ESV | Knowable Word

ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition

February 4, 2019 By Ryan Higginbottom

First we got the single-column Bible. Then came generous side margins. The latest advance in journaling Bibles seems to be interlinear space, and it’s wonderful.

For people who like to mark up their Bibles, studying God’s word with pen or highlighter in hand, there never seems to be enough space. We want more room for notes, questions, symbols, and arrows. This is especially true for Bible students who underline, circle, or box words in the text—in a standard Bible, these marks could easily obscure the text in the subsequent or preceding line.

Enter the ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition, published by Crossway. This book provides 3/8 inch of space between lines of text, opening up lots of options for engaged students of the Bible.

Excellent Design

I love the philosophy of this Bible. This is from the introduction.

It is in light of this conviction that Crossway offers to the church the ESV Journaling New Testament, Inductive Edition. The text is spaced out line by line, designed to facilitate active engagement with the Bible with a pencil or pen in hand. Repeated words can be circled, key transitions can be noted, striking phraseology can be reflected on. With space to jot notes and insights, this edition will be a versatile tool in a Christian disciple’s engagement with Scripture.

Crossway kindly sent me the black hardback version of this Bible for review. This Bible lays open flat, and the elastic band will remind journal lovers of the famous Moleskine. The wide outer margins and interline space provide plenty of room. This is not a Bible to sit down and read for hours; this is designed as a workbench and laboratory. It has great potential as a markup Bible.

There are so many positives for this product that I hate to mention any negatives. I have only two cautions. The first is about the name—this does not seem like a journaling Bible to me. There is ample space to interact with the text, but there is not as much space to do what is typically considered journaling. (I don’t personally use a Bible for journaling, but those who do might be disappointed.) My second caution is that the thickness of the paper in this Bible is closer to thin, Bible paper than it is standard journal paper. Consequently, pencils, highlighters, and ballpoint pens are better choices than gel, roller ball, or fountain pens if you are concerned about writing bleeding through to the back of pages.

How About the OT?

The retail price for this Bible is $39.99, but it is available for far less than that at both Amazon and Westminster Bookstore. (At the time of this writing, the price at Westminster Bookstore was almost $3 less than at Amazon.)

I recommend this Bible for anyone who wants to dig into the Bible text and get their hands dirty. I hope that Crossway considers publishing a two-volume edition of the Old Testament to mirror this Bible. (They have just released the Old Testament version of the ESV Scripture Journals, so there’s hope!)

Disclosure: the links to Amazon and Westminster Bookstore are affiliate links.

The images used in this post were provided by Crossway.

ESV Large Print Wide Margin Bible

October 15, 2018 By Ryan Higginbottom

A quick confession: I’ve had a bias against large print Bibles. They seemed to me to be designed only for older saints with poor vision. I didn’t see any use for these Bibles aside from the back row or the resource table at church.

I was wrong.

The Benefits of Large Print

When I received the ESV Large Print Wide Margin Bible from Crossway, I quickly saw how valuable a Bible like this can be. This will serve those who need larger print, but it will benefit many others as well.

The 11-point font size is generous, and that size has a noticeable effect on the page layout. The larger font size results in fewer words per page. And since the leading (the vertical space between lines) is usually proportional to the font size, there is ample space within paragraphs in this Bible. When this line spacing is combined with one-inch side margins, the result is a lot of room for writing, circling, drawing, and highlighting in your Bible.

Details of this Bible

This Bible does away with most distractions. Cross-references and commentary are absent. We see the word of God displayed simply, with chapter and verse numbers as well as a few footnotes from the translators. I love the way this Bible focuses on the text.

The Scripture is printed in the common two-column format. This is familiar to Bible readers, but I’m starting to dislike it. There are so many quality reader’s Bibles now available, I have grown to prefer the one-column layout they use.

The outside page margins are each one inch, and that is a helpful addition. I prefer margins that are wider, but I suspect many readers will find the space in this Bible more than adequate.

The ESV Large Print Wide Margin Bible would make a great gift or purchase for personal use. It is sturdy and well-made; it will last for many years. It is also attractive; the edition I received has a two-tone brown imitation leather cover which feels nice and offers a subtle, sophisticated appearance.

You can buy this Bible at most online book retailers, including Amazon and Westminster Books. At the time of this writing, the price at Westminster Books was $3 cheaper than at Amazon.

Disclosure #1: Crossway provided me a free copy of this Bible in exchange for an honest review.
Disclosure #2: The links to Amazon and Westminster Books in this blog post are affiliate links.

ESV Journaling Bible: Great for Journalers

September 17, 2018 By Ryan Higginbottom

Christian publishers are providing a wealth of choices for Bible readers these days. If you’re in the market for a new Bible, you can find just about anything you could describe.

The recent trend of journaling Bibles began some years ago, and the ESV Journaling Bible was early on the scene. Crossway publishes different versions of this Bible, with various covers and page layouts. The volume I received is handsome and hardy, well-suited for those who write as they read God’s word. (Thanks to Crossway for providing me with this Bible in exchange for an honest review.)

Description

This review concerns the ESV Journaling Bible with the bonded leather cover (mocha threshold design) and the text displayed in two columns per page. You can find a sample page from this Bible here.

From the outside, this looks like a fine journal indeed. The Bible is pleasant to hold, and it stays open easily. A ribbon marker is available for securing the page, and the ESV text is attractively printed on cream-colored paper. The Bible text resembles what you would find in a pew Bible or a thinline Bible.

The text is printed with generous, two-inch margins for journaling. There are faint, dotted lines printed in the margins which can be used or ignored at the reader’s preference. With these wide margins on every page, I could see this getting heavy use as a daily journal. It’s the perfect size for recording prayers, thoughts, questions, and applications that flow from devotional Bible reading.

It’s worth noting a few other details. The paper of this Bible is thin but not too thin. A gel pen will bleed through to the back of the page, but a ballpoint pen or a pencil will work nicely for journaling. Finally, paragraph-length introductions to each book of the Bible along with a yearly Bible reading plan occupy the final twenty pages of this volume.

Not a Great Markup Bible

Regular readers of this blog may remember that I’m always on the lookout for a good markup Bible. This Bible doesn’t exactly fit that description, but that is no mark against it! Crossway has produced a great journaling Bible.

The two-column text and small font size are barriers to using this Bible as a markup Bible. While you can highlight, underline, and mark up the text, the layout prevents you from writing notes next to the words or phrases in question. Recording questions or interpretations in the margins provided means that one must either draw lines connecting the writing to the text or live with the ambiguity of having one’s notes near several verses. In short, there is a lot of space in the margins, but not a lot of space elsewhere, and that’s something I look for in a markup Bible.

ESV Scripture Journals: A Note Taker’s Dream

July 23, 2018 By Ryan Higginbottom

A lot of Bibles have been produced over the past ten years with an eye toward journaling and taking notes. Publishers create wide margins, blank space below the text, or even inspiring art to spark reflection and creativity.

The trend toward producing a Bible for journaling may have reached its climax in the ESV Scripture Journal project.

Description

In the spring of 2018, Crossway introduced the ESV New Testament Scripture Journals. Available either individually or as a 19-volume set, these books are unique.

These soft-cover journals have a simple layout. The Bible text is printed on the left page, and some lightly-printed lines grace the right page. The font is large and readable (11.75 point size), the paper is thick and sturdy, and each volume has an inviting feel. The New Testament set comes in an attractive slipcase.

In exchange for an honest review, Crossway generously provided me with a set of these Scripture journals. I have been using the Luke journal for a few months now, and my daughters have used the Ephesians and Matthew volumes.

Excellent Journals

I’ve really enjoyed using my Scripture journal. I love that the paper is thick enough to prevent ink bleeding through to the other side. This is normally a concern about journals for anyone who, like me, uses a gel pen. But there is no such problem with these books.

The journals also lay flat on the first use. This is exactly what one wants in a journal.

There is plenty of room to take notes on the journaling side of the page. But the Bible text is also printed with roomy margins and interline space, so I have plenty of room to circle, underline, and write notes and questions on the Bible side of the page.

The lines on the right are printed just dark enough to guide you when writing but light enough to make room for drawing or other free-form methods of journaling.

My only small complaint is about the binding. After opening the Luke volume and doing a good bit of Bible study in chapters 9 and 10, the journal has lost a bit of its shape (see below) when I close it. The cover isn’t straight and the journal doesn’t close quickly. However, this might be my fault. I suspect these journals weren’t intended to be opened to the middle before the beginning, so my use could be to blame for this (admittedly minor) concern. I think I’d prefer hard covers.

Possible Uses

If you’re looking for a good way to combine Scripture reading or study with writing, I highly recommend these journals. I can see a number of good ways they might be used.

Use them for personal study. Each of these journals would make a great dedicated volume for an in-depth study of a book of the Bible. You have plenty of space and no distractions. These are wonderful markup Bibles!

Use them in your small group. These would be a fantastic way to get all members of your small group interacting with God’s word. Everyone would have the same translation, no one would be tempted to quote their study Bible notes, and the volumes are relatively cheap to buy (each of the 19 volumes retail for $5.99, but they can be found cheaper than that online). If every group member had the relevant Scripture journal, I think it would be easy to encourage everyone to do some OIA preparation too.

Make your own study Bible. If you’re studying a book of the Bible in a class or through your church’s current sermon series, these journals make a great place to take notes—right next to the Bible text! These are perfect for archiving and future reference—I’d be much more likely to keep a journal like this and come back to it after a few years (perhaps when studying that book again) than I would be to track down notes scattered throughout the pages of a nondescript notebook.

Highly Recommended

These Scripture journals will serve a great purpose for many people. They can help us interact with the Bible in an undistracted way. Crossway has done a great job with this set—I hope they’re working on the Old Testament!

If you’d like to buy the entire set, check Amazon or the Westminster Bookstore. You can also find any member of the New Testament set for sale separately—here are the links for Luke, as an example: Amazon, Westminster. (As of this writing, the Westminster Bookstore had significantly lower prices on both individual volumes and the whole set.)

Disclosure: the product links in this blog post are affiliate links.

Your Translation Matters

July 26, 2012 By David Royes

Recently, I came across this funny skit from a church out in Oregon. While definitely a caricature, it does well to make a good point: Translation is both difficult and important.

When it comes to the Bible, most of us rely on one of the many English translations available. While many Christians describe themselves as “bible believing,” in my experience few Christians have considered whether what they are reading is a true representation of what was originally said.

The following are two less comical examples of the theological implications that can result from translation errors:

Matthew 4:17 is a description of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It can be thought of as a summary statement of what Jesus was about. The Latin of the Vulgate is as follows:

Exinde coepit Iesus praedicare et dicere paenitentiam agite adpropinquavit enim regnum caelorum.

A literal English translation of this would be “Then Jesus began to preach and say: ‘do penance (paenitentiam agite) for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.’”

It would be reasonable for a skilled bible study leader to assume that Jesus preaches penance. Perhaps Christianity is about responding to God’s kingdom by making use of the penitential system of the church? (Your church has one, right?) The most accurate translation of the Greek text of Matthew’s gospel however would likely be “repent”, not “do penance.”

Luke 1:28 is the famous ‘annunciation’ passage, where Gabriel declares to Mary that she will have a child. The Latin of the Vulgate is as follows:

et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit ave gratia plena Dominus tecum benedicta tu in mulieribus

In English, a fair translation would be: “And the angel went in and said to her, “Hail, one that is full of grace (ave gratia plena) the Lord is with you, blessed are you.”

Even the very best OIA leads one to understand that Mary was a vessel who was full of God’s grace. Perhaps grace is a substance, and one can get access to God’s grace through Mary? These ideas actually became popular in the Medieval church, until scholars established that a faithful translation of the Greek refers to Mary as “One who has found favor.”

Your bible translation matters very practically.

I have found translations such as the ESV, NASB, NIV and even the NET Bible to be very useful for bible-study, because they are quite true to the original.
Bibles such as The Living Bible and The Message are very useful for general reading and comprehension, but could lead to theological errors in deeper study.
Logos has fantastic software available, but why not consider learning Greek and Hebrew? God in his wisdom chose those languages to write down his Word.