Mark Bertrand is a connoisseur of Bibles that are packaged well, good bindings, page layout, etc. He has
found an edition of the TNIV that meets his high standards. Mark writes:
there is an edition of the TNIV I can recommend wholeheartedly -- and not surprisingly it comes from R. L. Allan's. The Allan's TNIV is a 4.5 x 6.5 inch hardback, about .875 inches thick, featuring a small print, double-column text. The cover is available in four styles: black highland goatskin, imperial purple highland goatskin, cardinal red goatskin, and British tan calfskin. These sell for £50. There's also a French morocco edition for £40. A tabbed closure keeps the silk-lined cover secure. According to the description at Bibles-Direct.com, these editions have two ribbon markers; mine only came with one.
Mark goes into a lot more detail about this edition and then concludes:
Having said all this, the question is: would I recommend the Allan's TNIV? I would. If you're using the TNIV extensively, then you'll probably want the TNIV Reference Bible as a main edition (you can always have that bonded leather cover replaced, and the font isn't as ghastly as I make out once you're used to it). But for everyday use -- especially carry -- the Allan's TNIV is the best available. If you don't use the TNIV but would like to check it out, perhaps the thought of an Allan's edition is such an usual yet practical format will sway you.
All I know is, the next time I get an e-mail complaining there are no "nice" editions of the TNIV available, I will have to disagree. The Allan's TNIV is superb. I'll be reading a lot of more of the TNIV, I suspect -- assuming my wife doesn't confiscate this edition first!
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This edition is apparently the same inside as my small format TNIV from Hodder & Stoughton, a "Chestnut Soft-Tone" hardback (ISBN 0 340 86411 7). Same typesetting and pagination in 1 Kings 19 and Song of Songs 5-6 as in Mark's photos, same single ribbon marker. Apparently it's only the cover, and the red on the page edges, which is different - and the price! Hodders are selling it for £18.99, I paid about half that, even less than the amazon.co.uk price. Hodders may not deliver to USA but I think amazon.co.uk will.
Peter,
I use the TNIV now as primary studying and preaching text, but I'm a bit disappointed with what Zondervan has been putting out.
We shouldn't have to turn to Allan for a good TNIV Bible. Zondervan doesn't even have a largeprint or genuine TNIV.
The TNIV Reference Bible I thought would have been a good fit, but after purchasing one from Amazon and then another from a local bookstore, without hours, I had to return both.
I hope this is addressed by Zondervan soon. They have the money and I see no reason for such neglect of the TNIV, while still putting newer and never editions of the NIV.
But I still love the TNIV as a translation, and only rivaled by the NET in my opinion.
I have recently been introduced to the TNIV and appreciate this website.
I, too, have less than enthusiastic about the quality coming from Zondervan. I am currently using a TNIV Study Bible at home as one of my translations but it is too big and ugly to carry to church with me. I may have to fork over the bucks to Allan's eventually.
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