Customer Reviews

The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version

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For the past half-year, I have been vacillating as to whether I should purchase a new Bible. Every time I went to Cokesbury in Atlanta, I drooled over all of my favorite translations. I looked at hard covers and the leather editions; I checked prices and versions.

But whenever I went, I felt that I was committing some sort of adulterous act. At home, I knew my beloved Bible, the Oxford Annotated Study Bible, Third Edition, was awaiting my arrival. I had purchased the Bible over six years ago, and it got some great use in Bible studies, Sunday school, and sermons.

It seemed only natural, then, that if I were to get a new Bible, it would have to be the next Oxford edition (the Fourth Edition). This would not be unusual: Over the past fourteen years I owned a total of four Oxford Annotated Bibles.

I remember the day I purchased my first Oxford Annotated Study Bible in 1996. I entered college as a Bible student, and my religion professors required this particular version.

I went to the campus bookstore and saw this behemoth of a Bible (I later learned that it goes by the nickname, "the Brick"). I wondered why I had to get a new Bible in the first place. At the time, I was using the very popular NIV study Bible (mine had a cool DC Talk "Jesus Freak" sticker on the back cover, thank you very much). Why would I spend forty to sixty dollars for another Bible?

Several reasons. For one, it had the Apocrypha. My professors told me that we would study these books in addition to the Protestant "inspired" texts because it provides historical insight to the inter-testamental period leading up to Jesus.

Also, it was the New Revised Standard Version. Unlike the NIV, which combines both literal and paraphrase translations in sloppy fashion, the NRSV boasts some serious historical-critical scholarship. It is not perfect, but it is accurate in the tradition of the King James Version.

Upon looking at the various "versions" of the Oxford Bible available at the campus bookstore, I settled on the paperback edition. At least if I did not use it much, I was not spending an arm and a leg.

You get what you pay for, and within one semester the covers and end-pages were wrinkled, worn, and nearly torn. I had to replace it with the hard cover after all. This was known as the "Brick" not only for its size and weight, but because of its bright, fire-engine red cover.

It did not take long before the Brick replaced all of its contenders in my life of faith. The old NIV started to collect dust on the bookshelf along with my Ryrie NASV study Bible and a waste-of-money New King James Word of Life study Bible (which I swore weighs over ten pounds) I picked up before college started.

The Brick sustained me through four years of college and three years of seminary.

My beloved Bible eventually matured into a swollen, well-worn artifact. Good news was that, by the time I graduated seminary, Oxford Press had published the Third Edition Brick.

It was in 2004 that I earned a Master of Divinity degree, a good job as associate pastor, an ordination to the Gospel ministry, and a newborn daughter. I thought it appropriate to celebrate by purchasing a new Oxford Annotated Third Edition Bible. I splurged and bought the leather-bound version. I was living the high life now; and I had a gold-leaf name on the front of my new Bible to prove it.

By now--six years later--the leather-bound edition became as well-worn as the original Brick I purchased so long ago. The gilded edges were spotty, and the spine grew an awkward fold from a publishing defect. The pages showed signs of slight water damage (how they got wet or humid, I know not).

Buying a new Bible can be a daunting task for any Christian, especially when it has to count for something. No one wants to drop $80 on a Bible and then not like it--(I had experienced that with that wretched NKJV study Bible years ago).

What was more daunting was that, this time around, I questioned whether I was going to even purchase a new Oxford Bible. There are Bibles on the market that were not available a half of a decade ago, and two new study Bibles caught my wayward eye.

One was the New Interpreter's Study Bible (NISB), which was just published a few years ago. The study notes are more "devotional" than those in the Oxford, although it still includes a rather scholarly tone. Additionally, there are more notes than the Oxford.

Yet, problems abound for the NISB. The leather edition, for instance, has the ugliest spine, with the name of the study Bible scrawled along the entire space. The leather is nice, but that lousy name is a bit ostentatious, to say the least. I considered buying the hard cover instead; but seriously folks, you ever try to teach or preach with a hard cover study Bible?

The other Bible that caught my eye was the Wesley Study Bible (NRSV). I'm not a Methodist, but this Bible has great notes, devotional sidebars, and handsome binding. Only problem is that it lacks the scholarship of the Oxford, and it is a bit larger than the Oxford (not in thickness, but in width). It just would not do.

Not only did I consider other study Bibles, but I also did the unthinkable: I flirted with other translations. There are so many good ones out these days, from the English Standard Version to the New Living Translation. Both have excellent study Bibles available, and both have a wide variety of leather-bound styling.

Well, to make a long story longer: The other day, I decided I was going to make this momentous decision, so I carved out one hour to spend at Cokesbury. I brought along my Oxford Third Edition to get its blessing before I replaced it. That...and I wanted to compare the size of all these Bibles to the Brick.

My adventure started with the Oxford Fourth Edition. I compared the binding (didn't want to get stuck with another defective Bible), leather, page quality, font, and (of course) the study notes with my Third Edition.

In the areas of binding, leather quality, font, and page quality, the Fourth Edition is far superior than any of its predecessors (the leather feels like sheepskin, and is quite handsome indeed).

The study notes in the Fourth Edition, although similar in many areas to the Third Edition, are actually expanded, and they read more clearly than the previous version. It seems that the folks at Oxford wanted to include more devotional material as well as scholarship in order to compete with those other Bibles I mentioned.

The introductions to each book have expanded. The font, though smaller than the Third Edition, is actually more clear because there is more white space in between lines.

The size of the third and fourth editions are comparable. It seems that the Fourth Edition is thinner by a fraction, but I think the binding just makes it appear as much.

I really wanted something smaller, something I can carry outside of church. So, I left the Fourth Edition on the shelf and took another look at those other Bibles I had flirted with.

New Interpreter's Study Bible? Nice, but the spine was still too ugly. Wesley Bible? Not a Methodist. Harpers Study Bible? Um. No. NKJV? Too old school. NIV? Have one at home. NLT? Tempting, but maybe next time. New Jerusalem Bible? It would be nice if they had a study Bible for the NJB. ESV? Too gender exclusive in its language for sure.

Then it hit me: I need the Oxford. I need a Brick. Where would I be without those faithful study notes? How could I read scripture in public if not for the gender inclusive language that the NRSV offers?

And before you knew it, my bank account was eighty dollars less, and some lady was putting my gold-leaf name on the cover. I had committed to being a loyal Oxford customer yet again. What a ride.

It hasn't been a week since I bought the Fourth Edition Brick, and I must tell you, I have not been able to put it down. I absolutely love it, and it turns out that the font, notes, and beautiful binding all came in handy during my Wednesday night Pastor's Bible Study on Revelation.

Also, the new Brick spent some time meeting its cousins--my former companions--it replaced. Every free moment I get, I transfer my hand-written "notes" from my original hard-cover Brick to the new Brick. And the life-cycle of my faith journey comes full circle.

When I go through those notes, I see just how much the Oxford Bibles have meant to me over the past fourteen years of my life. The original hard-cover Brick, for instance, contains notes from college, my first job as a Bible teacher at a private school, seminary, and, later, my doctorate degree. That's when I realized that the Annotated Oxford Bible (in one form or another) has been with me through every major faith development, crisis, and research in my entire religious career since 1996.

The "NOAB" has been a standard textbook in mainline seminaries for decades, and remains a leader in the rapidly-expanding world of study Bibles. This particular Bible is designed for seminary students and others interested in an historical/critical approach to the Bible, and is not a devotional Bible or a guide for life application.

This 4th edition, hot on the heels of the 2007 "Augmented 3rd" edition (my personal preference), backpedals a bit in its commentaries regarding certain controversial passages (the 3rd edition was especially criticized in this regard), but it still retains the rigorous scholarly approach and dispassionate commentary for which the NOAB has become famous. Annotations and book introductions have been expanded, and a wider variety of scholars from various religious and academic backgrounds have contributed commentaries.

The physical book is a bit smaller in proportion than previous editions, and the font size is rather small, especially in the book introductions and annotations. (The 3rd edition's typesetting and readability is far superior). The concordance, index, and essay sections have been expanded, and brand-new color maps have been included.

The leather for this edition is an improvement over the 3rd edition, and feels like a soft calfskin (The container states "Genuine Leather"). It is quite nice and feels sturdy yet flexible.

For those seeking a non-denominational, academic Bible, the NOAB remains a clear first choice. It is an outstanding guide to these ancient texts, and offers a world of Biblical knowledge and insight for its readers.

I bought this book primarily because it is advertised as including the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books and secondly as an Ecumenical Study Bible. It is hard to find a good single-volume study bible which contains the Apocryphal books. I have the New American Bible which do have the Apoc./Deut. books but I wanted another translation to compare these second canons.

This is a very well made bible physically. Sewn pages. The leather's supple, soft, and it smells good too! But it is so soft that it's not as easy to hold this bible open in your hands: it bends and twists so easily! Rather, this book is perfect for reading while placed on a solid, flat surface like a table or a study desk. On this type of surface, the book opens flat right up to the first and last pages! Main text is very readable at point 9 or 10, while the annotations more like point 8.

The cross-references are included in the annotations making them both work in the context of each other. Although this is fine for me, some readers may prefer the cross-references on a separate place like the margin.

I love the color maps and excellent map index. The book also includes a concordance which while not exhaustive would still be useful. The only downside to it is the really small font size, perhaps point 7 or 6. I had to use my reading glasses for it. You'd also appreciate the glossary as not every bible has it.

For the most part the notes try to find a balanced view, and ends up being rather bland in certain places. Not so with the book introductions where the intro writers give a much clearer although at times controversial stand, even calling some Prophetic books as fiction. In any case, notes and book intros are supposed to give background information and the opinion of the writers and not to correct the biblical text. It would not be fair to say that these study aids possessed a liberal tone all throughout but you'll get the impression that they are present to challenge the reader. It's only here in this bible where I read an intro to the Gospels that says that they are not eye-witness accounts; make whatever you can of it. I leave it to your discretion. But it does help explain why many point out that this kind of study bible is popular in the seminaries.

You might want to be aware of the objections to the NRSV translation (its use of inclusive language and all that) but also be aware that the NRSV is clear and highly readable. For this reason, I would read a passage of the bible in the NRSV after I've read it in another translation but still want to get a better grip on the text. This is especially useful in the Deuterocanonical Books, speaking of which, I was surprised to learn that the Eastern and Greek/Slavonic churches have even more number of Deuterocanonical books of their own than the Roman Catholic Church! It is good that they are included here, even if your only purpose is to read them as an academic exercise.

I would recommend this volume with the caveat that you consider whether you'd like the very flexible leather binding with the consequence I mentioned above- and if you welcome some liberal views of the introduction and annotation authors. The NRSV do use inclusive language but as an English text it shines in clarity! I always keep the bible in its box when not in use.

(last edited May 27, 2011)

I bought this Bible in the Catholic version and was very surprised to learn that some orthodox Catholics have books I had never seen. That was an added pleasure. Overall it is very complete, easily understood and informative. The only complaint I have is that you cannot put tabs on it because they advise you not to due to the type of paper. It's quite thick and obviously they couldn't use standard paper. For the same reason the print is on the small side so could be a problem for some people.

This version is the current Gold Standard. While there is legitimate criticism regarding the sometimes strained efforts at inclusive language in the translation, the notations and commentaries within this edition are first-rate. I have been using an Oxford Annotated edition of the Bible since my college days, over 40 years ago. This latest version is the best yet. I ordered the leather-bound version of this one. It is beautifully done, and I was pleased to find that it is indexed. That is a big help in quickly finding one's place to look up passages. Over-all, I highly recommend this edition.

Really a very nice quality made bible. Love the feel of it. My only wish would be that it had slightly larger print and maybe have the words of Christ in red. All in all very nicely made and am looking forward to reading it.

I first bought the hardcover edition of this when it came out in 2010, and I recently "upgraded" to the Leatherbound edition.

What I like about it is that it presents modern liberal scholarship while still treating the Word of God with the respect it deserves. It presents an intelligent view of the question of the authorship of the various books of the Bible, and for those who are interested, it espouses the Documentary Hypothesis on the authorship of the Pentateuch, and Markan Priority (as well as the existence of Q) on the question of the synoptic Gospels.

Also, and this is a very important point for me, it upholds the Divinity of Christ. Another improvement is that this edition doesn't teach baptismal regeneration which the third edition does, in its notes on John chapter 3.

The format is much better looking, and I have only one issue with it: In the third edition, each page has the beginning and ending verse references at the top, whereas the fourth edition has only the chapter numbers. When they come out with a fifth edition I really hope they bring back that feature from the third edition. I also wish they had put the cross-references in a center or side colums instead of in among the notes, but their reason for doing it the way they did makes sense too, so I'm not really complaining about it.

The leather on this Bible is nice looking and appears to be well-made, as is the case with every Oxford Bible I've seen. And the two ribbon markers are a nice plus (my other Bibles have only one, and this is the first time I've owned a Bible with two). I also like the way this Bible lies flat and stays open when you set it on a table.

I recently started an introduction to the Bible class and found that I wanted more information than was offered. The instructor said he liked this source. I looked on amazon and found that I could get a new or used book at about half the cost. I ordered that and receive it in a few days, it must have been a new book because it was not damaged or used in any way. I have studied the Bible since and have found it to be a great help in my understanding. The larger print is easy on my aging eyes the only thing that could be wrong is that it is heavy, however I found a carry case that helps a lot. Highly recommended!

I have bought many Bibles from Oxford over the years and know that they are know for their quality. I have an RSV Oxford Annotated Bible, an NRSV New Oxford Annotated Bible 3rd edition and now this, the NRSV New Oxford Annotated Bible 4th edition. With all of these Bibles I have opted to get the leather edition.

After having the RSV and NRSV 3rd edition NRSV NOAB, I figured that I knew what I was getting; thin pages with lots of seethrough, a handsome but stiff genuine leather cover, and pages that are in need of being un stuck because of the gold gilt. I know that I am sounding critical; however, I have truly enjoyed my other editions. I knew I wasn't paying premium price, so I expected what I got.

This Bible completely blew my exceptions out of the water! First off, the box is classy yet modern in its presentation; it is also of a very high quality with what seems to be a cloth material on the bottom of the box.

When I opened the box, I was surprised by the wonderful smell of leather. The other editions have a leather smell, but not like this. Upon opening the box, the whole room was filled with the smell of this wonderful leather.

After smelling such a wonderful aroma, I was all the more excited about getting the Bible out of the wrapper as quickly as possible without scratching the gold gilt page edges.

When I freed the Bible of it plastic cover, my hands confirmed what my nose had suspected. You see, it was some of the finest leather I had ever handled; it was thick, soft and supple. I quickly looked at the box again to make sure it did not say Calfskin Leather, because that is exactly what it felt like. This is one of the most flexible Bibles I have ever had the pleasure of holding. Where ever the Bible was not supported my my hands, it gracefully plunged toward the floor.

I realized that I was experiencing something very special, because this Bible had all the makings of a wonderful binding. It is smyth-sewn which allows the Bible to lay flat coupled with a limp leather cover that lays flat without the need of assistance. With that combo this Bible was able to lay flat at Genesis 1 to the end of the concordance. There is also a gold gilt line that goes completely around the edges if the inside of the cover. Most publishers don't do this anymore, so I am thankful that Oxford has kept doing it.

The paper in this edition is nice and white with gold page edges and two gold ribbon markers. Also, it was nice to see that the pages were not stuck together like you see in most new Bibles.

I am also thankful that Oxford has found a way to increase the content of the Bible while making it a hair less thick than the 3rd edition. This was achieved by making the pages a little thinner. Even though the pages are thinner, they seem to be more opaque, so you don't have to worry about a ton of seethrough.

The font in this edition is a little smaller, (which also helps to cut down on thickness) but the readability still retained do to spacing being improved.

I would recommend this Bible to anyone looking for a quality copy of the NRSV. Even if you don't agree with the notes, the quality is so good that it could be used without reading the notes. I have to say that this is the best New Oxford Annotated Bible I have ever seen and held, and quite possibly the best Oxford Oxford in general.

You can't go wrong with this one!

Thanks Oxford for producing such a wonderful edition.

Be Encouraged:-)