The LSB Giant Print Reference Bible from Steadfast Bibles was designed for in-depth Bible study. It’s also great for preaching and teaching. It’s available in several covers. In this Bible review, I’m reviewing the LSB Giant Print Reference in burgundy goatskin leather with thumb-index. This is ISBN 9781636643700, model number SBLS0234. It was printed and bound in Korea.
Three Sixteen Publishing 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
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Table of Contents
- Video Review
- Binding
- Paper
- Typography and Layout
- References and Footnotes
- Tables
- Concordance
- Bible Atlas
- Comparisons
- Conclusion
Video Review
Binding
The burgundy goatskin has a deep grain that looks and feels elegant. The color is dark and rich with a matte finish. Nothing is printed on the front. It has perimeter stitching in burgundy thread and it has a generous yapp. The spine has 5 raised hubs, They’re placed closer together than most to create a pattern with one at the top, two close together, and the last two close together. The text is printed in gold and looks sharp against the burgundy. It has a new glued flexible synthetic material that runs the length of the spine of the book block to reinforce the binding.
The liner is edge-lined in burgundy leather. A gold decorative line of arrows traces the inside of the cover. I like this design. It gives the Bible a more elegant look. the edge-lined tab is a touch stiff out of the box, but I was able to get it to stay open on the first page of Genesis. There are several thick end sheets in the front to help give it structure. They are blank and can be used for notes, presentation information, family information, lists, etc.
It has three 3/8″ double-sided, angle-cut, satin ribbons in black, burgundy, and gold. The head/tail bands are burgundy. All of this works to add to the elegance.
Thumb Index
This is the thumb-indexed edition. The tabs show three books each, which I find to be great for finding books quickly. It also includes a tab for the concordance and maps. They’re black with gold print.
Paper
The paper is a specially coated 32GSM paper. The coating feels elegant and makes the paper feel thicker than it is. I like this GSM for the size of this Bible. If it were thicker the Bible would be too heavy. It’s smooth to the touch and it’s highly opaque. The color is white with no glare under direct light. I had no issues turning the pages. I find it great for reading. The page edges are red under gold.
Typography and Layout
The layout is a double-column, paragraph setting with poetry set to stanzas. The columns and footer are separated by a red line. The header shows the book name and chapter number in the outer margin and the page number in the center, both printed in dark red. Cross-references and translation footnotes are printed across the bottom of the page in a single column. They include bold chapter and verse references, making them easy to find. Book names and chapter numbers are also printed in dark red. Section headings are in large bold italics. It was typeset by 2K/Denmark.
The typeface is 13-point, black-letter. The text and highlights are dark and consistent throughout. It has between 6-8 words per line and lots of white space in the text. The poetry is divided into good places and looks clean and easy to read. The text was printed with line matching, meaning the lines on both sides of the page are printed in the same location on both sides to improve readability and reduce show-through. Show-through is barely noticeable. Verse numbers are bold and black. They stand out and are easy to find.
Supplied words are in italics. Old Testament quotes are in all caps. Lists are printed in a list format and personal letters are indented so they stand apart. This follows the Lockman style guidelines for the NASB reference and footnote keys, so they start over with a and 1 for each verse. Books start on the same page that the last book ended.
References and Footnotes
The LSB Giant Print Reference Bible contains 95,000 cross-references from Lockman. It matches the cross-references found in the NASB. It also includes the full LSB 14,000 footnotes. The cross-references and footnotes are placed together across the footer. They’re printed in a 10-point font. These are excellent for deep study.
Here are a few example references to help you compare:
- Genesis 1:1 – Ps 102:25; Is 40:21; Jn 1:1, 2; Heb 1:10; Ps 89:11; 90:2; Ac 17:24; Rom 1:20; Heb 11:3; Job 38:4; Is 42:5; 45:18; Rev 4:11
- Deuteronomy 6:4 – Mt 22:37; Mk 12:29, 30; Lk 10:27; Dt 4:35, 39; Jn 10:30; 1 Cor 8:4; Eph 4:6
- Isaiah 9:6 – Is 7:14; 11:1, 2; 53:2; Lk 2:11; Jn 3:16; Mt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:25; Is 22:22; Is 28:29; Dt 10:17; Neh 9:32; Is 10:21; Is 63:16; 64:8; Is 26:3, 1254:10; 66:12
- Matthew 28:19 – Mk 16:15; Mt 13:52; Ac 1:8; 14:21; Mt 25:32; Lk 24:47; Ac 2:38; 8:16; Rom 6:3; 1 Cor 1:13, 15; Gal 3:27
- Mark 12:29 – Dt 6:4
- John 1:1 – Gen 1:1; Col 1:17; 1 Jn 1:1; Jn 1:14; Rev 19:13; Jn 17:5; 1 Jn 1:2; Ph 2:6
- John 3:16 – Rom 5:8; Eph 2:4; 2 Thes 2:16; 1 Jn 4:10; Rev 1:5; Rom 8:32; 1 Jn 4:9; Jn 1:18; 3:18; 1 Jn 4:9; Jn 3:36; 6:40; 11:25
- Acts 2:38 – Mk 1:15; Lk 24:47; Ac 3:19; 5:31; 20:21; Mk 16:16; Ac 8:12, 16; 22:16
- Romans 10:9 – Mt 10:32; Lk 12:8; Rom 14:9; 1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11; Ac 16:31; Rom 4:24; Ac 2:24
- 1 John 1:1 – Jn 1:1; 1 Jn 2:13, 14; Ac 4:20; 1 Jn 1:3; Jn 19:35; 2 Pet 1:16; 1 Jn 1:2; Jn 1:14; 1 Jn 4:14; Lk 24:39; Jn 20:27; Jn 1:1, 14
Tables
In the back are a couple of tables that include Monetary Units and Weights and Measurements. Both are simple and provide the name with a short description.
Concordance
The concordance is 102 pages with 3 columns per page. Each column is separated by a red line and the header and main letter are in red. It’s similar to the Lockman concordance, but it’s specific to the LSB. It includes names, explanatory notes, synonyms, and related words. This is an excellent concordance for study.
Here are a few example entries with their number of references to help you compare:
- Christ Messiah, Anointed One – 17
- Christian associated with Christ – 3
- Faith – believe, trust – 33
- Faithful – trustworthy, truth, dependable – 17
- Faithfulness trustworthiness, truthfulness– 6
- Faithless unbelieving – 4
- God Deity, Trinity – 37
- God false deity, figure– 7
- Goddess female deity – 3
- Godless without God, pagan, worldly – 7
- Godliness holiness – 5
- Godly piously, of God– 5
- Praise (n) acclimation, honor – 7
- Praise (v) extol, glorify – 19
- Pray ask, worship – 19
- Prayer speaking to God – 15
- YAHWEH – personal covenant name of God
- Yahweh – 6
- Lord Yahweh (Adonia Yahweh) – 6
- Yahweh God (Yahweh Elohim) – 5
- Yah (shortened form of Yahweh) – 9
- Yah–Yahweh – 2
Bible Atlas
In the back are 9 Lockman Foundation maps printed on 8 semi-glossy pages. They’re colorful and have lots of information and annotations, which is extremely helpful since it doesn’t include an index to maps. The large land areas have a sandy texture while all of the other colors are solid. The maps include cities, empires, distances, routes, battle sites, mountains, settlements, seas, journeys, etc.
- The Biblical World of the Patriarchs
- The Exodus Route and Conquest of Canaan
- The Twelve Tribes of Israel
- The Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah
- The Herodian Kingdom in the Time of Christ
- a- Old Testament Jerusalem, b- New Testament Jerusalem
- The Ministry of Jesus
- The Missionary Journeys of Paul
Comparisons
Here’s how the Steadfast GPR compares to Insoce Column Reference.
LSB Inside Column Reference
They have A similar footprint, the same references, footnotes, tables, concordance, and maps. The ICR has thicker paper, a smaller font, and a single-column layout. Both are good choices. I found the GPR slightly easier to read.
Conclusion
The LSB Giant Print Reference Bible in burgundy goatskin looks and feels like a high-quality Bible. The construction and design are as good as it gets. It’s excellent for reading and preaching. If you’re interested in a high-quality LSB, the Giant Print Reference is an excellent choice.
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This Bible is available at
_________________________________________________________
Three Sixteen Publishing 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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