Monday, December 10, 2007

Review: The TNIV Reference Bible


I had a nice little surprise waiting for me when I got home today: an advance copy of the TNIV Reference Bible. I'm pleased to say that it was everything most of us who have been waiting for it hoped it would be.

I've written a full hands-on review at This Lamp, and I encourage you to read that and post comments either here or there.

If you don't have time to read the full review right now, let me simply quote my last paragraph:
In the final analysis, the TNIVRB is the edition of the TNIV I wish I had been using from the very beginning. Nevertheless, late is better than never. Everything about it says this is a quality product, and while it isn't everything I finally want in an edition of the TNIV (I'm still holding out for wide margins), it will replace my TNIV Study Bible as my public TNIV of choice. I know a lot of people have been waiting for this Bible, and I'm glad to say there are no final "gotchas." The TNIVRB is everything it was promised to be. I can readily recommend it to anyone wanting a regular reference edition of the TNIV, and it will be the edition that will receive the majority of my use.


13 comments:

Dan said...

This is so unreal. This HAS to be an illusion. Can Zondervan FINALLY be serious about this?

At almost the exact moment I get so disheartened about seeing yet another delay in the release of this Bible, and BAM, there it is on a review!

Someone slap me and tell me this is real!

R. Mansfield said...

WHACK!

It's real. Now go wipe your eyes.

Dan said...

Thanks... I needed that.

Chad Whitley said...

Has anyone else received their copy of the TNIV Reference Bible? I got mine via FedEx from Cokesbury today, and it is absolutely gorgeous!

Jay Davis said...

I just received my copy via CBD. When you said 1.5 thick I was ready to cancel my order yesterday but forgot to cancel. Today it came...It is not as thick as I envisioned. I was thinking the TNIV Study Bible size which is TOO big for me. This size is just great. Nice size font. Nice looking. Lays nicely. I am not sure if I like the side references or topics below but it is a nice Bible. Wish it was genuine leather though. A perfect adjustment for me (and some others out there) would be to take the TNIV Reference Bible then add Genuine leather - take out most of the references (leaving it a wide-margin and place the topics on the side or all together in the back. Maybe even calfskin it - with that you have a great preachers Bible or Pastors Bible. Great size & font.

Dan said...

WAIT! WAIT! How you getting these things? I ordered from Amazon and it says JANUARY or FEBRUARY on my order!!! What's up with this? You all are torturing me with such good news!

C said...

I received my copy today and was surprised it came so early.

For the price paid at Amazon.com it was a good deal for a bonded leather Bible.

It would, in my opinion, be better with a larger type face... the Lockman Single Column NASB sets the standard for quality, but I wanted a TNIV.

Jerry Weinhausen said...

I'm in a slight quandary. I'm impressed with the TNIV Reference Bible enough I think to sell my TNIV Study Bible which is in excellent condition. It crossed my mind because I have a respectable Pradis library consisting of Zondervan Bible Study Library - Leader's Edition and a couple of Pradis 6.0 titles. It would be nice to carry a smaller/lighter Bible to church. Would I be losing too much information found only in the Study Bible that couldn't be found in the Reference Bible or my software? Money is tight so I want to make a good decision. Any input here would be appreciated. Thanks.

R. Mansfield said...

Jerry, the TNIV Reference Bible is currently going for $23 on Amazon with a few resellers offering them as low as $18. It could be that you don't have to decide between that and the study Bible if you can squeeze around $20.

Jerry Weinhausen said...

Trust me Rick, I've kept a close eye on pricing from the beginning. Every time I buy a new Bible, my wife sneezes. (She's allergic to new Bible purchases at this point.) Since I don't have any reference works I wish to sell/part with at this point I will have to decide. If we went back to my previous post, what direction would you lean in? Stay put or pull the trigger? Incidentally, I own the Black European Leather Study Bible.

R. Mansfield said...

Well, if you have all the same information in Pradis, I suppose you could get the best of both worlds by selling your TNIVSB and getting a TNIVRB. I suppose it's according to what you're going to do with it, too. It's convenient for me to throw my TNIVRB in my book bag, but I never did that with my TNIVSB, carrying it with me only when I went to church.

Jerry Weinhausen said...

Good news Rick! I was able to use a Barnes & Noble.com $25.00 on-line gift certificate from my employer to cover the cost of my TNIVRB. I get to keep my TNIVSB after all! I previewed a copy at a local Christian Bookstore last week. It's everything I wanted in a bible with the exception of more generous margins. Couldn't be happier.

R. Mansfield said...

That's great news indeed, Jerry. Congratulations.