ESV Study Bible

I've been looking at and using various study bibles for a few months now. I'm trying to find one that I can recommend for anyone--new believers to seasoned saints. I haven't ever used a study bible until within the last year, so the whole concept is rather new and unfamiliar to me; but I have gained ground and am much more comfortable with one in my hands. I have examined the NIV Study Bible and the MacArthur Study Bible prior to this review. The recent publication (October 2008) of the ESV Study Bible has raised the standard by which all study bibles will be judged. Its many features are easily accessible and full of value for all readers. (ESV = English Standard Version) The primary features, as listed on the dust jacket, are:

• 2,752 pages of teaching, explanations, maps, articles, and Bible text
• 2 million words with 20,000 notes and other resources
• 200 full-color maps printed alongside the ESV text and notes throughout the Bible
• 40 all-new illustrations including full-color renderings and architectural diagrams
• 200-plus charts providing concise summaries and key insights
• Over 50 articles on essential topics of theology, ethics, and biblical teaching
• 80,000 cross-references and an extensive concordance
• Free ESV Online Study Bible

The online study bible has little to offer in the way of anything new for online study. In fact, it is quite limited. However, for those who prefer to do all their reading from a screen, the complete text with notes and cross-references is duplicated on the computer. One can also add personal notes.But other tools associated with online study are glaringly absent. There is no interlinear or words keyed to Strong's Concordance, or any other form of word study tool. It is simply the ESV Study Bible produced and accessed online.

Only those who purchase a physical copy of the ESV Study Bible have access to the online version.

I have found one great benefit of the online version. All charts and graphs that are in the ESV Study Bible are easily copied and loaded onto a PowerPoint slide. This can be an invaluable resource for Bible teachers.

The following quote is taken from Crossway's feature page for the ESV Study Bible:

The ESV Study Bible is available in print form and online—and the online edition is available free to all who purchase a copy of the print edition. The ESV Online Study Bible provides additional unique features, including the ability to create personal online notes; to search and follow interactive links between notes, maps, articles, charts, timelines, illustrations, and cross-references; to listen to audio recordings of the ESV; and to access additional resources not available in the print edition—all available for free.

For this article, I am reviewing the hard-bound edition.

It is a weighty volume at 4.8 pounds, because of the sheer amount of material within. It is not too heavy, though, as this photo will show. Its physical dimensions are 2 1/4 inches thick, 9 1/2 inches long, and 6 3/4 inches wide.

Some of the features I find especially useful are:

1. Each book of the Bible begins with an introduction that is started on a new page. That leaves many blank pages for adding my own notes and materials.
2. The outline that is presented in the introduction is followed within the notes section.
3. Maps necessary to gaining an understanding of the locale of an event are presented right on the page--eliminating the need to turn to the back of the Bible.
4. Controversial topics are presented in an acceptable manner without condescension nor attack. Conclusions of the author are given with a reasonable basis.
5. From the first page to the last, the Bible lies flat without having to press the pages down.

It is printed on fine bible paper and I’ve found no bleed through from highlighting nor notes. More than 95 evangelical conservative scholars contributed to the notes and articles contained within the ESV Study Bible. After only a week of use, I am becoming quite comfortable with the ESV translation. It is readable, and I've found no conflict with previously understood passages the way I have with other modern translations. I would make one recommendation to the publication of this study Bible. The numerous articles could be published as a separately bound volume. The two could still be sold as a unit, which may add to the cost; but it would make the book somewhat thinner. The articles, as good as they are, are not something that many people will reference continually during their study. I'm not sure that I will be comfortable carrying the hard-bound edition with me to church or into the pulpit. Since I cannot afford a leather-bound edition at this time, I'm not exactly sure what I am going to do. However, it seems fairly certain that the ESV translation and the study edition will be my Bible of choice for a while.