For many decades, the Christian community has been blessed with new publications of study Bibles. There are study Bibles addressed to every Christian, devotional study Bibles, and study Bibles addressed to pastors and those in ministry.
I would like to introduce and review the CEB Study Bible with Apocrypha. CEB is the acronym for Common English Bible. This Bible is published by Abingdon Press and is a very impressive and solid study Bible. But, what makes this Bible a unique study Bible?
Considering this is a study Bible, the first thing we should look at is study resources, specifically study notes. Readers will find abundant and thorough notes in every chapter and almost every verse. The notes are written in a professional way with the contribution of scholars from different countries. The quality and academic perspective of the commentaries make this Bible an astounding source of information for readers, perhaps one of the most complete among study Bibles. However, it must be said that the CEB Study Bible is not a Bible for academic use exclusively since the way the notes are written is accessible for everyone.
One detail that I as a reader really appreciate from this Bible is that verses on the note section are highlighted in blue color while the notes are in black color. This detail makes reading and studying this Bible more dynamic and fluent, as it is easier to note where a verse note begins and where it ends. Chapters numeric identification are printed in orange and pericopes headings in red wine color. These small details are moreimportant than we think. They accomplish two important functions: to facilitate study time and to make it more enjoyable. As for the text, it is displayed in single column and the font is a mid-size font.
The CEB Study Bible also contains sidebars on themes that require more detailed explanation so readers can obtain a broader perspective about what is being commented. Another remarkable feature this Bible offers is on margin cross references. Verses being referenced are also marked in blue color to make it easier to navigate through the cross references.
Every book is introduced by a detailed introduction with an exegetical outline. Illustrations (more than 200), photograph, and charts are also abundant through this Bible. Maps are high-quality maps; 21 full-color maps designed by National Geographic and fully indexed. This Bible also contains an abbreviations, terms, and sources list, a measures table, and a Hebrew calendar, just to mention some of the many features this Bible contains. The concordance is an excellent resource as well and was developed by Glenn Weaver and BibleWorks software.
The volume I received from Abingdon Press is the bonded leather cordovan edition. The leather feels as high-quality material, flexible, made for endurance, and very well crafted. Color, tone, and material make this Bible very elegant.
Summarizing, this is a high-quality Bible for both reasons study resources and material. This Bible is an excellent tool for scholars, seminary students, pastors, and Christians in general who want to deepen the Scriptures and grow in their daily Bible study. Price is reasonable if we consider the quality of the Bible we have in front of us. I highly recommend it.
Technical specifications:
Hardcover: 2688 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Language: English
Version: Common English Bible
Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 2.5 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
I received a copy of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
