Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Amplified Holy Bible, eBook: Captures the Full Meaning Behind the Original Greek and Hebrew

Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2015

I have always loved the Amplified Bible and so was excited when I saw that it had been revised for 2015 and a new edition released. What a disappointment! Now in writing this review I need to clarify: if you have never read the Amplified Bible and have thus not yet been blessed by the way it brings Scripture alive, then you may love this Bible. On the other hand, if you are familiar with the Amplified Bible, it is possible that this will be a disappointment, as I found it. My reasons are: Firstly, the amplifications have in cases been changed to be descriptions rather than amplifications of the original meaning of the text. While this was also true to a lesser degree in the original Amplified, the number and depth of the amplifications in the original really brought the Scripture meaning to life and drove home the truth of that Scripture in a way no other version did. Secondly, as happened with the Amplified Cross-Reference and the Joyce Meyer edition, Zondervan (or someone) has chosen to leave out the wonderful Amplified Bible Concordance! What a waste. How can they say that the Amplified Bible enriches Bible study and leave out a core Bible study tool. In my view, the original Amplified had the best concordance ever in a Bible - bar none! This version has no Concordance and, thirdly, no maps! Again, why are these being omitted. I would have liked to have given this Bible only two or even one star as I was so disappointed. I have given it three because, as noted above, those not familiar with the Amplified Bible might actually love it. However, to my mind Zondervan has consistently failed to bring this wonderful Bible to life and to realise its potential as a core Bible study tool. It should always have cross references, its fantastic concordance and of course maps. So, lovers of the original Amplified - hang on to them because they will be like gold in the future. Looking now at my Amplified Topical Reference Bible [ASIN:0310925037 Amplified Topical Reference Bible] I realise what a treasure it is. And for those considering this Amplified, please check out the Topical Reference version before you buy this one. And please Zondervan - the Amplified Bible deserves much better than this.

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MINDY BYINGTON

It reads fine. What I don't like is that it totally ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2016

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It reads fine. What I don't like is that it totally changes a lot of the older Amplified Version. When you've studied the older one and planted it in your life, this version doesn't cut it, especially the Book of John, Chapter 14, and Matthew, Chapter 6, some of Proverbs. I'm back to my old Amplified!

51 people found this helpful

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MuggleMom

Very disappointed in the translation

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2020

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The book itself was fine and the large print was readable. My problem is with the translation.

I love my New Living Translation, especially for reading to kids because I don't have to explain every other word. But I wanted a study Bible for me that was more word for word accurate. I chose this Bible because I loved how the amplifications enhanced the meaning. I loved how deep and beautiful they sounded. However, I thought the amplifications would all be in either brackets or parentheses so I would still have an accurate translation. Then I read the first few verses of Genesis.
Verse 4:
4 God saw that the light was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it; and God separated the light [distinguishing it] from the darkness.

The "and" before "He affirmed and sustained it" is italicized in the Bible. The footnote says students of Hebrew will recognize that the words following "and" are an amplification. I was disappointed that this amplification was only distinguished as not actual scripture by the italicized "and." What really bothered me is there were many places throughout the Bible that I found very quickly that had italicized words and words that followed them but no where else did I see it explained that it was an amplification. So unless someone looks at the footnote for Gen 1:4, they will not realize what is written in as scripture really is not. It's just someones pretty words. Even worse, I found other places where there were italicized words and those words were apparently the amplification, not the words following them, again with no acknowledgment in the footnotes. I had to pull out my other Bibles to compare.

I was so disappointed. Instead of getting a more word for word accurate study Bible with amplifications delineated in the text, the amplifications make it less accurate and very difficult to distinguish actual scripture.

I returned this book and purchased an English Standard Version large print study Bible. It is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Could not be happier with the English Standard Version.

8 people found this helpful

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Cristine Shea

I have used and loved the Amplified version of the Bible for years but ...

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2016

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I have used and loved the Amplified version of the Bible for years but mine was falling apart. The one I have now, which I bought locally, had the Joyce Meyer cover. It was the only one available at my bookstore at that time. It was a little embarrassing to have JOYCE MEYER in huge type on the front as if she wrote it and God was only making a special appearance, but I actually found I enjoyed her commentary. I would have bought Joyce again but it is the old version so would have all the same commentary. I studied and studied trying to figure out how large the lettering is in the different versions. That information is not readily available in the description. I would have preferred the faux leather bound but it was only offered as a compact size with 7.1 type font. Too small, I figured. Another reviewer said the Large Print was really gigantic and I don't need large print anyway. So my Bible arrived today and it is 8 point which was a disappointment. I thought it would be 10 point, the same size type as the Joyce, which is much easier to read. But, oh well ... so 2 stars because it will be harder to read than my old Bible and I would have liked that information before I purchased. I'm not sure I would have bought it if I had known. However, 5 stars for the Amplified translation. I'm looking forward to digging into the revised 2015 version.

19 people found this helpful

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Mangomark

Zondervan sucks

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2019

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It may not be Christian to tell somebody they suck but if the shoe fits wear it. This Bible is an abomination. Such a holy book should be presented in a form that will lay a lifetime. The cover is plastic. No better than what you’d get from your bank when you open a checking account. The paper is cheap. Really cheap. This Bible won’t last a few years. I am thoroughly disappointed. This publisher isn’t interested in presenting God’s Word. They are all about the profits. Do not purchase.

14 people found this helpful

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The Old Klingon

Makes the Greek and Hebrew understandable.

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2018

Verified Purchase

I use 5 different versions of the Bible to study from. This Bible is faithful to the original (accepted academically) texts and supplements the meaning of the original Greek and Hebrew words with a liberal amount of modern day synonyms to make the meaning of the original text clear and understandable to our modern idiom. It makes it easy for an old country boy like me to understand what the bible is saying. I highly recommend it. It just might turn out to be your favorite bible. Hope this helps with your decision.

13 people found this helpful

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J. Roberts

New Amplified Bible

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2015

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This product is a great refinement to a wonderful tool. It is much easier to understand than its two counterparts (1965 & 1987 Editions). Not only has the language been simplified, but there are more bracketed information to help explain. For example, in Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God (Elohim) created (by forming from nothing)......" Neither the 1965 nor the 1987 included the bracketed (parenthesis) term Elohim. There are stars by Elohim and created to let you know there are explanations for both of them at the bottom of the page. Many....many more changes are included.
I wrote this review and now I need to go back and edit it. I was looking through it and discovered something that some people may not like. If you have loved the Amplified for years, then you will eventually discover this problem or whatever you might want to call it. 1 John 5:7 has been taken out of this version of the Amplified. Most modern versions don't have this verse in them, but the Amplified has always carried it. For anyone who wants to jump my case and tell me its not in the originals, then ok, we have the disclosure in here now. Some of us liked having the questionable verses in there. I am not against modern versions. I believe that the Psalm 145:13 extra part should be in all Bibles. The extra part reads, "The Lord is faithful in all His words and gracious in all His actions."(HCSB) The ESV, NIV, and HCSB all have the extra part. The KJV, NKJV, NASB, Amplified, NET, and many others don't contain this part. Research shows that it should probably be in the text. All parts of the chapter represent a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. Without this part "nun" would be missing. To understand this one would have to research and read about it.
The 1 John 5:7 material was in verse 8 of the 1965 version and was moved to verse 7 in the 1987 edition.

48 people found this helpful

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Gary Honodel

compact size, easy for carrying

Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2020

Verified Purchase

I ordered this & another Bible recently because I wanted to look at some different translations. This is a small, or compact, size so for travelling I think it would be good. But one thing to be aware of is that since this is a 'compact' edition the print is small. I'm in my 60's and it's not so small I can't read it OK even with 'old dude eyes' but if you prefer large print you'll want to look for a different version. Can't fully speak to the Amplified Translation aspect quite yet. If that is a translation you know, or if you're looking for something not KJV this could well suit your purpose.

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Dr. David L. Arnold

The Amplified Bible is probably the best translation

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2017

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The Amplified Bible is probably the best translation for understanding what the Ancient Hebrew and Greek languages were actually intending based upon our modern English. The only one that I've found to be better is an Interlinear Bible contains the original language parallel to the English translation; even with that you still have to use a Strongs Dictionary to see what the actual words meant. The Amplified Bible does a lot of that for you. The large print, and leather cover are well done and make for easy reading. The low price is also very nice benefit.

3 people found this helpful

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Rob Not

Author Opinion and Interpretation Exceeds Mere Translation

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2020

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This is a readable bible, but it goes beyond just providing as close to original translation from original languages. It also adds much modern opinion with interpretation by the authors. In particular, it asserts forward references in the Old Testament to New Testament concepts such as the Trinity and Christ as the Messiah. For example Gen 1:26 it presumes "Us" to mean Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; and in Psalm 45 references to "the king" is presumed to mean Jesus. Other bibles do not do this, and I find New Revised Standard Version to be a better, purer translation without extrapolated author opinion that speculatively attempts to link the Old Testament to the New Testament.

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5 star		86%
4 star		7%
3 star		2%
2 star		1%
1 star		3%

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