ESV Thinline Bible, TruTone, Charcoal, Celtic Cross Design, Red Letter Text [Leather Bound]

Crossway Bibles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 13, 2004

The top-selling ESV Thinline Bible is ideal for use at home and on-the-go. At less than 1" thick and available in multiple designs, there is a perfect ESV Thinline Bible for everyone.

• Size: 5.375 x 8.375
• 8-point type
• 1,120 pages
• Less than 1" thick
• Presentation page
• Double-column format
• Concordance with over 12,000 references
• New full-color maps
• Free ESV Bible Resources software offer included

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Christians who have longed for a more readable literal Bible translation will find much to praise in the English Standard Version. The ESV's translation team of over 100 members has admirably attempted to preserve the stylistic variety of biblical authorship and ease of reading (at the eighth-grade level) despite the word-for-word translation, which historically has resulted in a choppier text flow. Bible study aficionados will appreciate the short introductions to each book, an extensive center column cross-reference system, full-color maps, and a 14,500-entry concordance. The hardcover edition includes the basic Bible frills: a presentation page, as well as marriage, birth, and death registries. --Cindy Crosby --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Leather Bound: 1120 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Bibles; Thinline Charcoal Celtic Cross ed edition (October 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581346549
• ISBN-13: 978-1581346541
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible is an essentially literal Bible translation that combines word-for-word accuracy with literary excellence, beauty, and depth of meaning.

First published in 2001, the ESV Bible has become trusted by millions of Christian leaders, pastors, and individuals in every part of the world.

The ESV Bible carries forward the trusted legacy of the Bible in English--the legacy established first in the Tyndale New Testament (1526) and the KJV Bible (1611). With this legacy as the foundation, the ESV Bible (2001) reflects the beauty and majesty of the original languages, first captured centuries ago by these early Bible translations.

But the ESV also provides the most recent evangelical Christian Bible scholarship and enduring readability for today. The ESV translation team was built on the trusted foundation of over 100 evangelical Christian scholars and pastors worldwide, committed to the truth, authority, and application of the Bible to all of life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is the King dead?, March 18, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: ESV Thinline Bible, Premium Bonded Leather, Burgundy, Red Letter Text (Leather Bound)

Is the NASB95 - the king of the literal bible translations dead? That must surely be the question on our minds. The answer is, "I'm not sure, but it's having a good run at it!".

Firstly my comparison - I compared 50 difficult verses. The NASB95 and ESV were way way out in front of all other versions in accuracy. I gave the NASB95 a couple of extra marks over the ESV, but there's not a lot in it.

Secondly, literalness. On a word for word basis the ESV actually seems a little more literal than the NASB95 in that it is much more thorough in translating all the little words, the "ands" and "buts" and so on, as well as allowing sentences to run on where they do in the original. On the other hand, the fact that it is a warmed over RSV shows through in a lot of verses that should ideally be re-worked in NASB style. However, the ESV sometimes seems to try harder in consistantly rendering the same Greek word as the same word in English - but not always, sometimes the NASB is more consistent. Conclusion - The ESV is more literal on the "forest scale", but the NASB is more literal in the "tree scale".

However, the NASB appears to be quite a bit more accurate with tenses. Sometimes these verses have important theological significance. e.g. Acts 13:48 NASB "had been appointed", and Mt 18:18 NASB "shall have been bound" are more accurate than the ESV equivilents which are carry overs from the RSV (and KJV).

Thirdly, readability. People are talking about the ESV being more readable than the NASB. I don't think there's a lot in it. The ESV has it's fair share of bloopers where the English is strained and the NASB is readable. Sometimes the NASB's lessor readability increases its literalness and correctness. Conclusion: I personally can't see the difference. If we could pick some verses from the ESV and some from the NASB we would probably approach perfection!

Fourthly, scholarship. The ESV has taken advantage of the latest scholarship, especially in Greek and this shines through in a number of difficult passages. The NASB95 seems overly conservative in this respect.

Fifthly, textually. The ESV seems to have greater respect for the standard Greek text - the UBS4. However, neither strictly adhere to UBS4. The ESV is more faithful to UBS4, from my count 16:31 or 16:40 if you count the bracketed [] verses in the NASB. Conclusion: A plus for the ESV.

Sixthly, extra features. The ESV footnotes seem more helpful than the NASB95. The NASB is particularly poor at footnoting textual issues. On the other hand the NASB's use of italics for words not in the original language and the "*" tense asterisk to show words that were present tense in the original, emparts more information than the ESV. On the other hand, the ESV's extra literalness seems to have a little less need for the italics in places. The NASB capitalizes pronouns that refer to Christ or God. While one might regard these as an unnecessary interpretive gloss, they do improve comprehension, especially since a literal translation does not allow doing what the NIV would do, which is replace "He" with "Jesus" to clarify who is talking in long narratives. I didn't like this at first, but now I do, it's just another little feature that the NASB has to add information to the text without actually departing from literalness. Conclusion: NASB's extra features probably empart more information. The use of CAPS for Old Testament quotations is helpful in the NASB, and I like the italics and "*" tense indicator.

Formats: Some people are complaining that the NASB is printed verse by verse rather than paragraph style. Actually, only some NASBs are printed that way. If you don't like it (and I don't), buy the versions that are printed paragraph style. Visit Lockman's web site if you are unclear on that. As of now, the NASB is available in pocket formats and study bibles. The ESV is planned to offer these, but not as yet.

Overall Conclusion: It's very difficult to make up ones mind which is best. The arguments seem so finely balanced in either direction. The ESV is a fine effort and one of the best two translations available. I think, at least for the moment I'm going to go with the NASB. The extra features of the NASB95 text - CAPS for quotes and italics, plus a slight advantage in literalness and accuracy just beats the ESV - maybe. I can't rule out that I may change my mind later on. Reports of the King's death have been exagerated, but I just wish there was a translation that picked the best out of the NASB and ESV.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost..., April 16, 2010

By 

BereanTRB (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ESV Premium Thinline Bible (TruTone, Natural Brown) (Imitation Leather)

UPDATE: THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE PRINT EDITION. With most books, combining print and Kindle reviews isn't a problem. In the case of Bibles, however, the problem is that many customers visiting this product are trying to determine the qualities of this print version (e.g. binding; paper quality; size). The text of the ESV (or any other translation) is the same regardless of format, so those reviews won't be helpful for those evaluating the print edition.

--What I was looking for:
I already have other study Bibles, cross-reference Bibles, and study software so I didn't need any notes or extra features. I wanted an ESV thinline Bible to use as my main Bible that I read daily year after year. The ESV is a wonderful translation (readable & accurate) and I like thinline Bibles that aren't too bulky.

--What I got:
Thinline?
When I read some of the reviews while making my purchase, I thought some of them were being overly picky about the thickness. I had seen another Crossway thinline ESV Bible in the store (ESV Thinline Bible, TruTone, Charcoal, Celtic Cross Design, Red Letter Text) and found that to be a nice size and definitely what you could call thinline. I figured this item would be the same Bible just with the brown cover. But when I took it out of the box I immediately saw that this is a different Bible and had to agree with other reviewers that this really isn't at all what is normally considered thinline. On a bright note, it is thinner than a "standard" sized pew Bible or typical gift Bible. While a little thicker than I hoped for, I don't consider it bulky and it is very comfortable to handle. All in all it is a very nice size.

Cover:
The TruTone cover looks very nice in this natural brown cover. I wasn't crazy about Crossway's other covers with designs on them. I like the understated yet nice appearance of this. Also, this cover feels durable. I have a couple other TruTone Bibles and they are holding up quite well (plus you can always get them rebound when the time comes). I think this looks and feels a lot nicer than bonded leather, which always seems cheap in my opinion. Also, the binding is sewn rather than glued and should contribute to its durability.

Pages & Print:
Given that this Bible is a tad thicker than true thinlines, the paper isn't exactly the "onion skin" variety. But it's nice - thick enough that bleed-through isn't at all a problem but thin enough to avoid extra bulk. The font is average magazine/newspaper size and is very readable. Happily, the gold edges haven't caused excess sticking of the pages even though it's brand new.

Extras:
While I didn't need them, there are a few nice features such as reading plans (I was pleased to see their 40-day plan for reading the key passages of the whole arc of God's plan; great for new believers), a 6,000 word concordance, etc. Maps and diagrams are printed on the same paper as the biblical text rather than on thicker glossy paper as is common, again reducing extra bulk. Interestingly, the maps are smartly located between the OT and the NT. I hadn't seen that done before - they're usually in the back. Now that I have this, I have found it to be very convenient. And maybe people will actually look at them!

--Conclusion
This is almost exactly what I was seeking. In the end, minus one star because you really can't call this a true thinline Bible. However, it is a nice size, it isn't too bulky, and I am very happy with the other aspects of this Bible. I am very pleased with what I got and I have truly been enjoying opening this Bible and spending precious time in His Word.

I hope this helps you in your Bible shopping!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite Bible to read is now my favorite Bible to carry., January 22, 2008

By 

Scott Wylie (Cary, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ESV Thinline Bible (TruTone, Black/Ostrich, Portfolio Design) (Paperback)

About a year ago, I began using the English Standard Version (ESV) after using the NASB for over 20 years. I consider the ESV to be an excellent translation with unparalleled accuracy. A few months ago, I purchased this TruTone version and I absolutely love it. The leather is soft yet durable. I looks fantastic, and the craftsmanship of the binding is impeccable. I plan on giving this Bible as gifts to family and friends. The margins are not big enough for me to use as my study Bible, but this is the Bible that I carry every day in my briefcase.