Skip to content
barretts-book-notes

Barrett’s Book Notes: ESV Bibles

9781433544149mESV Reader’s Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014.

The ESV Reader’s Bible is now available and I would recommend it to every Christian. What is so different about it? There are no headings and verse numbers, but just plain text. Chapter numbers still remain, but that is it. The text is much closer to what the New Testament would have looked like in its original form in the first century.

There are several advantages to this format. For starters, it allows you to read an epistle undistracted and as a whole. While verse numbers can be helpful for identifying specific sentences in a chapter, when it comes to reading an entire book of the Bible, they can interrupt us from seeing the big picture. For example, in the first century Paul’s epistle to the Romans did not have chapters and verses, and when received by a church it would have been read aloud all at once. We rarely do this today and sometimes we miss the larger context and the overall argument as a result.

Having used the ESV Reader’s Bible already, I have noticed that it may also increase my Bible knowledge. Bibles today have headings before and throughout each chapter. But this Bible has no headings at all! That means you cannot depend upon the publisher to tell you what each section is about or where certain stories and parables are located. You must remember and learn for yourself where to find the content.

Right now the ESV Reader’s Bible is 50% off at Westminster Bookstore!

Here is the promotional video:
 

9781433532832mESV Daily Reading Bible. Through the Bible in a Year. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.

If you are a “read through the Bible in a year” person, you will be pleased to know that Crossway has also released a Bible that actually structures your reading plan for you. For example, if you turn to July 9th you will read Joshua 11, Psalm 144, Jeremiah 5, and Matthew 19. If you have a hard time reading your Bible each day or if you are just not sure what books to read, this is a good option for you. It will keep your Bible reading regular and consistent. At the same time, one of the weaknesses of this approach is that you are only receiving bite size portions each day. So it is going to be hard (though not impossible) to see the big picture of any one particular book because you are only reading one chapter in that book per day.

01135The Hebrew-English Interlinear ESV Old Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2014.

While you can typically find a handful of Greek-English interlinear Bibles, it is harder to get your hands on a Hebrew-English interlinear. Crossway has just published a thick one, edited by Thom Blair. I would recommend reading Blair’s Introduction, where he explains how to use an interlinear and the translation philosophy that has been used. You will not only find words and phrases under the Hebrew word, but also on the left and right hand columns the OT text in English.

Matthew Barrett (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at California Baptist University, as well as the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine. Barrett is also Senior Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church. He is the author and editor of several books, including Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration. You can read about Barrett’s other publications at matthewmbarrett.com.

 

Advertisment
Back to Top