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Cambridge Clarion NKJV Bible – Review

The NKJV Clarion Reference Edition from Cambridge is the latest edition of Cambridge’s popular Clarion series. The NKJV edition keeps the familiar setting that has made the Clarion so popular: sharp digital font, single-column, paragraph layout, reference on the outer margin, all in a durable and easy to carry hand-size Bible.

Pros

  • Hand size
  • Readable font
  • Sewn binding
  • Calfskin leather

Cons

  • Verse numbers can be difficult to see when searching for verses

Features

  • NKJV
  • Calfskin leather
  • Sewn binding
  • 8.75 font
  • Black letter
  • Single column
  • Paragraph format
  • Side-column cross references
  • Translation notes
  • Concordance
  • Section headings
  • Preface to the New King James Version
  • 15 color maps
  • 2 ribbons
  • Art gilt edges
  • 2145 pages
  • 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.5
  • ISBN: 978-1-107-66442-5
  • Printed in the Netherlands by Jongbloed
  • Price: $106.99~169.99

Where to Buy

Amazon – Cambridge NKJV Clarion

Cover and Binding

When Baker Publishing asked me which edition I wanted to review I chose the brown calfskin. Goatskin is always tempting, but for a hand-size Bible that I’m going to hold in one hand a read I like the cover to have enough stiffness to allow the Bible to lay flat in my hand. Not like a hard-cover, but not too floppy either. This cover has the perfect combination of soft and flexible with a small touch of stiffness. The cover is a smooth brown calfskin that has just enough grain to give it a textured look and feel. It is very soft. The liner is vinyl. The binding is sewn so it will lay flat even in Genesis 1.

Paper

I could be wrong, but the paper feels thicker than the other editions to my fingers. It also looks slightly more opaque (but again I could be wrong). It does not have the curling problems the other editions have. The paper is thin and still does have some show-through, but I haven’t found it to be distracting at all. The paper has a slight cream tint which I like a lot.

Print

The font is 8.75 Lexicon No. 1 A by Blue Heron Bookcraft. It has a 10.5 leading (the font size plus the size of the space between the lines). This generous leading and sharpness of the font gives the font a larger appearance and makes it, in my opinion, one of the most readable fonts available. It is black-letter and has about a medium boldness. The print quality is consistent throughout. The Clarion uses line-matching printing techniques so that text is printed in the same location on both sides of the page, keeping the page as clean as possible, greatly enhancing readability.

Layout

The text is presented in single-column, paragraph format with section headings in the text. Poetry is in verse format and Old Testament quotes are offset and printed in italics. References, along with translation notes, are placed to the outer margins. At the top of the page there are page numbers on the inner margin and book names with chapter numbers on the outer margins.

References and Notes

References are the 1982 standard NKJV references from Thomas Nelson Publishers. There are plenty of references in the NKJV- with 14 references for Genesis 1. References are keyed to the text with letters. The reference in the margin includes the chapter and verse number in bold.

Translation notes are also the standard NKJV notes from Nelson Publishers. I like the NKJV translation notes. It includes notes from the Alexandrian (the Critical Text – which is the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament and the United Bible Societies fourth edition) marked with “NU-Text”, and the Majority Text marked “M-Text”. These notes show variation between all the major manuscripts. The textual notes are one of my favorite features of the NKJV translation. I’m glad to see the references and notes were included in the Clarion.

Section Headings

The section headings are those included with the NKJV text. The presentation of the headings makes them blend well within the text. They are printed in italics and look to be the same size font as the text. They don’t get in the way, making them easy to ignore, but they’re also easy to use.

Concordance

The concordance is the 1995 New King James Concordance from Thomas Nelson Publishers. It is 75 pages and has 3 columns per page. There are 38 entries for “God”. Although names such as Peter and Paul are not included, there are 23 entries for “Jesus”.

Maps

The maps in the NKJV Clarion are different from the maps in the other editions. These are the updated maps found in the 2nd edition KJV Pitt Minion. There are still 15 maps, but they are more colorful. This also includes the updated index to maps, which has a color code for:

  • Settlements
  • Political
  • Physical land
  • Physical water
  • Travel
  • Jerusalem

Maps include:

  1. The Ancient Near East in the Late Bronze Age
  2. Regions of Palestine and Surrounding Areas
  3. Sinai and Canaan in the Time of The Exodus
  4. Israel with Canaan
  5. The United Monarchy of David and Solomon
  6. Israel and Judah: The Divided Monarchy
  7. The Assyrian Empire
  8. The Babylonian Empire
  9. The Persian Empire
  10. The Hellensitic World after Alexander
  11. Jerusalem in Old Testament Times
  12. Jerusalem in New Testament Times
  13. Palestine in New Testament Times
  14. The Roman Empire
  15. The Eastern Mediterranean in the First Century AD

Ribbons

There are two brown ribbons. They are .25 inches wide and are more than long enough to be useful. The ribbons feel like the right size and quality for a Bible this size.

Conclusion

The NKJV Clarion Reference Edition Bible from Cambridge has a lot to offer. It’s the perfect blend of layout, readability, and portability, and it’s a much needed, and welcome, addition to the Clarion line of Bibles. The NKJV Clarion is perfect for reading, study, and carry; and I can easily recommend it for teachers, preachers, and laymen.

 

Where to Buy

Amazon – Cambridge NKJV Clarion

 

Baker Publishing 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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