The Cambridge NRSVue Updated British Text Edition is a mid-size Bible that’s ideal for carrying, reading, churches, and schools. This is the latest updated edition, which is based on the advances in linguistic and biblical studies, and the latest discoveries from the Dead Sea Scrolls. It’s available with or without the Apocrypha. It’s currently;y available in hardcover, but will soon be available in leather. I’m reviewing the hardcover edition without the Apocrypha. This is ISBN: 798100952637, printed and bound in Italy by L.E.G.O.
Cambridge provided this Bible 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 Cambridge.org
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Table of Contents
Binding
This edition has a hard cover with a dust jacket. The cover is red with gold printing, which looks like a Pew Bible. The text block is sewn and it stays open to any page. Mine has a very small amount of cockling that makes a sound when turning pages. It’s just noticeable, but I wanted to mention it. It does not include a ribbon and the page edges are white. The overall size is 5.75 x 8.5 x 1.25 inches, and weighs 1 lb, 12.1 oz. This matches the size of the Concord and Diadem and is excellent for carrying, reading, as a Pew Bible, and Christian school classrooms.
Paper
The paper is labeled as “Bible Paper”. I’d guess it to be around 32GSM. It’s smooth to the touch and is easy to grab and turn. It’s slightly cream in color. There is a noticeable show-through in the poetic settings where there’s nothing printed on one side of the page. I found the paper a joy to read. There are 7 blank pages in the back that can be used for notes. It also has two thick end sheets in the front and back to build structure. One is used for a presentation page.
Typography and Layout
The NRSVue British Edition text is presented in a double-column, paragraph layout with poetry in stanzas. There are a few places with lists, but not many. The header shows the page number in the outer margin, the book name, and the first and last verse on the page next to the page number. Section headings are in s bold black font that’s larger than the text. This edition uses the NRSV British Text and punctuation. It was created jointly by the British publishers of the NRSV.
The font is 9 point Charis SIL, black letter. I like this font. It has around 8 words per line and it was printed with line-matching. There is a touch more space between the words than what’s normal in a Cambridge Bible. Verse numbers are smaller than the text and they’re printed in a thin font. They don’t stand out, but there’s enough space around them to make them easier to find.
Poetry is divided into good places more often than not. There are a lot of lines with two words, but I haven’t found any with just one word. This poetry looks better than the poetic setting of the Diadem.
Footnotes
The NRSV footnotes are placed in the footer. They provide alternate renderings and explanations from the original languages. They also provide information on other ancient languages and include manuscript variations. The languages and manuscripts are identified. Small portions of Scripture not found in the Critical Text are placed in the footer. Larger portions of text not found in the CT are included in the text but they’re marked with brackets. These footnotes are excellent for study.
Weights and Measures
The only tool in the back is a table of weights and measures. This is a 2-page table with weights and values, coins and money, capacity and quantity, and length, depth, and area. They include the name from the NRSVue, units, notes, the first reference, and approximate metric and imperial equivalents. They include footnotes and lots of references. This is a small table, but it includes a lot of information. It’s especially helpful since they’re not found in the footnotes.
Conclusion
The Cambridge NRSVue Updated British Text Edition is highly readable and well-made. The show-through is a little more noticeable than I’d like, but the text is still readable and the size is great for general use. If you’re interested in the NRSVue carrying, as a Pew Bible, or for classroom use, the Cambridge NRSVue Updated British Text Edition in hardcover is an excellent choice.
_________________________________________________________
This Bible is available at Cambridge.org
_________________________________________________________
Cambridge provided this Bible 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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