Berean Standard Bible Review

Previously named the Berean Study Bible, the Berean Standard Bible from Bible Hub is a slightly smaller edition of the original. The name change removes the confusion (it referred to the fact of studying the Bible rather than containing notes) and makes perfect sense. I appreciate the change and I love the new size. It’s in several covers. I’m reviewing the hardcover, bonded leather, and cowhide. All are printed in the USA.

Bible Hub 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:

Berean Study Bible Store

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Table of Contents

• Video Review
• Translation
• Binding
• Paper
• Typography and Layout
• Footnotes
• Table of Weights and Measures
• Comparisons
• Conclusion

Video Review

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Translation

The Berean Bible is a family of versions for specific purposes. Each uses the same Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic sources that most current modern translations use. The Berean Standard Bible is in the third tier of the Berean Bible family. Each version is free to license and you can read them for free online.

The four tiers of the Berean Bible include:

1. Interlinear
2. Literal translation
3. Study translation
4. Emphasized translation

The Berean Standard Bible was previously known as the Berean Study Bible and includes both word-for-word and thought-for-thought renderings. On the translation scale, it’s somewhere between the ESV and CSB and reads very close to the 1984 NIV. It was made with study in mind, but it’s also great for reading

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Binding

All but the hardcover have the same gold paper liner, three gold ribbons, and gold head/tail bands. There isn’t much overhang. The corners for a couple of the leather editions are extremely close to the corners of the text blocks. The overall sizes are 6 3/8 x 8 3/4 x 1 1/4″ and they weigh lbs, oz. This size is perfect for all-around use.

Hardcover

The hardcover is green cloth-over-board. It’s similar to mint green, but it’s darker. Nothing is printed on the front. The spine has the text stamped in gold. The liner is gold paper The page edges are square and not gilded. It also includes a single-sided 3/8″ gold ribbon and gold head/tail bands. It’s sewn and the cover and binding aren’t stiff, so it stays open perfectly on any page.

Bonded Leather

I have two editions in bonded leather: white and burgundy. The leather is thin and both have a smooth grain. Nothing is printed on the front. They included perimeter stitching. The spines have semi-raised hubs and gold stamping. Both colors look amazing. The burgundy is darker than I expected and has a dark brown quality. Both are tight and will need to break in before they’ll stay open before Numbers. Both look elegant and are well-made. I especially like the white edition, as this color isn’t as popular and I think white Bibles are especially elegant.

Cowhide

The Tosca cowhide is an extremely dark blue-green called Atlantic. It almost looks black and I don’t really see any green in there. It has a rough grain that I like the look and feel of. It’s a thick leather and is a touch stiff, which I also like. There is no printing on the front. It has perimeter stitching. The spine includes gold printing and slightly raise spine hubs.

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Paper

The paper is 39 gsm Thincoat Plus Bible paper. It’s white in color and has a rough enough texture to make it easy to grab and turn pages between your fingers. It doesn’t have glare under direct light. There is some noticeable show-through, but it’s not bad and it’s mostly noticeable in the poetic settings. This paper is great for reading, marking, and highlighting. The page edges are gold for every cover except the hardcover, which is white.

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Typography and Layout

The text is set in a double-column, paragraph layout with poetry in stanzas, personal letters indented, and lists that look like lists. The header shows the page number in the outer margin, a bar, and then the book name, chapter, and verse number in bold. Footnotes are placed across the bottom and include references. References for parallel passages are placed under the bold section headings. The pagination matches the original BSB.

The font is a 9.5-point Cambria with around 10 words per line. This is a black-letter edition. It’s a regular weight with medium darkness, The print quality is highly consistent throughout. There is extra space within the text that makes it comfortable to read, underline, and highlight. It wasn’t printed with line matching, but the show-through isn’t bad. It’s mostly noticeable in the poetic settings.

Paragraphs are small and aren’t indented. They’re separated with extra space between them. Dialog is printed separately to make it stand out. Verse numbers are superscripts. They’re large and bold so they stand out, making them easy to find at a glance. The inner margin is large so the text doesn’t bend too far into the gutter. The poetic lines include intentions to show when a line continues the previous line of poetry. This causes a few of the poetic settings to have one word on a line. This layout is excellent for reading, preaching, and studying.

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Footnotes

The translation footnotes cover measurements, references where something is quoted, where a quote is referencing, explanations from the original languages, manuscript variations, literal renderings, etc. Manuscripts and translations include the TR, BYZ, LXX, WH, Vulgate, SBL, NE, and NA. They’re keyed to the text with letters. The references in the footnotes show the letters and verse numbers in bold. There is extra space between the notes to make them easy to find. I found them helpful and excellent for study.

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Table of Weights and Measures

The table of weights and measures is a one-page table with the lengths, weights, liquid measures, and dry measures. The table doesn’t show labels, but the measures do, so they’re easy enough to use. It includes the name, the American measurement, the metric measurement, and a Scripture reference of where it’s used. This is a simple table, but it’s good for reference. The footnotes include this information in more detail.

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Comparison

Here’s how the BSB compares to the original.

Berean Study Bible

The original Berean Study Bible had 45gsm paper and a larger font, making a larger Bible. The layout and tools are the same. So, the newer edition is a medium-size version of the original large print.

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Conclusion

The new Berean Standard Bible is an excellent version of the BSB. It’s smaller than the original but uses the same pagination. The size is great for all-around use. I like that there are several cover options. I highly recommend the calfskin If you’re interested in the Berean Study Bible, the softcover in tan is a great choice.

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This Bible is available at:

Berean Study Bible Store

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Bible Hub 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.