Customer Reviews

New American Standard Ryrie Study Bible: Indexed (Burgundy Leather, Red Letter Edition)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First of all, I can't endorse any other translation more highly than the NASB for both literal rendering of the text as well as readability. To date, faithfulness to the inspired text is best captured in the English language by this translation. The only other translation I would rate as highly as this one is the NET Bible and that's only because its pages are 3/4 full of grammatical notes which accompany the translation. The NASB is the best translation on the market that is sold with historical, grammatical and doctrinal study notes.

That being said, Dr. Charles Ryrie's notes are the best on the market that you can find with the NASB translation (in my opinion, of course). Some other study Bibles have excellent notes such as the Nelson and the MacArthur, but both only come in the NKJV translation (which is not a bad translation either).

Ryrie's notes come from a dispensational, pre-tribulational, pre-millennial, moderately Calvinistic (4-point) perspective. Keep that in mind as you read them. Even if you disagree with his doctrinal position, these notes will give you one of the best formulations on the positions he represents. Ryrie is very easy to read and he is extremely concise. He doesn't bog you down. The grammatical considerations are particularly helpful as well. This Bible has it all. It features excellent notes, charts, maps, outlines, cross-references, concordance, subject guide, as well as a short, but helpful, survey of Bible doctrines in the back. For more Ryrie, I would suggest his "Basic Theology" for starters.

Pop for the genuine leather edition too. The binding breaks on the hardback after just a little use, and the bonded is to leather what particleboard is to wood.

I was given this Bible as a gift upon my introduction to Christianity. At first I was intimidated by it's bulk, but as I began to weave my way through the easy to read NAS content I was greatful for all it's girth.

Multitudes of maps outlining journeys of whole nations as well as lone Prophets help to give your mind's eye a visual perspective of the miles covered in the verses. Tables giving you facts about the numerous names, holidays and miracles make for easy searching. Diagrams of various buildings, temples and objects help you grasp tough passages easily lost in text-only versions. Sadly there is no index to these great references.

I found the NAS wording much easier to read than any other translations, allowing me to concentrate on the message and not translating text as I went. The commentary provided below the Biblical text is excellant! One gains a depth of knowledge about customs, alternate Hebrew and Greek wordings and everyday life in Bible times that further the reading experience. You feel as if you REALLY know the passages when all is taken together.

Overall I was pleased with this book. Construction is good with a nicely bound spine but I would have desired another bound bookmarker (okay, I'm nit-picking). I would strongly recommend this study Bible to those either beginning their spiritual journey or one wishing to further their understanding about the Word of God.

The study Bible is simply one of the best on the market. The running commentary is outstanding as Charles Ryrie tries to present fair and balanced notes as to what the verses or the text is trying to communicate. On some passages, such as Genesis 6, he will provide serval diferent understandings of the passage, giving a broad education to the reader.

"A Synopsis of Bible Doctrine" is this study bible's strongest suite. It is easy to understand and would be a plus for any new Christian who is unfamilar with Christian doctrine. Except for a couple of places, Ryrie tries to present an objective look at doctrines. The section "The Doctrine of Future Things" is really good considering that Ryrie was dispensationalist, yet, he provides a quick refernce for all the major views: Pre-,Post-, and A-, millennialists are described.

There are other sections which make this study Bible the standard which others should be measured: Sections on the meaning of salavtion, archaelogy, and church history are easy to read and yet very informative.

Simply the study Bible that set the standard for others to follow.

Before I go any further, this edition of the Ryrie Study Bible, NAS, is NOT genuine leather. The genuine leather edition sells retail for $99, and is bound by the bindery to the Sultan of Brunei, and is an excellent, well-made and beautiful, Bible. This edition is bonded leather, is glue-bound, and is junk, plain and simple. I don't know where Moody has these bonded leather Bibles bound, but they need to find another bindery who can do some quality work. I just recently dug up a letter from 1992, where Moody Press readily admitted that these bonded leathers are basically sub-quality as compared with previous editions.Otherwise, the Ryrie Bible is great: the font is large and dark, the helps are excellent, with in-text maps and charts, doctrinal references in the back, and great maps. I prefer it to the Scofield. But, if you have the bucks and can afford it, get the genuine leather edition instead of this.

The updated NASB version is highly recommended as the most literal and accurate Bible translation available today. Along with that, Dr. Ryrie's study notes are excellent and quite extensive without being overwhelming. The combination makes an excellent study Bible. The expanded tables, outlines, introductions, and study notes give the serious or aspiring student of the Word added and accurate insights into the meaning of the text. Along with many other helps, there are of special note: a Synopsis of Bible Doctrine, a Topical Index, a Concordance, and many Maps & Timelines.

I have been using the Ryrie NASB Study Bible for over 25 years and I have yet to find anything better. The major strength of Dr. Ryrie's study notes is that they follow a single, normative method of interpretation for the whole of Scripture. You won't find him citing men, church traditions, and catechisms as proofs, only the plainly written Word within its context.

I posted this review in particular because there is an increasing number of study Bibles out there and the amount of choices can be daunting to the average Christian. If it were just a matter of picking one of the trusted translations, it wouldn't be so much of a problem, but it seems that everyone wants to put their name on a study Bible these days. Study Bibles can be a great help in many situations, but the wrong one could do more harm than good.

Since many evangelicals I've talked to are unaware of the problems with the MacArthur study Bibles, also available in NASB, you should avoid it in any version. Although MacArthur claims to be a "leaky" dispensationalist, he abandons a consistent normative interpretation to accommodate his Calvinism and in promoting Lordship Salvation. His study notes reflect this.

Another possible alternative to Ryrie would be the The Scofield Study Bible III: New American Standard Bible also in NASB. I have yet to take an in-depth look at the much-hyped ESV version, and still need to do more research in how they render some critical verses as I hear it has many Calvinist/Reformed backers.

As Dr. Ryrie states, "The Bible is the greatest of all books; to study it is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals." -it is God's Word!

New convert or seasoned Christian, serious seeker or casually curious -- this is a fine Bible to own and to read. The genuine leather edition is supple and well made. The spine is Smythe-sewn, not stuck together with glue, as many Bibles are today, even expensive ones. Because the signatures are sewn together at the spine, this Bible will lie flat when it is open. The text is printed in clear, readable type that is large enough to read without squinting. The notes are generous and are likewise set in larger type than the majority of study Bible notes.The only weakness I see worthy of comment is that this edition does not have the helpful translators' notes in the margins. But all the other fine features are there. It has the finest book outlines, both at the introduction of each book and repeated as headers throughout the text, that I have seen in any other Bible.

The ads do not tell you that this is a bonded leather Bible. However, it is indeed bonded and not genuine. I bought two of these thinking I was buying genuine leather as gifts, only to find that I had purchased bonded leather Bibles, which do not hold up half as well as genuine leather. Heavy users should always purchase genuine leather, as bonded leather soon begins to tear at the corners.

This is one of the only study bibles that is worth having (The Old Scofield Reference Bible is another). Although I don't agree with all that Ryrie has to say (but who agrees with all that anyone has to say), his insights are well thought out and seem to be very prayerful. Then there is the matter of translation. I know you can gat this bible in the KJV and the NIV. I started out on the NIV and eventually grew out of it. The KJV, although unparalled in majesty, is still a difficult read. The NASB is by far my favorite. While not perfect, it still tries hard to maintain the literal meaning of the text, which makes for great exegetical and expository study. I would recommend this for someone who has just began to study the Word of God, or for a seasoned bible scholar who favors the pre-millenial, pre-tribulation view. I have read a couple of reviews that compain about the binding. These people probably have the bonded leather, which is cheap. Although considerably more, the genuine leather is worth the money. Happy stuyding.

This is a wonderful study Bible and the study notes are expanded and improved. Charles Ryrie's excellent notes are clear and understandable, and reflect a premillennial dispensationalist interpretation of prophecy and the end-times. What I also like are the in-text maps which are helpful when reading the historical/ narrative books, and helpful charts / feature articles which explain key biblical terms. One of the most helpful sections are the study helps in the back, with a Survey of Christian Doctrine and a Brief Survey of Church History. The Bible also has an excellent concordance and colorful maps of high quality. I highly recommend this study Bible and have used it for many years!

This is a perfect companion to the Old Scofield Study Bible (KJV)! While Ryrie has considerably more notes than the Scofield Bible, Scofield's notes and paragraph headings are generally a little better. I strongly recommend getting both the NAS Ryrie Study Bible (Make sure you get a genuine leather one! I ordered one from Amazon that I thought would be real leather, and it was bonded leather when I got it. The bonded leather edition of this Bible is VERY poor quality! The leather one is nice...) AND the Old Scofield Study Bible. They compliment each other extremely well. The two have worked miracles in my Bible Study, and have greatly deepened my relationship with God. And, the NASB and KJV Bibles are two of the best translations for serious Bible students. Of course there is much debate over which translation is better. I choose not to participate in these debates... Enjoy!