ESV Study Bible

Read a review of the ESV Study Bible here. We offer you this service to help you make an informed decision regarding a potential purchase. So check it out. By the way - ESV stands for the English Standard Version of the Bible, hence ESV to shorten the reference.

About the ESV Study Bible

The Study Bible was published in 2008. The publishers of this Study Bible - Crossway Publishers - state that it was "created to help people understand the Bible in a deeper way - that is to encounter the timeless truth of God's Word as a powerful, compelling, life-changing reality." This is certainly a bold and noble statement of purpose.   

To accomplish this the publisher states the Study Bible has combined the latest and best evangelical scholarship with the ESV version of the Bible to produce a work especially suited for Bible study. When it was produced, the publisher stated it was the most comprehensive study Bible ever published.  

Distinction in the Origin of Words

One very admirable aspect of the ESV Study Bible is the care it takes to characterize itself. The publishers clearly have a great respect for the Bible as the very Words of God. In light of this reverence for the Bible, they point out that everything that is not the actual biblical text does not originate from God. The divine origin of the biblical text is given priority over the notes about the text because they are simply words written by men.  

Notable Features

Notes

In explaining the purpose of the notes in this Study Bible, the publisher offers ten types of "helpful content" they provide:

• Explanations of the text of the Bible, in both the immediate context and it relates to the whole Bible.

• Brief summaries to explain the meaning and purpose of each new section or book of the Bible.

• A demonstration of how particular Bible passages fit in the history of salvation in the Old Testament.

• Clarification on specific words, phrases, and events that are not easily understood.

• Archaeological and historical information useful to understanding the background of a passage.

• Explanations of important Hebrew or Greek words.

• Passages with alternative translations are offered for consideration.

• Passages that are critical to Christian doctrine, theology, and ethics have explanatory notes.

• Consideration and responses to challenges to regarding the truthfulness, historical accuracy, or believability of particular Biblical texts.

• Application of the biblical text to your life today.  
  

Maps, Illustrations, and Charts

There are over 200 full-color maps. They were created based on the latest (publication date is 2008) archaeological scholarship, satellite imagery, digital technology, and cartographic techniques. 

More than 40 unique illustrations created especially for the ESV Study Bible provide insight on biblical structures, cities, and objects. 

There are over 200 charts which detail key insights and analysis located throughout the Study Bible with the notes. 

Online Version

Purchasers of new copies of the ESV Study Bible are provided access to the free online version. This allows you to make personal notes online and enables interactive links to many of the features such as cross-references etc. The online version also allows you access to audio recordings of the ESV Bible.   

Cross-Reference System and Articles

There are over 80,000 cross-references and a concordance to facilitate locating critical words, passages, and themes.

There are 68 articles, with 26 covering biblical doctrine and ethics. Other articles cover a variety of topics, such as:

• Interpreting the Bible
  
• Introductions to different sections of the Bible
• Theologies of the Old and New Testaments
• Reliability of the Bible and its source documents
• Other world religions compared to the Bible

Perhaps the most helpful series of articles are those that simply help you read the Bible. They are titled:

• Reading the Bible Theologically
• Reading the Bible as Literature
• Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God
• Reading the Bible for Personal Application
• Reading the Bible for Preaching and Public Worship

Recommendation

The ESV Study Bible is a tremendous asset to the Christ Follower for his or her learning and is highly recommended by Biblefied.com. If you have an opinion feel free to share it using our form below.