The New Interpreter's Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version With the Apocrypha [Hardcover]

Walter J. Harrelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2003

The New Interpreter’s Study Bible brings the best of biblical scholarship to the service of the Church. In this new edition based on The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible with Apocrypha, sixty distinguished scholars have provided background and insight on the biblical text. Features include extensive historical and theological annotations on the biblical text; brief introductions and outlines for each biblical book; excursuses giving further background and insight regarding particular themes and passages; and nineteen commissioned maps detailing the biblical world at various historical periods. Available in leather (0687278317) and on CD-Rom (068702496X).

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Walter Harrelson, retired, was University Professor at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Distinguished Professor of Hebrew Bible emeritus at Vanderbilt Divinity School.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2360 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press; Revised edition (May 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0687278325
• ISBN-13: 978-0687278329
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 2.1 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (150 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,404 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #73 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Bibles

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

435 of 455 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Much anticipated and well worth the wait! July 18, 2003

By Charles S. Houser VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I can't overpraise this study Bible. Like its key rivals in the academic market, The Harper Collins Study Bible (HCSB) and The New Oxford Annotated Bible (NOAB), it uses the New Revised Standard Version as its text base (a good, responsible, and fairly literal translation of the full biblical canon--the 66 Old and New Testament books all Christian traditions use, plus 16 deuterocanonical/apocryphal books used in the Roman Catholic and/or Eastern Orthodox traditions). Also like its competitors, it has excellent scholarly introductions to each book, extensive explanatory notes, background articles, and maps.

So why, if you already own a good NRSV reference Bible, do you also need to get this one? Because the book introductions are incredibly fresh and up-to-date. Because the study notes are insightful and well-phrased. And because, unlike the HCSB and the NOAB, the New Interpreters' Study Bible has two additional kinds of notes. From time to time, the NISB inserts a "Special Note" among the footnotes that makes an interesting observation on the text to help the reader appreciate the larger issues at play within the Bible as a whole. For instance, at 1 Samuel 2.9 there is a special note that calls attention to two distinct points of view in the Bible about justice/theodicy. These special notes are more information than the reader needs to understand the particular passage at hand (and as such can be easily skipped over because they are slightly indented and set off from the surrounding, more text-specific notes), but they are like little windows opening onto a much wider world...and should not be overlooked. In addition, there are almost 100 brief Excurses on thought-provoking topics like "Sibling Rivalry in Genesis," "Interpretations of Rahab," "Suicide," "Anti-Semitic Interpretations of Isaiah," "The Influence of the Maccabean Martyrs," and "Responsibility for the Death of Jesus." And the editors had the foresight to provide an alphabetical listing of these excurses, knowing that readers were going to want to come back to them from time to time.

The essays included in the NISB mostly focus, as one would expect, on interpretive matters: "The Reliability of Scripture," "The Authority of the Bible," "The Inspiration of Scripture," "Guidelines for Reading and Interpretation," "Varieties of Readings and Interpretations of the Biblical Text," and "Culture and Religion Among the Ancient Israelities." The glossary is mostly a list of literary and theological terms (anthropomorphism, chiasm, theophany), but does include a few typical "Bible terms" that the reader may not find satisfying definitions for in a standard collegiate dictionary(such as, sackcloth, Gentile, Sheol).

If you're a reference book addict like me, the NISB promises countless hours of pleasurable reading and exploring.

104 of 108 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Desert-island Bible for Moderates September 15, 2005

By S. Pompa

Format:Hardcover

This is the one Bible I would take with me unhesitatingly to a deserted island. The notes are based off the larger 12-volume commentary set, and are concise and incredibly thorough. They are critical, honest, and sober.

It is also more moderate than the New Oxford Annotated Bible (third edition) and the HarperCollins Study Bible. Both Bibles tend to shy away from affirming topics like Jesus' divinity, but the NISB readily acknowledges Christological and even Trinitarian passages in Scripture.

Moderates will love this Bible. Those that are too "liberal" (I quote from others) may not like it because it does have some pretty specific views on certain topics. Those that are too "conservative" may not like it because it is still a critical Bible. But those who sit in the middle will love it, as I do.

As a youth director, I love it because it does give some spiritual insights into Scripture that other critical Bibles do not. As an educator, I love it because I have an historically and theologically honest Bible that covers everything I want to say in class. Other Bibles are too rigid, I think, either in their so-called conservatism, or so-called liberalism (do we really need labels?). I must agree with Bruce Metzger, that this Bible is ideal for pastors, students, and academically minded laypersons.

Therefore, were you to banish me to a desert island, this would be the one Bible I took with me.

299 of 327 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - with no reservations August 9, 2003

By N. P. Lamb

Format:Hardcover

Some people want a Bible which has been adapted to suit the tastes of a particular sect or group, such as the ESV or the NIV. The majority prefer to use a Bible which has been translated without bias from the best available critical texts - the NRSV is the best available translation at this time.

Some people want a Study Bible which tells them what to believe and how to believe it, thus keeping everyone in line (e.g. NIV Study Bible, Life Application Study Bible). Many people prefer to consult a Study Bible in which the facts are presented from a more historical-critical point of view; the reader is left to make up his or her own mind about what to accept and what to reject (New Oxford Annotated NRSV 3rd ed.[NOAB], HarperCollins Study Bible [HCSB] and the Cambridge Annotated Study Bible NRSV).

For those in that last group, the New Interpreter's Study Bible (NISB) is a very welcome addition. If you already own the Oxford or HarperCollins, then purchase this volume for use alongside. If you are considering the Cambridge, get this one instead.
The study notes are somewhat more detailed than in the Oxford and HarperCollins. On page 5 the book of Genesis starts. There is only room for the first 5 verses, the rest of the space being taken up by notes and an excursus. This is actually quite exceptional. Generally the pages are 60% Bible text and 40% notes. A nice touch is that proper names in the Bible text have been broken down into syllables as was the case in the RSV.

Looking at Isaiah 7:14 as most conservative believers tend to do, we see that the NRSV translates 'young woman' correctly from the Massoretic text. Among the notes at the bottom of the page is a "Special Note" explaining how Matthew came to use the word 'virgin' in his Gospel.
Throughout the volume there are so-called "Excursus" sections. These "give more extended treatment to texts, themes and ideas that deserve special attention..." (page XV). A few of the subjects covered: Biblical Ambivalence to Government; Creation: Ordering Chaos; The Eucharist in John; Gender in Genesis; Two Flood Narratives; Paul and the Law.

The Apocrypha is included in this edition. These books are well worth reading. Strange to think that some Christians do not even know of their existance!! The Apocrypha gets the same detailed treatment as the rest of the Bible.

Add to all this some interesting essays on various topics (e.g. The Reliability of Scripture, the Inpsiration of Scripture, Culture and Religion Amont the Ancuent Israelites etc.) and some maps and you have a superb guide to the Bible. Of course, one must not forget the introductions to each book plus an outline.

The language used is not such that only academics can understand it. The content of the notes and essays is of the highest academic value. Quite a feat!
I must emphasize that owning and using more than one Study Bible is preferable if you want a large, accurate picture of things. you will find yourself leaning towards one Study bible, but the other will provide other insights. Thus the NISB plus either the NOAB or the HCSB, or even all three!

Is there anything negative to say? Yes: the lack of cross-references either between the columns or in the margin. The Cambridge is the only Study Bible in the NRSV to have them. A missed opportunity by Abingdon Press.

The paper used is very thin so you can see the print from the next page. But it is not distracting. The hardback binding is not as good as the NOAB or the HCSB which means the paper easily crinkles. One would expect better for the price.

Unfortunately the copy of the book that arrived at my house was of a sub-standard quality. In fact such a book should never have been allowed to leave the printers. I have mailed Abingdon about this and will post their reaction in a follow-up. Such a pity that a lack of quality control should marr an otherwise great book. I hope this is an exception and not the norm for Abingdon publications.