We have to be fair. You can pick up a copy for around $20.00 online. The paper is 19.8 lb basis weight Tervakoski. According to the publisher it is the equivalent of approximately 29.3 gsm. Having used this Bible for a couple of weeks now, I’d have to agree. The paper is pretty opaque given its light weight and how thin it is. The font is an 8 point Delima MT Std regular. The words of Christ are in red.

The text is arranged in a typical double column format with center column references. There are not as many cross references as I’d like to see.

I have a feeling that there will be more as the translation matures. The page edges are gilded.

There is one black ribbon marker. The ribbon is narrow, thick, and seems to be better quality than most of the Bibles in the same price range.

There are short book introductions before each book and when a book ends the next book starts on a new page sometimes giving you room for notes at the end of the book.

There is a helpful concordance in the back and after that 4 color maps.

Now keeping in mind that this is a $20 Thinline Bible I want to tell you how impressed I am with its flexibility. After only a couple of hours of use this thing is flexible enough to double over and to wrap around itself. It is great for carrying with you in a bag or lunch box. It isn’t so expensive as to make you afraid to use it. It isn’t so small you can’t read the text. It is a very practical Bible if you are looking for an inexpensive Thinline to carry and read.

Amazon has them here.

ISBN-13: 978-1621369967

Bible Reviews

He said, “It is a Waterproof Bible!” I said, “What?”

January 13, 2015 Bob Snyder1 Comment

Review of the English Standard Version (ESV) Waterproof Bible from Bardin & Marsee Publishing

The first time I saw a waterproof Bible it was a local Christian book store. It seemed like a good idea. At that time in my life I was planning for the end of the world, doomsday scenario. The Bible was a KJV, so I wasn’t that interested. Fast-forward a bit and now they make one in ESV. I was very curious as to how they accomplished this feat of Bible construction. I requested one for review from the publisher. They sent one for me gratis for the purpose of honest review.

I’m not going to lie. The idea of pouring water onto any book without damaging it is pretty novel. That novelty earns it some points. Aside from the novelty, there are many practical reasons for having a waterproof Bible. I like the notion of having a Bible I can take to Church Camp or Men’s Retreat, and not have to worry about it getting wet or dirty. I can put it in my bag with my toothpaste and not worry about it getting messed up if the cap comes off. I can read it at the table and not worry about spilling my drink on it. If it does get messy from food, drink, dirt, mud, etc. I can just rinse it off and dry it with a towel or rag.

Some of the active peeps I know love their apps. Bible apps are fine, but one update and the enemy can change all the content of the Bible so that it isn’t the same anymore. Try pouring some coffee on your tablet or phone while reading your Bible via an app! Good luck with that move. Don’t drop your tablet in the dirt next to the fire pit. You’ll break your screen. What about when that battery gets low bro? What then? I love having a printed copy in hand to read from. So if it is the Bible you run to the hills with, it won’t get remotely updated. I jest… not really… OK, I’m kidding…

The Waterproof Bible was shipped to me packed in a cardboard box cushioned with paper packing material.

The Bible is a bit heavier than a comparably sized conventional Bible. I think this is due to the materials used in the manufacture of this Bible. It was in pretty good shape when it arrived. The corners were a little bent, but not bad.

The Bible is printed in China.

The page material seems to be some kind of plastic material that is very, very opaque. This is a good thing. You can’t see the text through the page.

One problem with this Bible is that the pages and text are a bit glossy. In sunlight they are pretty bright. The cover is blue and white. The signatures are sewn and glued together.

If you look closely enough you can see that they use a pretty heavy looking cord to sew them together.

Since the pages aren’t conventional paper, I don’t see this Bible getting damaged. It is a good investment even if you aren’t looking for a Bible to take into the wild. It will survive the urban jungle as well. Youth Pastors know what I mean. There are short book introductions before each book.

The 8 point font text is arranged in a double column format with references at the bottom of the page.

You can underline with pencils and ball-point pens. Pens will dent the pages and sometimes skip. Pencils do the same. I wouldn’t buy this with the intentions of putting a bunch of notes in it. I found that underlining is very doable, but note taking would be tough. Wet highlighters won’t work, but dry ones and sharpies will. There are no maps, concordance, or any other helps. The Bible would be too heavy if it did have them.

If you are in the market for a very tough Bible that will live up to your active life, then this is the Bible for you. Clearly printed font, no ghosting, rugged, and practical, this Bible is perfect for extreme applications. Take it anywhere and no worries.

9781609690120

You can purchase one directly from the publisher at the link below,

http://www.bardinmarsee.com/p-69-esv-waterproof-bible.aspx

or you can purchase one here, Amazon or here, Christianbook

Bible Reviews

Another Excellent Bible from Cambridge, the Clarion NKJV Bible in Brown Genuine Calfskin.

January 1, 2015January 1, 2015 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

I begin by referring you to my previous review of the Cameo from Cambridge. The two Bibles were delivered in the same packaging from Cambridge. Both have the sewn bindings and both are covered with the same brown calfskin. You can read about those aspects in that review.

The Clarion from Cambridge is an example of modern Bible design done right. Here is a quote from the Cambridge website about the Clarion in NKJV;

“A Cambridge Clarion edition represents an unusual and attractive combination of features – a very readable text in a paragraph style, with a single-column layout – all within a personal size reference Bible format. Here, the NKJV text is presented in a single column with the cross-references in the outer margin, giving the page a very well laid out appearance. The font size is a little under 9 point with generous line spacing. It is typeset in Lexicon No.1, a modern digital font which has many of the characteristics usually associated with traditional Bible typefaces – in particular, a degree of readability more usually associated with much larger type. The Bible has 15 new colour maps and a concordance. There are two ribbons to keep the place in different parts of the Bible. This is a Bible of the very highest quality, printed on India paper with art-gilt edges, Smyth-sewn for flexibility and endurance, and bound in brown calfskin leather”

Chances are if you are considering the purchase of the Clarion NKJV Bible in brown calfskin, you have a list of desired attributes in mind; manageable size, legibility, quality sewn binding, beautiful and durable cover, and so on. The Clarion fits the niche almost perfectly in my opinion. It brings together many desirable features without sacrificing too much in the other areas of design. The Clarion is larger than the Cameo. It is definitely thicker. The thickness of the Clarion does make it a bit more to hold than the Cameo, but the font is so much more legible. The tradeoff is well worth it. Because of the thicker format the Clarion can use a larger font. It is a modern font, printed with modern technology making it very clear and sharp. The Cameo’s font was cleaned up, but still doesn’t compare to the font of the Clarion.

Another wonderful attribute is that you can get the Clarion in different translations. Currently it is available in the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the English Standard Version (ESV), the King James Version (KJV), and the New King James Version (NKJV), which I am reviewing.

So besides the size, font, and available modern translations, the Clarion also breaks in very well. I have been using an NASB Clarion in goatskin for my daily reading and it has become my standard for comparison. The NKJV in calfskin adds some rigidity to the cover. Instead of being edge lined and perimeter stitched with a very flexible material it uses a more common process of vinyl inner liners glued down to the outer cover. The added structure can be a pro to some and a con to others. In my opinion, if this Bible were thinner the stiffer cover would be a pro, but it is just a bit too thick. I can’t roll the cover all the way around like I can with the goatskin covered Clarion. It makes it a little less comfortable for me. The cameo gets the size right for this type of cover, but at the sacrifice of font size, line spacing. These all have an effect on the ease of reading. If you are going to buy the Clarion, I’d suggest the goatskin. Of course this is just my opinion. Everyone has different sized hands and preferences. I suggest looking one over in the Christian book store, or getting your friend to let you borrow theirs for a few minutes. It is not a small investment for most people. Because of the quality of craftsmanship and materials used it will be with you for a long time. So it is important that you do your research before buying a lifetime companion like the Cambridge Clarion.

This Bible is covered with a genuine calfskin in brown.

It is very supple and soft. On the front of this Bible is hot stamped, “Holy Bible” in gold. The spine of the cover has, “Holy Bible” at the top, “New King James Version” immediately under that. At the bottom of the spine is, “Cambridge” in gold as well. There are modest hubs worked into the spine as well.

The inner vinyl liners are black and glued neatly to the calfskin.

The calfskin has been folded over and finished uniformly. The corners are all perfectly finished. There are two ribbon markers that are color matched to the cover. The ribbon markers are about a quarter inch wide.

The page edges are art gilded. This gives them a distinctive look that you won’t find on less expensive Bibles.

The paper is high quality opaque paper. It is slightly off white and contrasts with the black font nicely. The text is printed in a single column, paragraph format with line matching. Line matching is when the lines of text are printed in such a way so as to make the text on one side of the page directly opposite of the text on the other side of the page. This aids in legibility. The font is large enough to be easily read yet small enough to keep the size of the Clarion down. It is clearly, and uniformly printed.

It has a useful concordance and the maps are printed on a heavier paper with a matte finish.

The sewn binding is of the quality I’ve come to expect from Cambridge. The Clarion opens well and lays flat when opened.

To sum up, the Clarion is an excellent Bible that fills a big niche in the Bible market. Many Christians are on the lookout for a Bible that travels well, is easy on the eyes while reading, and is well made. The Clarion fits the bill and is available in some great translations. Check out Cambridge Press’ Page. You can pick up a copy of this Bible on evangelicalbible.com for about $140.00 and you can also get it from Amazon for about $120.00 and Christianbook for about $155.00

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ISBN-13: 9781107664425

isbn: 9781107664425

ISBN: 110766442X

NKJV Clarion Reference Bible NK485:X Brown Calfskin Leather

Bible Reviews

Need a Chinese language New Testament? Review of the Mandarin CSB/CUV Parallel New Testament, Black Bonded Leather from Holman.

December 25, 2014 Bob SnyderLeave a comment

This New Testament in CSB/CUV according to what I’ve read is very clear and easy to understand. I do not understand Chinese. I am reviewing this New Testament from a quality and value perspective. I received it gratis from Holman for the purpose of review. This New Testament was well packaged and arrived in great condition. It was shipped in a box with a couple other books; a copy of, “Learn to Read New Testament Greek” and the workbook, “Learn to Read New Testament Greek, Workbook.” I will be doing more in depth reviews of those resources throughout the coming year. Obviously, learning Greek will be an ongoing adventure and require more than a week to do the review of those resources.

The New Testament provided is a parallel, meaning that it presents both the text from the Chinese Standard Bible (CSB) and the Chinese Union Version. (CUV)

The cover is black bonded leather.

If you are not familiar with bonded leather it is made from leather scraps that are bonded together with adhesive and died to the desired color. It is less expensive and pretty durable. It doesn’t hold up as well as leather and is not as flexible. The inside of the cover is lined with black paper glued down.

It appears to have a sewn binding.

This will add to the durability. There is a presentation page and some publication notes with translation notes.

There is one black ribbon marker and the page edges are gilded.

The words of Christ are in red.

The paper is very opaque. The hanzi characters are printed clearly with sufficient contrast to make out all of the details.

There is even a concordance of Chinese hanzi characters in the back. Included are some colored maps. If you know someone whose first language is Chinese and they are interested in knowing more about Jesus this is a good value for evangelism. It is not so expensive that you couldn’t afford to buy several of them, and it is made well enough to last them for a while. If your primary language is Chinese and you would like a New Testament to carry around as you witness to people this one would fit the bill. It is a good value at around eleven dollars from some retail sites.

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Bible Reviews

Wow, the Cambridge Cameo KJV Bible in Brown Vachetta Calfskin Leather is a Triumph of Form and Function!

December 24, 2014January 8, 2015 Bob Snyder5 Comments

I received this Bible from Cambridge gratis for review purposes. It arrived sufficiently packaged in a cardboard box with one other Bible.

They did not deform or break through their packaging and the Bibles were in perfect shape when they were delivered.

Upon opening the box I was presented with the clamshell retail box, which should be retained for storage purposes. The Bible inside the box was instantly striking in appearance. I am accustomed to many different qualities of cover material. When I picked the Cameo up out of the box I was struck by the soft texture of this type of calfskin leather. The grain was smoother with smaller pebbling compared to goatskin leather.

I was expecting a darker brown with a texture like other top grain cowhide Bibles. I was pleasantly surprised. This calfskin was smoother and soft. The front of the Cameo is hot stamped with, “Holy Bible” in gold. There is a channel pressed into the leather around the perimeter of the cover.

On the spine of the Cameo is, “Holy Bible” at the top, “King James Version” in the middle, and the Cambridge Logo at the bottom. They are all hot stamped in gold.

The page edges are beautifully art gilded with red under gold.

The construction of the Cameo is top-notch. In addition to having a wonderful cover that will last a lifetime, it has a sewn binding that will last as long as the cover. Because of these two fine qualities the Cameo is a pleasure to hold and read. The Bible opens well and lays flat easily without being overly flexible.

This edition does everything right. The only way this could be any better is if it were in NASB.

The inside cover is lined with vinyl that is glued down. The corners are finished nicely.

There are two ribbon markers that match the color of the cover as well.

Some less expensive Chinese or Korean Bibles try to entice you with a very supple calfskin cover lined with calfskin or another very flexible material. Then, they drop the ball with either the paper or the fit and finish. That is not so with the Cameo from Cambridge. The paper is nice and opaque. The font is a cleaned up 8 point, Petit Medieval Clarendon type. It is bold and easy to read. The text is arranged in a double column verse format with center column references.

In the front of the Cameo you have publication information page followed by a nice presentation page.

After that is the text of the KJV. Lastly, there is a very useful concordance in the back along with 15 color maps that are indexed.

I know there is a big trend now for the single column paragraph formats. Personally, I find it more difficult to focus on during reading in my home. I have a busy house and am always getting interrupted. As a consequence I routinely lose my place and have to look for where I left off so that I can resume reading. The paragraph format has all of the tiny verse numbers dispersed through the text and finding them or remembering where you left off can be a bit more tedious. I find it easier to pick up where I left off if I can find the verse quickly. This is my personal preference.

The Cameo is a delightful size Bible to hold and read anywhere. I can sit in my recliner and read it, I can read it in bed, I can read it on my work break, and I can read it while I drive… I was just checking to see if you were still awake. Never read and drive! Seriously, seldom will you find a combination of form and function like the Cameo.

Here the Cameo is compared to the Concord.

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ISBN: 0521146100

isbn: 9780521146104

KJV Cameo Reference Red Letter Edition KJ455:XR Brown Calfskin Leather

Bible Reviews

Do you want a large print compact NASB? Review of the Lockman Foundation Large Print Compact Text Edition in Burgundy Leathertex.

December 17, 2014December 19, 2014 Bob Snyder3 Comments

Review of the Lockman Foundation Large Print Compact Text Edition in Burgundy Leathertex.

As usual Lockman did a fine job of packing and shipping the Bible to me.

This edition is not expensive. If you have high expectations you will be disappointed. This Bible sells for about $20.00 it is produced in China.

I’m not making excuses here, but there are some things you need to consider when criticizing a Bible. I know some people have complained about the print and the paper on this edition. They aren’t wrong. The paper could be a bit more opaque or the print could be a bolder type face. It would be much easier on the eyes if that were the case.

What would the consequences of that be? Well, if the font were a bolder type face and stayed 9 point, it would take up more space on the page necessitating more pages. This edition is already pretty thick at about 1 3/16” not to mention that they have already taken out the references and made it single column paragraph format.

There isn’t much in the way of helps either. There aren’t any maps to remove to make this thinner. So what about the paper? Well, same problem if you make a thicker paper that is a higher g.s.m. then the Bible gets thicker. It’s just the laws of physics in a finite world folks. I hate to be a bummer.

This Bible tries to fill a niche that definitely is there. I’ve heard many people complain that they want a nice clean, compact, text edition of the NASB in paragraph format. The Cambridge Clarion is pretty close, but it costs almost $200 dollars in goatskin. You could opt for the calf split leather for around $105-$115 but that is still pretty expensive. So let’s look at what you are getting for $20.00 instead of what you aren’t getting.

This edition has 9 point font, the words of Christ in red arranged in a single column text format with limited footnotes at the bottom of the page.

It has a sewn binding and is covered in leathertex which is modern synthetic leather. It has a cross stamped on the front with a channel around the perimeter.

On the spine is printed, “New American Standard Bible” in large letters from one end to the other.

The page edges are gilded. There is one ribbon marker that matches the burgundy color of the cover. The ribbon is pretty thin and narrow. The inner liner is vinyl and color matched to the cover. It is glued down. There are decorative head and foot bands. You have a presentation page printed on Bible paper and not card paper. Then, you have the copyright page, followed by the foreword with translation explanation. Before the text begins you have a table of contents. After the text of the Bible you have one page of the, “Parables of Jesus” then, four pages of, “Important Events in Christ’s Life According to the Gospels” three pages of, “God’s Promises” and next, two pages of, “Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Christ” and lastly, one page of, “The Miracles of Jesus.” The outside cover closed measures 7 5/16” long by 5 1/4” wide by 1 3/16” thick.

This is exactly what it is labeled. You can’t expect it to be everything you wanted in a Bible. There are going to be compromises when you make a large print, compact, text edition. I know this review sounds like an apology. I really wanted to like this Bible, but the truth is that it is a bit hard on the eyes due to the seemingly skinny font and thin paper.

For the money though, it is an excellent value and the perfect size to carry with you. The font is much larger than a 6 point font and you really haven’t gained that much in size over a traditional compact edition. I would recommend this Bible for people with good eyes that aren’t going to do long reading sessions. It would be good for break room reading or whenever you have a few minutes.

ISBN: 1581351569

ISBN-13: 9781581351569

Bible Reviews

Local Church Bible Publishers, The Best Authorized KJV Publisher You’ve Never Heard of.

December 9, 2014July 18, 2015 Bob Snyder9 Comments

A Review of the, “400E1R Mid-Size Note Takers Red 1 Piece (Executive)”

First a little about Local Church Bible Publishers, if you are like me, I had never heard of them, until I did a search on youtube for quality leather covered, sewn binding Bibles. Then I was confronted with what seemed to be southern brother touting the virtues of his LCBP Bible. I was a curious. The cover looked pretty good and the inside cover was edge lined as well as perimeter stitched.

I searched some more and found the video of their manufacture process. I was pretty impressed, but then I found out that they only make the authorized 1611 King James. Now, I don’t have a problem with using a 1611 King James, I just happen to like the NASB and a couple other modern translations better. Now all you KJV onlyists settle down out there, and stop calling me a heretic long enough to read about the positive features of the LCBP Mid-Size Note Takers wide margin Bible. If you want to find out what LCBP is all about you can follow this link to their about page.

As for their products, I have a couple of their Bibles and have found them to be generally superior to all other Bibles in their price range as far as the construction and materials go. The Mid-Size Note Takers in Red Leather came in a cardboard box. The Bible inside was wrapped horizontally and vertically with paper. It was not damaged at all in the shipping process. The first couple of things I noticed when I took it out of the packaging was the smell of leather and the bright red cover. It was very red. It stands out. You don’t see many Bibles as red as this one.

I’ve seen burgundy Bibles, but this is straight, bright, and red. I also noticed that the cover was very soft. It wasn’t shiny and slick like cheaper pigskin leather. I also noticed that it didn’t have much of a texture to it. At first when I went to open the Bible I was being careful turning the pages because I didn’t want to tear the pages if they were stuck together, but me apprehensions were unfounded. The gold gilded page edges didn’t stick together at all.

The cover is very supple and can be rolled up without hurting it.

The inside cover lining is perimeter stitched to the outer cover and is just as flexible as the outer cover. The liner is black. The perimeter stitching is red like the cover and two matching ribbon markers. This is an edge lined Bible. The Bible, despite its name is not mid-size. It is 9.9″ x 6.75″ x 1.75″

I think that their designation of mid-size is in relation to the Bibles they produce and not representative of what we see in the market. The spine has the words, “Holy Bible” at the top and, “Authorized King James” in the middle, and then at the bottom, “Church” heat stamped in gold foil.

The Paper is opaque and thick. There are generous 2.5” margins for note taking.

The paper is thick enough to endure being written on and have minimal show through. The 11 point font is printed clear and sharp. This is a black letter edition all text is black. The text is arranged in a single column verse format. This aids in ease of use and lends itself to note taking and referencing.

The binding is sewn giving this Bible durability and flexibility.