The Thomas Nelson Abide Bible was developed by the Taylor University Center for Scripture Engagement. Its focus is to help us engage with Scripture so it can change us, help us develop deeper habits of Scripture engagement, make us better disciples and evangelists, and increase our church growth. I previously reviewed the NKJV edition. It’s now available in the NET. I’m reviewing the brown Leathersoft, ISBN 9780785233268, made in China.
Thomas Nelson 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)
and many local Bible bookstores
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Table of Contents
Video Review
Cover and Binding
The brown Leathersoft ( imitation leather) cover has a realistic grain and texture. It has perimeter stitching. The front has the title printed in gold. The spine printed has NET, the title, and Thomas Nelson in gold.
The paper paste-down liner shows information about the features. It’s Smyth sewn, but it will need to break in before it will stay open in Genesis.
It has brown head/tail bands and two ribbon markers – one brown and one gray. The overall size is 6.5 x 9.5 x 1.75″. It weighs 3 lbs 0.6 oz.
Paper
I love the paper in this Bible. It’s 36gsm and has a slightly rough texture that makes it great for turning, highlighting, and making notes. It’s white in color and highly opaque, making it great for reading and preaching. It feels like it could have a coating that makes it feel elegant. The page edges are silver. Unlike the NKJV edition, this one does not have pages in the back for notes.
Typography
The text is presented in a single column paragraph layout with all of the notes placed in the outer margin. The header includes the book name, chapter number, and verse number in the outer margin, and the page number in the inner margin. Highlights are in dark red, purple, or orange.
The font is a 9-point NET Comfort Print designed by 2K/Denmark. It looks slightly smaller than the NKJV edition, but this could just be the typeface design. It’s black letter. The printing is dark and consistent. Old Testament quotes are in italics. Some are in bold italics. The section headings, chapter numbers, and study material graphics and headings are printed in a dark reddish-brown.
It has 10-12 words per line. This is great for poetic settings and the prose settings are still easy to read. It’s line-matched, so each line is printed in the same location on both sides of the page. The paper is opaque enough that the text never looks gray because of the text on the other side.
The layout design is similar to a journaling Bible. I love this layout. Where there are no notes the page is left blank. It doesn’t have footnotes or references, and it isn’t keyed to the notes in the margins. This means with the exception of section headings, there are no distractions in the text.
Book Introductions
The book introductions are 2 pages long and include three sections:
- The first section is an overview of the book. It shows how the book fits within the context of Scripture and includes information about the author, the circumstances of writing, etc.
- The second section, Historical and Literary Context, includes information about the author, the historical setting, and things that critical scholars have pointed out about the book.
- The third section, Prepare, covers the major themes of the book. It also includes things to look for as you read the book.
Study Material
The Abide Bible is different from most study Bibles. Rather than providing commentary, it gives prompts that helps you dig into Scripture yourself. The prompts are in the margins and include a title, the references the prompt will cover, and the prompt. Most pages have 2 prompts. The prompts are more like an inductive and devotional Bible. They’re great for study and application.
There are 5 different types of prompts:
Praying Scripture: These are a pattern for prayer that’s based on the text. They describe the setting and events and include several things to pray about using the text.
Picture It: These include three sections: Prepare (a prayer prompt), Picture (instructions for imagining situations based on the passage, placing yourself in the narrative, seeing it happen, and questions for deeper thinking), and Pray (a prayer prompt based on the text with personal application).
Journal: These include two sections: Prepare Your Heart is the encouragement to pray for guidance. Reflect and Write is prompts to describe what happened in the reading and then answer questions. Writing space isn’t provided, but this can easily be done in a separate journal.
Engage Through Art: These are photos, paintings, and sculptures. They provide a short bio of the artist, talk about what the art represents in Scripture, and include a reading and prayer prompt. Most are not biblical settings, but their principles apply.
Contemplate: These include four sections: Read shows things to focus on in the passage. Meditate includes prompts to meditate on (for example, place yourself in the situation, how you’ve been helped in similar situations, how you have responded, and how you sought God). Pray has prayer prompts based on the passage. Contemplate encourages you to contemplate the passage throughout the day.
Reading Plan: In the front is a 365-day reading plan. It includes morning readings from the New Testament and evening readings from the Old Testament.
Articles: There are several articles in the back including:
- Why Read the Bible?
- Steps to Engage
- Scripture Engagement vs. Bible Study
- Spiritual Disciplines and Scripture Engagement
- About the Taylor University Center for Scripture Engagement
Maps
In the back are 7 full-color Zondervan maps printed on 8 thick semi-glossy pages. They’re printed in eath-tones. It does not include an index but the maps are annotated well and they’re easy enough to use. They show topography, distance, routes, borders, possible locations of lost places, battles, elevation, cities, and locations for the events of Jesus’ ministry.
Maps include:
- World of the Patriarchs
- Exodus and Conquest of Canaan
- Land of the Twelve Tribes
- Kingdom of David and Solomon
- Jesus’ Ministry
- Paul’s Missionary Journeys
- Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus
Conclusion
The NET Abide Bible from Thomas Nelson is an excellent Bible for digging deeper into God’s Word. The layout works great and the readability is excellent. The study information has a strong devotional quality. They focus on situations in the text and provide prompts that help in study and personal application. It’s an excellent Bible to help build good reading and study habits with a focus on personal application. I highly recommend the Abide Bible to anyone interested in a Bible that helps in personal growth.
_________________________________________________________
This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
_________________________________________________________
Thomas Nelson 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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