In November I ordered myself a new study bible, I have been using the NIV one for about 8 years and found that I needed something new to add to my study times. So off to Amazon I went and ordered the new ESV study bible. All good so far, then i was told on the morning it was due to arrive that my mother in law had decided that she wanted to pay for it as my Christmas present, even better, new bible for no charge… then the bomb shell, she wanted to wrap it up and I would not be able to get my grubby hands on it until Christmas afternoon… boo hoo!!!
Anyway I have now had it in my possession for the last few weeks and have had time to break it open and use it for some studying.
Firstly this is a new translation for me so it read anf felt a little strange. I am used to using the NIV for everyday reading and the NASB for study (in conjunction with my NIV study bible)> I have found the translation to be very good sitting sort of half way between the more literal NASB and the paraphrase of the NIV.
For each book of the bible the ESV study bible gives you some basic information which is presented in a full and easy to understandable style. This information includes
· Title
· Author
· Date and Historical Context
· Theme
· Purpose, Occasion and Background
· Key Themes
· History of Salvation Summary
· Literary Feature
· Outline
The individual notes and explanations of verses is excellent and have added to the contents of the NIV study bible.
In addition there is a wealth of illustrations maps and articles which appear to be excellent (I have not had time to look at them in close detail).
Finally when you purchase this bible you also get access to its entire content on line. Who could ask for more?
So if you don’t have a good study bible or want to add a new one to your study resources I would highly recommend this to you.
Hey, have used the ESV for a while and really like it – was seeing without reading the NIV due to over-familiarity! Is the study version worth the extra money?
Also, check out http://www.berbible.org – it gives access to a number of Bibles for your computer and pda (including ESV) for free…
I picked it up for £24 from amazon. If you dont have a good study bible or want a fresh one then i would say yes. Its not a ‘ready’ bible though. Its too heavy to carry and lift to read
I use e-sword which is similar but includes concordances, commentaires and classic christian books.
Agree it’s too big to lug around. But you get free registration to an online ESV too – complete with space where you can make margin notes, as well as all the illustrations and articles in the paper version for when you’re on the go. Like others, I bought this to complement my NIV study bible. I find the study notes quite different – more academic – which also helps give me a different perspective on the scripture. I’d say it’s great, but I agree it’s not an easy read, so wouldn’t recommend it as a “beginner’s” bible or probably even as a principal version for devotions.