The Defined KJV was developed for those who want to understand the KJV without having to use external resources. It’s from a KJV-O publisher, which is seen in the articles in the back. It’s available in several sizes including the one I’m reviewing – a large print wide-margin edition in black genuine leather.
The KJV Store 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 (includes some affiliate links)
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Table of Contents
Video Review
Binding
The cover is labeled as genuine leather. It’s black with a stamped grain. It looks and feels similar to Mereva calfskin. It’s extra thick and feels elegant for genuine leather. The title is printed on the front in large block gold letters. The spine has 6 tooled non-raised hub indications and 6 sets of text in gold block letters. This does make the spine look busy. Some of the text is hard to read. Rather than perimeter stitching, the cover is glued over the edge.
The liner is paste-off with a vinyl-like material. It doesn’t seem to be reinforced. The block is sewn. It has one black 1/4″ ribbon. It’s long enough to use, but it feels too narrow for the size of this Bible. Also, I’d like to have at least two ribbons. The overall size is 9 x 11.5 x 1.5″, and it weighs 3 lbs, 11 oz.
Paper
I’m not sure of the GSM, but I’d guess it to be around 30 or less. It has a slightly cream color, which is my favorite color for Bible paper. It does have noticeable show-through, but the text remains readable. It’s more prominent in the notes. The texture is rough enough to make the pages easy to separate. The page edges are gold-gilt.
Typography and Layout
The KJV text is labeled as the Cambridge 1769 text. It’s presented in a double-column verse-by-verse layout with no other formatting. The top of the left column shows the first verse on the page and the right column shows the last verse on the page. The footer shows the page number in the center. Definitions are placed under the text in each column. The columns are divided by a line. The Psalms include the titles in the verse, which I like because they should be considered part of the text.
The typeface is 12-point, black letter. Some of the lines have extra space between the words. It wasn’t printed with line-matching. The text is the most readable where the lines match. The words with definitions are in bold and include a number. Each verse is indented and their verse numbers are the same size as the text. I’m not sure which font was used, but it’s dark and consistent throughout the text.
Wide Margins
It includes a 1.25″ wide margin on all four sides. This is excellent for small notes, references, etc. The paper is thin, so you’ll want to use fine-tipped markers for your notes. Also. I’d recommend a color other than black, such as blue, green, purple, or brown. These colors wouldn’t show through as much as black would.
Definitions
The footnotes provide definitions of words that have changed in meaning since 1611, have become obsolete, are uncommon, or are difficult to understand. They were written and edited by D. A. Waite Jr. These came from dictionaries and include the Hebrew and Greek where needed. It doesn’t specify the dictionaries used. They’re placed under the text of both columns in numerical order. When the same word appears on the page, it uses the same number so the definition is only printed once.
Extras
Yearly Bible Reading
In the front is a Yearly Bible Reading list. It shows a number for the day of the year, shows the date, and includes the Scripture references for the reading for that day. It averages 85 verses per day to take you through the entire Bible in a year. The end of each reading is marked in the text with a diamond. This lets you read from one diamond to the next without the need to look at the reading list, but it’s a good resource in case you lose your place. I don’t recommend following the reading plan too closely. The readings are not divided anywhere specific. Because of this, many of the Psalms end the reading with a couple of verses left. Psalm 131 has three verses. The reading has you reading the first verse one day and the last two verses the next day.
Synopsis
After the reading plan is a Synopsis of the Books of the Bible. This provides a list of section headings of each book. They’re divided into chapters. It also shows the page number where the book starts and shows the number of chapters, verses, and words for each book. The end of the list shows the number of chapters, verses, and words for each Testament and the entire Bible.
Defense of the KJV
In the back is a booklet titled An Urgent Plea for Christian Fervency in these “Last Days” And a Defense of the Authorized King James Bible by S. H. Tow. This provides a defense for the KJV and underlying texts while comparing the KJV to modern translations. This is the only section that’s KJV-Only.
Comparisons
Humble Lamb Lion
The Humble Lamb Lion has similar definitions at the bottom of each page. They were taken from Webster’s 1828 and 1913 English Dictionaries and Wright’s 1876 Bible Word Book. It doesn’t have the same definitions or as many as The Defined KJV.
Thomas Nelson Mclaren KJV
All of the Thomas Nelson reference KJVs include definitions on the page. I chose the Maclaren KJV for my examples. They’re some of the best definitions I’ve seen, but I’m not sure what resource was used for them. There aren’t as many as The Defined KJV.
Conclusion
The Defined KJV Large Print Wide Margin edition is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to use the KJV for study. The paper is thin, so it’s not the best choice for notes, but the materials and build quality are better than many Bibles in this price range. It does have a large footprint, so it’s best for use at a desk or table. The definitions are excellent. The reading plan should be refined so we’re not stopping at arbitrary places. The booklet in the back has some good information, but like all study material, I recommend using it for reference and doing your own study with prayer. Even though the publisher is KJV-O, the tools on the page don’t mention KJV-O and are usable by anyone. If you’re interested in studying the KJV with definitions on the page, The Defined KJV Large Print Wide Margin edition is worth considering.
_________________________________________________________
This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
_________________________________________________________
The KJV Store 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.
Hello, Randy.
The Westminster Reference Bible (Trinitarian Bible Society) also provides the reader with copious definitions, in addition to the extensive cross references. Does the Defined King James Bible (DKJB) have more definitions than the Westminster Reference Bible (WRB)? In terms of available editions, quality binding, presentation, additional resources and value for money, the WRB – in my opinion – seems to outclass the DKJB. However, I was just wondering which of the two support better and more definitions … the DKJB or the WRB?
Toni Figueira
The Defineed has more detailed definitions. I agree, the Westminster is the better Bible.