Customer Reviews

NIV Thinline Reference Bible (New International Version)

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have had a previous version of this Bible that I have been very pleased with. This is an updated version with even larger type font, which I like very much. The page paper is a good weight and allows you to make marks with out bleed through. While this version is about 1/8 of an inch thicker than my previous version, the large font makes it well worth it. The top grain leather did not wear out on my old version and I assume that this will be the case for this one. Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone who uses the NIV and wants an easily transported and readable bible.

I love this Bible. It's the perfect balance between size and readability. Many of the study Bibles out there are great for reading at home, but they're so large and bulky that it makes them inconvenient to carry around. On the other hand, the reduced text size found in many smaller-sized bibles makes them difficult to read over long periods of time. I have pretty good eyesight so I CAN read small text, but it's so much nicer to have the text be normal sized like it is in this Bible. And yet somehow the NIV Reference Bible manages to still be one of the most conveniently-sized Bibles out there... It's just barely over an inch thick. The cover seems nice and durable and I LOVE the full 105-page concordance. I was worried that because this is a "reference" Bible (meaning it has a center column with cross-references to related scripture passages) it would be somewhat bulky, so when I ordered this Bible I also ordered the non-referenced version (NIV Thinline Bible, Italian Duo-Tone, Tan/Dark Tan). When you put them side-by-side, this NIV Thinline Reference Bible is SLIGHTLY thicker than the regular NIV Thinline Bible, but the difference is so tiny you would never know it just by looking at them. As for me, I'm going with the referenced one and giving the other Bible away to someone who needs it.

This Bible is the perfect combination of factors: size, translation, and references. It measures approximately 8.8x5.5x1, so it fits perfectly in the hand, and is very light which makes it perfect for travel. The black duo-tone cover is beautiful, with beautiful stitching for added durability! The pages are actually decently thick for such an economically priced Bible. The layout of the text is absolutely beautiful, and perfect. The font size is very readable, although not too large. The book introductions are perfect because they are only a few sentences that only give the basics to understanding the basic message of the book. There are 8 visually STUNNING maps in this edition, and a pretty exhaustive concordance (116 pages) for such a compact Bible. It even includes a helpful table of weights and measures as well!

The text is the newly updated NIV (New International Version) 2011. The world's most popular and best selling translation has gotten even better in my opinion. Probably the most notable, and controversial, change is the emergence of gender neutrality. In the epistles, when addressing Christians "brothers and sisters" is now used instead of the traditional "brothers." In my opinion, this is more accurate because today's English has changed significantly in the last 200-300 years. Where "men" and "brothers" represented both male and female traditionally, today we would say "them" and "everyone." The use of "brothers and sisters" by the new NIV text is more accurate because it is safe to assume that in the early church there both male and female members, and since the letter was addressed to the church as a whole, the new NIV gets it more accurate in today's English by rendering it "brothers and sisters."

For the price, this Bible can't be beaten. It's durable, and got plenty of wonderful features! Buy this Bible!!

In this review I will endeavor to compare and contrast two rather similar bibles, which I own, published by Zondervan. They are: TNIV Reference Bible (Bible Tniv) and NIV Thinline Reference Bible, Large Print (2011). While they are quite similar in some ways, they also exhibit marked differences. I will begin with similarities and then give 6 key points in which they differ.

The Similarities:

Both bibles are nearly the same size, with the TNIV being slightly wider and thicker. This is somewhat surprising since the NIV 2011 is some 70 pages longer. More on this in the contrasts. Both are bound in black bonded leather. But here too there is a difference. Both have a ribbon marker and silver gilted edges. Both have columnar cross references, a concordance, a table of weights and measures, 8 pages of color maps and a word to the readers from the translation committee. So much for the similarities.

The Differences:

Binding: Although they both have bonded leather, the TNIV feels more supple and is more flexible than the NIV 2011 which has a distinct plastic-like feel about it. Perhaps it will soften up with use. The bonded leather binding does not allow either bible to lie flat from cover to cover. But herein is a significant difference. The TNIV will lie perfectly flat from about Gen 40 to the end of Rev. The NIV 2011 will only lie perfectly flat from Deut 1 to the end of Heb. Perhaps this will improve with time and handling too.

Page Thickness: The TNIV has real thin pages. The NIV 2011 has real, REAL thin pages. This means that they crease easily. In the case of the NIV 2011, they crease real, REAL... Well you get the point. Thinness of page also accounts for why the NIV 2011 can be 70 pages longer and yet slimmer than the TNIV. BUT, despite the thin pages, bleed-through isn't any problem, at least not so far as I can see. Your mileage may differ.

Print Size: The TNIV is said to be 9 point for the main text. Footnotes and cross references are smaller, of course. This is too small for me in my sixth decade of life. The NIV 2011 text size is supposedly 10.5 point. Ah, much better! This is one of the two reasons I decided to buy the NIV 2011, the other being the new translation.

Page Format: The TNIV is single-column, while the NIV 2011 is double-column. This is no big deal for me, though I do tend to get lost more often in a single column of smaller print. There is some room to write brief notes and references in the margins of both bibles, though the single-column format is better suited for that purpose. I wish they put the column of references in the spinal margin rather than in the outer margin of the TNIV.

Miscellaneous: The TNIV has a brief dictionary of terms, the NIV 2011 does not. The NIV 2011 has very brief book introductions, the TNIV does not. The TNIV has one very valuable feature, IMO, that the NIV 2011 does not have: Topical Ties. At the bottom of most pages there are anywhere from a couple to more than a dozen Topical Ties. A Topical Tie is a verse reference from the page that you're on plus a topic spelled out in a short phrase plus usually 3 reference links: the head link which Begins that topic in the bible, the link that comes immediately before the link on the current page and the link that comes immediately after. A typical tie looks like this from Acts -- 4:34-37 Sharing with the needy. B Lev 19:9-10. Ac 2:44-45 <===> Ro 12:13. The other topics on that page are: Fellowship in the church; Hypocrites in the Bible; References to the unforgivable sin; Healing in the New Testament church; Numerical growth of the kingdom and church; Demon possession in the New Testament. It's very similar to the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. And now for...

The BIG DISAPPOINTMENT, Cross References: The main reason I bought both these bibles was for the cross refs. I got what I wanted and paid for in the TNIV. But the the NIV 2011 disappointed me. The TNIV has exactly the same cross referencing system and cross references as Zondervan TNIV Study Bible, Personal Size. That's more than 100,000 cross references! The NIV 2011 has far fewer, maybe half that many or less by my estimation. "Well," you might say, "the NIV 2011 has larger print. So naturally they had to cut something out." No! There's the irony. Virtually every column of cross references on every page of that bible is one third to one half blank! They had the room and didn't use it. Why? Furthermore, if both bibles had left out the 70 to 100 pages of useless concordances, there would have been not only enough room for 100,000 cross references but also enough room for 10.5 point type as well.

My Recommendation:

If your eyes are good, get the TNIV. It's the higher quality bible physically. You have a full set of cross references plus the Topical Ties. 92% of its verses are exactly the same as the NIV 2011 (but oh that 8%!). I paid $25.00 for the TNIV. But I've seen it for as low as $14.95 brand new. You had better act fast, though. They won't be around for long. If your eyes aren't good, get the NIV 2011 in large (or giant) print and bring it to church, to work, to bible studies and on vacation. But when you sit down at home to study, make sure that Nelson's Cross-Reference Guide to the Bible: Illuminating God's Word Verse-by-Verse by Jerome Smith is at hand because you won't find all the references you need in your bible.

It's wonderful to finally have a large print Bible that actually has center column references, instead of the typically very few end of paragraph references. The print size is very comfortable (11pt), and I wear bi-focals. The size of the print is perfect, certainly not too small and not so large that all you get is text. Because it is a thinline, it is easy to carry around. I would highly recommend this Bible to someone who wants a reference Bible, so you can discover God's truth for yourself, without the comments of others. The Holy Spirit truly does lead us into all truth. I qualify that with the fact that He also greatly uses His people as well, so even though I prefer the reference type Bible, I too have used study notes on occasion. Blessings!

My wife loves the large print while still retaining size and relative lightness. The NIV is still the prince of modern translations as long as they retain the original which was translated with principles of timeless integrity which the TNIV is not. The paper and leather are of excellent quality though it would be preferable to have a version in softer leather like lamb. It has a very helpful concordance and maps while retaining its thinline size. It is an excellent product and not overpriced.

The NIV Large print center column reference is a great addition to the Bibles that are available today. There are not many truly large print Bibles with center-column references. The print size is 11 pt. which is very easy on the eyes. It's also nice because there are not study notes that can be so distracting. This Bible allows you to discover God's truth for yourself through use of the references. This is the Bible I got for my mom who has not been unaccustomed to reading the Bible, but she finds it quite readable. The only other comment I would make is I notice the NIV language uses softer langauge with less powerful words than the NASB. But for easier readability this is a great Bible. I highly recommend it.

If you have serious vision problems this Bible print may not be big enough. But for most people it is an ideal choice. It has all the features you would typically want in a Bible without being too bulky for carrying. Lots of Bible in minimal size.

A nice compact basic Bible. I was looking for something new that would be easy to carry around. This fits the bill. Nothing fancy but it is what is promises.

This Bible has a nice, large, dark font. Very easy to read. The Bible is printed and bound in China, so it is a sewn binding of high quality. Too bad the American Bibles are such poorly made messes. This one has a nice, long, ribbon marker. The paper does not bleed through, so it seems ok to mark in it. I would certainly recommend this. It is quality. This is the traditional NIV of 1984 which remains the same, and is NOT that genderless, inclusive, politically-correct wonder, the TNIV.