Customer Reviews

Zondervan TNIV Study Bible, Personal Size

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a review of the physical characteristics of this product. While I'm reflecting their value in my choice of five stars, I won't go in to detail concerning the study notes and tools, as better reviews can be found elsewhere (for example, see reviews for the non-personal-size Zondervan TNIV Study Bible). And while I'm a big fan of the TNIV translation, it had nothing to do with my five star rating, as I simply wanted that to reflect the quality of this book itself.

I was a bit confused when I read that the book came with a jacket. Was the design shown on the Amazon page how the jacket would look with the book beneath featuring a plainer look? I now know that the Bible looks exactly as the Amazon product picture looks, while the removable dust jacket is the same but with promotional information printed all over it. Overall, this is a very attractive hard cover design.

I love the size and shape of this "Personal Size" edition of the TNIV Study Bible. It fits well in your hand for reading and carrying. It also seems to be only slightly shorter, while significantly narrower than other study bibles, which aside from being more attractive, also makes it easier to read in bed!

It's smaller than all of the other study Bibles my wife and I currently own, but I still find it to be just as (if not more) readable. In fact, the new serif font used is more readable at its smaller size than the larger sized serif text used in my Ryrie NASB Study Bible. The text is also less visible from the other sides of the pages (less "bleed through") than other bibles I own with similarly thin pages, adding greatly to it's already good readability.

Had I known that the Pesonal Size of the TNIV Study Bible would be so small (for a study bible) and yet so readable too, I would have bought it much sooner. I highly recommend it.

I have recently read up on the "TNIV debate" and have decided that the TNIV is a perfecty good translation that has been sadly maligned. It is even better than the NIV in terms of readability. This study bible is essentially the NIV study bible adapted for the TNIV. It has excellent notes, maps and references. The layout is attractive although the print is a bit small. The paper is somewhat thin but the hardcover binding seems pretty solid. I recommend both the translation and the study notes.

As far as the translation goes, I really like the TNIV. It is an updated version of the NIV. But Zondervan's personal edition's print is too small. For print this small, they could have chosen a better font. Part of my problem might be that the pages are so thin, that you can see the flip side through the paper. Either way, it's hard to read. And I prefer the study notes found in the Nelson Study Bible. If you compare the two, the Nelson just gives you more and better information, especially on hard or controversial passages. It's not that the Zondervan's notes are *bad*, it's just that the Nelson's are better. If the Nelson came in NIV or TNIV, it would be perfect! But it doesn't, so I find myself doing this: I read the TNIV on my Blackberry and use the Nelson's notes for reference, while this Bible sits on the shelf collecting dust. If you are going to buy this Bible anyway, do yourself a favor and buy the larger version. If I could break down my rating, I'd do it this way: Translation: 5 out of 5 stars. Study Notes: 3 out of 5 stars. Print/pages: 1 out of 5 stars.

Very clear concise translation. I own several translations including the NIV. Many scriptures are the same as the NIV but as I continue a comparative study I have found some that are definitely easier to understand in the TNIV. Good price and incredible references for cross studies.

This is a marvelous study bible, with a average good dynamique translation.
Charts, illustrations, parallels, introductions.

Good complement to NET Bible (study edition) for example.

This bible excels in three qualities: accuracy, pithiness, and thoroughness. Firstly, let's keep it real -- we're talking about the all time best selling written work, so it's quite difficult to go wrong there. However, arguably the most important factor in question regarding a Bible's use with scholars and Christians alike is the accuracy. A problem often comingling with accuracy is complexity. When a written work is accurate, it is often painstakingly difficult to understand, an assessment the benchmark King James Version of the Bible often finds itself receiving. This is where the pithiness of the Today's New International Version study Bible shines profoundly. It maintains accuracy without being difficult to understand. The scholars compiling this translation have put in an alarming amount of work in choosing the right contemporary words to replace the traditional. Oftentimes, when that's done a tremendous amount of meaning is lost in translation; that setback is kept to a near negligible minimum in this Bible. Finally, in consequence of giving scholars something heartier to savor, this Bible excels in Its comprehensiveness. Its comprehensiveness comes through in the study notes provided for it -- remember, It is a study Bible. The study notes, located at the lower part of the pages, can be used when the reader desires a more detailed background of what's being read; however, those proverbial training wheels can be removed as the reader's insight and understanding get increasingly refined through just reading the verses at the top.

In short, this Bible is tailor-made for whatever type of Biblical reader one may be -- from the curious beginner to the seasoned scholar. You'd be granting yourself a strong supplement in purchasing one.

I loved receving this! It came in great shape and A LOT faster than expected!

This bible is a beautiful book and the cover looks rich and elegant. The pages are easy to turn and the "study" part of the bible looks to be relevant and in-depth and easy to read. The Bible is a little thicker than I anticipated, but the compact size makes it not overwhelming to carry around. The beginning of the bible explains in detail about the actual changes made in the TNIV version, so it is clear to whomever may have questions (I've actually read this to a few disparaging friends) or think it is a "feminist" Bible (it is not!).

For any not familiar with this translation, it is basically the NIV with a few modifications. The main change, which has mostly been talked about, is that this translation uses inclusive (brothers and sisters) or gender neutral language when the original Greek did not specify a specific gender. Previous translations like KJ or NIV take the Greek and translate the gender neutral language to "Brothers", etc. This updated translation DOES NOT change the original language of the Bible in any way, so please take a moment to consider it when you buy a Bible.

Do not get this bible. The bible has been translated incorrectly to meet cultural expectations. The translation of this bible was made to be compatible to the feminist egalitarianism movement. Is it not true that the word of God should not be used to meet a cultural perception?

ex: * The TNIV translation often changes masculine, third person, singular pronouns (he, his and him) to plural gender-neutral pronouns. . . .
* The TNIV translation obscures many biblical references to "father," "son," "brother," and "man." . . .
* The TNIV translation inserts English words into the text whose meaning does not appear in the original languages. . . .

the TNIV changes language with masculine meaning in the original Greek to something more generic. It does this in many ways, such as changing

* "father" (singular) to "parents";
* "son" (singular) to "child" or "children";
* "brother" (singular) to "someone" or "brother or sister," and "brothers" (plural) to "believers";
* "man" (singular, when referring to the human race) to "mere mortals" or "those" or "people";
* "men" (plural, when referring to male persons) to "people" or "believers" or "friends" or "humans";
* "he/him/his" to "they/them/their" or "you/your" or "we/us/our"; and
* switching hundreds of whole sentences from singular to plural.