Customer Reviews

Nelson Study Bible The Most Comprehensive Study Bible Available

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Nelson Study Bible NKJV is a Bible School in a briefcase. First, throughout the text are key definitions of Hebrew and Greek words set off in a separate box. These definitions, cued to the Strong's numbering, are easy to read, accessible, and meaningful. Study notes are lucid, especially with their historical background. Of particular use to praise/worship leaders and songwriters, is the addition of the thematic outline of many of the Psalms in the study notes. All of the Psalms are song lyrics (not poems). The word Psalms is from the Greek psalmoi (and the Hebrew mizmer) which means to pluck. Hence, Psalms is an arranging term from the Temple indicating that these songs are to be performed with plucked stringed instruments. For Christian songwriters, these study notes can be an invaluable guide to not only better understanding the individual lyric, but equally in creating your own new ones.

The text has a very balanced view of the Holy Spirit which few should find fault with. NT study notes are equally lucid especially in explaining certain cultural issues, alternate translation possibilities, and clarifying difficulties from the NKJV translation of the Pauline epistles.

Center column references are very practical and useful. There is a brief subject index for those liking the Thompson Chain Reference approach, and an excellent concordance spanning about 200 pages. There is a comprehensive outline for each Bible book, nearly as deep as G. Campbell Morgan's Analyzed Bible.

The graphic layout is quite good and easy to read. Of all study Bibles of all translations, I rank this #1, followed by the NIV Study Bible, and the Spirit Filled Life Bible (NKJV - Jack Hayford Editor), and Dake (KJV only). Thompson's has a totally separate study approach and therefore isn't quite comparable to the others.

Key word for this study Bible: balanced.

A readership note: The NKJV is about a 12th grade reading level. By comparison, newsmagazines are written with a 7th grade reading vocabulary. Readers looking for an easier reading translation would do well to consider getting the New Living Translation to complement the Nelson Study Bible NKJV.

I've selected the Nelson's as the study Bible of choice for Alexander University students taking our online Christian songwriting classes.

I'm not a Christian but decided to purchase a bible to get this classic work under my belt. I wanted a study version though so I could get through the tougher parts without being baffled at the language or meanings. I purchased the Nelson version after reading many positive reviews and feel I made a great choice! Understandably, you need to be careful with study bibles in case you begin to adopt the editors' slant on things, but from what I can tell the Nelson team has done a fine job of retaining the integrity of the NKJV translation in their commentaries.

I'm still on the Old Testament (2 Kings right now) and I've throughly enjoyed most every single chapter so far. Thanks to the well-written and not-too-long commentaries on many verses it's easy to comprehend the significance of the passages and understand some of the ancient practices prevalent at the time.

Great maps in-text and at the back, helpful tables of dates and events, thorough cross-referencing, definitions of especially meaningful words in the Hebrew context, as well as in-text discussions of major concepts make this a definitive study bible for any NKJV reader and also as a reference work.

Here is a Bible for serious study and/or devotion. The devotional quality is achieved primarily through the tone of the copious and scholarly notes, which are reverent, main stream, and remarkably non-intrusive. I have a number of other study Bibles, and have generally found them lacking.

I appreciate the lofty literary style of the King James (Authorized) version, and wanted to try the New King James (NKJV). I have spent hours comparing the two versions. The poetic books are almost unchanged except for long obsolete words, pronouns and inflectional verb endings. The meter is unchanged. Other books have been further updated with modern sentence structure where it is most needed. The result still sounds magnificent and timeless, and glows like a freshly restored work of art.

The Nelson SB contains a remarkably comprehensive concordance which contains proper nouns and describes them within the concordance listing. Thus the concordance can also be regarded as a Bible dictionary.

There are eight pages of color maps in the rear. I would have liked a color map showing the twelve tribes at the time of the judges (after Joshua's conquest of Canaan), but the intext maps show this very nicely, so this is a quibble.

Nelson's SB is most remarkable for its highly tailored, complete and accurate annotations, which can only have been achieved through a devotion to the work and a lot of toil. This book is quite evidently a labor of love, and this, more than any other quality ranks it as the finest SB I've encountered.

I received the black bonded leather edition. Its Gold stamped quality leather cover and gold edged paper, as well as the overall high quality of workmanship make this book a delight to the senses. A real treasure all 'round.

The Nelson Study Bible (NKJV) is a masterful conglomeration resulting from years of scholarly and Christ centered craftsmanship. This translation is very clear and throughout its tenor maintains a strong stabilty as the words flow together with eloquence. Certainly, the editors and contributers of this translation achieved what was necessary for producing such an excellent Bible.

The foreward proves itself very welcoming by concisely exerting the main features as a helpful tool in studying the Word of God. The preface explains the history of the NKJV, the precision and accurracy of the translation, the devotional style for the reader, and the general format for the Old and New Tesaments as a whole.

Some aspects that will be beneficial and enjoyable while reading this Bible are the in-depth prolouges that describe who the author was, when it was wrote, and for what purpose the author served in writting the book. On top of all of this are finely arranged outlines and timelines to further your aquiantance with the general themes of that particular time in antiquity. There are 350 words held equivocal in this translation, so the scholars provived a section for these terms and called it 'word focus.' The words are discussed with regard to the context in which they are used, and their meanings and biblical usage are explained wonderfully. Also the scholarly commentary, the vast array of maps, pictures, charts, graphs, and cross-references add all the more radiance to this edition. To cap it off, there lies in the back a subject index to the annotations and special features provided in this Bible. Following that I found the Concordance and colorful maps in the back to further add prestige to the Nelson Study Bible.

So for the overall quality of this Bible I would highly recommend this work to anyone who wishes to grasp ahold of a great study bible. For the evangelist, pastor, and lay person alike, the Nelson Study Bible will be a tool to refine yourself as a Christian, and to bring those who are less familiar with the faith to reconciliation with God.

I was using an NRSV Life Application Bible, which I was pleased with, but wanted something with more depth to the comments. I looked over several study Bibles (Ryrie, New Oxford, NIV Study...), and felt the Nelson was the best by far. Cross refs. are relevant, and the on page comments are the best I've seen - they go into great depth and deal with the heart of the matter. The 200 page concordance is also a plus, as are other features. I wasn't sure about the NKJV (only choice), but took a closer look and am very pleased.

Nelson hit the mark. If you're looking to buy a single source for study or simple inspiration, this is the one. Serious students and lay people alike are going to be pleased. The text on mine is a tad small, the genuine leather version is a tad pricy (as with anything, you get what you pay for), but I know it is something I'm going to use for years and years. You'll regret buying the "other" Bible on the rack. Trust me. It's easy to use and the cross reference system is a snap. The "study" notes are informative without being intellectually invasive. It's sturdy too (that's a real consideration if you take your Bible everywhere). I know I can spill coffee on it, use it as a pillow on long trips (leather softcover version) and still take it out and read God's word in small group study. Buy it. Real men still love Jesus. Peace.

This study Bible is actually the new and improved version of the now discontinued "Open Study Bible." Therefore, my review will be in two parts--the first for those that already own the "Open," and the second for everyone else.

The "Nelson" doesn't have much more than the "Open." The main differences are in layout and extra colorized feature pages. Also, I happen to prefer the "Open" with its dictionary at the beginning of the book, as it makes a nice buffer between Genesis and the cover. It greatly reduces wear in the spine in the first couple of books. The full color pages in the "Nelson" that I just mentioned make thumbing through the Bible a little difficult, as your page flipping becomes hindered by passing a glossy thick page every fow hundred pages. They just make the book overall open and lay awkwardly. The "Open's" layout is simpler and better, I think, and leaves much more Bible text per page. It's not cluttered with hundred of magazine-article like topic headings. In short, it's not worth the money to switch to the Nelson.

Now, if you have neither, I suppose the best idea is to get a "Nelson." For one, the "Open" is discontinued, so I guess you'd have no other choice in most cases, depending on which edition you're interested in, although there are still a few "Opens" for sale on Amazon. Overall, the "Nelson" is very full and informing. It makes a great secondary Bible, and if you don't mind many pages containing only a few paragraphs of Bible text, a great primary Bible.

Doctrinally, the "Nelson" is fairly middle of the road. Pretty much any Christian would find this Bible usefull and non-threatening to their personal beliefs.

Of all of the major study Bibles, the Nelson is quite the best choice for anyone.

This Bible is easy to understand due to the extensive use of word studies and articles sprinkled throughout. When you are reading something you wish you knew more about the information is right there on the same page. No need to flip thru the index looking for more information.

This truly is a "complete" study bible...cross references, prophetic references, annotations, book introductions and outlines, time lines, articles, charts, word studies, in-text maps, color maps, bible summaries, concordance...it's got it all! Before finding this one I used to jump from bible to bible...never really knowing which I was most comfortable with because none of them had everything I was looking for. The Nelson Study Bible NKJV is a blessing! I highly recommend this one to anyone who is just starting to read The Word as it's very easy to absorb. The references and annotations are excellent. The one and only thing I was disappointed with was the book's binding. I have the hard cover and the binding broke loose within the first couple weeks. Other than that, this bible is truly stuffed with endless little jewels of information. Great for teens and adults!

I have had a Nelson's KJV for some time now and really liked it . So I decided to try their NKJV study Bible ( complete Study System)

Let me just say it was one of the best choices I have made . The Clarity of having the hard to understand words already ACCURATELY translated is great.

The preludes before each book are very historically sound and detremental in mastering the interpretation of the scriptures in context of the times.The maps are also very educational to help understand not just when but where an event took place.

I really enjoyed the thorough annotations brought forth by not just a single person , but more than 40 well studied and educated theologians .The annotations reflect both the historical use of words and phrases ,and also the customs of the particular times and regions where the event is taking place , WITHOUT bias.

I am now going to order two more for personal friends who have several study helps and still consider this Bible to be a very good system of study in itself without outside resourses.

All this while still maintaining the integrity of the Authorized KJV in a much easier to understand format is why I consider this Bible to be a great resource for Bible study or personal growth .