The Nelson Study Bible

Thomas Nelson Publishers, Hardcover, $39.99

ISBN 0840714475

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Complete Bible for Study

A really good study Bible has certain things to aid students of Scripture, not just a few extras at the front and back. You can look for word studies, summaries of the books of the Bible, commentary notes and near the verses they apply to, cross references, a concordance, and maps of Bible lands at various times throughout Bible history.

Recently published, The Nelson Study Bible has all of these plus a few more. Based on the NKJV, it was ten years in development. This version was edited under the general direction of Dr. Earl D. Radmacher who gives a helpful how-to article with the methodology and approach of the work as a whole. In addition to the editors for the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Ronald B. Allen and Dr. H.Wayne House, numerous other scholars contributed to the notes and commentary.

Looking at the Introductions to two very different Bible books (Micah and Ephesians), readers will see the same general outline of material: Author and Date, Historical Setting, Themes, and Outlines. Ephesians also has a section on Recipients. The commentary is conveniently shown at the bottom of the page where the applicable verse appears.

Readers will also appreciate having a Subject Index in addition to the large bound-in Concordance. Many subjects are treated in sections called "WordFocus" where a word is pulled out and treated near its occurrence. For example, the word Abba is defined near Mark 14:36 where Jesus is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Any review of the Nelson Study Bible should note its basic tenet: there is only one interpretation of Scripture (what the writer intended with the vocabulary he used), but there are many applications to life. A good study Bible helps readers on both counts, and this one does. It is available in many colors and bindings with thumb indexing in some editions.