A Glimpse of the ESV Study Bible (Sort Of)
If you attended the Together for the Gospel conference last week, you might have gotten a glimpse of the ESV Study Bible mock-up displayed at the Crossway booth. Scott Kay did. What's more, he snapped some photos so the rest of us could have a look! Scott writes:
The lighting was not great, so I have tried to adjust them to improve the shots. They took the book of John and bound it in the mock-up over and over until they achieved the same thickness of the final product.
A few things to note:
This is a single column paragraphed edition. In fact, here are some interesting tidbits from the brochure (I've included a shot of this info in the brochure):
Pages and size: pages - 2752; trim size - 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 (and they don't publish this, but it's really thick. I'm guessing nearly 2")
Paper - high-opacity, high-quality French Bible Paper (It does appear to be quite nice about only allowing minimal bleed-through, as the paper does indeed seem quite nice.)
Typesetting - 9 point single column paragraphed; 7.25 point double-column for notes. Full color throughout for maps, charts, etc. (see photos) (although it exceeds 12 words per line, like the PR Edition)
Binding: All editions are Smyth sewn. Available in hardcover, TruTone, Bonded Leather, Genuine Leather, and Premium Calfskin
Available Oct. 15,2008
I asked about the creeds and confessions, and there is no plan to include them. Yet, this seems poised to compete directly with the MacArthur Study Bible and even the Reformation SB. It seems like it will be quite conservative evangelical, and even reformed in leanings (at least) (based on the listing of scholars who have contributed notes for each book of the Bible - it reads like a who's who of conservative scholars). In addition to 25,000+ notes there are over 50 articles, 200 full color maps, over 200 charts, 80,000 cross references, over 40 full color illustrations (like of the temple, etc.)...but who's counting?
Now the photos:
That last one, of course, is a comparison between the ESV Study Bible mock-up and the Personal Size Reference ESV. Remember, these are just photos of a mock-up, so they're not representative of the final product. Still, it's interesting to see what the upcoming hardback will look like.
J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.
Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.
Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.