ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION STUDY BIBLE
Crossway Bibles. 2,752 pages. £39.99
ISBN 978 1-4334-0241-0
Do you like the ESV? Is your NIV Study Bible a bit long in the tooth? Are you on the same page as Wayne Grudem and J. I. Packer? Are you man (or woman) enough to carry a truly big Bible? Do you like it online as well as on paper? Then step right this way; this may be just the thing for you.
Lane Dennis and Crossway Bibles, with Wayen Grudem (general editor) and J.I. Packer (theological editor), are to be congratulated for bringing out this extremely impressive volume. The ESV text is set out in a single column, with cross-references to the side and a double column of study notes at the bottom. The type is fairly small, but clear and manageable. It has 2752 pages vs. the 2,145 of the NIV Study Bible, outweighs it by 40% but isn’t really too much bulkier. There is a plethora of charts, maps, diagrams and illustrations scattered throughout, usually in colour, in addition to detailed introductions to each book. At the back there are over 50 resource articles (theology, ethics, interpretation, critical issues, etc.) plus the usual short concordance and maps. I wonder how much the average user will read or refer to the resource articles, but the information is all there. It is all beautifully produced, though cramming in 2,752 pages results in a certain amount of bleed-through, and it looks to be a durable volume.
The contributors are largely PhDs with teaching posts in the English-speaking (mainly American) world. The point of view is resolutely conservative evangelical. The study notes are exegetical rather than devotional and can occasionally be slightly too academic. One contrast with the NIV Study Bible is that the NIV typically simply sets out the options on controversial issues (e.g. spiritual gifts, women in leadership, divorce) whereas the ESV, after acknowledging the differences, will often defend, sometimes at length, one option (which EN readers will normally agree with). Commendably, there is a good emphasis on biblical theology, with a ‘history of salvation summary’ for each book. All excellent stuff, though at times a bit overwhelming.
The whole study Bible — text, notes, maps, resources — is online, and a key to the online site, now in an updated version, comes with the printed Bible. This online version is very impressive. The ESV text appears in the centre of the screen, with the study notes on the right and maps, resource articles, etc. relevant to the particular passage on the left. If that doesn’t suit, you can customise it. Clicking on any cross-reference brings that passage up immediately without losing your original place. In addition, both text and notes are fully searchable, which provides a very sophisticated complete concordance to the ESV. There is provision for your own personal notes, plus three ingenious ribbon markers plus the ability to highlight any text. There is no direct printing option, but copy and paste works just fine. The whole thing works quickly and smoothly.
All in all, this may be a bit of a weighty tome to take to church, but it is a very serious and reliable study resource and the online version is a rich bonus.
Barry Seagren,
retired pastor and L’Abri staff member
