Oh, no, not another Bible! There are myriad manifestations on the market already, including cause-oriented editions like the Green Bible [Editors note: the original URL (link) referenced in this article is no longer valid, so the link has been removed.] and The Poverty and Justice Bible, Bibles that aim at affinity groups like The Golfer’s Bible and The Orthodox Study Bible, and “authorized” versions named after MacArthur, Blackaby,  Stanley,  Ryrie, and Maxwell. [Editors note: Some of the original URLs (links) referenced in this article are no longer valid, so the links have been removed.] There are also several general-audience, translation-based study Bibles that have found a prominent place on bookshelves and desks, including the best-selling NIV Study Bible and the Life Application Study Bible. Is there room on the shelf for another? The ESV Study Bible makes its debut in a market glutted with niche Bibles, but has a long list of enthusiastic endorsements, so it is worth a look.

TEXT AND TOOLS
The ESV Study Bible’s text, of course, is the English Standard Version translation. Published in 2001 by Crossway, “the ESV is the fasting-growing Bible in publication today, with worldwide unit sales having quadrupled over the past three years. A distinguished team of more than 100 Bible scholars and teachers worked for nearly four years to create the ESV Bible. Based on precise comparison with the original language texts and manuscripts, the ESV is a ‘word-for-word’ Bible translation that skillfully combines accuracy and literary beauty” (ESV-SB Blog).

Now the popular ESVtext is accompanied by an impressive array of features that will help any Bible student more fully enjoy and engage the text. An informative and attractive website lists some of the ESV-SB’s primary features. I’ll list the features, and then comment on my reaction to each of these as I’ve looked through my own copy.

• 2 million words of Bible text and insightful teaching in 2,752 pages.

The ESV-SB weighs in at over four pounds, but that’s no surprise considering the list of heavyweights the editors have assembled as contributing scholars.

• 20,000 notes—focusing especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues.I would describe the excellent notes as clear, concise, and theologically conservative. The layout of the notes is aesthetically pleasing, with color highlights to help offset comments according to their corresponding Scripture sections. The notes include general summaries of chapters of larger passages as well as verse-specific commentary. Occasionally, the footnotes will include helpful charts such as “The Trinity in Romans 8” on page 2171, which highlights verses in Romans 8 that mention each member of the Godhead, or related maps such as the one near 2 Kings 15 that points out the ministry locations of the prophets of Israel and Judah. To see samples, click on these books of the Bible: Esther, Psalms, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Luke, Ephesians, Colossians, Revelation, or the whole book of Jonah or 1 John. Finally, I have found the notes especially helpful when I’m praying through the Psalms.

• Over 50 articles—including articles on the Bible’s authority and reliability; on biblical archaeology, theology, ethics, and personal application.

As a pastor, I’m thrilled to see the wealth of articles the ESV-SB offers on theology and its application to everyday life. If the folks in my church have this Bible in hand or at home, I can point them to articles that help them find answers to their questions or further annotate a point I’ve made in a sermon or lesson. I can envision the ESV-SB and its articles being used as the textbook for lay ministry training class and equipping elders, deacons, teachers, small group leaders and other church leaders. I was particularly pleased with the article explaining “God’s Plan of Salvation” because it first described the big picture of salvation by rehearsing the theatrical drama of Creation, Rebellion, Redemption, and Consummation, and then filled in the theological details by “addressing the questions of God, man, Christ, the response, and the result” (page 2501). This approach helps bring together two approaches to the Bible: those who emphasize the Bible as story and those who focus on its systematic theology.

• 200-plus charts—offering key insights and in-depth analysis in clear, concise outline form; located throughout the Bible.

These are good to help the reader get a grip on the gobs of information that is sometimes packed into a passage such as: “The Generations of Genesis,” “Chronology of Noah’s Time in the Ark,” “Five Major Offerings,” “Grades of Uncleanness,” “Positions and Duties of the Levites,” “The Parables of Jesus,” “The Humiliation and Exaltation of Christ,” “NT Guidelines for Giving,” “Harmony of the Events of Holy Week,” and so many more. Then there are some great “big picture” charts, including “The ‘Bookends’ of Biblical Theology,” “The Hebrew Calendar Compared to the Modern Calendar,” “The Already and Not Yet of the Last Days,” and others.

• Over 200 full-color maps—created with the latest digital technology, satellite images, and archaeological research; printed in full color throughout the Bible, plus 40 all-new illustrations—including full-color renderings and architectural diagrams of the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, Solomon’s temple, Herod’s temple, the city of Jerusalem in Jesus’ time and throughout the history of Israel, and many more.The artwork throughout the ESV-SB is beautiful. Nicely done.

• 80,000 cross-references—to encourage easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes.These are particularly handy in the online version, toward which I happily turn our attention.

THE ESV STUDY BIBLE ONLINE
Perhaps my favorite feature of the new ESV-SB is the free online version that is available to everyone who purchases their own hard copy. The hardback version that I have weighs over four pounds and has almost 3000 pages, which even with thin Bible pages is a ton to tote around. But with the online version of the ESV-SB, you get access to everything contained in the print version, plus a few extra features that print can’t provide:

• All of the Bible references (including cross references and those in the notes) are linked. That means you get two features: first, when you hover your cursor over the reference, the verse shows up in a “pop up” window, and then if you want to go to that passage in its context, you can get there with one click.

• All of the study notes, which in the print version are found at the bottom of the page, are on the right side of the Bible text in their own column. So, if you want notes on a particular verse, you only have to glance to the right instead of hunting for the corresponding note at the bottom of the page.

• With the click of your mouse you can listen to the audio of the passage you are studying. This may come in handy for folks who have trouble reading or even for English as a Second Language students learning to read.

• Another noteworthy feature is the “My Notes” column on the left side of the Bible text. You can type in your own commentary and save it for later.

• You may also enjoy the highlighter feature when allows you to select any amount of text and highlight it with one of five bright colors.

• All of the articles, maps, and charts are readily available for viewing and also have the Scripture references “hot linked” for quick study.
• It gives my-big-fat-study-Bible portability. I’m going to leave my hard copy at home for the family to use during family worship and Bible study with the kids. I’ll use the online edition everywhere else.

Once again, the folks at Crossway have made it easy for you to sample these features at their website: “Click here for an overview with screenshots; or feel free to go directly to the Gospel of Matthew and explore for yourself.” And if you have more questions, you can read the Frequently Asked Questions About the Online Version at their blog.

With solid study notes, attractive maps and drawings, informative charts, impressive articles, and the addition of the interactive online version, I’d say there is plenty of room on the shelf for the ESV Study Bible. Within days of its release on October 15 Crossway reported that it had sold all 100,000 copies of its initial printing and was ordering a second and third printing of 50,000 each. I’m sure the ESV Study Bible will become a long-loved resource for professors, pastors, and parishioners alike.

Jimmy Davis is the associate editor of Worldview Church and pastor of Riverside Church in Knoxville, Tenn. He also maintains The Cruciform Life Blog.

[Editors note: Some of the original URLs (links) referenced in this article are no longer valid; those links have been removed.]