Customer Reviews

King James Study Bible

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Right up front you should know that the commentary in this edition is "fundamentalist" and mostly Baptist, heavily biased in favor of the literal truth of everything in the Bible. If you share that point of view, you'll love everything about this edition, and you'd probably give it five stars.

I'm not a Baptist or a fundamentalist. I'm a lifelong Lutheran, and I don't see any need to waste ink insisting on the literal truth of the Creation story or the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch. But, putting aside my doctrinal prejudices, I find this edition so useful that I wouldn't be without it.

Aside from the small core of Baptist dogma and fundamentalist apologetics, the real mission of the commentary is to help you understand the Christian Bible on its own terms. In that it succeeds much better than "liberal" study Bibles, some of which seem mostly interested in endless and useless speculation on text sources. Whatever your position in the Christian spectrum, from far right to far left, you'll find all the help you need to understand the text itself--historical background, outlines, comparisons with other illuminating passages in Scripture, and genuinely helpful translation notes.

If you love the King James Version, this is the edition that best helps you read it with complete understanding. Its great strength is that it gives you the tools you need for drawing your own conclusions. If you happen to disagree with the editors' ideas of doctrine, you can still thank them for illuminating the text so thoroughly that you have a good basis for disagreeing with them.

In short, you probably can't find a better King James study Bible than this. My only reservations have to do with its fundamentalist bias, and I find that bias easy to forgive for the sake of the many virtues of this edition.

I do not fault the commentary here as it is conservative and helpful in understanding the text overall. What I do fault here is the SHODDY construction value of this Bible. I bought two of these Bibles..one for my wife and one for myself. BOTH are starting to have pages come out of them!! As I looked closer at the binding I noticed that the binding is not sewn or stitched in but cheaply glued in by single sheets. Thus after a little use your high priced Nelson Bible will start to fall apart. The Leather cover is very nice..but what use is it when the binding is so substandard.
BUYER BEWARE!!!

1. GENERAL EVALUATION: The intent purpose of a Study Bible is to give the reader assistance in understanding the scriptures through cross references, comments and exegesis carefully compiled by a board of theology scholars. There are many Study Bibles available, as you likely discovered [....] Each version and publisher differs to varying degrees. I own and use four Study Bibles. All my Study Bibles are very helpful.

The Holy Bible King James Version the King James Study Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers is an outstanding value. [....]

2. FORMAT: The binding is genuine leather with gold color stamped letters. The page are also gold edged. The paper is high quality Bible paper and thin but not so thin that the printing on the reverse pages is distracting. This Bible is quite thick. The flexible leather covers are very helpful in holding the pages open for easy reading. A stiff cover might make the inside printing somewhat hard to see. The type font is large and very easy on the eyes.

The page format is the standard two column Bible arrangement with a third column between the main texts. The center column is a wealth of information. In the middle column, references to related scriptures are given. Also if an original Greek or Hebrew word has more than one meaning, that meaning is printed in the center column. There is more information in the center column that is too lengthy to describe in this review but a complete, clear explanation is given in the front section of this Bible. Suffice it say that the center column alone can indeed greatly expand the meaning of the texts.

Icons are used to clarify to what a note or comment refers. Doctrinal Footnotes Icons are used for systematic Biblical teachings. Personality Footnotes Icons give descriptions and information on persons in the Bible. Archeological Footnotes Icons refer you to information about places in the Bible and recent discoveries. These footnotes and icons are of significant help to the reader.

The Holy Bible King James Version the King James Study Bible differs from many Study Bibles in the format the notes are presented. The notes are, as with most Study Bibles, on the lower part of the scriptures pages. However, in many Study Bibles, you will see: See notes on Mt 4.16 as example. Turning to that reference can cause one to lose the train of thought. This is not so in The Holy Bible King James Version the King James Study Bible. In well over 90% of footnotes, all the information pertaining to the text is on that page – complete.

The expositors did an exceptional job of a running account of clarifying each verse! There are many references to the original meaning of Greek in the NT and Hebrew words and thoughts in the OT. This, alone, should help the reader gain a better understanding of the Bible.

Maps are included on the pages to which they relate.

3. CONCLUSIONS: Nelson’s comment, “The most comprehensive KJV Study Bible ever printed” is indeed accurate. The study notes and comments are, to say the least, profuse and in depth.

A word, if you will, on the debate over the King James Version. Some folks claim the King James Version is not an accurate translation. This is simply not true. This version is, in reality, quite precise. The basis of this opposition may well be in the language used in the 1600s when the King James Version Bible was translated. The word archaic language pops up in most debates. Archaic is not the proper word. POETIC is! The wording in the King James Version is lilting, flowing like a Mozart symphony. Archaic, no. Beautiful, yes. If you are one who thinks the King James Version is archaic, try reading the lines as you would a poem. Allow the words to sing the message.

- 4 – CONCLUSION: No mater what translation a person selects and/or prefers, they all tell the same time proven, enduring message.

To augment understanding of the Bible, I would suggest reading whatever version you prefer with a copy of The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. This book has Greek and Hebrew dictionaries. You do not have to know Greek or Hebrew to use the dictionaries. The words you want defined are looked up in the concordance in English and referenced by numbers in the Greek or Hebrew dictionaries. While the words are in Greek or Hebrew, they are also transliterated into English. [...], this book is a real bargain.

I have no reservations in giving this exceptionally well-done Bible five stars.

I hope my comments are of some value to you.

I have recommended The King James Study Bible (Nelson) to family, friends, and members of my church: and this Bible has won even the Thompson Chain Reference group over! I appreciate the notes in the center column which explain the subtle differences in translations of words used within the text; I find it especially helpful to read the reference verses in the center column of each page, which point the reader to other, related verses; I LOVE the "keys" (doctrinal footnotes) on the bottom of the pages which give in-depth, fresh insights into the Scripture; and the special sections dealing with biographies of Bible characters and Bible archaeology are wonderful.

The Nelson KJV Study Bible is truly, in my opinion, the best evangelical/conservative study bible on the market today, and that's saying a lot because there are some good ones out there, like the Life Application Study Bible, the NIV study Bible, Scofields, Thompson, MacArthur, Nelson's NKJV Study Bible, and so on. But having used all these editions, and also enjoying them, I have found the KJV Study Bible to be the most direct and to the point. While other editions are often too much or too little, this one seems to find a good balance. The book introductions are complete, the outlines are extensive, the study notes are consistently adequate - that is, they are well thought out and cover entire passages rather than picking at a verse here and there, which I can't stand about most study bibles. Many individual verses are given separate treatment, however, in addition to the overall passage being explained. For example, each psalm is covered in its entirety rather than a verse here and there, while certain verses are also explained within the context of the psalm or overall Biblical themes. This is the pattern throughout. In addition, doctrinally difficult verses throughout the Bible are not avoided (like the Life Application Study Bible and some others), and there is an in-text study system of doctrines to accompany the notes (evangelical conservative, of course). This edition also has center column references that are extensive and contain difficult KJV word translations; plus you get listings of the miracles, parables, prophecies, the teachings of Christ, and yes, a decent concordance! I should add that the paper/ink quality is now very good in the new shipments that are arriving.

As for complaints about this edition, I only have three: First is that there is no self-pronouncing text or at least a reference in the back to proper names. After all, isn't a "study" Bible for the purpose of learning, and isn't pronunciation of all those Biblical names one of the things we must learn? Figure that one out. Secondly, the in-text maps are much to be desired. I don't know why Nelson didn't use their classic in-text maps that they use in every one of their other editions. And thirdly, it would be really nice if Nelson would include the historic epistle to King James in the front of the edition, like Zondervan has started doing. Other than these three complaints, this is still my favorite evangelical/conservative study bible. I would advise any Bible-loving, Bible-believing Christian and follower of Jesus Christ to get one and spend time with it, and you will soon appreciate its no-nonsense direct approach.

With the pastor's words not quite reaching me that day, I decided to hit the bookstore for some good reading. I opened the burgundy leather-bound, gold-edged Nelson Study Bible boasting "Nelson's Complete Study System." Being a journalism major and an avid reader, only the juicier, action-packed sections of the Bible used to hold my attention. By the time it was all said and done, I had been at the bookstore nearly long enough for the sermon to end, and walked away with my wallet lighter, but my excitement peaked.

This Bible is extremely comprehensive and objective, something that may end up being offensive or inappropriate for those used to your average Bible. The first sign of this is in the 5-page preface that reads like a college theology and history course. It addresses the progression of the King James Bible and prepares you for possible interpretations "lost" in translation along the years. It explains the influences on word choice and the motivations behind "editing" as well. In short, it prepares you to study the Bible with consideration to the human authors and recorders of the Word of God.

The Nelson Study is extremely reader-friendly, and may even provide some familiarity to Internet users and newspaper readers with its format. Many pages have pull-out gray boxes with a "word focus" that goes into deeper detail of the possible meanings one may not have been aware of for "pharoah," "anointed" or "idle babblings." There are also quarter to one-third page-size tables, captioned maps, and "INDepth" boxes that often relate ancient practices for use today.

The text is very well sized. Many bibles produce a choppy effect with footnote numbers or markers within the text that are almost as large as the reading text itself. The Nelson's note markers are small enough to not affect the spacing of the Word; it still reads and looks like a book. The authors have also made an attempt to keep the extensive--and I mean extensive--notes on the same page as the text being analyzed. Many bibles will be three pages behind on analysis so you'll still be reading notes on Leviticus in the early part of Numbers; this is not the case here.

There are also preview pages similar to the preface, but used for every book. There are also thicker, glossy color pages that explain major doctrines and themes in the bible, as well as maps. There are timelines, Q&A sections, and outlines at the end of each book. Most impressive is the 18-page subject index runs anywhere from "Godly Living" to "Second Coming" to "Jebusites." This is followed immediately by a 195-page concordance that almost serves as a word search function. If you've heard the word "atonement" or "marvelous" or "wrath" somewhere before, and you want to know the full phrase or context, the amazingly comprehensive and exhaustive Concordance section will provide easy access.

This bible truly has something for everyone, from the brand new Christian, to the theological scholar, to the casual reader. The more conservative crowd can simply ignore the supplemental material, and still enjoy the well-translated and written texts, as well as the footnotes. It's a beautiful, easy to navigate bible, that makes all others seem incomplete in the explanatory sense. Five stars as a bible, a study bible, and as a book.

I highly recommend the Nelson KJV Study Bible. Its many features include book introductions, outlines, references, annotations, maps in the text, red letters, 'Doctrinal Footnotes,' 'Personality Profiles,' and 'Archaelogical Sites,' all of which are easy to read and understand and provide a rich background and context for biblical events. The pages are well laid-out, with an easy-to-read type-face on medium-weight paper, bound in genuine leather with the traditional 'Holy Bible' stamped in gold on the front. With resources rivaling the Ryrie Study Bible, Nelson's King James Study Bible is well worth the modest price.

This bible has caught the eye of many christians starting to really want to get a deeper perspective of the King James Bible. This gives the believer an opportunity to really search and find answers that a regular King James bible can not give you. Being deployed and not having the opportunity to have a complete study library, this gives the satisfaction neeeded to any person who likes to get a deeper insight without all the books until they can return back to their reference library. Truly this bible is an inspiration to those who read it!

The King James Study Bible is one of the best, study Bibles on the market today. It is based on the Authorised(King James) Version, a formal equivalence translation. Originally published as the Annotated Study Bible, it has large, bold, easy-to-read print, a definite asset. Fortunately, the myriads of archaic words are defined in the centre-column. The annotations are traditional and conservative, and explain the text very well. There are also doctrinal definitions(from a Baptist perspective)and character studies as well, plus in-text maps. The bad points are a poor-quality binding, which includes the bonded and genuine leather editions. It is a glue-bound product, and does not hold up well. ( NOTE: 10-30-07: Had the opportunity to view a few genuine leather copies of this Bible very recently. The Bible was printed and bound in Colombia; therefore, it has a sewn binding, a long ribbon-marker, and good feeling leather. I was actually impressed! Check the inside page of the Bible and see where it is printed before you buy).The in-text maps are dark and a little hard to read/understand. All-in-all, I recommend this Study Bible to those who are wedded to the King James Version and who have a fundamental Baptist perspective.

I have owned a KJV Study Bible for some time. It is an excellent Bible when you need to be clear on doctrine. The foot notes are especially help full in teaching the Bible to young and old. It gives very clear meaning and reference of passage. There are many study helps to encourage a Bible student to keep reading and digging for the truths in the pages of God's Word