Tuesday, May 27, 2008

In Search of the Perfect Size Bible

I am thankful for the proliferation of Bible types today. Although, what will it be like in 25 years? Scary to think about.

With all of the versions, styles, colors, sizes, and editions, I have yet to settle on a favorite.

Right now, I use my ESV Thinline edition for just about everything.

I used to preach from my ESV Single Column Reference edition.

I read devotionally from my ESV Journaling Bible (so that I can take notes).

I carry my ESV Compact edition in my pocket if I need to.


I was super excited when the ESV Personal Size Reference edition came along. I have yet to get a copy.

The ESV Study Bible is coming soon!

How about you? Which edition suits your needs best?
Notice that I have started a poll on the right side-bar toward the bottom.

Bonus question just for fun: Pretend you are sitting at a table with the people at Crossway. They ask, "We want to design a Bible just for you. How can we serve you best?" How would you answer?

15 comments:

Brance said...

I use my ESV Thinline for almost everything these days. Sometimes I wish it had cross references, but then I remember that I like the "thinness" of this edition, and I can find most everything I need with the concordance and memory.

I do have a Compact Thinline Edition that I use when traveling because it will fit in my back pocket. Harder to read though, since it's so small.

pastor justin said...

Yes, the thinline size with cross references would be the "perfect" edition.

BoldLion said...

I have Thinline ones too! That is what I used the most and carry with me everywhere I go. I enjoy this one because most of our church family used this one, and I can look over to see where they are and pretty much follow where I am suppose to be reading and catch on from there. This does help me a lot.

I also do have Cross Reference one. I am glad for that, but I don't use that one a lot. Mostly the cross reference is in my head or I have written some down in my Thinline as I am eating His Word.

I am looking forward to ESV Study Bible and put that on the list of what I would love to get.

If I am at CrossWay, I would like for my thinline Bible to have "tacky fingers" to include with it, so that I can turn to the page that I needed it without blowing it.

Another thing that I would asked CrossWay, this would change a lot, but some might not want that. I would asked them to capitalize all the pronoun that is refering to God,Lord, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Like NKJV and NASB does.

Hungry to Eat His Word,
BoldLion ~ 'Guerite

Larry B said...

Compact Bible is the best because of its portability...it fits into a Bible holster that i have. It would be awesome if they would put a zipper on it instead of a slide-tab...it protects the Bible better.

Jerry said...

Since the good folks at Crossway state that they read every blog post related to the ESV, let me put in my request for a Smyth sewn Personal Reference Bible in black or brown goatskin with 2 (two) ribbons.

Anonymous said...

I would like to see a eight and one half by eleven version. Single column with lots of white space for notes.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to have a single column ESV, about 3.75″ x 5.75″ without chapter and verse numbers.

Anonymous said...

Since we've been co-linked on the ESV blog you may have already seen it, but my requirements are right here.
Oh, and welcome to my blogroll. :-)

Ryan Gill said...

Any? Mine would have to be a medium-sized leather-bound ESV Reformation Study Bible with red letters. I love that study Bible, but it is huge to carry around in its current state.

pastor justin said...

I had no idea someone at Crossway would actually see this post. Yet another reason I love this publisher: they listen.

So, since they are listening, I'll go ahead and make my desires known:

I wonder if it would be possible to make the Personal Reference Edition a little bigger. Not thicker, just a little taller. If you compare the thinline and the Personal Reference, the PR is an inch or two shorter. If it was the same height as the Thinline, you would be able to have larger type.
If this would work, you would have a Bible a little thicker than the thinline that has cross-references (and single column).

To preach from, I've got to have at least 9 point font.

Robert Ivy said...

I love my ESV thinline. I really just have one request that has yet to be met in any Bible. When I do a Bible Reading Plan, I never read through the Bible from just one place at a time. In fact, usually I read the Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan that goes from four places in Scripture at one time.

Yet all the Bibles that come with ribbons for bookmarks just come with one ribbon. I can never figure out what to do with just one one ribbon. If I could get a Bible with four ribbons, that would be ideal.

I also like the single-column format that ESV just came out with. It makes it seem more like a real book and not just a reference volume.

Anonymous said...

I use an ESV Single Column Reference more than anything. I also have a compact edition that I keep in my briefcase.

I would love to see Kirkbride release a Thompson Chain Reference Bible in the ESV. The closest they have now is a NASB 1977 edition.

Anonymous said...

The perfect Bible would combine the ESV translation, the Crossway cordovan calfskin cover with smyth sewn binding, in the same format and font as Zondervan's NIV Classic Reference Bible.

Crossway has perfected fine bindings and has a superior translation, but they have yet to produce a large, easily readable font in a medium sized Bible. Zondervan's NIV Classic Reference Bible is hands-down, the best center column reference Bible format on the market. It is almost a large-print font and yet the overall size of the Bible is as compact as the ESV Classic Reference Bible (whose font is a bit small). A text as good as the ESV deserves a large readable font.

Thank you for the opportunity to share my opinion.

Mark Ward said...

The perfect Bible...

Cambridge ESV, single-column, paragraph format, chapter and verse numbers set off on the outer column, wide margins optional.

I've seen just one Bible with the chapter and verse numbers taken out of the text and put in the margin, and it's an old New English Bible from the 70s. The IBS has a TNIV edition without any chapter or verse numbers (thebooksofthebible.info), and I like the format very much for reading, but I'd love to have the verses somewhere for reference.

Mark Ward

P.S. And count me in for having the words of Christ in red. I think it's simply a visual help; I know the words aren't to be invested with more authority than the rest of the Bible.

markandlauraward DOT COM / blog

Anonymous said...

If a RED LETTER edition was offered for EVERY Bible already available, I would have my perfect Bible (for my teenager)

His requirements:
ESV
Red Letter
BROWN (not Burgandy)
font type at least 9pt better 10pt or up to 12
double column
1 - 1.25 inch thick max
6"X9" give or take
Beginning of line Numbered verses (for easy finding)

My requirements:
Decent binding
less than $50 if possible
decent page thickness