Customer Reviews

NASB Zondervan Study Bible

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the bible for which I've been waiting. I have always been fond of the study tools in the NIV Study Bible, but I have never been satisfied with the NIV translation. The NASB is credited as the most accurate and literal translation. With the 1995 update it's even more readable. The study notes cover historical, archeological, and devotional information. The center-column references are exhaustive. There are very detailed in-text maps and charts that provide supplemental informtation. The book introductions provide extensive information on the background of each book as well as providing a detailed outline. In the back of the bible there are three indexes. There is a subject index, an index to the study notes and the NASB concordance/dictionary. In the front of the bible there is a very detailed chronological timeline. There are also several essays on selected subjects. This is a very useful study tool and by far the most complete study bible in the New American Standard that I've ever seen.

If you are a serious student of God's Word, and are looking for a Study Bible...THIS is the one to buy! I have used the NIV study Bible for years, but the thing that has always bothered me about the NIV is the translation itself. It has been my constant experience that when you read a dynamic-equivalent translation, one thought lingers in the back of the mind--"Is this what the Word of God REALLY says?" The New American Standard erases that lingering question. One can read this the NAS with confidence knowing that this translation is as accurate and literal to the original that one can find today! Thus, the superiority of the NAS--as a translation--is the basic reason for buying this study Bible.
The introduction and the notes are not as extensive as the NIV study Bible, but they are nevertheless outstanding and contain a wealth of information.
The cross-references are NOT as extensive as the NIV study Bible--and that is to be regreted; but the NASB marginal notes make up the difference. There is a wealth of enlightening information in the NASB marginal notes--in fact, this is one of the strongest features of this Bible.
The only negatives?
1. The paper is too thin. Any personal notes written in ink will bleed through terribly. High-lighter bleed-through is pretty bad also.
2. There is virtually no room for one to write his/her own notes. I hope they come out with a wide-margin edition of this study Bible.
3. The appearance of the text could have been better. The print is a bit light for these eyes--not bad, mind you--but I would like a font that is a bit larger in size and darker in appearance. The red print is also a bit of a strain on the eyes. To fix these problems, Zondervan will need to print this Bible using a thicker and better paper.
4. The genuine leather binding is adequate, but certainly not top-of-the-line (but this has always been a weakness with Zondervan).

Having presented these negatives, I still say that this is probably the BEST study Bible on the market (and I pretty much have them all). If you are a "serious" student of the word, and you can afford only one study Bible, this is the ONE to have!

If you love the NASB, and are a serious student of the Word, this is the bible for you. It has the award-winning study notes of the NIV Study Bible plus the reliable New American Standard Bible translation with the 1995 update, hailed the most accurate word-for-word (while extremely readable) bible on the market. It has exhaustive center-column references. Charts on almost every bible subject possible are included. Introductions to every book of the bible are extensive and include information on the following: Style, Date, Author, Subject Matter, Cultural Information, and very indepth outlines. There are hundreds of intext maps and a very extensive chronology of the bible included at the beginning of the bible. The best thing about the study notes is that they are not biased to any particular denomination. When more than one view exists on a subject, generally at least three views are presented. Information from all kinds of archaeological and historical sources offers much needed insight to difficult passages. This is your one-stop for cultural, historical and theological information for almost every verse in scripture. I'm a youth minister and this bible is my main source of study and lesson preparation. I find that I don't need much more than this. If you're a minister or just a student of the Word, then you can't go wrong with the NASB Study Bible.

Similar in layout to the NIV study bible, with personal pages in the front (ex. marriage, births, special events, ect.) then a biblical chronologic graphic done very well ,but with the excellently updated NASB translation.

Study notes are very detailed with alternative translations noted. Great Gives detailed background on GREEK meanings of original writings..for Greek word for love in Jesus' first two questions is different from the word for love in his third question, which is the same word Peter uses in all three questions..." (then goes on to expain the different meanings with silver edges, Burgandy, and Black..you can special order the other colors through Amazon since burgandy is the only color listed.

Could note book handy. But there are pages in the back that are blank labled NOTES.

I sometimes need to check up meanings of english words in the I highlight with a blue highlighter PENCIL and doesn't go through the page...

All in all, a most awesome blessing!

This is the Bible I use for church. It's too bulky to drag on the bus for my daily readings. I have been using the NASB translation since it was recommended to me by a pastor at a church I used to go to. I told him I didn't like the KJV or NKJV and asked him what he would recommend. He told me NASB.

It takes a little getting used to the language. They try to be as word-for-word as possible and so some of the English has a strange syntax until you get used to it.

The study notes in this Bible are wonderful! It doesn't say, "This is what xyz means." It gives all the major opinions on a subject, "Some scholars says this; other scholars say that." I love this because I get more sides of a debate and can think things through rather than be spoon fed what one person thinks.

This Bible also has all the stuff you'd expect a study Bible to have: lots of notes, cross-references, diagrams, timelines, many color maps, and a mini concordance.

This "Updated NASB" gets rid of the "thees" and "thous" whenever someone is addressing God in prayer. Makes John 17 *much* easier to read!

One last thing to mention - I love that when a personal pronoun refers to God, they capitalize it, i.e. "And He spoke and said..." God deserves a little more honor so I love it when my Bible capitalizes pronouns referring to Him.

I paid a lot of money for this Bible, but it is truly one to last a long time. I *highly* recommend any version of this study Bible.

After doing much study on different translations and publisher versions of the Bible, I decided on the New American Standard Update edition due to it's readability yet accuracy compared to NIV and some other translations (NKJV is also good for study).

Comments on NASB in general:

This is the "Update" version of the NASB which was done in 1995 to eliminate the THEE and THOU speech similar to KJV. This Update is what most if not all current NASB's will be. I have found that I like the NASB translation at least as much as I thought I would. In comparing it to my NIV (Study Bible also from Zondervan) I have found that there are indeed cases here and there where I find more accurate translation which has actually given me more meaning to particular scriptures. I have found what I believe to be some very important subtleties missing from NIV and other translations. Overall I enjoy the NASB and it has definitely given me a fresh desire to the study the Word.

Comments on the Zondervan NASB Study Bible:

Like it's NIV and other translation Zondervan Study Bible predecessors this has a good cross-reference system and study notes. The aesthetics are very nice, the font being slightly smaller to accommodate all the text and notes, but the layout and font system used definitely give it a modern look while still maintaining readability. I was however, less impressed with the lack of updating in the charts and maps. I would have liked to see more updated, detailed, and colorful maps and charts than the exact same ones found in the Zondervan Bible's over a decade older. Here I think some improvement may be needed, but they are still very good and useful and should not be a major consideration as they are still most likely better than other publishers. Of note is the addition at the beginning of a complete graphical Biblical timeline which nicely pulls together historical relevance from a glance. It should also be of note that the notes and articles of the NASB are more conservative (in keeping with the NASB tradition) than it's NIV counterpart, so this should be kept in mind for those considering themselves more charismatic.


Overall this is a very polished and well-formatted publication of this translation and should definitely be a top choice for those seeking a standard NASB Update Study Bible as the notes and cross-references and charts are quite exhaustive for a Bible of this format and size. This will most likely be the top pick for one seeking a well-rounded NASB Update Bible.

I was glad to see Zondervan match the NIV study notes with the more accurate NASB translation. While the NIV is more readable, the NASB is more literal and therefore more helpful for study. The notes in this Bible can be trusted primarily for historical accurracy and for accurate protrayal of the various doctrinal viewpoints. The outlines and references to other passages within the study notes are very helpful also. The only drawback with these notes is that in fine points of doctrinal differences, they are somewhat ambiguous in an effort to appeal to all the different camps. All in all, a fine combination.

The NASB study bible is a very effective study tool for the bible student. All in one you get the most accurate and literal translation using the best hebrew and greek manuscripts along with some of the very best study notes that i have ever read in a study bible. I have truly been waiting for over 5 years to see such a great work and it has finally arrived and i am a very happy student of scripture, i only wish i had more room to write my notes but that is what notebooks are for. Get it and enjoy the latest from Zondervan.

I was disappointed with Zondervan's NASB Study Bible. I believe the marketing of this product is less than accurate. For years I had enjoyed your NIV Study Bible, especially its excellent concordance and the wealth of center column cross-references it contained. About a year ago I was drawn to the NASB translation and started using another study bible. But its concordance and cross references left much to be desired. So when I heard Zondervan had issued an NASB Study Bible and that it had all of the great features of its NIV Study Bible I was thrilled and I immediately bought it. It was only with use that I realized that the NASB Study Bible lacks the rich concoredance of the NIV version- it has a skimpy, much abridged concordance. Similarly the cross references in the center column area are a poor cousin to the NIV cross references (e.g., compare the cross references for Genesis 50:20 in the NIV with the NASB). Quite frankly I was disapointed. Zondervan should make clear in its sales literature that the NASB Study Bible is not the NIV Study Bible with simply a different translation for the text.

The NASB study bible is probably the best study bible on the market. When studying, having a literal translation is the best. Of course, referring to a more dynamic thought-for-thought translation for general reading or devotional reading sometimes is better, but when it comes to in-depth study nothing beats the NASB.

So how does the NASB study Bible compare to all these new study bibles that have come out?

NASB vs ESV "3 reasons why the NASB is better"

1. I think "essentially literal" (ESV) is not as good as "most literal" (NASB)
2. The bulk of the ESV Bible, with many tools and items that would probably only ever be used once or twice (introductions, articles, etc.), is a little too big to be practical (aka bringing to church).
3. I honestly think the notes in the NASB study bible are better than the notes in the ESV study Bible.

NASB vs. NLT "3 reasons why the NASB is better"

1. The NLT is a very dynamic translation. I think that most of the time it accurately conveys the meaning of the text. However, it does this by adding words for clarification and changing the word order - when it comes to idioms the NLT translates them all. Thus, if one is trying to use the NLT for study purposes the most you can study is what the text probably meant, not what the text actually says and then figuring it out what it meant. The NLT translators had to make decisions when deciding what the text meant, but sometimes other meanings are possible. But you will not have access to those other meanings with the NLT (though the notes sometimes make up for that).

2. Again, the NLT study bible is very bulky. A little more practical than the ESV study bible though.

3. While I like the notes in the NLT study bible and think they are quite good, they are not the type of notes I want in a study bible. The NLT notes focus more on the meaning of the text (to compliment their already meaning driven translation). Meanwhile, the NASB study notes include much useful background information including some meaning and devotional notes.

NASB Zondervan vs. NASB MacArthur "2 reasons why Zondervan is better"

1. Really, because this is the same translation, it all comes down to the notes. I like the Zondervan NASB because it has much more neutral notes. MacArthur's, while good, obviously push MacArthur's decisions on certain theological points. I guess if you agree with MacArthur on most everything his study bible might come out on top.

2. I like the formatting better in the NASB Zondervan study bible.

NASB vs. NKJV study bible "3 reasons why the NASB is better"

1. The NKJV actually gives the NASB a run for its money in the literal department. However, I think the NASB still wins and almost everyone else agrees as well.

2. Again, the notes are better in the NASB study bible. There are a lot more of them too!

3. The NASB incorporates a better understanding of the textual tradition than the NKJV. The NKJV bases much of their textual decisions on the texts the original KJV would have used. Thus even though the NKJV is quite accurate there are some places where I think it makes the wrong textual decisions due to its limiting itself to only the KJV texts.

NASB vs. NIV study bible "2 reasons why the NASB is better"

Given that the notes are mostly exactly the same for both bibles (though the NIV version has had some significant updates in 2002 and 2008 to its study bible) only two things really separate the NASB from the NIV

1. The NASB has better formatting. One, each verse gets its own line, and when studying this is very valuable. But what about those who like paragraph formats? No worries, the NASB has got you covered! Whenever a new paragraph starts the NASB BOLDS the verse number. Thus, you know when a new paragraph starts. So it is the best of both worlds!

2. Translation. The NASB is just better for study purposes. Don't get me wrong, the NIV is an excellent translation, and it is actually probably the best all purpose translation. But if you want a Bible you can study with, the NASB is bar none the best translation.


NASB vs. NRSV New Interpreters Study Bible (NISB)"4 reasons why the NASB is better"

1. Translation. While the NRSV is fairly literal, it tends not to interpret the OT with the NT in mind, even causing some severe difficulties and tensions in the text which in reality should not be there.

2. The font is WAY small. Unless you have excellent eye sight the NISB is going to be hard to read for long periods of time. It makes the NASB Study Bible seem like it has LARGE print!

3. The notes in the NISB are actually quite excellent. A possible worry is that they take a more moderate position on critical scholarship and thus flirts with liberal positions quite frequently. If this isn't your cup of tea the NASB has got you covered in that it is solidly conservative and evangelical.

4. The NRSV is the translation of choice for critical scholarship and the translation I use when writing papers. However, critical scholarship likes this translation because of 1) point '1' above, 2) it gender inclusivizes the text and 3) has the apocrypha. If you want what the text actually says in regards to gender and not what it means in regards to gender (the NRSV usually gets it right) then the NASB wins out. Also, if you don't believe the Apocrypha is scripture and thus don't want it in your Bible the NASB is your Bible for study.

There are many other study bibles I could go through like the Scofield (many), Ryrie (many), New Oxford Annotated (NRSV), HarperCollins (NRSV), (Spirit of) Reformation Study Bible (NIV, NKJV, ESV), etc. But suffice to say that the NASB beats them all. Really, at the end of the day, you can not get a better study bible than the Zondervan NASB Study Bible.

Another big advantage of the NASB is the footnotes. Usually, translations use the footnotes to put important textual information (variants, etc.) and occasionally put alternate readings or more literal translations. You would think that the NASB already being the most literal translation would have the least amount of footnotes (for why would it need them?) yet it actually has the MOST! And I am not talking about the study Bible notes, I'm talking about the footnotes to the translation! So, combine the Zondervan study notes with the NASB footnotes and you have a Bible that gets you as close to the original Greek and Hebrew as you can get in plain English!!

Two things I wish it had though:

1. A large print edition would be nice. Not everyone's eyes are what they used to be! The print is very clear though!
2. Updating the notes to match the 2008 version of them. Not a TON of changes but enough that it would be a nice addition.