Customer Reviews

NASB Zondervan Study Bible (Burgundy)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Excellent translation with extensive, but just adequate study notes... Unfortunately, publishing/binding quality is neither good nor durable. I used this Bible as my primary Bible for 2.5 years and the pages started to come out (pages not sewn in.) Paper is thin (ink can bleed through) and ghosts as well. Red letter text is rather faint. Leather quality also poor. Would only buy as reference text to keep on the shelf for occassional use...not for use on a daily basis...

I own a couple of dozen Bibles in all sorts of translations, each which boasts a particular special feature. About three years ago, I came across this Bible in a hard cover edition and it quickly replaced most of my other Bible study tools. Three years later, I just invested in a leather copy of this same Bible and plan to use this one the rest of my life. One of the reviewers made the excellent point of carrying one Bible around, vs a Bible, a commentary, a lexicon and a concordance. Ditto!!! The NASB Study Bible by Zondervan is the ONLY Bible you'll ever need. The translation (a transdenominatinal effort) is one my Father reccomended to me as the most literal, and completely agree. The additional tools (particularly the extensive study notes) enrich your daily Bible study, and it's perfect for someone who wants to get back into a better routine of reading God's word. I'm excited about picking up this Bible and I hope others discover it's blessings as well.

How many people have the ability to lug a concordance, bible, commentary, and lexicon around with them? This is what you'll find in this absolutely superb Bible from Zondervan. Granted, you may look more studious, have access to slightly more information, and have a stronger back lugging all those books around, but I promise that you'll not find a MORE complete single rescource for Bible study, devotion, or investigation of a biblical matter. I always start with this Bible when I study. Dr. Boa has done an absolutely fantastic job overseeing this Bible's completion at Zondervan,... And even though I can't wait for Sid Buzzell's Bible to debute, I am confident that I will read this one for a LONG long time. Oh yeah, and it is the BIBLE, how much better can one book get? AMEN?

This Bible is wonderful for my Daily Devotionals(I have filled the tiny margins and am so buying Zondervan's wide margin Bible) I love the cross-refrences, and small Commentary at the bottom of each page.

The reason I give the review 4 stars is because I find my self sometimes going in circles with their commentary. To save space they only explain something one time. Which is fine except I need it explained at least once. I am currently studying Issiah and find my self traveling to Kings for historical refrences. But in Kings I have looked up the a quote and traveled to another verse to find its explination, only to find that there it sends me to another verse, and another, until eventually I am led back to the original verse and left with out an explination.

I have only run into this problem 4-5 times, but have found them mostly in 1st & 2nd Kings.

To be honoest I've had this Bible 3 years and it has served me well. I have taken it to many gathering, and on many trips. The Leather binding still holds and I have put it through alot.

I find it most useful with the dictionary my husband bought me:
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary

This is an exceptional Bible. The New American Standard translation is superb. It certainly makes some of the more obscure references much clearer. The commentary at the bottom of each page is helpful, and for the most part, free of doctrinal bias. "Just the facts, maa'm." The print, though small, is crisp, clear, and easy to read. The maps are invaluable and the index with proper names is really appreciated. Also of value are the intoductions to each chapter which give valuable historical insight. I could not wait to receive this wonderful Bible and was not disappointed!

Presently, i am in the process of studying New Testament greek. Unfortunately, this has caused me to become increasingly dissatisfied with the english translations presently available. However, this dissatisfaction moved me to zealously and thoroughly test the main english translations against the greek manuscripts. Although i still believe that no English version can reveal every nuance of the Greek, some English versions are much superior in doing so. Of course, the versions using the literal technique of translation (complete or formal equivalence)are the only ones that comes close. Referrring to the most common versions of today, the order of accuracy compared to the Greek, according to my results,(which,of course are not the final word on the subject)are: The 1901 ASV, NASB, ESV, HCSB, NKJV, KJV(however,the KJV does follow the ORDER of Greek wording better than some of the others). But the 1901 ASV is difficult to read, and often fails in the accuracy of verb tenses and conjunctions. (See 2Tim.3:16.). Furthermore, A version that is too literal can distort or make less clear the meaning of a reading. For words do have different meanings, especially when they are used in different relationships to other words, and in different relationships within different contexts. This can be verified by looking up a word in an analytical Greek lexicon. There, one will often find many different usages of a word, and the verses in which these meaning occur. Thus a very admired attribute of the ASV and NASB is their margin readings. Their margins contain very important information on alternate and literal renderings from the Greek. This is especially true in the NASB. So for those who seek serious bible study, this NASB study Bible will fulfill that desire, because of it's abundant unbiased notes, extensive and useful reference system, a margin full of clarifying literal and alternate possible translations, and the many other study helps (maps,charts,book introductions etc...). Also, i want to make it clear that i did not conclude these things due to a bias toward certain greek manuscrips. For the NASB is based upon Nestle-Aland's 27th greek ed. and The United Bible societies 4th greek ed. These Greek editions are primarily based upon the older alexandrian text-types,and more specifically upon codex Siniaticus and codex Vaticanus(many believe that these are automatically more reliable because they are older, and were influenced by the great learning center that was in Alexandria Egypt. But manuscript quality involves much more than this simplistic opinion). i have studied basic texual manuscript criticism (the comparing of Byzantine, alexandrian, western and ceasarian type manuscript families), and have learned that the opinions of many scholars claiming that the alexandrian type (consisting of the older codeices: Siniaticaus and vaticanus etc..) are more accurate because they are older is a simplification. For the even older Chester Beatty and Bodemer papyrus fragments (referred to by "P" followed by a number) sometimes do contain an Alexandrinus family reading (such as P45- the Gospels and Acts, and P75- parts of Luke and John) but other times do not. For example, one of the oldest papyrus fragments-P66 (which is the Gospel of John, and is 100-200 years older than the codices),contain parts of each text-type (it's not fully Alexandrian, Western or Byzantine). Also, many english translations omit readings, such as parts of Luke 24:3,6,9, 12,36,49,51,52, only because they weren't in the Western text-type of codex Bezae cantabrigiensis (D). But since these verses have been found in the older papyrus P75, the latest english translations now include them. Furthermore, Codices Vaticanus and Siniaticus differ,within the Gospels alone,in over 3000 places(there are 3,779 verses in the four Gospels); these are not minor differences of spelling or punctuation. But this is no reason to lessen ones faith in their credibility as reliable copies of God's Word. for most of these differences do not affect meaning. There is an uncontested 85% agreement of meaning between them, and from the remaining 15% of differences only 1.66% have any bearing on biblical doctrines. This high percentage of agreement between documents that are over one and a half thousand years old apply not only to the comparisons within this one text-type, but also to the comparisons between the text-types(including Byzantine,western and caesarean). i'm not supporting or criticizing any of the text-types. i only seek to dispell the opinion that the alexandrian text-type is the only reliabe one, and to make clear that i'm not recommending the NASB because of the text-type upon which it is based. Finally, one must remember that the only goal of all of this is to grow in loving, knowing, trusting in and submitting to the Eternal Father and the Eternal Son-Jesus Christ by the power of His Holy Spirit; done through trusting only in Christ's perfect obedience to God's law, His torture, blood, burial, resurrection, ascension and eternal life given freely to those who hand over their old self to Him believing that He will freely give them His own Self forever through His Holy Spirit. "For if anyone be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things become new"(2Cor.5:17). And concerning knowing God by Biblical interpretation: just as no one knows the mind of a man except the spirit of a man within him, so also, "no one know the Mind of God except the Spirit of God"(1Cor.2:11). For,"unto them that are called, both Jew and Gentile, Christ-the POWER of God and the WISDOM of God"(1Cor.1:24,30), and in Him, "are HIDDEN all the treasures of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE"(Col.2:3). Hence all the considerations of versions, text-types etc... are vanity unless we seek Christ by faith to reveal through His Holy Spirit the Mind of God, which is communicated to us through the Word of God-THE BIBLE. AMEN.

This is absolutely the best of both worlds! Not only do you have the most accurate and readable version in the New American Standard text, but also the very best study notes available today. The New International Version Study Notes which are a part of this edition include all the very best in research and discoveries, etc. They are simply superb. The language of the NASB is beautiful and more clear than KJV. On the whole, if I had to have only one Bible, this is the edition I would choose.

I bought it for my husband, He says: "This is my first Study Bible and in a verision I have not read before. That said I like it, appears to be a very close translation to the ESV version that we use at church. I just have to get comfortable using the study part of it"

Great charts, timelines, drawings. Very user friendly. Red letter edition. An excellent overall value.

This is my second copy due to wear and tear on the first copy. The single greatest feature from my perspective is that the editor's are careful to not espouse their own preferential theologies and doctrines. Instead, when there are differing conclusions about a verse, the editors list those variations. This greatly strengthens my own presentations as a Bible teacher. Additionally, there are numerous organized collections of information at the rear of the Bible that literally do the work for me for knowing where to look. Annette and Gil De Armas