ESV Personal Size Reference Bible (TruTone, Chestnut, Crest Design) (Imitation Leather)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Having a Bible that can travel anywhere-in a briefcase, purse, backpack, glove compartment, or computer case-is especially helpful in these busy times, which is why the ESV Personal Size Reference Bible is so ideal. Larger and more readable than the Compact Bible but not quite as big as the Thinline Bible, this version is just right for men, women, and students on-the-go. They will appreciate its variety of cover options too. The scriptural text is conveniently offered in a user-friendly, single-column paragraph format that allows it to read like a book.

[Bullet points below:]

Size: 5.0" x 7.25"

7.4-point type

1,344 pages

Black letter text

Single-column, paragraph format

Introductions to each book

Cross-references

Ribbon

Product Details

• Imitation Leather: 1408 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Bibles (February 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581346832
• ISBN-13: 978-1581346831
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,072,105 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good quality personal size Bible, March 15, 2008

By	Paul M. Dubuc (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: ESV Personal Size Reference Bible (Black) (Leather Bound)

The ESV is my preferred translation for general reading, quoting and study. This new edition is in the format I like best: single column paragraphed text with cross-references in the center and translators' notes at the bottom. The single column format can be harder to read if your eye has trouble following longer lines of text, but I find it more aesthetically pleasing than double column pages. This Bible is a very handy size for carrying around. Crossway has improved the quality over previous editions of the ESV that I have seen. The cover and sewn binding of the "genuine" leather edition are of good quality for the price. The opacity of the paper is better than the larger size Single Column Reference Bible so there is less "see through" text from other pages making this edition easier to read. I also prefer the paragraphed text over the single verse format because the paragraphs are easier to notice (although it may be harder to find individual verses) and it fits more text on each page so the overall size of the book can be smaller. This edition retains the short concordance of the more compact editions which is handy. The only improvements I can think of would be to make the typeface a little larger and darker and to add some map pages. I wouldn't mind the book being centimeter or so thicker and cost a few dollars more if it had these improvements, but I can get along fine (for now) without them.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can you say rebind?, March 31, 2008

By	Hansu (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ESV Personal Size Reference Bible (Black) (Leather Bound)

I love everything about this Bible, except the cover. The genuine leather feels like cardboard. The print, the format, the translation, and everything except the cover earns five stars. Why they've chosen to follow the lead of Thomas Nelson and their poor leathers is beyond me. I would gladly have paid four times as much to get one bound well enough to last a lifetime. Mine is out being rebound in goatskin, so I should get a lifetime's use out of this Bible. It works out to still be less expensive than Crossway's premium bindings. Crossway: if you are reading this, please pay more attention to quality of workmanship. People actually send brand-new Crossway Bibles to get nice covers put on them. It is such a shame that your leather is so poor out of the box. It's the Word of God; bind it as such.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Personal ESV Bible, March 27, 2008

By	Roy Ingle "The Seeking Disciple" (Augusta, GA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: ESV Personal Size Reference Bible (Black) (Leather Bound)

I am an ESV fan so I have no arguments here against the translation. In fact, I rank the ESV as one (if not the top) of the best English translations apart from the Greek New Testament itself. The ESV is very readible and yet it remains an essentially literal translation. My only complaint is not against the translation itself but I do wish that Crossway would publish ESV Bibles with the words not found in the original text in italics as the NASB or the NKJV does. This is helpful when studying from an English Bible.

This edition, however, has some good points and some bad. The positives of this edition of the ESV is thus:
A compact Bible (5x7) but readiable even for old eyes such as mine.

The text does not bleed through as in some early editions of the ESV.

Words of Christ are in black which I do like better than the red letters.

Short introductions to each book of the Bible.

Each book of the Bible begins on its own page. No crossing over.

80,000 cross references on the side and not in the middle.

One column which makes this Bible easy to read.

The negatives are as follows:
Poor binding. The leather quality is not the best. Perhaps Crossway will put this edition out in a premium leather.

Paper could be better such as the "Bible paper" used in Cambridge Bibles.

I personally could do without the book introductions but some people need them and enjoy having them their.

Bigger concordance would be helpful.

Overall I would say that this edition of the ESV still falls short any Bibles put out by Cambridge or Oxford. I fear that Crossway will go the easy route of Nelson or Zondervan Bibles and put out cheap made Bibles that last only about a year when read by true disciples. I have heard that Cambridge is going to publish an ESV at some point in the near future. I hope so.