The Positives of the ESV Study Bible

The Maps! If you like maps, this is your Bible. Most Study Bibles have maps, especially in the back of the Book. But, this study Bible is map-paradise. There are maps in the back, but also in the front of each book placing the book in location. Not only that but there are maps in the study notes at the bottom of the page, and they are in color. So, if you are talking about a battle, in the notes there will be a map of the area and arrows showing the movement of each side. If there is a journey, a map will chart the course.

The Charts! I'm a "chart-girl." At least my girlfriend used to call me that. There are charts, charts, charts: genealogies, charts of kings, charts of all the mentions of a word or phrase in a book (such as how many time The Spirit of the Lord is mentioned), charts of percentages, etc.

The Historical/Archaeological Corroboration: Events are put into their historical setting. For example, the book of Nahum is a prophecy against the Assyrians, and the author names the rulers of Assyria with their dates of reign, the affliction they brought against Israel, and the significance historically. The study notes often list archaeological corroboration. For example, in I Kings 14:25-26 the note tells that "a monumental relief of the Bubastite Portal of the main temple of Amon...catalogs, town by town, Shishak's military incursion into Israel and Judah. The Karnak relief provides striking verification of the biblical account."

The literary significance: At the beginning of each book there is a section titled "Literary Features." This section clearly talks about the genre of the book and some literary features employed by the author, holding each book up as some of the world's great literature.

Possible Negatives:

Each book of the Bible has a different author/s for the notes; some authors seem more conservative than others. (This is also one of this Study Bible's great strengths because dozens of theologians are writing in their area of specialization.) For example, there is a note in Genesis arguing that the flood did not have to be worldwide.

Prophecy: Your view of future prophecy may differ. For example, the notes in the book of I Thessalonians do not use the term "Rapture" but instead the "Second Coming of Christ." However, the notes in Revelation do delineate the various viewpoints on end-time prophecy. There are diagrams/timelines showing future events from the various schools of interpretation including Dispensational Premillennialism, Historical Premillennialism, Preterists Schools, Idealist School, etc. Then there are more charts discussing various ideas on the Millennium.

Overall I think this Study Bible is worth it for the maps and charts alone. The colored graphics for the Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple, and Herod's Temple (not to mention of the city of Jerusalem) are outstanding. Even if you disagree on the some of the comments on prophecy, this would be a great reference book to have on your shelf. I thought the notes were very helpful in linking events to their historical setting. ( )

For most of my Christian life I have always been NIV-positive. Someone introduced the ESV Study Bible to me about a year ago and I haven't reverted back to my NIV Bible ever since. I have understood that the ESV is a revised version of the RSV and perhaps the most accurate English translation of the Bible to date. Similar to the Tyndale English Bible, it captures both the thought-for-thought and word-for-word translation better than any other English version. This study version has excellent commentary from notable Bible scholars, theologians, and seminary professors throughout the English speaking world. I highly recommend this study Bible to any Christian ready to dig deeper into God's Word. ( )

My husband gave me the ESV Study Bible as a present for our anniversary... And what a wonderful edition this is! I got the calfskin cover in Cordovan, but that's only a wonderful side note because what matters is the great translation and the study notes that I am looking forward to perusing and testing :) The print is crisp, and it is a pleasure to handle this bible. I am very happy with it! ( )

The ESV is an excellent bible translation, accurate and yet more readable than some of its literal translation counterparts.

The commentary ("study") part of this bible is excellent as well, and far more thorough than any other that I've encountered. it takes a generally conservative evangelical approach in the commentary. ( )

Basic Review: The ESV study Bible is a fine Study Bible for those seeking a solidly readable and solidly translated Bible with brief commentary on the text. This work gives a solid interpretation of key Bible passages in the footnotes. It is Reformed leaning in the study notes but is certainly not a Reformed Study Bible. One often stated detraction of this translation is that many of those opposed to Reformed theology, particularly the Calvinistic branch, have come to believe that this translation twists all foot notes towards the Calvinistic Reformed perspective. This simply is not true.The study note on John 3:16 proves this point. Let me quote that section here.

John 3:16 Here is the most famous summary of the gospel in the entire Bible. For connects to v. 15 and explains what happened to make it possible that someone can “have eternal life” (v. 15), that is, through believing in Christ. God so loved the world was an astounding statement in that context because the OT and other Jewish writings had spoken only of God's love for his people Israel. God's love for “the world” made it possible for “whoever” (v. 15) believes in Christ, not Jews alone, to have eternal life. God's love for the world was not mere sentiment but led to a specific action: he gave his only Son, which John elsewhere explains as sending him to earth as a man (v. 17) to suffer and die and thereby to bear the penalty for sins (see note on 1 John 2:2; cf. Rom. 3:25). On “only Son,” see note on John 1:14, which contains the same Greek phrase. The purpose of giving his Son was to make God's great gift of eternal life available to anyone—to whoever believes in him, that is, whoever personally trusts in him (see note on 11:25). Not perish means not perish in eternal judgment, in contrast to having eternal life, the life of abundant joy and immeasurable blessing in the presence of God forever. Those who “believe in” Christ have that “eternal life” and already experience its blessings in this present time, not yet fully, but in some significant measure (ESV Study Bible, all rights reserved).

So here is the famous passage that those who lean towards Arminianism, Pelagianism, and the various forms of modern "evangelical" thought use as a chief proof text for their man-centered view of salvation resulting from man's profession of faith. Th ESV footnotes avoids the issue of defining the whosoever. If this where a hyper or super Reformed study bible it would rightly state that the word for world or kosmos is reference specifically including the elect outside of Israel that are part of God's redemptive community. This text does affirm Reformed tenets but does not do so outside of clearly definable biblical ideas. It is worth studying for theological considerations that are leaning towards that tradition. It is not a polemic for Reformed theology per se as deep as the Reformation Study Bible. Instead it is a polemic for Biblical theology and is a fine study Bible to go along with a wonderful translation.

PROS: Solid translation of the Scriptures. Wonderful Study Notes including great articles at the end of the Bible.

CONS: Could probably use more footnotes for variant readings and more cross references. ( )