Comments on: How to Choose a Study Bible

on 1/20/2008 NEW AGE BIBLE VERSIONS ( 700 PAGE BOOK ) BY GAIL RIPLINGER is the best book on the version subject.

on 12/8/2007 Excellent ideas. I have about five Bibles. One is from high school and is held together by rubber bands, but it is cherished by me. J

on 6/16/2007 You may run across some people who stand by the "If it's not the Kign James Version, it's not the Bible" rule, but if you have a hard time understanding the KJV, don't shy away from different versions.

on 8/29/2006 A good way to pick the right study Bible for you is to look up the same passage, perhaps one of Jesus' parables or the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6-8) in several versions. Which text is easier to read and understand? Which version has footnotes that are relevant to you, whether you're looking for scholarly information or life applications? Which Bible has supplemental content beyond the footnotes that helps you put what you're reading into context? Also keep in mind that you need to make two decisions: 1) which translation to choose (such as NIV, NRSV, ASB, etc.) and then 2) which study edition of that translation to choose.

on 6/30/2006 If you are looking for a bible for spiritual growth, make sure the bible you read has no copyright, because it is not supposed to have one; it is inspired by God and not by men. Other versions should only be used for comparison.

Look in a trustworthy dictionary for the word copyright, and then decide if it is right for a bible to have a copyright in the first place.

on 2/28/2006 I would not be without my Zondervan Study Bible. It's available in the NIV and NASB (and soon ESV) translations. It has one of the best portable concordances in the back for those times when you remember pieces of a verse, but not the whole. The maps are inclusive of many different epochs in Biblical history. It features a historical time line that compares Biblical events to events in secular history, as well as giving archaeological information that bears on the story of Scripture. The notes are par excellence; they do the best job of any study bible to referring to material within the Scriptures. The notes give excellent interpretive guidance, but always leave room for differing opinions. Each section and book is introduced by a specialist who addresses authorship, content, features, and context. They also provide an outline that is useful for individual study and teaching.

on 11/22/2005 Most public libraries have a good selection of study bibles. You can check them out and compare them to each other over a few days (rather than juggling them in the aisle of a bookstore!)