Book Review: Apply The Word Study Bible
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Book Review: Apply The Word Study Bible
I am thrilled to offer you a review of the Apply The Word Study Bible, (2016, Thomas Nelson, Inc) to which I am giving four stars.
This study bible with New King James scripture has many great features to aid in your daily devotions or as a tool in organized bible study. You will periodically find “application notes” which apply scriptural principles to modern-day situations. For example, in Nehemiah 4:7 there is a note about “when you’ve been left behind” referring to neglected communities and applies Nehemiah’s return to and repair plans for Jerusalem to urban renovation projects. Similarly there is a box Romans chapter 12 entitled “Three Invitations to Serve” which summarizes the scriptures’ call to service. I found these notes very encouraging. Several of these boxes end with a “more” or “think about it” notes which are certainly helpful to direct meditation if you are just reading through a book or passage.
There are several great charts, such as prophecies of the Messiah from the Psalms and the names of God in Isaiah 41. This is a very effective way to present information that’s spread throughout a long book, or even over several books of the bible. Profiles of both cities and key people are included and are often interrelated. Some of the profiles even refer to unnamed persons which I found especially fascinating.
Functionally, the binding seems strong and the review copy is in hardback (I did find this available at CBD and Amazon in imitation leather as well) so it certainly feels like it will last. Binding has been an issue I’ve experienced with other Thomas Nelson study bibles so it’s something I want to check before buying or recommending one. The dust cover shows a “Guaranteed for life” logo which I researched at www.nelsonbibles.com/guarantee and learned the company does offer lifetime replacement for manufacturers defects and surely the binding would fall under that category. They have replaced a bible for me in the past.
There are a couple of improvements I would suggest. First, there is no ribbon marker, which seems like a small thing, but it’s something we’re accustomed to in bibles and a very nice extra. Also, the font in this study bible is a little on the small side. Perhaps that’s not something I would have noticed a few years ago, but even with reading glasses today, I noticed the size. Now, the book is a great size that fits well in your hand and a larger font would necessitate a larger book size so that would be a trade off if the publisher considered a change.
Overall, I would enthusiastically recommend this book for your next study bible.
Thomas Nelson, the publisher of Apply The Word Study Bible supplied a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and impartial review.