KJV Super Giant Print Reference Bible Review

Henrickson’s latest KJV Super Giant Print Reference Bible was designed for the pulpit and for those that prefer giant print for daily reading. It has a few features, such as indented poetry, that makes it stand apart from the crowd of KJV layout design. I’m reviewing the imitation leather edition.

ISBN: 9781619709690

Hendrickson provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review – only an honest review. My opinions are my own.

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BINDING

The cover is black imitation leather. It has Holy Bible stamped in gold on the front and on the spine. The spine also includes King James Bible, Reference Edition, and the Hendrickson logo. The liner is paper and has family records and the presentation page. The block is sewn. It will take some time to break in before it will stay open in Genesis.

It clocks in at 3 pounds, 4 ounces. The overall size is 7 1/4″ x 10 1/2″ x 1 3/4″, making this a larger than average Bible. It includes a single ribbon marker that’s long enough to use but feels a little thin compared to the size of the block. The size and weight make it a good choice for pulpit use (if you leave the Bible on the pulpit), or for using at a table or desk.

PAPER

The paper has a slight cream color and feels like low to mid 30’s in gsm. It has no gilting on the edges. It has a slightly rough texture which helps make the pages easy to turn. It isn’t as opaque as I would like but I can read from it easily enough. It’s a common paper for this price-point.

TYPOGRAPHY

The text is presented in verse-by-verse double column format with poetry indented. Section headings and verse numbers are in bold. References are placed at the end of verses and footnotes are placed under the last verse on the page. The header contains the book name, chapter, and verse numbers in the outer margin and page number in the inner margin. The header and footnotes are separated from the text with horizontal lines.

The font is 17 point in red-letter, making this a giant print edition. The red and black both are around medium to dark in darkness. Both are sharp and readable. It has italics for supplied words but there are no pronunciation marks to get in the way of readability. Footnotes are keyed with letters. There are no keys for the references.

It has around 38-40 characters per line with 7-8 words per line. It has plenty of room between the words and lines to make it easy to read. The text does bend a little into the gutter but not enough to cause any problems for reading or preaching. It’s easy enough to flatten the page to reduce the bending.

I like the way poetry looks in this layout. I’d like to see this as a standard for verse-by-verse editions.

REFERENCES

There aren’t a lot of references but it does have a few here and there. It’s enough for quick study but not in-depth study. Here are some examples to help you compare:

Genesis 1:1
- Jb 38::4
- Heb 11:3
Deuteronomy 6:4
- Jn 17:3
Isaiah 9:6
- Is 7:14
- Mt 28:18
- Lk 2:11
Matthew 17:20
- Mt 13:31; 21:21
- Lk 17:6
Mark 11:23
- Mt 17:20
Mark 12:29
- Dt 6:4
John 1:1
- Gn 1:1
- Jn 17:5
- 1 Jn 1:1-2
Acts 2:38
- Lk 24:47
1 John 1:1
- X

FOOTNOTES

The translators footnotes are included. I’m glad Hendrickson is including them. Many publishers have gone away from them for the KJV and I believe that’s a mistake. They are part of the translation and should at least be included in a reference edition.

The footnotes show the chapter and verse number in bold and the letter that keys them to the text in italics. They’re printed in 10 point. They include insights into the Hebrew and Greek words and phrases, alternate renderings, etc.

DICTIONARY AND CONCORDANCE

Rather than a standard concordance, this Bible has a 30-page combination dictionary/concordance. It provides a definition followed by a short list of references. I find this more helpful than having a simple concordance. Here are some sample entries with their number of references to help you compare:

Christians – 1
Faith – 4
Gods – 2

OTHER HELPS

After the dictionary/concordance is a section with helps. They’re mostly lists of Scripture under specific topics. The reading plan gives 3 readings per day to get you through the Bible in 1 year. 2 from the OT and one from the NT or Psalms. The topical lists are short, but they are helpful for reading and basic study.

Here’s the list of helps:

Daily Bible Reading Plan
Key Bible Promises
Miracles of the Old Testament
Parables of the Old Testament
Old testament Prophecies of the Passion
Miracles of the New Testament
Parables of the New Testament

MAPS

There are 8 colorful maps on thick glossy paper. They include distance, topography, borders, routes, water, alternate names for locations, etc. There isn’t an index but they are labeled well.

Geography of the Land of Israel/Palestine
Exodus and Conquest of Canaan
Kingdoms of Israel and Judah During the Divided Monarchy
The Land of Israel/Palestine in the First Century of the Common Era
The Roman Empire (Paul’s Journeys)
Jerusalem and the Temple in Old Testament Times
Jerusalem and the Temple in New Testament Times
Jewish and Christian Communities in Late Antiquity

ENDING THOUGHTS ABOUT THE KJV SUPER GIANT PRINT REFERENCE BIBLE

Hendrickson’s KJV Super Giant Print Reference Bible is a joy to read and preach from. I would like the paper to be more opaque. I like the color and gsm of the paper. The helps are basic and aren’t meant to take the place of other tools. If the tools were more detailed it would make the Bible larger or the text smaller, and the giant print is the point of this edition. I especially like that it has poetry indented and that it includes the translator’s footnotes. If you’re interested in a giant print KJV at a bargain price, this one might be what you’re looking for.