Customer Reviews

The HarperCollins Study Bible : New Revised Standard Version With the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

As another reviewer has written, I have bought two copies of this particular Bible and, should the need ever again arise, I would buy this edition again for a number of reasons.

First, as it is annotated by the Society of Biblical Literature (hereafter, SBL), every book, manuscript tradition and canon (more on this later) is contextualized in two ways: first and foremost in its original historical context (or at least its purported original historical context); second, its later Jewish and Christian canonical-theological tradition (up through about the end of the second century, when these canonical traditions began to really take concrete shape).

This type of "historical criticism" (as it is sometimes called) has the benefit of noting parallels and breaks with other texts of the same era. So, one will read in the notes references to something such as the Gospel of Thomas, early Christian writings and Rabbinic literature, Babylonian creation accounts, etc. The goal of this is not to erase theological understandings of the texts of the Bible, but to place the texts themselves in their original context and let them speak with their own voice as much as possible.

In this way, then, the NRSV is a very Protestant Bible. In keeping with its Protestantism, not only is the Old Testament in this Bible the same as the traditional Protestant Old Testament (39 books), but following Luther and later Protestant editions of the Bible, the "Apocrypha" (an intentionally disparaging term when originally used, which means "hidden" or "esoteric") - the books in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Old Testaments that were never included in the Jewish Bible and were then thrown out of the Protestant Old Testament during the Reformation - are included *between* the Old and New Testaments. Breaking with Protestant anti-Catholicism, however, these books are in no way disparaged but are, instead, recognized by the editors of the NRSV as being accepted as Scripture by a great number of Christians (more Christians accept these books, in fact, than dispute them). To not understand the Apocrypha is to miss out on a huge amount of the larger Biblical world!

The second major reason why I would buy this Bible is due to the fascinating historical essays that open each of the three sections - Old Testament, Apocrypha and New Testament - which are wonderfully helpful for understanding the larger theological canvas that the Scriptures have occupied for Jewish and Christian communities. There are several tables that note the differences between the major canons - Jewish, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant - and in reading these, it becomes clear that books are placed where they are in the Bible for specific theological reasons (the book of Daniel, for example, is considered by Christians to be a prophetic work but not so by Judaism, hence its exclusion from the Prophets and inclusion in the Writings section of the Jewish Bible).

As with many study Bibles, this edition contains maps and diagrams interspersed throughout the text. Manuscript variances are noted clearly but unobtrusively throughout the text as well and the notes are helpful on historical, literary and linguistic lines. Each book contains an introduction, some of which are quite extensive and all of which are, like the other study aids, quite helpful.

It should be noted that unlike many Bibles, this Bible is neither translated nor annotated on a middle school (or lower!) reading level. For those that are genuinely serious about Bible study, though, I can think of no better Bible to begin - and end - with than this edition.

This review is not a reflection on the text of the Bible so much as the usefulness of this particular edition. The Bible holds the record for the book with the greatest variation of editions, versions, and separate publications. The Harper Collins Study Bible is one of the few that has remained an essential part of my collection and study.

I was given a copy of the Harper Collins Study Bible many years ago as a gift. I had several versions, and my friend thought he was giving me one more (I like to examine the differences in translations to find deeper meanings in the texts, or misinterpretations based on faulty or incomplete translation). Alas, he was disappointed when I informed him that this was not a distinctively Harper Collins translation; it is in fact a study version of the New Revised Standard Version, one of the dominant translations at use in church and scholarship today. The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) is an updating of the respected and established Revised Standard Version, which still has life as the preferred text of many senior scholars.

The Harper Collins Study Bible was compiled under the direction of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) who, with the American Academy of Religion (AAR) is one of the most respected academic bodies in the field today. The AAR/SBL annual conferences are attended by thousands, including in the book vendor area a large contingent from Harper-Collins publishing. Wayne Meeks, a noted and respected scholar (primarily of New Testament and early Christian era studies) was the senior editor for this edition.

Generously annotated throughout, practically every other verse has a footnote. Variants in source texts and translations are highlighted, as are competing traditions of interpretation of the text (and yes, taking the text literally is still an interpretation, and a tradition of interpretation, for which there must be justification in the interpretive framework). Brief essays establishing context, historical background, textual difficulties and transmission history appear at the beginning of each book. This book contains the apocryphal books which some Bibles exclude; these are included and their status explained for those who are unfamiliar with these texts.

Various maps, charts, tables, and indexes aid the student, scholar or general reader in making way through the text. If I were to have only one copy of the NRSV, this would be it--if I were permitted to have only two Bibles, this would be the second next to my King James Version. Fortunately, I have no such restriction and thus use this beside the Jerusalem/New Jerusalem text, the Schocken versions that are currently being released, the New Interpreters series which is also currently being released, the Tanakh, a publication of the Jewish Publication Society, and various other versions. The Harper Collins Study Bible, however, is the central key around which my study of all other versions revolves.

Peruse it sometime in the library or bookstore, and see, if you have any interest in Biblical studies at all, if this does not become an essential tool for you, too.

This is by far the best study Bible available. There are numerous annotations with cultural and linguistic references that the serious Bible student wants to know about, and that (in my case) led to a greater spiritual and historical understanding of Scripture, and of the socioreligious environment of the ancient Middle East. The New Oxford Annotated is another good option, but the commentary is often less detailed than in the HCSB. If you're looking for a Bible with serious in-depth explanations, rather than the simplistic behavioral dictates that pass for "study notes" in many other student Bibles, this one's for you.

I prefer to interpret the relevence of the Bible for myself. The Harper Collins SB presents only the facts, without the typical suasion toward a secular view. It graciously leaves the interpretation up to the reader. The notes are the best I've seen. The translation is a good balance between the literal and the paraphrastic approach; it is lucid, flows well, and is quite accurate. If you are looking for an intelligent scholarly study bible rather than a devotional one, this is the best available. If only it were offered in a leather binding, but this durable and attractive full cloth hardcover is the next best thing.

The HarperCollins Study Bible is the best vehicle for understanding and using the Bible in daily devotion, personal study or formal classes. I found it to be much more detailed and usable than the similar Oxford Study Bible. As with any good study Bible the HarperCollins Bible gives detailed cross-references to other passages in the Bible. The introductory material for each book of the Bible as well as the running commentary explain in depth the cultural, historical and theological context of events, passages and people. This Bible also has many detailed maps within the text as well as at the back. I found this particularly helpful because you do not have to flip back and forth while reading a particluar passage. Perhaps the most valuable guide for students of the New Testament is the Table of Parallel passages in the Four Gospels found at the beginning of the New Testament.

This bible is based on the New Revised Standard Version translation, which I like. It maintains the poetic and literary quality of the King James Version while the meaning and wording does not suffer. The rights to the NRSV are held by the National Council of Churches in Christ which is a group very focused on ecumenical issues. The footnotes are very good and thorough, though at time they are a little liberal, doubting whether events happened. But this is not major, for as in any study bible, you should make your own judgement. It has good maps and charts, including my favorite,a list of Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament. All books have introductions, and some outlines. It also comes with the deuterocanical books which is good for study even if your denomination does not endorse them. This bible is very good for mainline Christians and certainly good for study. I give this Bible 5 stars

If you're interested in what mainstream academics think about the Bible, this is a good place to start finding out. It's also a very useful book to have if you're trying to figure out the differences between the Sunday School and the scholarly approaches to the Bible (since many of the editors live in both worlds); finally, you'll learn the names of the some of the big-name Bible scholars, so you'll have an idea of where to go for further information. Buy this book.

The HarperCollins Study Bible is one of the best study bibles for students and scholars of biblical criticism. Its best feature is the complete Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, a must for serious, historical Old Testament studies. On the down side, it lacks an extensive reading guide found in the Catholic Study Bible: New American Bible for gaining a better historical perspective on all books of the bible. Still, the New Revised Standard Version Translation, introductions and footnotes are easy to grasp and understand. This study bible is recommended mainly for those in serious critical bible study, rather than the mainstream Christian.

This study Bible is an excellent resource for serious, critically-minded students of the Bible. The scholarship is excellent, and the notes provide excellent and objective historical, cultural, and literary background and context. This is not, however, a devotional or life application Bible. The notes do an excellent job of making the text understandable to a modern reader, but the reader is left on his or her own to work out the implications and applications of the text. Generally, I consider that a good thing. But like other reviewers, I like to balance the HarperCollins with more devotional or evangelical Bibles. Of these, I prefer the somewhat liberal-leaning Access Study Bible published by Oxford, but the NIV Study Bible and NIV Life Application Bible are excellent resources from a more conservative perspective.

Back to the HarperCollins, the format is beautiful and very easy on the eyes. But this comes at the cost of having no margin notes for cross references(contrary to the NIV Bibles). Because of this, all the cross referneces are contained along with the substantive notes at the bottom of each page, which can make these notes rather tedious. Still, the notes are well worth the effort they require.

The text itself is the New Revised Standard Version, an accurate translation that uses modern, inclusive language. I consider it the best translation available for the modern world.

Positives: Detailed, informative notes stressing literary and historical background. Beautifully rendered color maps. Includes the apocryphal books. The NRSV is generally a fine translation.

Negatives: No concordance. No side notes (cross references are included in the annotations). NRSV's gender-neutral rendering of the text sometimes departs too much from literalness. I found that the light typeface and slightly glossy paper contributed to eyestrain.

For content, I prefer this Bible to the rival NIV Study Bible from Zondervan. For presentation, I like the Zondervan edition better -- the Zondervan's font, though smaller, is darker and easier to read, and the Zondervan has side notes and a concordance. Hey, why not buy both?