Customer Reviews

NASB Compact Reference Bible

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

 

 

I absolutely love this bible. I bought a pocket bible before this, but that one was way too hard to read. This one's a perfect compromise of portability and readability. I looked through all the compact bibles that are out there, and I think I made the wisest choice with this one.

The intro to each book is very informational yet compact, and the text is extremely easy to read, even for long periods of time. The colored maps in the back are awesome and although the concordance isn't very extensive, it's a great plus.

The "plastic" character of the cover mentioned by other reviewers has never bothered me. If you really want high quality stuff, go ahead get the leather bound edition. But this one is just fine.

Zondervan's NASB Compact Reference Bible is one of the best compact Bibles I have seen within the price range of $20 - $30. Let me explain:

1. The Stitched Binding (Smyth Sewn). Other reviewers have praised about the solid binding. This is so, because it is stitched binding and not glued. This is why you could actually open the Bible flat (you need to slowly condition the Bible), even though it is compact edition.
2. The fonts are dark and clear. The size of the font (6 pt) is slightly smaller than Cambridge Pitt Minion Bibles (6.75 pt), but because the fonts are evenly dark and crisp, you could read them comfortably without straining your eyes.
3. This Compact Reference edition has SAME reference notes as Classic Reference Bible, Updated NASB, including the book introduction, outline, cross-references, concordance, and maps. This is huge plus, not lacking in study aid.
4. The Bible is made in Korea. Korea is well known for producing quality Bibles with value. Most of their Bibles are stitched and use quality papers.
5. The bonded leather. Some complained about the quality of bonded leather. Now, bonded leather is made of genuine leather fibers with latex. If the bonded leather is thicker for this compact edition, it will not bend easily and therefore you will create slight crack on the middle of the cover. Most of the bonded leather editions are now thin for that reason. While genuine leather is preferable, Zondervan does not produce it as of yet.
6. One suggestion. For compact editions (for any version), do not purchase "snap flap" covers. It will soon break - esp with bonded leathers.

Overall, I love this Bible! Remember that for most people compact Bibles are used for travel and not for everyday devotional/study use.

I love this little bible! Its compact & the print is very bold including the red letter. Its very easy to read in my opinion. The print reads easier than a couple of my larger bibles. Its thick so it may not be ideal for a purse or a pocket. I keep mine on my table by my chair for quick look up & my before bedtime words of Christ reading. I bought a flip style of this bible but do not care for the flip style snap its too stiff, but this one is perfect for me!

WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE?

My love of this Bible began some 10 years ago. I have had the exact same one for all these years. I carry it with me everywhere, which includes work, and family functions. Never has it failed me. The binding has withstood normal abuse, and lasted all these years. The type is bold, and the red is RED, the way it's supposed to be. It's the updated NASB, and when compared to any other translation, it proves itself as the best of the most literal word-for-word translations.

ALSO, who could discount the usefulness of: Book introductions, center-column references, a concordance, a snap flap, and maps.

This little Bible has it all!

But you know what else...it's thick...it actually makes you feel privileged when you hold it to be holding the Word...the sword!

Buy as many as you can, they make great gifts.

I bought this Bible to carry in my car as a spare Bible. I thougt it was going to be very compact but it was not the case. It is small but very thick. I think that a thinline Bible would have worked better for portability. However I have no complaints about the content and quality, excellent as always.

hello, this is a perfect little rugged, and duarable Bible, well made and sturdy out of bonded leather, ready to go to work, all the Bible Cover reviews from Bible "COLLECTORS" about the cover not being made out of Calfskin and other hides, or skins, or special leathers are just Bible Collectors talk, if you want a regular put to work Bible, and not a "hey, look at my new Calfskin Covered Bible", this Bible is just fine, and the way to go, oh, and the Bible does not feel like or look like plastic, as one "Bible Collector" stated, put this one to use and not in a showcase, or collectors library.

I've had this bible for about 9 years now and it's still going strong. I have the snap flap version and the closure has not broken after all these years and all the use to which I've subjected it, which is saying something for a snap-flap compact bible. I tuck the flap behind the maps when reading and it's never in my way, but it did take a little while to train the flap to lie flat. The binding is just as strong as the day I received it, the gilding is performing exactly as it should and still looks almost new where it's been protected from the other contents of my handbag by the closed flap. This is an extraordinarily well-made bible. I only wish it were available in genuine leather, since if one were to spring for the genuine leather, this would be the bible to splurge on since it's going to hold up in every other way and has everything else one could want in a compact bible. The paper is great, not so thin that it's hard to turn the pages as is so often the case with thinline or compact bibles. The font is one of the best features of this little dynamo because it's dark, and very readable. I've developed the habit of comparing it to other small bibles I run across and I have yet to find a single bible that even comes close to the ease of reading this bible offers in this compact size. As other reviewers have noted, this bible also sports genuinely useful book introductions, color maps, a concordance about 60 pages long, words of Messiah in red letters, and even a presentation page and ribbon marker. It also includes all the translator's notes for the NASB95 as well, which is a must for me since most of the time I prefer the rendering in the notes. A good way to describe this bible is that it's as if Zondervan has taken a deluxe edition bonded leather reference bible and simply reproduced it in miniature! The bible's one and only drawback is its thickness, a full 1.5 inches when I measured it, which makes it a bit on the chubby side, but for me, it's worth this little extra bulk to have everything I need in a compact bible that I can actually read and enjoy. I do own another compact NASB without the references and other goodies and while it is slimmer and lighter, time and again this "Little Big Bible" is the bible I pick up on my way out the door. Oh yes, by the way, when I bought this bible years ago, I paid nearly twice what they are asking today and I've always felt I'd gotten a bargain.

This is my second time purchasing this bible.
I do not remember the cover being so plastic-like.
The reading quality is no worse than the NASB Reference Thinline that this replaces.
It will fit in a pocket... a large pocket.
...It is a shame they did not give more priority to the Greek Majority Text and Byzantine varriants though.