NASB 2020 The Beauty of Scripture Bible is a journaling edition that focuses on the text. The margin includes a floral design that might get in the way of serious note-takers, but the right pens might overcome this. I’m reviewing ISBN 9781581352412, printed in Korea.
Lockman provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review.
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Table of Contents
Cover and Binding
The cover is teal Lethertex (imitation leather). A debossed floral design wraps across the spine from the back to the front and includes text on the spine. The rest of the front and back includes a pebbly leather texture. It looks and feels good. It includes perimeter stitching. The liner is pasted vinyl. The block is sewn and has no issues staying completely open to the first page. The overall size is 6.6 x 8.6 x 1.5 inches, and it weighs 2 lbs, 6.1 oz. It includes two extra-long 3/8″ double ribbons in silver and teal.
Paper
The paper seems to be around 36GSM (just a guess). It’s smooth and feels elegant. I had no issues turning pages. It’s offwhite, highly opaque, and is great on the eyes. It has no glare under direct light. Show-through is mostly noticeable in the poetic settings, but I didn’t find it too distracting. Page edges are silver.
Extras
In the front are several thick pages with the presentation page, marriages, family trees, births, deaths, and occasions to remember.
Typography
The 2020 NASB text is presented in a single-column paragraph setting with poetry in stanzas. Footnotes are placed under the text in a smaller font printed in gold. The header shows the book name and chapter numbers in the center. The footer shows the page number in the center. Old Testament quotes are in all-caps. Chapter and verse numbers are in gold.
The font is 9.25, black letter, with a good amount of space between the lines, and around 14 words per line. The print is dark and consistent. Poetry is beautiful with this word count. It’s indented further than prose, so it stands apart. Lines of poetry that wrap to the next line are indented, and the lines are divided well. It was printed with line matching. There are a few places where the lines don’t match, but most are perfect. The verse numbers are a little difficult to find quickly. Those, and the footnotes, should be printed a little darker. I found the text to be great for reading.
Margins
The outer margins are 1.5 inches wide and include a floral line drawing in gold. You can write over this, or leave the margins empty. They don’t look out of place if you decide to leave them empty, but they could be distracting when reading your notes over the design. It might be better if they were printed a touch lighter.
Maps
There are 9 maps printed on 8 semi-glossy pages. They’re colorful and include lots of information. The large land areas have a sandy texture, while all of the other colors are flat (or solid). There are lots of annotations with explanations and Scriptures. This is extremely helpful. The maps include cities, empires, distances, routes, battle sites, mountains, settlements, seas, and journeys.
Maps include:
- 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
- Old Testament Jerusalem (labeled 6a)
- New Testament Jerusalem (labeled 6b)
- The Ministry of Jesus
- The Missionary Journeys of Paul
Video Review
Conclusion
The NASB 2020 The Beauty of Scripture Bible is an excellent medium-sized Bible. It’s made well, and the text looks great. The outer margins seem a little too busy for serious note-taking, but that’s just my opinion without having taken extensive notes. The right pens, such as Pigma Microns, might not have any issues. The paper does have some show-through, but it’s less noticeable in person, and I didn’t find it distracting. This would be a great choice for a reading and carrying Bible.
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Purchase (affiliate)
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Lockman 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.
