Following the design of the KJV Sovereign Collection, Thomas Nelson’s NKJV Sovereign Collection presents the New King James in an elegant format and with high-quality materials at low to mid-range prices. The design blends classic and modern elements to create an interesting format that’s both elegant and usable. The NKJV Sovereign Collection is available in multiple cover styles. In this review, I’m looking at three editions: one in genuine leather and two in imitation leather. All are made in China.
Thomas Nelson provided these Bibles in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.
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This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
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Table of Contents
- Video Review
- Binding
- Paper
- Typography and Layout
- References
- Book Introductions
- Concordance
- Maps
- Comparisons
- Conclusion
NKJV Sovereign Video Review
NKJV Sovereign Binding
The Thomas Nelson NKJV Sovereign Collection is available in edge-lined genuine leather, brown Leathersoft, and black Leathersoft. I’m reviewing all three. Each has the same text block and gold gilded edges.
Genuine Leather
The black genuine leather has a pebbly grain. It’s a touch thin and it’s flexible but not too floppy. It has perimeter stitching. The front has Holy Bible printed in gold. The spine has 4 thick raised hubs with gold decorations and text printed in gold.
The liner is edge-lined imitation leather. The text block is sewn. The edge-lined tab is stiff, so it will need to be broken in well before it will stay open in Genesis. It has black head/tail bands and two thick double-sided ribbons: 1 gold and 1 black. The overall size is 5 3/4 x 8 7/8 x 1 3/4″ and it weighs 2 lbs, 4.7 oz.
Leathersoft
Both imitation editions have perimeter stitching. The front and back include a pattern debossed around the edges. On the front is Holy Bible printed in gold. The spine has 4 thick raised hubs with gold at the top of the bottom of each hub. the spines include fancy decorations and text printed in gold. Both are sewn. Their overall size is 5 3/4 x 8 7/8 x 1 1/2″ and they weigh 2 lbs, 3 oz.
Brown Leathersoft
The brown Leathersoft has a smooth grain with some dark brown color variation. I love the colors. It has a brown paste-down paper liner that doubles as the presentation page. The back end-sheet has a floral decoration on the outer edge. It includes brown head/tail bands and two thick double-sided ribbons: 1 gold and 1 brown.
Black Leathersoft
The black Leathersoft is imitation leather that looks very similar to goatskin. Most people would assume it was leather just by looking at it. It has a dark gray paper paste-down liner that doubles as the presentation page. The end sheet in the back has a floral decoration across the outer edge. It has two 3/8″ double-sided ribbons: 1 black and 1 red.
Paper
The paper is 36gsm. It’s white in color and it’s highly opaque. The texture is just rough enough to make the pages easy to turn. It’s similar to the paper in the Maclaren Series. It’s great for reading and marking.
NKJV Sovereign Typography and Layout
The layout in the NKJV Sovereign Collection follows the KJV Sovereign, but it includes the standard double-column poetry. The text is presented in a double-column, verse-by-verse format with poetry set in stanzas. Cross-references and translation footnotes are placed in a single column in the footer. The header shows the book name, chapter, and verse number in the outer margin, the page number in the center, and a page summary in the inner margin. An oversized decorative drop-cap takes four lines. Most of the highlights in the text are in red including the book name in the header, chapter and verse numbers, chapter numbers in the text, and section headings. Books start on a new page. Italics are used for supplied words. Personal letters are indented so they stand out.
The font is a 9.5-point Comfort Print designed for the Thomas Nelson NKJV by 2K/Denmark. This is a red-letter edition. The black and red are highly consistent throughout. The red is about a medium/dark in darkness. It’s printed with line-matching so the lines of text are printed in the same location on both sides of the page to improve readability. Paragraphs are marked with bold verse numbers. The drop cap has the first letter of the chapter while the book name and chapter numbers are printed at the beginning of each book. It has between 6-8 words per line. The text looks clean and dark. It’s highly readable. I actually prefer the Psalms and Proverbs in a single column like the KJV edition of the Sovereign Series. Poetry is broken in good places, so it does look good.
NKJV Sovereign References and Footnotes
The cross-references and footnotes are placed in a single column in the footer. They’re mixed together and include the chapter and verse numbers they correspond to as well as callers to identify them. It’s all printed in black text, making them a touch difficult to find quickly, but they also have space between the references and the next verse. This space helps a lot. The footnotes are the standard full set of NKJV translation footnotes. I find them to be useful because they provide manuscript variations and identify the manuscripts.
Here are some example references to help you compare:
- Genesis 1:1 – Ps 102:25; Is 40:21; Jn 1:1-3; Heb 1:10; Gen 2:4; Ps 8:3; 89:11; 90:2; Is 44:24; Acts 17:24; Rom 1:20; Heb 1:2; 11:3; Rev 4:11
- Deuteronomy 6:4 – Deut 4:35; Mark 12:29; John 17:3; 1 Cor 8:4, 6
- Isaiah 9:6 – Isa 7:14; Luke 2:11; John 1:45; Luke 2:7; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9; Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:25; Rev 12:5; Judg 13:18; Titus 2:13; Eph 2:14
- Matthew 28:19 – Mk 16:15; Is 52:10; Lk 24:47; Acts 2:38, 39; Rom 10:18; Col 1:23
- Mark 12:29 – Deut 6:4, 5; Is 44:8; 45:22; 46:9; 1 Cor 8:6
- John 1:1 – Gen 1:1; Col 1:17; 1 John 1:1; John 1:14; Rev 19:13; John 17:5; 1 John 1:2; 5:20
- John 3:16 – Rom 5:8; Eph 2:4; 2 Thes 2:16; 1 Jn 4:9, 10; Rev 1:5; Isa 9:6
- Acts 2:38 – Luke 24:47
- Romans 10:9 – Mt 10:32; Lk 12:8; Ac 8:37; Rom 14:9; 1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11
- 1 John 1:1 – John 1:1; 1 John 2:13, 14; Luke 1:2; John 1:14; 2 Pet 1:16; Luke 24:39; John 2:27; John 1:1, 4, 14
Book Introductions
Each book has a short, 2-3 paragraph introduction. They include an overview and discuss the main characters, and provide insights into the book’s name in Greek. Some have a sentence about the author or other features of the book. Book introductions are simple but they’re informative.
Concordance
The concordance is 104 pages and it has 2 columns per page. This is about a medium-sized concordance which is enough entries for basic study. It’s not ideal for extensive study or sermon prep.
Here are some example entries and the number of references they provide:
- Christ – 13
- Christian – 1
- Christian(s) – 1
- Christs – 1
- Faith – 40
- Faithful – 20
- Faithfulness – 5
- Faithless – 2
- God – 38
- Goddess – 2
- Godhead – 2
- Godliness – 4
- Godly – 3
- Gods – 5
- Praise – 25
- Praised – 4
- Praises – 2
- Praiseworthy – 1
- Praising – 3
- Pray – 14
- Prayed – 2
- Prayer – 16
- Prayers – 5
Maps
In the back are 7 full-color maps on 8 thick, semi-glossy pages. These are the standard Zondervan maps that Thomas Nelson uses. The maps do not include an index, but they are annotated well. They include distance, elevation, topography, ancient cities, journeys, battles, events, dates, and Scripture references. They’re bright and colorful without being cartoonish.
Maps include:
- World of the Patriarchs
- Exodus and Conquest of Canaan
- Land of the Twelve Tribes
- Kingdom of David and Solomon
- Jesus’ Ministry
- Paul’s Missionary Journeys
- Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus
NKJV Sovereign Comparisons
Here’s how the Sovereign Collection compares with the KJV Sovereign Series, the NKJV Maclaren, and the Single Column Reference Bible.
KJV Sovereign Collection
The KJV Sovereign Collection is the design this NKJV series is based on. It includes a few extras in the back that the NKJV doesn’t have, such as lists and a reading plan, but most of the design elements are there. The main design difference is the Psalms and Proverbs. The KJV places them in a single-column poetic setting, while the NKJV uses the standard double-column design used in all other Thomas Nelson vbv NKJVs. As much as I love the standard design, I actually prefer the KJV’s layout for Psalms and Proverbs. Now, if TN could make the rest of the poetry in that setting for the KJV I’d do cartwheels.
NKJV Maclaren
Thomas Nelson’s NKJV Maclaren is a larger Bible in footprint and font size. It has a similar layout and the same construction and materials. It doesn’t include decorative drop caps, book introductions, or a concordance. What’s similar in the layout is the double-column vbv text with the footnotes and references in a single column in the footer. The cross-references and footnotes are the same. It has blue highlights instead of red.
Thomas Nelson Single Column Reference Bible
The Thomas Nelson Single Column Reference Bible is about the same overall size, but it’s 1/4″ thicker. It’s a single-column paragraph edition. The typeface is the same size, but the single column has more space between the lines. They have the same cross-references, footnotes, and concordance. The paper in the single column has a slight shine. Its concordance has the same entries.
NKJV Sovereign Conclusion
The Thomas Nelson NKJV Sovereign Collection is an excellent all-around reference Bible. It’s a medium size, so it fits most uses well. The covers will take some time to break in well, but the paper and print are of excellent quality. The design follows the KJV Sovereign Collection with the red highlights and decorative drop caps, but it does follow the traditional vbv NKJV setting rather than the single-column Psalms and Proverbs that the KJV edition uses. Its references, full set of footnotes, book introductions, maps, and concordance are great for study. Anyone looking for an NKJV for all-around use would like the Thomas Nelson Sovereign Collection.
_________________________________________________________
This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
_________________________________________________________
Thomas Nelson provided these Bibles in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.
I’m shopping for a NKJV. Randy, which NKJV are you currently enjoying the most?
Hi Henry. At the moment, I’m using the new Comfort Print NKJV Thompson Chain Reference, but for general use, I’m back to reading the Clarion in brown calfskin.