TBS Westminster Reference Bible Review
The Westminster Reference Bible from TBS is a new setting of the King James Version with some very impressive features. With 200,000 references, large font, marginal notes and definitions, and calfskin cover with sewn binding, and more, the Westminster Reference Bible is an amazing KJV at an amazing price.
Pros
- 200,000 cross-references
- Four ribbons
- 9.6 font
- Chapter summaries
- Premium calfskin
- Smyth sewn
Cons
- Well, not every Bible has a con…
Features include
- Calfskin cover
- Sewn binding
- Bible paper
- Presentation page
- Translators to the Reader
- Epistle Dedicatory
- 9.6 font
- Black letter
- 200,000 cross references
- Translation notes
- Definitions in the margins
- Chapter summaries
- 4 ribbon markers
- Word list with pronunciation guide
- Reading plan
- Multiple tables of weights and measures
- Concordance
- 32 pages for notes
- 8 maps
- Gilt edges
- 8.5 x 6 x 1.5
- 1700 pages
- ISBN: 978-1-86228-168-4
- Printed in the Netherlands by Jongbloed
Cover and Binding
This edition is calfskin cover with a vinyl liner. The calfskin is smooth and has a soft feel, but it is also fairly stiff. It might soften up with use. I actually like it the way it is. Although it’s not very pronounced, it does have a grainy texture that looks and feels great. The binding is Smyth sewn. It has no problem lying flat in Genesis 1.
Paper
The paper is thin and has a nice cream tint. This is my favorite shade for paper. A slight cream tint looks better to me and makes the page easier to read for extended periods of time. The opacity is decent. There are 32 blank pages in the back for writing. They are the same paper as the rest of the text. Good writing paper would be nice, but I’d rather have this paper than nothing. I really appreciate that it’s there. I’d like to see blank pages become the standard in Bible publishing.
Text and Layout
The font is 9.6 with a generous leading. The font is sharp and clean. The print has line-matching, so the lines on both sides of the page line up with each other. This greatly enhances readability. This is a black letter edition. It includes italics for supplied words and rather than being a self-pronouncing text, a pronunciation guide appears in the back.
This has a two-column layout for the text with references on the outer and inner margins. The text is in verse-by-verse format. This is my favorite format for study and using in Church. At the top of each page is a title for that page (a one-line summary), the book name, and chapters that appear on that page.
Chapter Summaries
At the beginning of each chapter is a summary of that chapter. The chapter summaries are taken from the 1773 AV (KJV) printing by Eyre and Strahan. Obsolete words that do not appear in the text have been replaced with modern words or words found in the text. The chapter summaries span the margin and the text, taking two columns. They’re printed in italics and have the largest font size I’ve seen for chapter summaries. I’m guessing, but they look to be around 7-7.5.
Cross-references
The 200,000 cross-references are the most I’ve ever seen in a Bible. They are a combination of John Brown’s Self Interpreting Bible published in 1778 and the references from the Concord. You can tell there are two sets of references because there is a string of references are in Biblical order followed by another string of references in Biblical order. The amount of references is massive, but they don’t always apply as perfectly as I would like. That’s better than having references left out. References are keyed to the text with letters and are located as close as possible to the verse they go with.
Notes and Definitions
The original translators’ notes on alternate Hebrew or Greek renderings are included in the margins. They are keyed to the text with numbers. Also in the margins are definitions of words that are no longer in use, words that have changed meaning, plants, animals, and objects. The definitions are keyed to the text with an asterisk. The asterisk also appears in the margin with the word and its definition.
Ribbons
There are four ribbon markers in this edition (the hard cover editions have two). There are two red ribbons for the Old Testament and two black ribbons for the New Testament. They’re .25 inches wide.
Gilted edges
The gilting seems to flake off or smudge a little too easily. I placed my thumb on the edges and it left a small circle where my thumb was touching. Then I started noticing it in other places. It’s not bad by any means. It’s not even that noticeable, but it could become more noticeable over time.
Tables of Weights and Measures
There are 5.25 pages of tables that describe weights and measure. The tables include Old Testament weights, lengths, liquid measures, dry measures, money, and time, and then the same tables for the New Testament. The tables include the type of measure, Hebrew or Greek words used, modern equivalents in US and British amounts, and Biblical references where the measures are used. The text is keyed to the tables by a symbol. The same symbol appears in the margin with a reference to appendix 1. These are very extensive and very useful.
List of Words and Proper Names
Rather than having pronunciation symbols within the text, there are 14 pages of words and a guide to pronunciation in the appendixes. This keeps the text clean and readable and still gives an easy to find pronunciation guide when you want it.
Reading Plan
The reading plan will lead you through the whole Bible once, and the New Testament and Psalms twice in two years. Each days’ reading includes the Old Testament and either Psalms or the New Testament.
Concordance
The concordance is 139 pages. It looks a lot like the one found in the Concord, where the next verse appears on the same line as the precious verse rather than starting on a new line. I find this style of concordance difficult to use, but this style does allow more verses for less space. It has a lot of entries. It has over 50 entries for ‘God’.
Maps
There are 8 full color maps on thick, non-glossy, paper. Some of the maps have arrows and annotations that look like modern presentation slides. I like it. I love the colors of the maps. They remind me of a Risk game board. One thing I would like to see added is an index to maps. I think that should be a standard in Bible publishing.
Conclusion
The philosophy behind the TBS Westminster Reference Bible is that Scripture should interpret Scripture, and the best study Bible would be a Bible that supported this train of thought. The 200,000 cross-references in the Westminster excel at allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, making the TBS Westminster Reference Bible a top choice for a study Bible. TBS got it right. They’ve added what is needed and not added what is not needed. I would like to see a few additions, like an index to maps, but that’s a very small complaint and I wouldn’t use it that much anyway. Everything I need is here. The book size feels right, the text size feels right, the paper feels right, the price feels right, and the study tools are amazing. The TBS Westminster Reference Bible is my favorite KJV on the market today.
Comparisons
Here are a few comparisons to other Bibles. They are: Longprimer, Concord, Clarion, and Thompson (in that order).
Where to Buy
TBS provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review- only an honest review. My opinions are my own.
- $69
Any word if there will be a similar production for other translations of the Bible. ESV, NAS or NKJV?
Hi Mike. I don’t know of anything similar coming out any time soon. TBS only produces King James, but when something like this catches on other companies tend to follow suit. I suspect we’ll see some good Bibles produced in the next few years.
Thanks for the great review. I had a copy but I let it go and I’ve regretted it, but I have been planning on ordering another. Translator’s notes? This is something I didn’t pick up on until recently and I’m glad you mentioned it. How in depth are the translators notes? And are you aware of other resources that includes the original KJV translator’s notes? I also overlooked the outdated words defined in the columns. Nice format and worth every penny, but I would love to see it in a bolder print. Schuyler’s version is due out soon but I’ve heard the paper is identical to the TBS. If we could only get LCBP to do a print run, can you imagine one in the Ironed Calfskin or Top Grain Cowhide and with the Note Taker’s paper? Just a hint.
Hi norm. There are quite a few notes. Genesis chapter 1 has 13 notes. Most of the notes don’t really make much of a difference. They just give another rendering, or another way it could have been phrased. There are a few notes here and there that shed more light on the text. There are many other KJV’s with translator’s notes. They are common in Cambridge Bibles. I would love to see the Schyuler version. For the size, features, quality, and price, the TBS Westminster is hard to beat.
I’m sure the binding on the Schuyler will be real nice, there is a photo of one in the firebrick red on EVB’s Facebook page. In regards to the TBS, the translators’ notes to me just prove there was some thought or discussion as you said to the different possible renderings/phrasing which in some cases can only be determined by understanding the content. I also recently purchased a copy of the Note Takers based off your review, which I will post a comment on that particular review page. Which editions from Cambridge do you prefer for reading or for study? Oh, by the way, GREAT photos.
Hi Norm. Thanks! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the Note Taker’s. As far as my favorite Cambridge… I like them fore different purposes, so I have several favorites. The one I read from the most is the Concord. I like the size of the Bible and the text, and I like that it has references with notes, and a dictionary/encyclopedia in the back. I hold it in one hand and read with no trouble at all. For study, my favorite is the Concord Wide Margin. The wide margin is also my primary carry Bible, but I don’t mind large Bibles. For times when I need to carry a smaller Bible, I still go for the regular Concord. The Clarion is also a great Bible for reading and study. The text is not as bold as the Concord, and my house is a little dark, so the bolder font of the Concord is easier on my eyes. If I could only have one I would choose the wide margin, but that’s because I like marking in my Bible and it has the best paper for marking. The Note Taker’s is better for notes and reading, so I’ve been going back and forth between the two.
rb
Randy,
I’ve been eyeing the Concord Reference for some time now as I also prefer the bold print, but is the print even throughout? The layout of the reference material in the back also looks impressive. Thanks for the information.
Norm
Hi Norm. The print is very even throughout. It’s easier to read than larger print that’s not as bold. It’s available with or without red-letter. The red-letter is only for the words of Christ while on Earth.
Here’s my review: http://biblebuyingguide.com/cambridge-concord-black-calf-split-leather-kjv/
Here’s a Cambridge KJV comparison: http://biblebuyingguide.com/cambridge-kjv-comparison/
Here’s my Cambridge page: http://biblebuyingguide.com/category/bible-reviews/publishers/cambridge/