It is no secret that I love the Bible. First and foremost, I love that it is the Truth from God Himself written down that His creation might know Him. I take this personally and can hardly find sufficient words to express my gratitude. In addition to the incredible gift of God’s written word, I love the craft of the book itself. The binding, the materials, the visual layout… Obviously, this rates much lower on the spectrum of importance than the truth it contains, but I find it all to be incredibly fascinating.
This past Sunday at church, we chatted briefly about choosing a Bible. I explained why there is such a wide price range amongst various Bible editions… Some are priced north of $200 (and might be an ideal choice for some people) and others are priced closer to $20 (being more appropriate for others). It was a great talk, but I left feeling that it might be useful to structure my thoughts a bit more and offer some insights for selecting the Bible that is right for you in writing. Just a heads up for my final conclusion – I think any believer who can reasonably afford it should have at least three Bibles.
In Jeremiah, the Lord likens His word to a hammer. To modernize that picture for our purposes, there are lots of different hammers on the market today, $10 hammers and $300 hammers. In capable hands either are beneficial, and if the choice is no hammer or the $10 hammer, you’ll want to take the $10 hammer. However, a carpenter who makes his living swinging a hammer will find much benefit in the lighter weight and additional features of a more expensive hammer. The word will bless you even if you have a free bible, but if you’re going to become a person of the book (a student of the Word), you might do yourself a favor to invest in a more thoughtful construction of the book.
1. Choose your translation.
In our modern age, we have an abundance of Bible translations to choose from. Discussing the pros and cons of particular translations is beyond the scope of this article, but a few words do need to be said about choosing a translation. If you already prefer a particular translation for your personal use and intend to invest in a higher quality edition of that Bible, I’d suggest you stick with that translation. If your church fellowship utilizes a different translation, this is something else to consider and may warrant a separate purchase.
I suggest selecting your Bible translation as the first step in new Bible selection because the translation will likely influence certain styles and features that will be available. The ESV has a massive variety of configurations at different price points, and the CSB is not far behind. Other “mainline” translations like the KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, and NLT come in many good printings, but sometimes it can be harder to find more unique editions (for example: the NASB, as far as I’ve found, isn’t offered in a reader’s edition). Some bibles have limited options as far as print editions, like the NET bible and the newly-released LSB.
Once you decide on a translation, you’ll be ready for the next step.
2. Choose your finish.
If you clicked that last link to the LSB, you might have noticed that they are heartbreakingly expensive. Some start at $200. What are you paying for at that price point? What are you getting?
- The paper. Paper weight is measured in GSM (grams per square meter). Generally speaking, most bibles use 35 GSM paper to keep the volume compact, lower cost and lightweight. More premium editions can reach 80 GSM and beyond. Just remember, the bigger the GSM, the thicker the paper, the better it will handle writing or highlighting, and the longer it will last. The downside is it produces a thicker, heavier volume.
- The binding. The pages of the bible are referred to as the book block. More expensive bibles use a sewn-together binding style. In addition to being much longer lasting, it also allows for professional rebinding later, but it is also a higher initial investment. Less expensive bibles simply use glued together book blocks. These have the advantage of being less expensive, but will not have the lifespan and won’t withstand continued regular use. For further information on this topic, check out this article.
- The cover material. Bibles are somewhat unique in that they are commonly covered in leather or something like it, but leather isn’t your only option. Bibles can be found in paperback, hardcover, imitation leather, or a wide variety of genuine leathers (of different finishes and quality). The cover material typically reflects the cost of each, from lowest to highest. Typically, this represents the single greatest cost of a particular Bible edition. Leather, while expensive, tends to lay open better, last longer, and look more appealing (not to mention that it just feels so good). Recent years have seen great advances in imitation leather and this can be a smart way to get a nicer binding for less money, though they do tend not to wear as well as genuine leather. Sometimes you will see “bonded leather” as a cheaper option. Usually this means that the cover is made of a leather composite (a tissue thin material bonded or glued to a cardboard like material), it looks nice at first, but tends to wear poorly and is often a hint that the binding might not be of very high quality.
- Edge lined or paste-down. This refers to how the book block is attached to the cover. Edge lined is almost exclusively found in super-premium (and expensive) bibles as it is a tedious process that must be performed by hand. The advantages to edge lining is a book block is that it opens more flat and is attached more securely (thus it will last longer). Be prepared to budget your Bible purchase north of $100 if you’re looking for an edge lined edition. If you’d like to know more about this process, this article explains it well.
3. Choose your features (or deliberate lack thereof).
A standard Bible tends to include footnotes, cross-references, a concordance and maps in the back. Some bibles offer ‘thumb indexing’ where the books of the bible are marked on the side of the page so you can quickly navigate to a certain book (this can be particularly helpful if you’re newer in Bible study or find yourself flipping around a lot). If indexing is a feature you think you’ll want, get it from the factory. Options exist to add tabs yourself, but they tend to tear and don’t wear well with frequent use. Some bibles are presented as “Readers Editions” with only the text of Scripture while on the other end of the spectrum there are Study Bibles. Study bibles can be great resources to gain understanding, but you must understand that the commentary offered in them is the work of men and therefore not inspired. As a rule, bibles attached to translations (e.g. the ESV Study Bible or the NIV Study Bible) tend to be more theologically neutral. Some study bibles (e.g. the Schofield Study Bible or the Reformation Study Bible) unapologetically present a certain theological viewpoint. Others are attached to notable teachers (e.g. the Wiersbie Study Bible, the MacArthur Study Bible) represent the commentary of the notable teachers. Study Bibles can range from highly edifying to horribly distracting, so don’t invest in a Study Bible without having investigated it. It’s crucial that you what you’re getting.
4. Consider page layout.
This will have a major impact on your reading experience. Is the font big enough? Is the font easy to read or does it strain your eyes? Is the text presented in one column or two? Are verses given their own lines, or presented as paragraphs? Is the text line matched (meaning, do you see shadows of text from the other side of the page)? All of this impacts your reading experience, how well you’ll focus on the content of the text, and potentially how long you’ll read the text. I cannot over emphasize how much these things matter.
5. Consider your intended use.
Is this a Bible you intend to study at home, marking and highlighting? If so, you’ll want wider margins (or maybe even a journaling edition) and heavier paper. Will this Bible make the trip to church every week with you? Perhaps a more compact edition or a slimline edition would work better. Do you intend to spend long stretches just reading the word? Maybe consider a Reader’s Edition. Are you enrolled in seminary and thus intend to spend many hours each day scrutinizing the Scriptures, perhaps large print, strong binding, and wide margins would be a better fit for you. There is so much to glean from the Bible, so many different ways to read and study it, some editions are more suited to one use case than another.
Personally, I recommend having at least three Bibles in three different translations if you can. This will allow you to compare translations (and so gain more understanding of what’s being said), and give you options for different reading times. These are my top three at the moment:
- The ESV Reader’s Bible. At the time of writing, this one is available at an INCREDIBLE discount at christianbook.com. There is something refreshing in having the text of Scripture in an uncluttered format. Great for simply reading with no particular agenda. You will probably find you read more and longer from an edition like this.
- The NASB single column, reference wide margin bible. This book block is available in a few cover options ranging from $30 to $120. I’m unashamedly sentimentally biased towards this book block, and for that reason it’s my daily use Bible. In my opinion, this bible offers great readability (in terms of page layout), helpful cross references, and a substantial concordance in the back. This was the Bible I was saved in, so like I said, I’m pretty biased.
- The CSB Ancient Faith Study Bible. I have a number of Study Bibles on hand, and this one is my current favorite. Obviously my opinion is subjective, but it has been really neat to see the thoughts of early church fathers presented alongside the text. The CSB is a good ‘bridge’ translation, neither word-for-word formal nor thought-for-thought dynamic making it a good way to start to see how other translations read if you’ve spent most of your Christian walk on one end of the translation spectrum. A lot of thought was put into typeface and page layout, making this Bible a real pleasure to read.
I pray that this article blesses you. Perhaps it caused you to pause and thoughtfully consider the pure pleasure and sacred discipline of Bible reading and study. Simply read your Bible, enjoy it, and love it.
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