The Essential Study Bible [Hardcover]

American Bible Society (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2008

You've read the Bible, but do you really understand it?

You want to know more, but are you intimidated by the hundreds of study Bibles on the shelf?

What are the key concepts and ideas you need to experience the Bible fully?

Where would you even start looking?

Featuring the full text of the Contemporary English Version of the Bible-the most reliable, readable, and relevant translation on the market today-The Essential Study Bible includes:

- sixteen color maps
- color charts and time lines
- special overviews, outlines, and introductions
- two easy-to-understand categories of notes that explain the key geographical, historical, and cultural references and the most important theological concepts in the Bible
- Web references for further research-not available in any other study Bible
- pull-out quotes for memorization

Provided and edited by the American Bible Society-the marquee name in Bible scholarship in America-the supplementary information is organized in a clear, user-friendly fashion. No other study Bible on the market is as chock-full of information and, at the same time, as easy to understand.

Accessible, informative, but not overwhelming, The Essential Study Bible will allow you, for the first time, to fully experience the Bible.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY is an interdenominational, donor- supported, nonprofit ministry whose mission is to make accurate and affordable translations of the Bible available to everyone. Founded in New York City in 1816, ABS is dedicated to the purpose of presenting the Bible in compelling ways, enabling readers to experience life in its fullness through faith in Jesus Christ. ABS has a number of "firsts" in its record books: the first Bibles in hotels, the first pocket Bibles for soldiers (during the Civil war), and the first Bibles provided for the U.S. Military in 1817. The Society extends its outreach internationally through the United Bible Societies (UBS), a fellowship of 126 international Bible societies, and was instrumental in founding this global fellowship in the interest of greater ministry impact and efficiency. In 1999 alone, more than 63 million copies of the Society's publications were distributed throughout the United States and the world.

The CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION was published by the American Bible Society in response to an urgent need for a translation that would reach those many millions who are not reading the Bible. The goal was a Bible that is a serious translation-not a paraphrase-that combines historical and scholarly accuracy with contemporary language that everyone can understand. The result is a Bible that resonates with all people, wherever they may be in their spiritual journey. At last, a Bible that is easy to read, yet allows for a deeper connection to the very God who created us. Never before has there been a Bible that speaks so clearly to the heart and the mind of every reader.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1920 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (February 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399153888
• ISBN-13: 978-0399153884
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #869,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Inferior to CEV Learning Bible, April 4, 2008

By 

Benjamin Chong (Singapore Singapore) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Essential Study Bible (Hardcover)

Having earlier bought the CEV Learning Bible I was a bit intrigued yet leery of this Essential Study Bible by ABS, fearing that it was simply TLB in a new cover. So I emailed ABS and was told that the contents were very different. Based on that I bought it and was in for a big disappointment! The ESB's notes were adapted from TLB and upon comparison there was much that was NOT there which was in TLB.

My advice: You are better off buying TLB as it is much more in content, with coloured pages throughout verses the white, black, and grey tones of the ESB. Maybe TLB was deemed more "kiddish" so the ESB was launched with a more "mature audience" look, but it is just cosmetic. TLB is many times better and makes for greater learning than the ESB. In short, it was a regrettable purchase.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Bible, August 10, 2008

By 

A. J. McCollum (Independence, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Essential Study Bible (Hardcover)

This is an excellent Bible to take your reading a step further and expand understanding of God's Word. The CEV is a relevant, easily accessible translation. I have been reading it for a while in a non-study Bible, and wanter to go deeper with a study Bible. This Bible has been everything I hoped and then some!

1.0 out of 5 stars A real disappointment, August 11, 2011

By 

A Reader - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Essential Study Bible (Hardcover)

Benjamin Chong has it just about right in his review. I picked up this book because the American Bible Society has apparently discontinued the CEV version of The Learning Bible. We used to give that volume to the children in our church when they were about to enter the fourth grade. The translation is age-appropriate, the study notes are informative and scholarly without being too difficult to understand, and the illustrations are engaging and useful. This volume offers none of that except the CEV translation itself.

In addition to the comments that Mr. Chong offered, I would like to mention that the printing of this book is foul -- the text is either black-on-grey or grey-on-white for the sidebars, which is unreadable. The body of the text is black-on-white, but the type font is very small and prints in a way that adds to the difficulty of reading the already barely-legible typeface. The production values of this book only add to the unpleasantness of this train-wreck of a book.

I see that the book is being reprinted. Perhaps that will take care of the massively unpleasant formatting of ths book. But, even if it does, the book will still be something considrably less than the Good Book. Look elsewhere for your copy of scripture.