The Names of God Bible from Ann Spangler is an interesting work that focuses on the names of God in the Old Testament and the Hebrew name of Jesus in the New Testament. The Names of God Bible restores 10,000 names to their original languages in order to help readers grow closer to God and deepen their understanding of God’s character.
Features
- God’s Word translation
- References to God use Hebrew names
- Alphabetical list
- Pronunciation guide
- Names of God reading path
- Name pages (articles)
- Book Introductions
- Sidebars
- Topical prayer guide
- Name index
- Reading plans
- 1760 pages
- 8.50 X 5.75 X 2.00
- ISBN: 9780800719319
Names of God
What sets this Bible apart from all others is that in over 10,000 locations it uses the Hebrew transliterations of the names and titles of God in the Old Testament and the Hebrew name for Jesus, Yeshua, in the New Testament. Instead of saying “God created” it says “Elohim created”.
Translation
The translation used is called God’s Word Translation (GW). It goes back to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek and uses a translation theory known as Closest Natural Equivalent. This makes the text accurate and readable. It is a very readable text. I’m used to reading KJV, NKJV, and ESV. GW seems more contemporary and feels more like an NIV or HCSB.
Binding
This edition is hard cover and comes with a dust jacket that looks the same as the hard cover underneath. I like the red background and the Hebrew lettering. It feels well made.
Paper and Print
The paper is like paper in a regular book. It’s thin, but not too thin. It’s very opaque. My favorite part is the color of the paper. It’s not boring white. It has a tan color and is darker at the top and the bottom of the page. The pages that have the book introductions are a little darker and the pages with articles are even darker than that with darker edges on the sides. I love the color of the paper. This is the way I like my Bibles printed.
The text looks like about an 8-point font, but I’m just guessing. It’s very clean and readable. The print is consistent throughout. The names of God and section headings are printed in a nice brown color.
Layout
The text is presented in single column paragraph format. The names of God are in a brown italics font. In the inner margin next to the verse with a name of God is the same name with the next verse using that name. The inner margin is very wide, so none of the Bible text is lost in the gutter. Textual notes appear at the bottom of the page and are linked to the text with letters. At the top of the page are the first verse on the left page and the last verse on the right page. Sidebars appear throughout the text near the outer margin.
Alphabetical List
All of the names and titles of God are listed alphabetically along with the page number for the Name Pages. This serves as an index to the articles of names and titles and is very helpful for looking them up.
Pronunciation Guide
There is a pronunciation guide that shows how to pronounce all the Hebrew names of God that are used in this Bible. I like the addition of the pronunciation guide because I think it’s important to get it right.
Reading Path System
This is a list of every name title with the first verse where they are used. When you go to the first verse for that name or title, the next verse for that name or title is in the inner margin. This builds a chain reference through the whole Bible for each name and title. This is very helpful for study and devotions.
Book Introductions
Book introductions highlight the main themes of the book and discuss the main names and titles in the book. There is also a list of all the names and titles of God in that book with their English equivalents.
Name Pages
Name Pages are really articles that discuss a specific name or title of God. They usually take a page or two. They are found throughout the text and appear near where the name is used. They provide background information, key passages, promises associated with the name, and a devotional reading.
Side Bars
Sidebars call out people and the names and titles that are associated with that person. The sidebar includes a summary of that person and a list with the names and the first verse the name is used in association with that person. There are also sidebars that have a verse that usually appears on or near the page the sidebars is on.
Topical Prayer Guide for the Names of God
The Topical Prayer Guide gives a list of prayer and devotional topics with verses that go with the topic. Topics include praise, blessing, holiness, strength, and more. It’s only about a page long, but with four columns of text there are plenty of topics and verses to keep you busy for a while.
Table of the Names of God
The table lists every name of God used in this Bible and shows how many times each name is used. It is interesting but probably the least useful list in this Bible. I felt that it could have been combined with another list since the same names appear in so many lists.
Name Index
The Name Index gives the name and then most of the verses where the name is found. It gives the names in Biblical order. This is a very helpful list for finding specific verses with the names of God. It doesn’t have every verse because some of them appear too many times, but it has enough for study. I think this is one of the more helpful lists in this Bible.
Reading Plans
There are several reading plans in this Bible. The first is the Names of God Fast Track reading plan that gives you a specific reading for each of the names of God. Next is a daily reading plan that takes you through the Bible in one year. This plan is in Biblical order. The last plan is another fast track plan that gives you a good overview of the Bible in 100 readings.
Conclusion
This is a nice Bible. I love the concept of going back to the original Hebrew names of God. The articles are my favorite feature. I like the detail and information for each of the Hebrew names. There are many lists of names and titles, although some of them could be combined. I love the look and layout, and the paper and print are among my favorite. The Names of God Bible is an excellent Bible for personal study and devotion.
Baker Publishing provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review- only an honest review.