ESV Thinline Bible (TruTone, Charcoal, Crown Design) Customer reviews

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ESV Thinline Bible (TruTone, Charcoal, Crown Design) Review

ESV Thinline Bible (TruTone, Charcoal, Crown Design) Review by doxtorray (Glendale, AZ)

I have been waiting for an ESV that had enough room for copious notes. The "Journalling Bible" was not it (the type was too small and thus the space for notes on each verse was limited). The "Deluxe Reference Bible" came close, but had margins that were just a bit miserly.

The "ESV Single Column Reference Bible" is an excellent bible for study. The ESV translation is one of the best, and the page arrangement of this version is ideal for taking notes (and there is some room for adding to the cross-references, if one desires to do so).

The TruTone cover is a nice artificial calfskin; it is so supple and soft that you will feel decadent. Two buddies who borrowed or handled mine actually commented that they wished they could afford such a nice Bible. I didn't get it to induce covetousness, but it is nice to know that SOMETHING I own might be droolworthy.

This is a fine Bible, but not perfect.

The "Single Column Reference Bible" is just two strokes off par. These have been mentioned by others, but I think deserve acknowledgment:

First and foremost, the pages are indeed thin. One particular example of this is that the bleed-through of printing from the back of each page actually is as dark as the (gray) paragraph marks on the page one is reading. I have had Bibles that had thinner pages, and one can adapt to them. Still, I am approaching the age at which I appreciate any eyesight help that I can get.

In addition, the type is a bit harder to read than that of the "Deluxe Reference Bible," being both smaller and less heavy.

Had this Bible used the paper of the "Deluxe Reference Bible," I think I would have little to criticize (except, of course, the unwieldly thickness it would then possess).

As it is, I find myself using this Bible quite often for casual verse look-up, and generally carry it to church and bible study. The note-taking space seems to be most important to me in those venues. For most reading and at-home study, I still prefer the "ESV Deluxe Reference Bible."

If you really want a Bible with room to make plenty of lengthy notes, the Single Column Reference Bible will probably be satisfactory. However if you can get by with modest note-taking space, or if bleed-through from other pages really reduces readability for you, then you would probably prefer the "Deluxe Reference" over the "Single-Column Reference."

By the way, for any Bible (including this one) that has enough bleed-through to be annoying, you might find it useful to keep a couple of sheets of black paper tucked inside the Bible. If you put one of these behind the page you are reading, the print from the backside is much less noticeable (although the whole page will sort of look gray).

ESV Thinline Bible (TruTone, Charcoal, Crown Design) Review by Dan T (Bainbridge, n.y. United States)

Now that I am in my 50s I wanted a Bible that had larger print and I found it in the ESV large print edition. I bought the leather bound copy and it is a truly fine Bible. It comes with a ribbon marker (to keep the ribbon from fraying dab a little clear finger nail polish on the bottom half inch of both sides of the ribbon). The leather is stiff but will soften as it is held and also saddle soap can help. The 12.5 point font size is wonderful. It is so refreshing to read a Bible that is simply the Bible text and nothing else. There are translator notes which enhance the ESV but there are no cross references with this edition (which I am happy with). Just to sit and meditate on the pure text is something I wanted. The ESV comes in many fine variations- the Reformation Study Bible is terrific, their reference editions are also very fine. As far as being a good translation- this is bound to give the NIV, the NAS and the NKJV a real run for the money. I find it is elegant, precise and reverent. All in all, this is worth every penny of investment to have a large print leather bound Bible which with a little care will be a treasured companion for life.

ESV Thinline Bible (TruTone, Charcoal, Crown Design) Review by W. Larry Enzor (Taylorville, IL USA)

I have been very impressed with the English Standard Version since its publication in 2001. Of the multitude of English translations of Scripture available, it may well be the best combination of accuracy, readability, and literary quality. Up until now, the one major disappointment, as many other reviewers have noted, has been the rather poor quality of publications in which it was available.
WIth this new edition of the Classic Reference Bible, it appears that Crossway has finally achieved the goal of providing a high quality ESV Bible. While the text, references, footnotes, maps, and concordance are identical to the already published Classic Reference Bible, there are, in my opinion, three unique improvements in this edition that commend it to anyone who loves and prefers this wonderful translation:
(1) The print type is larger, a 10.5 size (vs 9.5 in the original Classic Reference), which makes it easier to read. This is especially true with regards to the references and footnotes, which were practically illegible to my 40+ year old eyes.
(2) The wider margins allow notetaking, a real plus.
(3) While I don't claim to be a binding expert, it does appear that the binding used (at least on the genuine leather edition) is of a higher quality than on the original edition, which is a much needed improvement.
In summary, I would commend this edition of the ESV without qualification, unlike the earlier editions.

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