Customer Reviews

Holy Bible: New Geneva Study Bible, New King James Version (Style No 2992/White)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In rating a Study Bible it becomes a difficult task. To try and put away one's personal taste and write an unbiased rendering can be difficult. In this case, I may have made this very mistake.

This is my personal favorate because it seems to be the strongets in doctrinal issues. Edited by renowned reformed theologian-philosopher R.C. Sproul, the logical sequence and short, but informative essays on doctrines are a plus.

The running commentary is quite good and except for a couple of "spots" like Genesis 6, quite scholarly. The running commentaries strengths are when it deals with eschatology, because the emphasis is where it should be: non-sensational and balanced.

The added essays by J.I. Packard, Bruce Waltke, and James Boice are exceptional. This study bible may present problems for a Christian culture not well grounded in reformation views or biblical doctrine in general; However, these are probably the people who need it most.

This is a very good study Bible, with solid and accessible commentary from respected Reformed theologians like RC Sproul and JI Packer (better than Ryrie to be sure). Like the previous reviewer, I too strongly prefer the paragraph format and the New King James Version as the best translation out there (fwiw, it was done by translators who believed in the inerrancy of Scripture). The books are opened with a good discussion of background and context. Most comments are brief but illuminating, and there is the occasional one-page forays into more substantive issues (e.g. Angels, The Sacraments, Christian Liberty). I have the leather version, which I like but I did have to get the binding repaired rather quickly- hopefully they've improved the quality control.

Out of the three study Bibles I have at home, I'd say that I trust most what I read and learn from the New Geneva Study Bible because of its trueness to the original texts of many centuries ago as well as its God-centered study notes. The more you dig into all of the great things that this Bible offers, the more you will gain an accurate view of God's awesomeness and His sovereignty over creation, redemption, missions, and much more. If you're serious about learning more about the one true God beyond a superficial level, I highly recommend this Bible.

There are brief essays on Christian doctrine throughout the edition, all written by J.I. Packer, in his wonderfully lucid style, which help understand the many points of theology from the creation, incarnation, resurrection, eschatology, and everything in between. These, combined with the study notes written by various theologians, are a short course in Christian doctrine from the Reformed point-of-view. They take into account extra-Biblical sources, as well. In addition, the poetry of the King James translation is greatly satisfying to read.

The NKJV is in my opinion, the best of the modern translations (based, like the King James Version, on the Textus Receptus). I particularly liked the paragraph format of the text, as opposed to a verse format, which tends to break the flow of thought. The study notes were excellent in expounding the finer points of Calvinist theology from the Scripture. I did notice a definite bent toward the "Lorship Salvation" that is so much in the controversy these days. (Though it seems to me that what is called "Lordship" is really "servantship", which is to say, they define having Christ as Lord in relationship to the quality of the servant). Personally, I am sure the Christ is always Lord, even when my servanthood leaves something to be desired!

The Editor, Dr. R.C. Sproul invited the best available, truly evangelical, theologians to join in his desire to promulgate the Reformed distillation of Scripture. Although the paedo-baptism bleeds through, it is broad enough and faithful enough for even a Reformed Baptist. Every serious student of the Bible should consider this study Bible for purchase. A WORTHY investment!

The New Geneva Study Bible is a great study bible. It it just chocked full of notes, and many various features that will help you grasp the essentials of the Christian faith...

I asked for this Bible in bonded leather for my birthday and my husband was sure I would not want all those foot notes and comments at the bottom of the pages.

The comments are decidedly reformed and I really like that. BUT I expected the notes and comments to be deep and spiritual, they're not. They are often insipid and shallow. As an example: Ecclesiastes 7:14 "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: surely God has appointed the one as well as the other."
The ridiculous note to that text reads: "God decrees the one as the other." Duh, didn't the text just say that!?
Many, most of the notes are like that, restating the blatantly obvious and unwilling to delve deeper to something the reader maybe hasn't already just read.

It has a concordance at the back of 128 pages, not exhaustive but somewhat helpful.

Each chapter of the Bible is introduced with an over view of content, the author, time period, the history happening at that time.

The book is very substantial and hefty because of all the notes.

Honestly, if I could do it all over, I would just get a plain old bonded leather Bible- no notes.

On the down size, it is taking me a while to get used to the New King James version. I am so used to the easy flow of the NIV that the NKJV is a little slow going. But, the terrific notes in the New Geneva Study Bible more than make up for it. If you don't like the NKJV, then you might want to do what I do and read an NIV translation while using the study notes and comments in this bible.

I wholeheartedly recommend this bible as a study tool.

This is a NKJV bible with modern study bible notes written by modern mostly reformed authors (but one Catholic author per 3 star reviewer). These notes are NOT the same notes in the 1587 or 1599 Geneva Bibles. These notes are 100% completely different. Not even close. The NKJV bible notes tend to be longer, but sometimes the Geneva bible's notes are longer.

Example:
THIS BIBLE: Gen 6:2 sons of God
These have been identified as Sethiets )the traditional Christian interprestation), as angels (the earliest Jewish interpreation Job 1:6), and as royal tyrannical successors to Lamech who gathered harems (proposed by rabbis of the 2nd century AD). All 3 interpretations can be defended linguistically. On the surface, the first interpretation best fits the immediate preceding context (a contrast of the curse-laden line of Cain with the godly line of Seth), but it fails to explani adequately how "daughters of men" refers specifically to Cainite women. The second view has ancient support, but seem to contradict Jesus' statement that angels do not marry............ (and it goes on and on)

THE ANCIENT 1599 GENEVA BIBLE COMMENTS ARE:
6:2 Sons of God: The children of the godly, which began to denegerate
6:2 Daughters of Men: Those who came of wicked parents, as of Cain
6:2 They were fair: Having more respect to their beauty and to worldy considerations, than to their manners and godliness.
6:2 They took for themselves wives of all that they liked: Liked can be "has chosen"

The Geneva Bible itself is a better/more accurate/more trustworthy translation in my opinion than the NKJV bible. It's readability is along the lines of the KJV though, so for many readers, they will get stuck on the language. Still, it is the most trustworthy bible, even over the original KJV (the enemy's bible - KJV was created by the guys who were killing the Reformers who created the Geneva bible).

But for the average reader, the NKJV New Geneva notes will probably be more useful. The notes are updated to be longer and less theological. This NKJV notes will be easily understood by lay people and more easily be applied to life.

As much as I love the 1599 Geneva Bible, for most readers, I think the NKJV will be more useful. So I would recommend it. But for those who really want the most trustworthy bible, then go with the Geneva 1599.