Customer Reviews

ESV Thinline Bible, TruTone, Charcoal, Celtic Cross Design, Red Letter Text

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

The LOOK INSIDE option, creates a VERY MISLEADING PERCEPTION of what you are getting. The LOOK INSIDE pictures a Center Column Referance Format; THIS IS NOT A CENTER COLUMN REFERENCE BIBLE. There are JUST A FEW REFERENCES at the bottom of a page, SOME PAGES NOT AT ALL, such as what you may find at the bottom of a paperback. EVEN the Product Description is for a TOTALLY different Bible than the one that arrived. YES THE Bible BOX TITLE FOR THIS BIBLE is what I ordered, and it matches the Title the top of the Amazon Page, HOWEVER the rest of the PAGE was VERY POORLY and ERRONEOUSLY PUT TOGETHER, apparently by some someone who new little or nothing about the product they were trying to describe. It was described as having a 9.5 pt. type, in reality it only has an 8.2 pt. type. It was described as having over 80,000 cross references, in reality it only has a few at the bottom of a page and a lot of pages have none at all. It was described as having a Concordance with over 14,500 references, when in reality there are over 12,00 references in the Concordance. The Amazon Product Description said it had 1,328 pages, when in reality it has 1,114 pages counting the maps. The Amazon Product Description said the Bible's Size is 5.5" x 8.5" in one place and below that under Product Detail, Amazon said the Size was 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches which is TOTALLY WRONG. In reality the Size is the 5.5" x 8.5" and it is less than 1" thick. This is the most MESSED UP Product Description I have ever seen on Amazon. In Fact I give AMAZON an "F" on their quality of posting this Product's Description. All that negative Review info IS NOT the rating I would give the Product, just the Rating for the POOR job of Amazon's posting of it.

NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS, the Bible is of Remarkable Quality, for the Price of $19.79. Had it been posted CORRECTLY as a ESV Thinline Bible, TruTone, Charcoal, Celtic Cross Design, Red Letter Text, Non-Reference Bible, [Leather Bound]; I would have given this Bible a 4.0 star rating. Sorry CROSSWAY, you lost a full star for the misinformation on Amazon's Page. Also I would have given it 5 stars, but I have to deduct at full star off the Bible Rating for the lack of Center Column or Side Column Cross-References. It just seems extremely cheap of the Publisher to leave them out. However, if you are looking for a gift award Bible, with relatively few bottom of the page References, under $20, this one will be NEARLY impossible to beat. Like I said, considering what it is, I am highly impressed, and will give the Publisher an "A" for the quality they put into an inexpensive Bible. I really appreciate that they used a little darker Red ink for the Words of Christ than a lot of Bibles do. It is much easier on the eyes than a bright Red print. The only negative I could mention is the noticable blead through of the print from the opposite side of each thin page, but that is typical of any Thinline Bible. The bottom line is, I would buy this again as a gift award Bible, but if it was for something really important, (a grandaughter's graduation, etc.), I would spend the extra bucks for one that had a real Reference Column. Here is my corrected Product Description:

ESV Thinline Bible, TruTone, Charcoal, Celtic Cross Design, Red Letter Text, Non-Reference Bible, [Leather Bound]
Features:

Size: 5.5" x 8.5" less than 1" thick
Silver Gilded page edges
Extra strong Smyth-sewn binding
Appears to be a bonded leather flexible cover (neither the Bible nor box are labeled)
Beautiful Celtic Cross imprinted in the front cover
Highly Readable 8.2-point type
1,106 pages PLUS 8 pages of colored maps
Words of Christ in a little darker red than most
Double-Column paragraph formt
Ribbon marker
Presentation pages
Concordance with over 12,000 references
No Center Column Cross-References
Lifetime guantee (whatever that includes, but it is written on the box)
Free ESV Bible Resources software offer included

I will take several photos of the one I have and post them so other's can see exactly what they are getting.

This a really nice sized Bible to take with you. I like the modern, literal translation a lot. The compact size limits the notes and references so another study Bible is nice to have, too. The cover is beautiful and it seems well made, overall. My only complaint is the font size is a bit too small.

A beautiful translation! Essentially literal with the ease of reading demanded by today's Bible buyers. Yet, it doesn't suffer from the dumbing down found in many of the "paraphrases" and "new translations." More accurate than the NIV-I hope this translation replaced NIV in homes and churches. A must have: rather you're a lay person or seminary student. Excellent for study.

The quality of this handy bible is actually pretty good, although I only use it for travel. I would not recommend it as your everyday reader or research Bilbe. The pages are very thin, and not as bright as a quality Bible such as that produced by Oxford Press. The font is very readable and it's turning out to be a fantastic travel companion.

I bought this thinline bible to carry with me in the pulpit when I preach. I love the size and the leather two tone is nice as well. The ESV translation is an accurate and readable translation that I highly recommend.

I recieved this Bible as a gift recently, and I love it! It is beautifully bound in cloth & leather, the typeface is easy to read, and it is about 1" thick which makes it pretty compact for a hardbound Bible. I grew up reading the NIV, but have had several friends recently recommend the ESV. I like it and plan to use it along with my NIV for study purposes. This is a simple straight forward Bible without any commentaries or devotional supplements. I highly recommend it.

Okay, perhaps this may seem a bit anal, but since thinline is in the title I feel as if I should say that it is NOT less than 1 inch thick (despite what it says in the description). Even while pressing this Bible firmly down on the table it measures 1 3/16 inches thick. If, like me, you bought this because you really liked the size of a previous thinline Bible you might be a bit disappointed. Also, I have a few other trutone covered books that I like much better (the Greek and Hebrew Reader's Bibles). Those are softer to the touch and a bit more grippy than this cover which has a pebbled finished. Additionally, I did not realize that this has no cross-references (although the description doesn't say it does).

On the plus side this Bible does have a few extras that are helpful such as generous map section, and pictures of Jerusalem (Old and New, ect), the temple, tabernacle, etc. And of course, the ESV is a pretty solid translation.