I sometimes find it a difficult task reviewing a Bible. I'm not fond of niche Bibles such as a Women's Study Bible or a Men's Study Bible, etc. All of Scripture speaks to all people at all seasons of life. Still, there is a place for Bibles with notes and comments of men and the ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God is one of those.

There are negatives and positives in every work of this kind. Allow me to point out a few on both sides:

-It is heavy. At 3 1/2 lbs. I don't think the average reader will want to carry it back and forth to church or Bible study. For some folks this is of no consideration. For others, like me, it is a decision factor to be weighed in the purchase. But it is not a deal breaker.

- My humble impression is that many of the notes are over-simplified - almost like a "Study Bible Lite." Information in the notes is dead on but the language employed could be more refined. Again, this may not be a deal breaker based on other factors.

Positives, yes we have them.

-This is still the rich ESV text. Widely used in Christendom today, its easy to read and understand.

-It would be very useful as a personal study Bible. Though its weight may prohibit it from being an everyday carry Bible, it would be exceptional for home study. I'm thinking especially of a new Christian or one who is new to the Reformed faith. There are wide margins for personal notes, plenty of maps as we have come to expect and enjoy from Crossway, and a great fold out section that lays out the Redemption story.

Overall, the ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God would be a well spent purchase for those inexperienced in the Redemption Story found in Scripture. RBC gives it a hearty four stars!

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page. ( )

This is an amazing Bible, unlike anything I have, and I have a lot of Bibles! I love so many things about this special Bible and all the extras that are a part of it.

The first thing that really caught my attention and helped my aging eyes was the cream colored paper that this is written on. It makes it so much easier to read and add the very readable text and I was just thrilled with being able to read for a long period of time without my eyes getting tired, like they do when I read my regular Bible. The typeset is a very comfortable one to read and seems a little bolder than my other Bibles. This made it so much easier to read! I also like that I could highlight this Bible without bleed-through. I had a bit of shadowing with my purple highlighter, but not enough to bother me. This paper is just exquisite, in my opinion!

I loved the fold-out timeline in the back. I found it so helpful to see this all laid out for me so I could see events of the Bible in a simple way. It really helped me to understand when the events happened. Again, the timeline was super easy for me to read and understand.

I liked that each book of the Bible has an introduction to explain what I would be reading in that book. It really clarified things for me and helped me before getting started in that book. Plus, there are notes throughout the Bible explaining things in a deeper way. These were so easy to understand and made my Bible reading more enjoyable because I had a clearer understanding of what I was reading.

There is a lovely ribbon stitched in the Bible for keeping your place, which I really enjoy. Plus the stitching of the Bible pages is so nice! It's so clearly a Bible that has been well thought out and has been given great care in putting it together. The ESV translation is so easy to understand, which is also a huge plus.

I love everything about this Bible and it has now become a part of my quiet time as it has so much information right at my fingertips plus it's easy for me to read. I highly recommend this Bible and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

*This Bible was provided to me by Crossway. I received a copy of this Bible to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this Bible. ( )