Review of a New Version of the Bible


ISBN: 9781401675141


I had been looking for an updated, both-testament version of a Bible I have had for years: the Thomas Nelson Word in Life Study Bible. Then I found one, but was quickly put off when I read a review on amazon.com that said that The Modern Life Study Bible was just a repackaging of the earlier one. I took a leap of faith and bought it anyway because other reviewers were describing something much broader. It did not disappoint. Not only have the editors dispensed with the (frankly) lame line drawings of people and the simplistic maps, but the resources are myriad and excellent. Its themed sidebars are useful and current, the maps are topographical and clear, key verses are listed and summaries provided at the start of each book, and better and more biographies of relevant people are included. The preface also better addresses translation issues and editorial style choices used in this version. The appendices are expanded, and the typesetting and overall design is much cleaner. The editors even explain the use of italicized vs. oblique words: the former used for words needing some translation allowances and the latter for NT passages seen in the OT. I recommend The Modern Life Study Bible: God's Word for Our World (NKJV). And no, I am not being paid to do this review. (Can you picture the winky face accompanying that sentence?) I just felt led to share a good thing.
A suggestion to all Bible publishers, however: for those of us with terrible memories for the exact order of 66 serial items, could someone PLEASE print the list of the OT and NT books and their page numbers on in the inside of the front and back covers?

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