The Holman Illustrated Study Bible: Holman Christian Standard Bible [Hardcover]

Holman Christian Standard Bible (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2006

To really grasp God's word, understanding the Bible's historical, geographical, and cultural contexts is vital. After all, Scripture is not just a set of abstract ideas; God chose to reveal Himself through real people who lived at specific places and times.

Like no other resource, The Holman Illustrated Bible takes you there. Using over 1,000 color graphics, maps, photographs, reconstructions, and charts to enliven the Bible world, this special Bible edition enlightens readers to the contextual details of every major character and moment. In addition, helpful introductions list the author, date, original audience, and purpose of each book; give a key text and term; show Christ in each book; and place each book in the overall story of Scripture.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2016 pages
• Publisher: B&H Publishing Group (November 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586402757
• ISBN-13: 978-1586402754
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different type of study bible, October 9, 2006

By 

informednow (cleveland, oh) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Holman Illustrated Study Bible: Holman Christian Standard Bible (Hardcover)

I bought this because I wanted to try the Holman Bible and because I am strongly attracted to archeologic pictures and historical backdrops. This bible is full of attractive full color pictures covering a range of locations, utensils, maps, and archeologic findings. This is the main focus of the bible and something I really enjoy! The layout is very attractive, the print easy to read, and the cover quality seems decent on this hardbound edition. There are brief summaries of each book of the Bible that are basic but nice. There is a decent concordance, an appendix to the book of Revelation, and a yearly reading plan in the back of the bible. The only on-page notes are the translation notes for the Holman Bible. This is an excellent study bible for those who like visual maps etc. in the text itself and not just crammed in the back of a bible. If you prefer study bibles with more notes and outlines, this one may not be for you.

Oh, since I am brand new to the translation itself, I will mention that I do like it very much so far. It is very modern yet fairly conservative in the way it reads. I like the honesty of the translators who try to be fair in the type of manuscripts used etc.

42 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Translation, July 8, 2007

By 

Ethan D Van Vorst (Salisbury, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Holman Illustrated Study Bible: Holman Christian Standard Bible (Hardcover)

I was raised for years to believe that the only "definitive" version of the Bible was the tried and true KJV. And let's face it, who doesn't enjoy the poetic beauty of the KJV? The problem is that I, like many of those of this generation, have a difficult time understanding the translation. The style of the KJV hasn't been a regular, spoken language for centuries and this means that in order to really get the full meaning of the text requires that you also are able to grasp the language of Elizabethan England, Shakespeare, Chaucer, and their contemporaries. I had a hard time in high school English class with Shakespeare and I have it with the KJV too. As a result when I read my tried and true Scofield Reference Bible I can catch the basic gist of what is happening or being said, but seldom much beyond that without a stack of reference books on the side.

In an effort to help this issue my wife and I went down to our local Bible Book Store to purchase a general purpose NIV translation. While perusing the shelves my eyes fell on this particular Bible and after flipping through it's pages over the course of 10 minutes I was sold.

The translation is extremely easy for the average layperson to understand and really brings the characters to life. And by "literally to life" I gained glimpses into people of the Bible that I had previously envisioned as 2-dimensional characters, be it through Moses' sense of humor, Joseph's familial sentimentality, or the Israelites persistent stubborness. Key passages will typically have footnotes which give the original Hebrew or Greek translation, letting the reader decide for themselves what the best take is on a particular verse. Were that not enough this Bible is crammed full of pictures of the terrain mentioned in various verses, mockups of what people of the time wore, the remaining ruins of key cities, and more maps than you can shake a stick at. This last part is key as reading that after he and Hagar's departure from Abraham, Ishmael became a great hunter in the Wilderness of Paran, which, when read by itself means little to the average reader. But it takes on a whole new meaning when this Bible shows you not only where Paran is but gives you pictures of the locale. I presume that most people probably read passages like this and just go to the next verse without giving it more than a passing thought. But small inclusions like this really bring out even secondary characters in a fashion I've never experienced before.

I've begun reading the whole Bible from start to finish and at time of this review have just entered the Book of Judges. And I'm excited about it. I'm learning things about Scripture I did not know before (because of the translation issue) and even connecting with characters as I read about them. I can see how these characters dressed, where they lived, the same sights they saw, the money they used, and the paths they took as God led them their various ways.

I cannot recommend this Bible enough. It would, as other reviewers state, be ideal for the task of leading a Sunday School class, or in my case, personal Bible readings. If you are like me and require not only the text, but also visuals of what is being described, it is an absolute God-send.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent buy for the typical Bible reader, February 24, 2007

By 

Ernest B. Ezell "Retired Professor" (Rural Route, KY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Holman Illustrated Study Bible: Holman Christian Standard Bible (Hardcover)

I read the earlier reviews prior to purchasing this item, and was not absolutely sure if this would meet my expectations; however, after receiving the Bible and using it for a few weeks, I am very pleased. I have advanced degrees, but am just an average "Church Going" Bible student. I did not want a "Scholar's" resource. I just wanted a good solid and easily read, and easily taught version. This is it. I like and enjoy the layout and photos. The Chapter and section introductions are excellent and just what is needed to refresh the readers memory of background and context; a very good tool for your basic student and even your Sunday School Teacher. --ee