Amazon.com: Customer reviews: ESV Concise Study Bible™ (TruTone, Brown)

Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2022

The type face is less than 8 px...somewhere around 7.5...very difficult to read...there is very little space between lines...and notes are at 6.5. They did state this in their product page; however, no mention of how close the lines are to each other. It is easy to get lost, or to lose your place, if you wear reading glasses, your eyesight is even a little hazy, or your eyes are tired in any way. I do not consider this a "reader friendly" bible. I dearly love God's word and am excited over the ESV. I do not love this format. I did not return it because the gas to get to the UPS store and back would have been a waste. It will be passed on to someone who is able to handle such small print.

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Sherri

Very nice Bible

Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2021

Verified Purchase

Print is small. Otherwise really nice.

2 people found this helpful

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Brad Robinson

Crazy small letters

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

I don't have the best vision, but I can't read this without readers.

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Aletheia

A Great Choice for Those Who Desire Portability

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

ESV Study Bible is a great choice for many but it is too big to carry - rather it is often used as a reference tool at home. But those who want portability with excellent study notes, then this is a great choice.

1. MATERIAL. This is a hardcover edition with dust-jacket. The hardcover is attractive and sturdy. The pages are stitched (Smyth-sewn) instead of glued binding (NOTE: Economy edition [paperback] is a glued binding). The pages are thin as all Bibles are in this price range.
2. FONT. The fonts (text and notes) are small in order to be portable. If you are a middle aged adult, then you probably need a reading glass. The fonts are however clear and legible.
3. STUDY HELPS:
[a] the Study Notes: This is not a condensed study notes from ESV Study Bible. It says, "The ESV Concise Study Bible has gleaned material and maps from ... the ESV Study Bible, the ESV Student Study Bible, and the ESV Archaeology Study Bible. We have incorporated information from these good resources with hundreds of new notes" (p. xiii). The notes are indeed clear and concise - it is straight to the point. For example: the notes for Isaiah 42:3. ESV Concise Study Bible states "bruised reed.... faintly burning wick. Represents hurting people. The servant deals gently with the powerless" (p. 769). On the other hand, ESV Study Bible does not have the notes for 42:3, but for 42:2-3 and gives "In contrast with ruthless human conquerors, like Cyrus (41:2, 25), the Lord’s quiet servant will not crush but will defend the weak (cf. 11:4; 40:11)" (p. 1315). In this case, I prefer ESV Concise Study Bible explanation.
[b] Maps & Diagrams. There are many helpful charts/diagrams and maps in the study bible and they are helpful. This hardcover edition also has 8 color maps at the end of the Bible (NOTE: Economy edition does NOT have the colored maps at the end of the Bible).
[c] Other Helps. It also has many helpful articles including theology. It also has helpful glossary, and concordance.
[d] No Cross-References. This bible does not come with cross-references. This is the only reason I give 4 stars. Study Bible with no cross-references is a major weakness in my opinion.

Overall, I do like it a lot. If you want portable study BIble, then this is a great choice. But if you prefer condensed version of ESV Study Bible that is portable also, then consider ESV Student Study Bible or ESV Global Study Bible (the notes are the same as ESV Student Study Bible, but uses 2011 text edition).

12 people found this helpful

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Great ESV Study Bible

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

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I like the ESV version best and picked up this hard cover type to gain additional insight into the bible. Even though there are many online resources available I prefer to read a physical book when I can.

I liked that each book starts with intros that detail who, what and when they were written. Also, each book contains drawings and charts throughout that provide definitions and historical context applicable to the verses. At the bottom of each page are cross references and additional comments about the verses (similar to the Thompson Chain bibles). Like any good study bible this one has not only a concordance to search key words, but also a glossary to help define the words you read. Additionally, there are a number of interesting scholastic articles included at the back as well as full colored maps.

The only thing missing were red text when Jesus speaks in the New Testament and none of the drawings or charts in were in color. Not enough to knock off a star though.

This is a very nice, concise ESV study bible with lots of extras. I'd recommend it for anyone wanting to go deeper without having to surf all over the internet. This book has it all in one place between the front and back covers.

12 people found this helpful

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Concise (and definitely more compact) version of the ESV Study Bible

Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

The ESV Study Bible is a well-regarded and exhaustive study guide to the ESV translation. That original edition released in 2008. This "Concise Study Bible" represents the gleaning of key insights from that much-more-robust (and significantly larger) Bible, as well as from some of Crossway's other key study bibles (such as the Student Bible and the ESV Archaeology Study Bible), and also contains "hundreds of new notes" (according to the preface). It does still contain a fair number of time lines, maps, and charts, which are often some of the most helpful features of a study Bible.

In comparison with the original ESV Study Bible, the size is the first obvious difference. See my photos for some comparison shots. That original was barely carryable and wasn't really suited to be an everyday take-to-church Bible. This edition, on the other hand, is a very nice and usable size. As you can see from my interior photos, there are still a good number of text notes across the bottom of the page, but they've reduced their content somewhat. This Bible also sports a two-column design for the main Bible text, which saves a good bit of space and also allows a smaller font, which again helps pack more on a page. But it doesn't feel cramped or small. Gone also are the marginal cross-references to parallel texts, which again allows some significant space savings (though I miss those).

For those who find the ESV to be a go-to text, this Bible presents a very attractive and usable option for a scaled-back but still well-appointed study Bible.

6 people found this helpful

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An excellent study Bible to help me understand the “meaning of Scripture” …

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

The main reason I wanted this particular English Standard Version (ESV) study Bible is because I work with and prefer another version. When my sister and I sometimes discuss particular passages, I don’t always understand what she’s looking at. I purchased another study Bible for her, one she loves. What I was looking for in this particular Bible was something that wasn’t overwhelming, but not simplistic. For example, I don’t care for a lot of red highlighted text.

Each chapter has an introduction, similar to other study Bibles. It has a summary, giving me some background information, the setting, a “thematic summary,” some key themes for understanding, an outline and a period map. For example, in Kings one of the themes for understanding states “God’s gift of a good land” (1:1—2:1). If my sister is interested in discussing a particular individual or even in Kings, I’ll know where to focus my reading. What I have used in the past is the NKJV, which will help me during passage discussions. I can see this ESV will complement it.

There are numerous informative sidebars that offer up areas for either personal or group study, essentially suggestions for study. The ESV doesn’t try to guide study or reading quite like the NKJV. Instead, it helps me understand the meaning of the scripture, leaving the direction up to my own desires. I don’t attend a Bible study nor am I the Biblical scholar type, but do reference it frequently.

The back-matter is typical of what I’ve seen in both “regular” and study Bibles. There are full-color maps, a concordance, a glossary, as well as assorted references to articles and resources. For my purpose, as I mentioned, I wanted it as a reference, but I can easily see how valuable it would be as a personal study Bible. I can compare my version to what I see in this one, laying them side-by-side. I purchased my sister the Jeremiah Study Bible , but I love adding the ESV Concise Study Bible to my collection.

3 people found this helpful

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Decent, But Minimal?

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

I go back and forth with study Bibles. I realize there are good ones and they can be helpful. On the other hand, some of them aren't so good and the notes are not overly biblical. I also realize study Bibles are sort of a cash cow for publishers. Speaking of study Bibles, this "concise" Study Bible is just that: it's an ESV Study Bible shortened up a bunch. It has study notes, charts, and maps, but not a ton. Some of the notes are too simple/obvious. Some of the notes are fine; some I disagree with. The pages of this study Bible are pretty thin and there is some bleed (you can see the letters from the opposite page a little). The cover/binding doesn't feel terribly sturdy. If you want a minimalistic study Bible that's somewhat cheaply printed, this is that!

3 people found this helpful

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Good quality paper for the pages, clear printing, good quality in general.

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

I ordered three of these ESV bibles so that I could compare them and see which I like most. The bibles I ordered are the economy edition , the hardcover version , and the imitation leather bound version .

All three bibles seem to be printed on the same quality paper. The paper itself is that thin paper that they use when there are a lot of pages and they don't want the book to be unreasonable thick. Based on experience with other books, this is some excellent quality paper that will last a very long time. The printing is also excellent. It's clear and sharp. The images are also clear and sharp. Spot checking individual pages, all three bibles have the exact same content on the exact same pages on the exact same paper. The only real differences are the covers and the binding.

The paperback version has paperback binding while the other two have normal book binding. That means the hardcover and imitation leather bound versions are likely to last longer. The outside corners of the imitation leather bound version are cut into quarter circles (to match the covers), the other are square corners.

So.... which is better? The content being exactly the same, the decision is based purely on the binding. I really like leather bound books in general and the imitation leather bound version has a great look to it. That's the one I'd carry around for study groups and stuff. For home use, the hard cover wins. The paperback version has a very attractive price and great build quality, but paperback never last as long as book binding.

As for content - it's a bible. There are also lots of maps and other figures. I love the maps because they add so much context. I haven't found a color drawing/map yet.

One person found this helpful

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Delivers what it promises!

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2021

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )

This Bible is intended as a "first adult Bible" for my nephew who is 13. I chose it because I think the ESV translation is great and I hoped the study notes would help to make a few things easier for him to grasp when he's reading.

Overall, I'm really pleased with what this Bible delivers for just about $32. The imitation leather actually looks and feels pretty good. My own Bible is a covered in real leather, so I feel confident saying this is a pretty good low-cost alternative. Even the stitching around the edges is very nicely done.

The type is legible, but not overly generous, especially in the footnotes. I could use it myself, but I do feel good about giving this to someone with young eyes.

The Concise Study Bible includes a good number of introductory chapters, illustrations, charts, diagrams, and maps. Before Genesis, you'll find an introduction to "Daily Life in Israel in Old Testament Times" a couple of helpful charts comparing our Gregorian calendar to the Hebrew Calendar, and overall timeline of the Old Testament, and an Introduction to the Pentateuch. There are also introductions to the Historical Books, the Poetic and Wisdom Books, and the Prophetic Books. Likewise, the New Testament includes introductions to the Gospels and Acts and the Epistles.

Every individual book also begins with a high-level timeline and a page or two describing the background, setting, themes, and an overall outline of the book. The few introductions I sampled seemed responsibly written and researched.

My favorite addition is the numerous maps sprinkled throughout. There are probably almost 200 maps throughout this Bible highlighting various geographic interests, travel routes, and neighboring kingdoms. There are also 21 illustrations included, all of which are all well done, and a few of which are nice 2-page spread illustrations that really help to clarify certain architectural features or details.

At the end you'll find a glossary and concordance, as well as 6 full color maps of the ancient world.

In summary, I think this Concise Study Bible packs a lot of helpful content in a compact and affordable Bible. I'll be giving this to my nephew with high confidence that it will help him with daily reading and serious Bible study for a long time.

One person found this helpful

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5 star		87%
4 star		8%
3 star		2%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

ESV Concise Study Bible™ (TruTone, Brown)

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