NKJV Study Bible from Thomas Nelson, 2016

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The NKJV Study Bible, the most comprehensive study Bible available, now available in a handy personal size with words of Christ in red! The acclaimed NKJV Study Bible is the most complete study system for all who desire accurate study in God’s Word. The Second Edition includes more features to make it the best all-purpose study Bible. Using the trusted New King James Version, The NKJV Study Bible has “the mind of a scholar and the heart of a pastor.” Nelson's skilled team of scholars has produced the system to reach for when study in God’s Word is the goal.
Features include: • NEW attractive new full-color page design • NEW stunning Bible-land photos and graphics • NEW in-text maps and charts • Full cross-references with textual notes • Word studies and indexes • Bible Times and Culture Notes • Book introductions, outlines, and timelines • Reader-friendly notes and articles ideal for extended study • Deluxe NKJV Concordance including proper names
Part of the Signature Series line of Thomas Nelson Bibles
NKJV Study Bibles sold to date: More than 1.3 million
The New King James Version®—More than 60 million copies sold

(2400 pages)

From time to time, I see a Bible available for review on BookLook Bloggers. Normally this isn't a big issue for me, because I only get two credits for requesting at a time so I don't feel the slightest desire to spend one on a Bible (especially since I already have about six here at home!). A few months ago, though, the options were particularly slim–all the good books had already been snapped up for the month–and I had a credit to burn. I figured, why not? I'll request a Bible! I'd already learned that I didn't like ugly hardback Bibles, so I went with this nice-looking paperback one. And by paperback, I thought it meant that the picture was just the box it came in and then the Bible itself would be leatherbound.

I guess I need to read the fine print more closely. Because when they say paperback, they mean paperback. And that ugly picture you see up there? Yeah, that's literally what's printed on the outside of the Bible. Yuck. Also, this thing is shaped like a brick. It's got about the same proportions as one, too–very short, squat, and heavy. Not attractive at all.

Honestly, I can't really get over this Bible's outward ugliness. I've barely been able to make myself use it at all. Flipping through it, though, the font seems like a reasonable size (though it might be a tad small if you have vision problems). The text itself fills about two-thirds of the page, and the bottom third is made up of notes on the text. I also see a variety of maps, tables, cultural notes, etc. scattered throughout the entire Bible, and detailed introductions at the beginning of each book. The maps and pictures featured in the introductions are all done in full color, which is–ironically enough, looking at the cover–pretty aesthetically pleasing.

I don't know, I like my books to be attractive on the outside. I like to pick them up, stroke them in appreciation for a minute, and then open them up. There's no attractiveness to this one, so I know I won't be motivated to use it any time soon. I'd much rather study from my pretty pink leather-bound Bible! The biggest perk of this particular study Bible, though, is that it's only thirty dollars. I suppose, if I actually had to pay for a new Bible, that would be a pretty huge note in its favor.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from the publisher through the BookLook Program.

NKJV, The Chronological Study Bible from Zondervan, 2016

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The Chronological Study Bible presents the text of the New King James Version in chronological order - the order in which the events actually happened - with notes, articles, and full-color graphics that connect the reader to the history and culture of Bible times. It is the only NKJV study Bible arranged in chronological order.
Features include:
The entire NKJV text with translators’ notes, arranged in chronological order, provides absorbing and effective Bible study
Full-color illustrations of places, artifacts, and cultural phenomena give the reader a dramatic, “you are there” experience
Fascinating articles connect the Bible text to world history and culture
Daily Life Notes explain how people lived in Bible times
Time Panels and Charts show the flow of Bible history
In-text and full-page color maps of the biblical world assist study

(1728 pages)

I've been fascinated by the idea of reading the Bible chronologically for . . . maybe two years now? One day the idea just popped into my head: it would be so cool to read the Bible in the order that it was actually written. I talked my brother into joining me on a "read the Bible in two years" challenge, with a document I'd printed off of the internet that listed daily readings in chronological order. But you know how it is - life happened, I got busy, and soon I fell so far behind I felt guilty even looking at the reading schedule. It's been so long since I worked on it that when I went to find the sheet to figure out where to start reading in this Bible, I couldn't even find it. I guess my only consolation is that my brother stopped remembering to do it before I did!

Anyway, when I saw that BookLook Bloggers had some chronological Bibles available for review, I immediately shifted my review schedule so I could clear up a credit on the site to request one when it came out. I even seriously considered requesting two Bibles, one in each of the colors, because I'md developing quite the Bible-collecting fetish and because maybe my brother would be motivated to start reading with me again if I gave him a cool new chronological Bible. I decided it would be wrong to take two Bibles when I only needed one to write this review (considering they're identical in all but the cover), so I just stuck with this one. And what a joy it is!

I mean, honestly, this Bible is everything I could have hoped for. It has a beautiful soft-bound faux leather cover in calm shades of brown (which are lighter than the ones in the picture, BTW), and a pretty light brown ribbon I can use to mark my place. Right there it's already leaps and bounds ahead aesthetically when compared to the two Bibles I've gotten the chance to review in the past - both of those were hard-bound, with no ribbons, and had frankly ugly covers. This is a dignified Bible that actually looks like people would use it in a Bible study, whereas the others looked like Bibles they'd hand out to church newcomers or something.

Once you actually crack the spine, there's a plethora of details that put the biblical events in a historical context. Rather than being divided into the traditional "books of the Bible," because it's a chronological Bible it's organized into nine epochs that literally cover every time period from creation to the end times. Each epoch begins with a page or two of explanations that describe what we know about the time periods covered by that epoch. Scattered throughout the text are further details and explanations in areas like art, beliefs, science, etc., as well as boxes that answer questions raised by the text. If you're looking for a particular verse or word, there's a large concordance and a passage index that can help you find whatever you're looking for; there are also plans for a one-year and a two-year reading plan (which I definitely think I'll give another go), and a few pages for writing notes if you're a note-writing sort of Bible reader (I am not).

Honestly, the only real trouble I have with this Bible is the translation itself. Now don't be me wrong, I haven't got anything against the NKJV. The trouble, though, is that the translators had to add a few words to the text to make many of the sentences actually make sense. And when they did, they didn't just say "this is a translation, so we had to add some words here or there to make it readable." No, they said "we'll add all these words, but we'll put them in italics so you know that they're not original." And that's fine for people who care about which words are original and which ones the translators added, but it does make for some choppy reading when every few lines I come across some really funky italics in the middle of some otherwise ordinary sentence about, like, heads of sheep or something. Because they're not "heads of sheep," they're "heads of sheep." I can get used to it, but I do wish that the italics weren't there.

Anyway, if you have any questions about this Bible that I didn't answer feel free to leave them in the comments section below. And if you've ever tried to read the Bible chronologically, let me know how it went or if you have any tips!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers program.

NKJV Apply the Word Study Bible from Thomas Nelson, 2016

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The Apply the Word Study Bible brings you to an intimate understanding of the Bible's message, helps you think about it and apply it to your lives. People of all ages and walks of life will enjoy the fresh style of the feature articles, which are directed at helping you approach life with the mind of Christ. You will discover that the Bible is a very practical book, just what is needed to guide you through every day. Featuring the New King James Version, the best translation for Bible study, abundant sidebar articles and vibrant full-color design, the Apply the Word Study Bible is the perfect companion for everyday living.

This is the second Bible that I've reviewed on this blog (the first was Zondervan's Understand the Faith Bible), and I have to say that Bibles are not the easiest books in the world to review. I was really curious about the New King James Version, though, and I wanted to see what sort of features this Bible has, so I went ahead and requested the Apply the Word Study Bible for review. I've used it a fair amount for a month or so now, and so I think I'm ready to finally write my review.

First, the physical stuff. It's not the most attractive Bible in the world (it kind of looks like a textbook from the cover, doesn't it?), but at least it's not the garish red of the Zondervan BIble I tried before. It's hard-cover, which I suppose is nicer than the soft leather-bound Bibles I usually read from but I really just prefer the floppiness of a good leather Bible. It feels strange to hold a hard Bible, but that's really more a matter of preference than anything else. This one also doesn't have a ribbon, which is a bummer, but I just use a bookmark instead.

Next, the translation. I honestly can't tell that much of a difference between the NKJV and regular NIV, but then I never really spend much time focusing on the exact words of different translations. Regardless, this is definitely a very fluid, easy translation to read - it's natural enough that it feels like someone could have written it not long ago. Since the original KJV is famous for being hard to understand for 21st-century readers, I thought it was kind of funny how easily readable its modern translation is. There's a certain elegance in the old translation, though, which is why it's my goal to someday own a King James Bible to read when I'm in a particularly poetic mood.

Last, the supplementary resources in the Bible. There are little inserts every few pages that go into different verses in more detail, which are pretty interesting. There's also a nice long concordance in the back, which is probably one of the most useful tools a Bible can have. I haven't used the reference materials too much but they seem solid.

This is a good Bible for studying, though not a very attractive one. I like to use it when I'm reading at home, but I've never taken it out in public and don't plan to in the future. I think after reading this review you'll know pretty well whether this is the Bible that will meet your needs, but if you have any more questions about it feel free to post them in the comments section below.