First, I sincerely thank BibleGateway for sending me this Bible for free in exchange for an honest review. As a Blogger Grid partner, I frequently have the opportunity to review Bibles and other works related to the Bible. Again, thank you.
My first impression of the Bible was the high quality of the book jacket/dust wrapper and the hardback cover. They are identical. Many hardcover Bibles have an elaborate book jacket while the actual hardcover is plain. I appreciate the extra effort.
The second thing that stood out was the size and weight of the Bible. It is thick and heavy. There is a ton of content in this Bible. This is great for at-home/office study or reading, but not a Bible I would want to carry to Church or a Bible study. Size is an important consideration for many people.
Upon opening the Bible to review its content, the high quality stood out again. This is no surprise because I have found that Thomas Nelson Publishing and its partners have the highest standards in everything they publish.
This is a full-color Bible with the words of Christ in red. The center column reference, the Doctrinal footnotes, Personality profiles, Archeological sites, and Apologetics articles are all color-coded to help the reader easily identify and navigate the study tools provided. The print size is 10.5 on the Bible text which makes it easy to read. The accompanying notes and center column reference are of a smaller print.
We all have preferences when it comes to our Bibles. I try to put my personal preferences aside and focus on the practicality of the study Bible itself and how it will be used by the consumer. After over a week of review, I have found things that I really like and some that may be a concern to certain people. I will rate each point on a scale of 1 to 10.
- Quality: 10 of 10 The overall quality of the cover and content is outstanding.
- Practical use: 9 of 10 This is a great Bible for in-depth study, but not a Bible that I would want to tote around all the time.
- Page weight: 9 of 10 The pages are of a lighter weight, and while sturdy enough, if you are a person that likes to mark your Bible with pens and highlighters, even the no-bleed highlighters will show through to the other side.
- Format: 10 of 10 The way this Bible is laid out makes it one of the easiest Study Bibles to navigate, especially for new Christians.
- Study tools: 8 of 10 While the study tools are easy to navigate, it seems to be a bit overdone. The Archaeological site’s sections feel more like “filler” instead of relevant content for Bible study. While this may appeal to newer Christians and help to keep them engaged, serious Bible students will not benefit much from this type of content.
- Color content and Images 8 of 10 Many of the images in this Bible, while sometimes interesting, are not necessary for Bible study, and seem to be another form of “filler,” adding to the unnecessary weight and bulkiness of the Bible. Two examples are below.
- Topical Index, Maps, and Concordance: 10 of 10 These tools all measure up to the high standards preferred by serious Bible students.
- Cost: 10 of 10 You can find this hardcover version for as low as $38.49 from FaithGateway Store, and $41.99 from their Amazon page. If you have Amazon Prime and get free shipping, the overall cost will be about the same. It is hard to believe that a study bible of this quality can be bought for this price. Other cover options are available at an extra charge.
Overall Rating for the Evangelical Study Bible: 9.4 of 10
Thank you for visiting Truth Pressure Ministries. I hope this has been a blessing to you.
Truth Pressure Ministries 