The NIV Deluxe Single-Column Reference Bible is the latest Premier Collection NIV from Zondervan. It has the construction you’d expect from any edition in the Premier Collection including a leather-lined goatskin cover with raised spine ribs, European premium paper, and the Confort Print typeface designed by 2K/Denmark. This edition includes 100,000 cross-references and a unique topical study system. This model is ISBN: 9780310454137. It’s printed in China and built with premium materials from around the world.
Zondervan 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 book is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
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Table of Contents
- Video Review
- Cover and Binding
- Paper
- Typography
- References
- Footnotes
- Topical Links
- Concordance
- Maps
- Comparisons
- Conclusion
Video Review
Cover and Binding
The cover is black goatskin. It’s soft to the touch and the grain looks natural. The leather feels thick. It’s flexible and floppy. It has perimeter stitchingaround the outside and it includes a silver gilt line on the inside. The front has no writing. The spine has HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, and ZONDERVAN printed in silver. It has 5 raised spine ribs.
The liner is edge-lined leather. It’s Smyth sewn and has no trouble staying open on the first page. It has overcast stitching for the first signature.
It weighs 2 lbs, 9.1 oz. The overall size is 9.87 x 6.75 x 1.37″. It includes three satin ribbons at 3/8″ each, in three different shades of blue. I love these colors. They’re extra long and they’re cut at a slight angle.
Paper
The paper is the same 36gsm premium European Bible paper used throughout the Premier Collection line of Bibles. It’s white in color and it’s highly opaque. It has a smooth texture with a premium feel. I find this paper to be easier to grab and turn than most Bibles. This is an excellent paper for reading for long periods of time.
The page edges are art-gilt with blue under sliver.
Typography
The text is presented in a single-column paragraph format using the standard NIV layout design. The header shows the page numbers in the outer corner and the book name and chapter numbers next to it. Cross-references are placed in the outer margin starting at the top of the page. Footnotes are placed within the text in the bottom right corner. Topical links are placed in the footer. All of the highlights are in blue.
The typeface is the 9.5-point Comfort Print designed specifically for the NIV by 2K/Denmark. This is a black-letter text. It’s dark, has a generous leading, and is easy to read. It’s printed with line-matching (the lines are printed in the same location on both sides of the page), and it matches well.
It has around 14-16 words per line. This makes for a beautiful poetic setting. For prose, this is wider than I normally like, but I haven’t had any issues losing my place. Section headings include references to parallel passages. References are printed over a blue background to stand out. The placement of references leaves space for notes on many pages.
References
The main point of this Bible is that it’s a reference edition. This edition has 100,000 cross-references, which is the fullest set of NIV cross-references. There are a lot of references for study and sermon prep. If you’re looking for references, this is an excellent choice.
Here are some example references to help you compare:
- Genesis 1:1 – Ps 102:25; Pro 8:23; Isa 40:21; 41:4, 26; Jn 1:1-2, 21, 27; Ge 2:3, 6; Ne 9:6; Job 9:8; 37:18; Ps 96:5; 104:2; 115:15; 121:2; 136:5; Isa 40:22; 42:5; 51:13; Jer 10:12; 51:15; Ge 14:19; 2 Ki 19:15; Ne 9:6; Job 38:4; Ps 90:2; 136:6; 146:6; Isa 37:16; 40:28; 42:5; 44:24; 45:12, 18; Jer 27:5; 32:17; Ac 14:15; 17:24; Eph 3:9; Col 1:16; Heb 3:4; 11:3; Rev 4:11; 10:6
- Deuteronomy 6:4 – Dt 4:35, 39; Ne 9:6; Ps 86:10; Is 44:6; Zec 14:9; Mk 12:29; Jn 10:30; 1 Cor 8:4; Eph 4:6; Jas 2:19
- Isaiah 9:6 – Gen 1:15; Ias 53:2; Lk 2:11; Jn 3:16; Mt 28:18; Isa 22:22; Job 15:8; Isa 28:29; Dt 7:21; Ps 24:8; Isa 10:21; 11:2; 42:13; Psa 90:2; Ex 4:22; Isa 64:8; Jn 14:9-10; Isa 26:3, 12; 53:5; 66:12; Jer 33:6; Mic 5:5; Lk 2:14
- Matthew 17:20 – Mt 21:21; 13:31; Lk 17:6; 1 Cor 13:2
- Mark 11:23 – Mt 21:21
- Mark 12:29 – none (a few in topical links – Dt 4:35; Isa 44:6-8; 1 Cor 8:4-6)
- John 1:1 – Isa 55:11; Rev 19:13; Jn 17:5; 1 Jn 1:2; Php 2:6
- John 2:19 – Mt 16:21; 26:61; 27:40; Mk 14:58; 15:29; Ac 6:14
- Acts 2:38 – ver 41; 8:12, 16, 36, 38; 9:188; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 19:5; 22:16; Col 2:12; Jer 36:3; Mk 1:4; Lk 24:47; Ac 3:19; Jn 20:22
- Rom 8:30 – Eph 1:5, 11; ver 28; Rom 4:25; 9:23
- 1 John 1:1 – Jn 1:2; Lk 24:48; Jn 1:14; 19:35; Ac 4:20; 2 Pe 1:16; 1 Jn 4:14; Jn 20:27
Footnotes
Footnotes are placed within the text in the bottom right corner of the page and stand apart from the text. This creates a boxed design for prose, cause the text to use fewer words per line, but it doesn’t affect poetry. I like this layout design because I find the smaller area easier to search and read than placing them in full-width at the bottom of the page.
Topical Links
In the footer are thousands of topical links for study of major biblical themes. It provides the verse reference, topical name, and next reference in the topic. There are a lot of topics and they do include some theology. They’re great for study. Always be sure to study the surrounding context and compare Scripture with Scripture.
Concordance
The concordance is 81 pages with 2 columns per page. It has 2474 entries with over 10,000 references. It includes proper names with 155 biographical entries. It provides background information and references to prominent texts. Variations of words are given in parenthesis to give you ideas of other words to search for. This an excellent concordance for study and sermon preparation.
- Christ (Christ’s, Christian, Messiah) – 69
- Christian (Christ) – 1
- Christ’s (Christ) – 3
- Faith (Faithful, Faithfully, Faithfulness, Faithless) – 65
- Faithful (Faith) – 31
- Faithfully (Faith) – 3
- Faithfulness (Faith) – 15
- Faithless (Faith) – 3
- God (God’s, Godliness, Godly, Gods) – 4.5 columns
- God-breathed (Breathed) – 1
- Godliness (God) – 4
- Godly (God) – 4
- God’s (God) – 28
- Gods (God) – 2
- Jesus – 5 major topics with multiple sub-topics and many Scripture passages and reference within each one
- Life
- Miracles
- Major Teaching
- Parables
- Disciples
- Praise (Praised, Praises, Praising) – 32
- Praised (Praise) – 5
- Praises (Praise) – 4
- Praising (Praise) – 2
- Pray (Prayed, Prayer, Prayers, Praying) – 17
- Prayed (Pray) – 3
- Prayer (Pray) – 13
- Prayers (Pray) – 4
- Praying (Pray) – 4
Maps
It includes the standard 7 full-color maps Zondervan maps printed on 8 thick glossy pages. There is no index but the maps are annotated well. The maps 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
Comparisons
Here’s how the Premier Collection NIV Deluxe Single-Column Reference Bible compares with the other NIV’s in the Premier Collection.
Premier Collection NIV Thinline Bible Large Print
The Premier Collection NIV Thinline Bible Large Print Bible has the same footprint, but it’s slightly thinner and doesn’t include the raised spine ribs. It’s a double-column edition and doesn’t have references.
Premier Collection NIV Heritage Bible Review
The Premier Collection NIV Heritage Bible has about the same word-count per line. It has a different pagination but the layout looks similar minus the references and topical studies. It has slightly more space between the lines, but the font looks to be the same size.
Conclusion
The NIV Deluxe Single-Column Reference Bible is an excellent addition to the Premier Collection. The materials, construction, and design are of premium quality. The blue highlights, blue under silver art-gilt edges, silver gilt-line, and blue ribbons complete the design and give it an elegant look. The 100,000 cross-references, topical system, and concordance make this an excellent Bible for study and sermon prep. This is my favorite NIV of the Premier Collection and one of my all-time favorite designs. The overall size and shape are balanced just right for my personal tastes. If you’re interested in a high-quality NIV in single-column and lots of cross-references, this one is worth a look.
_________________________________________________________
This book is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
_________________________________________________________
Zondervan 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.
Great review. Which NIV translation is this? Original 1980’s era, 2000 era or gender neutral?
Thanks Tom! It’s the 2011.
Hi Great review, thanks. I have purchased a copy and very happy. However, and apologies if it is a silly question but some of the references have a capital S in front of them. Eg under the ref for Genesis 2:17, it details S Ro 5:12. I know it’s Romans but can’t work out the “S”. Hope you can help