ESV Story of Redemption Bible

Description:

The Bible is the epic story of the unfolding plan of God over the course of the history of the world. The ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God leads readers on a journey through this storyline from start to finish, with conversational commentary written by pastor Greg Gilbert interspersed throughout the full ESV text. With the aim of encouraging interaction and contemplation passage by passage, Gilbert explains how every part of Scripture fits together and is ultimately centered on Christ. Particularly suitable to those who are new to the Bible but rich with insights for even the most seasoned Bible reader, the ESV Story of Redemption Bible will draw readers in as they see their place in the greatest story ever told.

• 897 notes written by pastor Greg Gilbert interspersed throughout the full ESV text
• All-new introductions to each book of the Bible
• 80+ maps, illustrations, and timelines
• Foldout timeline in the back
• Highly readable typesetting with generous margin space
• Premium cream-colored paper
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Packaging: None

My Review:

Opening the box on this Bible, the cover is very aesthetically pleasing. I would have preferred the image to be printed directly on the cover instead of a sleeve, but it still has a very appealing look to it. The pages are a cream color instead of the typical white. The chapter numbers along with other images and maps throughout are in gold, which adds a more traditional “aged” look to the text. Personally I really love the look and feel.

Something different in this Bible compared to  other study Bibles, is that while there aren’t a large amount of study notes, they are found added in the middle of the text instead of at the top or bottom of the pages. They are sectioned off with black lines across the page, but they also blend in with the text. The notes are short and to the point, helping the reader understand what they are reading and pointing them to the bigger picture. I find the notes especially helpful for new believers who may have not read through the Bible in it’s entirety before. It can be confusing and overwhelming for people to start reading the Bible, and in my opinion the layout of the notes in this Bible help to alleviate some of those feelings. By strategically placing the notes where they are most helpful, they can help the reader understand as they go along instead of leaving them confused or struggling to find the relevant notes.

The Bible is printed as single column text with plenty of space for note-taking in the margins. There is a single ribbon bookmark to help keep your place. As with other ESV study Bibles, this one is rather thick. I have very small hands, but it’s a bit large for grasping in one hand without fearing it will slip out.

Each book in the Bible has a circular image in gold to represent the main theme of that book. At the end is an index which shares each of the images again, along with a very brief description of how they represent the book they appear in. After that are a few reading plan options to help guide you through reading the Bible in a year. There is not a concordance or other extra materials at the end that may be commonly found in other printings.

Overall I really like the look and feel of this Bible, and would highly recommend it. There are just enough notes and extras to help the reader understand the Word without overwhelming them. It’s great for people who like having a study Bible but  don’t need or want a large amount of notes or extras. There’s plenty of space to write notes in the margins. It’s a wonderful Bible to invest in.

*I received a copy of this book from Crossway Publishers. I was not required to give a positive review. Thoughts and opinions expressed are mine alone.