Customer Reviews

The Holman Illustrated Study Bible: Holman Christian Standard Bible

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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

The HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE has become our favorite version in teaching and preaching. My wife and I have been doing Bible studies in prison ministry since 2003 and have used many versions of the Word: NIV, ESV, NKJV, and finally settled on the New International Readers Version as one which was easy to understand, clear, and faithful to the text. Then we found the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

This version fulfills everything we are looking for: accuracy of the text, ease of use and understanding (I would say it is written at a high school reading level), and faithfulness to the meaning of the passages. For example, the healing scriptures of Isaiah 53, 1 Peter 2:24, Matthew 8:17 are all present and clear.

Some of the other modern versions seem to lose the power and authority of the Word as they try to be easily understood in plain English, not Holman. Holman does not take liberties with the authority of the Word, richness of the language, nor many of the key doctrines of the Old and New Testament. I found it to be reliable, articulate and a solid reference.

I highly recommend it for personal devotion, sermon preparation and study, and Bible study with a group. The illustrations are clear, colorful, and helpful. The maps are very well-done and useful. I like the tabs because my memory isn't what it was once. All in all, the Holman Standard is an exceptional Bible and available in a wide range of prices and features.

I received the Holman bible, at a good price, in good time, with good reading. Maps, diagrams, and pictures help break the monotony of text only versions. I abhor reading material written in a style decades or centuries old. This bible has good reference points, with what seems to be excellent translation criteria. I would recommend this bible to anyone not stuck in the past. Many bible translations of the past 20 years have been infected with the translators' fundamentalist prejudices and interpretations. This one (so far) does not seem to be.

It pains me to give this bible a 3 star review because I like it so much. Why 3 stars? Let's retreat to my review title for context. First, I'll go on the record and say that the Holman Christian Standard Bible might be the single best English translation we possess. The reasons are too many to enumerate here. (Do your homework like I did. No one explained it to me either.) I did extensive reading in a wide variety of places but Rick Mansfield's blog was the clincher for me. It is shocking that Holman hasn't done more to draw attention to it's excellence. Believe me, it's well warranted. The HISB content is so useful and pleasing to the eye; visuals galore without looking childish. Here are a couple of things I like about it. Its paragraphed and in single column format. The footnotes are highlighted in yellow. For me, it makes the notes stand out better though they are of a little smaller print size. For somebody like myself whose eyesight is slowly diminishing (an effect of the fall!) you can see why I appreciate this color highlighting feature. Here's why I'm so disappointed. The HISB was in my possession a mere month before the binding started to crack! It aged right before my eyes! I know it would have been more expensive to produce but if Holman could've issued this bible with larger print like their Apologetics Study Bible, it might have captured a bigger market share. If you're seriously considering this bible for purchase, you might look at another binding but you better decide soon. I have it from Holman themselves that they will not be issuing this edition with the 2010 updates. All indicators point to Holman dropping it.

This study Bible is loaded with information. I especially love all the maps in the book. It makes the Scriptures come alive in a very visual way. The Holman Bible reads somewhere between the New King James version and The Message. Not hard to understand, but doesn't come off too liberal either. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars, for me the lettering is just a bit small.

I have been searching for a bible that wouldn't be so hard to follow. I have several bibles, after awhile I just put them away. I have a hard time following small print, and words that I don't understand. This study bible is what I was looking. It has large enough print, and quick reference translations that make it easy to read through an entire chapter without reading it over and over to understand. The captions relating to the historical moments that occured during that time period is a great addition. It helps you visualize yourself what the people saw.

It's hard to know which translations are accurate, but this was recommended to me by somewhat of a Bible scholar. The pronouns have not been changed from the original, and it provides footnotes, just like other translations. Most of the commentary is placed just before each book, and there are lots of photos of the land, ruins today, etc. For example, in Philippians, there are photos of Philippi, to really put you there. There are maps, and there's even a section of intertestamental history, like Alexander the Great's Empire, The Roman Empire, etc. I highly recommend this Bible.

I found this publication to be sound in its presentation and scholarship with a conservative slant. Worth owning.