UncategorizedJ. MARK BERTRAND32 Comments

Q & A: NKJV Options?

UncategorizedJ. MARK BERTRAND32 Comments

Q. With all the options in the ESV, I feel kind of left out of the market, being a NKJV reader. R. L. Allan doesn't bind an NKJV text to my knowledge and Cambridge has the Pitt Minion which you reviewed positively. Is there anything else on the market that I'm not aware of?


A. Perhaps the most intriguing edition of the NKJV on the horizon is the Single-Column Bible, slated for release in March 2010. The product description sounds interesting:

"If you prefer a single-column style Bible, the NKJV Single-Column Bible is your best choice. Large-print, black-letter text makes reading easier than other single-column options, and a clean, uncluttered page design keeps visual distractions to a minimum. The Bible's size makes it convenient for travel, and the New King James Version® is trusted by many."


There don't seem to be any examples of the layout available. I'm interested in seeing what it looks like, especially since the print is large and the page is clean and uncluttered. (If anyone from Thomas Nelson happens to read this and would be willing to share, please get in touch.) The dimensions are 8.5 " by 5.5", and the text runs to 1728 pages. The only binding options are softcover, imitation leather, and bonded leather. No indication of whether the text block is sewn, so it's hard to say whether it would be appropriate for rebinding -- given the limited cover options, hopefully it will be.

It's a shame this edition won't be part of the Nelson Signature line. If you're looking for a good NKJV, the Deluxe Personal Size Giant Print Reference and the Pocket Companion from the Signature Series are worth checking out. Do a search on this site for more information and comments.

Readers, any other options you'd recommend?

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.