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Customer Reviews for Crossway Books & Bibles ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black

Crossway Books & Bibles ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black

The ESV Study Bible includes more than 20,000 notes, written specifically for the ESV Study Bible. These notes focus especially on understanding the meaning of the text, giving answers to frequently raised questions, and providing theological, historical, and archaeological background—all for the purpose of helping readers to understand the Bible in a deeper way.

The ESV Study Bible also provides a wealth of additional resources. Thus the introductions to each book include essential information about the author, date, and place of writing; an extensive chart of key themes; a summary of how the book fits in with the rest of the biblical storyline; a description of literary features; an outline of the book; and a large full-color map showing the setting of the book.

Another unique feature is the inclusion of over 50 helpful articles on topics such as the authority and truthfulness of the Bible, reading the Bible for application, the Bible in worship and prayer, the reliability of the biblical manuscripts, the relationship between archaeology and the Bible, an overview of biblical theology, and many more.

Other key resources include a system of 80,000 cross references and a concordance (which together facilitate easy location of important words, passages, and biblical themes). In addition, over 200 color charts, located throughout the Bible, provide clear, concise presentations of essential information.

View a complete list of editors, contributors, and articles.

Features:
  • The ESV Bible text is set in highly readable 9-point type, in a single-column, book-text format.
  • Section summaries are highlighted for easy location throughout the notes. Summaries provide an overview of each main section and correspond to the outline shown in the introduction for each book.
  • Over 200 full-color maps printed throughout make events and places in the Bible come to life.
  • Over 25,000 notes focus especially on understanding the Bible text and providing answers to frequently raised issues. Words from the Bible text are printed in bold for easy reference.
  • Over 80,000 cross-references provide easy access to key words, passages, and themes throughout the Bible.
  • Numerous diagrams bring fresh understanding to key places and events in the Bible, based on the best, most recent historical and archaeological research.
  • Over 200 charts provide concise, “at a glance” summaries of important themes and teaching.
  • Presentation page
  • Family Record pages
  • Two Ribbon markers
  • Gold page edges
  • 9.75" x 7.00" x 2.25"
For Bible covers see our Extra-Large Bible Covers Store.
Average Customer Rating:
4.794 out of 5
4.8
 out of 
5
(277 Reviews) 277
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (277 reviews)
5 stars
237
4 stars
28
3 stars
8
2 stars
3
1 star
1
136 out of 14097%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Questions & Answers:
3 Questions | 4 Answers
Customer Reviews for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Review 1 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5

Good study notes and fine quality calfskin but...

Date:March 30, 2013
Customer Avatar
Eric
Quality: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Value: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
It's a good study bible with great notes and great quality calfskin but... I have to return it for the 2nd time because again both times something was wrong with it. But other than that it's a great quality bible.
0points
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Review 2 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

You're going to use it for life. Why not get it?

Date:April 19, 2013
Customer Avatar
Ruben Cardenas
Location:Corona, CA (U.S.A.)
Age:25-34
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I couldn't be happier with this edition of the ESV Study Bible. Well, maybe if it came with wide-margins but then it would be like carrying a child! Other than that, it's really a fine investment. If you're going to use such a marvelous resource as this—a good translation along with all the helpful commentary and top notch articles in the back—you should get it in a good quality leather. Feels and even smells wonderful!
0points
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Review 3 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Date:April 7, 2013
Customer Avatar
Stilokay
Age:45-54
Gender:female
I love this bible. It's easy to understand and easy to look for extra information about a particular text. I am not a bible expert, and the study guide, or explanation of almost every text, really help me absorb the information. I also like the introduction to every bible book. English is my second language, and I find that this bible is very easy to understand....
I am so happy that this bible is everything that I expected....
Thank YOU Lord,
Stilokay
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Review 4 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Non contender

Date:April 3, 2013
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Laymen
Location:KY
Age:25-34
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
1. This study bible is superbly constructed. The illustrations, outlines etc., page quality have no equal (especially in it's modest price range). The tru-tone quality is great and the Bible will lay flat right out of the box
2. The study notes in the ESV study Bible really are in a league of their own for a conservative Evangelical Protestant standpoint. Apart from wishing there was a red letter edition I would recommend anything from novice to theologian to purchase one of these Bibles.
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Review 5 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Exceeds my expectations!

Date:April 2, 2013
Customer Avatar
fWillow
Location:Bolingbrook, Illinois
Age:55-65
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I wanted an ESV Study Bible in fine leather. This is an heirloom Bible. Besides the fact that the Crossway ESV Study Bible is one of the best study bibles on the market, the workmanship and quality of this fantastic edition makes it worth twice the price. Can't go wrong with this one!
0points
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Review 6 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Awesome

Date:March 28, 2013
Customer Avatar
JMcN76
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
I had the ESV study Bible in the hardcover edition, but it was too cumbersome to carry around, so I picked up this TruTone edition instead--and it's great!
It's high quality imitation leather and the construction is sturdy which is a must because this Bible is loaded with info! I like that this edition has a placemarker as opposed to the hard cover version which does not.
The study notes are the best in the industry. You won't find better notes in a study Bible; you'd need an expositor's commentary to match it. In fact, a lot of times the notes seem to be condensed notes straight from my expositor's commentary!
If there is one negative about this Bible, it is that the pages are too thin for regular highlighters as with most other Bibles. But, with nearly 3000 pages, they would really go through some trees, so it's understandable. Regrettable, but understandable.
Get this Bible, though. It was a long search, but if you want a Bible that is an EXCELLENT translation of the original Hebrew and Greek, then look no more.
0points
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Review 7 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Date:March 25, 2013
Customer Avatar
Col Jan
Age:Over 65
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
A truly outstanding Study Bible at a very good price.
0points
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Review 8 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

A large Bible study library in one volume

Date:March 3, 2013
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Randy A Brown
Location:TN
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Crossway’s ESV Study Bible came out in 2008 and has been one of the most popular study Bibles on the market. With its vast amount of quality features, it’s not hard to understand why. With 20,000 notes and 50 articles, the scope of this Bible is so large that it seems to contain a full library of Bible study materials. It’s no wonder the list of contributor’s takes six pages. This Bible also included an extra surprise that I didn’t expect.
Cover and Binding
This edition is TruTone Brown Cordovan with Portfolio Design. It’s one of the nicest imitation leathers that I’ve seen. I love browns and tans for Bible covers and I especially love the look and feel of this one. It doesn’t feel cheap at all. It has an elegant look and a nice grain. The outer perimeter is stitched. The liner is a thick vinyl/paper that is also brown to match the cover.
The binding is Smyth sewn. It has no problem lying flat.
Paper and Print
The paper is 30 GSM. That sounds like it should be very thick paper, but it feels thinner than that to me with about average paper and opacity. There is some show-through, but it’s not bad at all.
The main font is Lexicon 9/10. The print is just the right amount of darkness and is very consistent. Headings are maybe an 8-point and are italic. The notes are much smaller. I’m just guessing, but maybe a 6-point.
Layout
The text is in single-column paragraph format. References are located on the inner margin and are keyed to the text with letters. They also include the verse numbers in bold, making them easy to find quickly. Translation notes are placed under the text and are keyed to the text with numbers. Commentary notes are in double-column format and appear under the translation notes. They show the verse number in bold. The notes also include the portion of text they key to in bold. Some notes have titles that are highlighted and in italics. These notes apply to large passages, spanning many verses.
At the top of the left page is the book name, chapter, and verse that starts on that page and on the right page is the book name, chapter, and verse of the last verse on the page. The color for highlights is an earth-tone tan/green. This color appears throughout the Bible in tables, charts, chapter numbers, etc. I like the earth-tone look and feel.
Book Introductions
The book introductions are very detailed and average around 5-6 pages (depending on the size of the book). Information covers author and title, date and location, theme, purpose, occasion, and background, key themes, history of salvation summary, timeline, and a detailed outline. Some books have maps showing the setting of the book and a section that covers a key event in that book.
Notes
There is a vast amount of notes in this Bible. The box says 2 million words with 20,000 notes. I didn’t count. I’m just taking their word for it. Like any study Bible with commentary the notes are going to be theologically biased, and like every study Bible I review, I caution readers to do their own study and not just rely on the notes in the Bible. All notes are written by fallible man and should always be cross-examined. I use notes only as a guide or for a second opinion. With that said, most of the notes in the ESV Study Bible offer more than one point of view. As an example, the note for Genesis 1:26 for ‘us’ discusses the view of God speaking with angels and the view of God speaking to Himself. This note does draw a conclusion, but at least another view is discussed. Many notes give references to similar passages or passages that explain and substantiate the note. There are also lots of Hebrew and Greek definitions and explanations. The notes are very extensive and probably average about half the page.
Articles
This Bible is filled with articles (50). Most span many pages, and some, like the one on Biblical Ethics, cover many subtopics. Some of the articles are doctrinal based and are heavily biased theologically. There are also many articles about studying the Bible, manuscripts, the original languages, reading the Bible, interpretation, the cannon of Scripture, Biblical archaeology, and much more. These are by far my favorite articles because I’m very interested in the canon and Hebrew and Greek. I’m grateful that Crossway included them.
Concordance
The concordance is 77 pages with three columns per page. There is actually more entries than I expected. There are 56 entries for ‘God’.
Bible Reading Plan
I’ve come to expect a Bible to have a Bible reading plan. They’ve put a lot of thought into this reading plan. It has a one-year plan that gives you four readings every day. First is Psalms and Wisdom Literature, then Pentateuch and History of Israel, then Chronicles and Prophets, and finally Gospels and Epistles. This gives you four sections every day. Each of the sections is carefully planned out. The readings from Psalms and Wisdom Literature are designed to be appropriate for the beginning and end of the year. The Pentateuch and History of Israel takes you through the five books of Moses, then chronologically through the Old Testament. The Chronicles and Prophets are also set up chronologically. The Gospels and Epistles are grouped by author. This is a great reading plan for people like me who like to skip around. This allows you to skip around and still read systematically.
Maps
Aside from the more than 200 color maps in the text, there are 15 maps in the back. They’re full color and printed on very thick paper. They’re labeled well, making it easy to find what I’m looking for. I would like to have an index to maps, but if there isn’t an index I want the maps labeled like these are.
Ribbon
I love the ribbon in this Bible. It is copper color and is much thicker than most ribbons. It greatly adds to the elegant feel of this Bible. If I were to make any changes I would have at least two ribbons.
Free ESV Online Study Bible
Just when I thought it couldn’t get much better I read the card that came with the Bible and found that it gives me an access code that gives me free access to the ESV Online Study Bible. The online edition contains everything that is found in the print version plus new features. You can create your own notes, do searches, follow links, and listen to the ESV Bible in audio.
Conclusion
The ESV Study Bible is an amazing Bible. The amount of study material makes this a large study library. Of course to get all this material in one volume requires the Bible to be extra-large and heavy, but the quality of the notes and articles makes it worth it. It is a great study tool for teachers and preachers as well as students of God’s Word. I highly recommend the ESV Study Bible.
For pictures see this review on Bible Buying Guide
Crossway provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review- only an honest review.
+4points
4of 4voted this as helpful.
Review 9 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Fine piece of art!

Date:February 17, 2013
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Cow man
Location:Cameron, MO
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
This bible is amazing! The study notes and extras are thorough and honest. The cowhide cover is amazing quality. Definitely worth every penny. Heirloom quality!
-1point
0of 1voted this as helpful.
Review 10 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
This review is fromESV Study Bible, Larger Print.
Overall Rating: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

Notes too small

Date:January 21, 2013
Customer Avatar
tnpopeye
Quality: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
I had hoped that the "note" or reference section would be larger print. I cannot read the informative notes.
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 11 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

The bible is beautiful, an easy read

Date:January 5, 2013
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Cynthia
Location:Santa Clarita, CA
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
The bible is beautiful with many thought provoking study guides.
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Review 12 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

love it

Date:January 3, 2013
Customer Avatar
shoe
Location:ohio
Age:55-65
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I already had an ESV Study Bible, but wanted one with a nice leather binding. This Bible exceeded my expectations.
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Review 13 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

This Bible is a treasure house.

Date:January 1, 2013
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lbbalive
Location:Washington State
Age:55-65
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
This edition of the Crossways ESV study bible is a real treasure house of information and commentary. I like the fact that as I study God's Word that I can have easy access to additional information that helps me understand and think things through. I would have given it a full 5 stars except that the print could be a smidge bigger although that would increase the already large size. This is not a bible that you carry around all the time. I have a thinline for that which meets my needs but when I really want to get into it I turn to my ESV print bible. I researched this version out prior to purchase with the advise from one of my profs just to consider it. I'm really glad I did.
I might add that I also have an NIV, KJV, and NKJV leather print bible but the ESV study version is my preference. I also have an electronic copy on my tablet that I use quite frequently.
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Review 14 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5

Not the best for me...

Date:October 25, 2012
Customer Avatar
Pinay23
Location:Riverbank, CA
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
The word of God of course is a 5 star. Quality of the physical bible itself is a 5 star. My 3 star is for the commentary. Not very helpful for a newbie. It just picks a word or phrase from a verse and explains what it meant, and for a new person reading the bible, I get lost. It sometimes even lets you go back and forth to a different location for an explanation. For intellectual knowledge about the bible it is ok because there is a lot of history. But alas, I think this study bible is not for me. I love the translation though. I hope they will come out with an ESV Life Application Bible. Thanks.
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 15 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Date:October 24, 2012
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Pammydmac
Location:Huntington Beach CA
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I love my new bible. We had to switch to the ESV for our bible study and I find this study bible very easy to follow and the cover is pretty.
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 16 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

great bible!

Date:September 24, 2012
Customer Avatar
julia
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
This Bible has everything you need and some GREAT extra features in the back to help further your studying that I have never seen in any other Bible. It is a pretty large and heavy book, but i really like it!
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 17 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Date:September 13, 2012
Customer Avatar
florida mom
Location:Florida
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Beautiful Bible. We bought this for our son to use at school. We had it embossed with his name and it looks so nice.
Best price that I could find. Thank you.
0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
Review 18 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

This Bible is very helpful

Date:September 1, 2012
Customer Avatar
Grammy
Location:Purcell, OK
Age:55-65
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
My husband & I teach a couples class for 30 year olds and this Bible helps us to be able to give more historical background as well as a better breakdown of the scriptures.
+1point
2of 3voted this as helpful.
Review 19 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

This Bible is the best Bible I've ever had!

Date:August 31, 2012
Customer Avatar
GodzKid
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
This is an amazing Bible! There are colored maps, charts, and lots of background information to help you to understand the text. The leather holds out well even if you carry it around a lot. I recommend this Bible to new believers just trying to figure it out and older ones who are trying to dig a little deeper!
+2points
2of 2voted this as helpful.
Review 20 for ESV Study Bible--Premium Calfskin leather, black
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Great purchase!

Date:August 31, 2012
Customer Avatar
backsun
Location:Algonquin, IL
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Very complete bible. Definitely great for bible studies or if you want to dig in the Word on your own. It has great explanations, descriptions, etc. Exactly as described. Worth every cent of what i paid.
+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
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