The NKJV Single-Column Reference Bible presents the text of the New King James Version in a single-column, v-b-v format. It’s excellent for study and carry. It’s available in several covers. I’m reviewing the green Leathersoft and brown genuine leather. Both were printed in China.

Thomas Nelson provided these Bibles in exchange for an honest review. I was not asked to give a positive review.

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This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)

Amazon – Genuine Leather | Leathersoft

Christianbook – Genuine Leather | Leathersoft

and many local Bible bookstores

_________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

  1. Video Review
  2. Binding
  3. Paper
  4. Typography and Layout
  5. References
  6. Concordance
  7. Bible Atlas
  8. Comparisons
  9. Conclusion

Video Review

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Binding

Both covers have the same sewn text blocks. The page edges have an interesting pattern. I prefer this to plane gilt which would show scratches easily. My review copies have a touch of cockling, but it’s just noticeable. The overall size is 5 3/4 x 8 7/8 x 1 1/2″. Here’s a look at each cover.

Leathersoft

The green Leathersoft looks and feels like a canvas material. The spine includes hub indications in a darker green outlined in gold to match the text on the spine and front. The liner is green paper and doubles as the presentation page. It does not have family pages. It will stay open easily in Exodus. I’m sure it will break in well and stay open anywhere with enough usage. It has two 3/8″ ribbons: green and red. The Leathersoft weighs 2 lbs, 2 oz.

Brown Genuine Leather

The brown genuine leather is smooth and thin. It’s soft to the touch and does have a little bit of grain. It looks and feels natural. The spine includes 5 raised hubs and gold printing. The liner is paste-down vinyl and it uses thick endsheets as the presentation page. It doesn’t have family pages. It stays open easily in Genesis. It has two 3/8″ ribbons- one brown and one red. The genuine leather weighs 2 lbs, 3.1 oz.

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Paper

The paper seems to be the same 30gsm paper used in most Leathersoft and genuine leather editions from Thomas Nelson. It’s white and decently opaque. There is some show-through, but it’s mostly noticeable where there’s nothing printed on one side of the page. The paper is smooth. The pages can be a little difficult to turn in certain situations.

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Typography and Layout

The New King James text is presented in a single-column verse-by-verse format. Cross-references and footnotes are placed in the inner margin as far down the page as possible. The header shows the book name and chapter numbers in the outer margin. Poetry is set to stanzas, letters are indented, and lists are presented as lists. Each prose line is indented and paragraphs are marked with bold numbers. All poetic lines are indented.

The typeface is the Comfort Print designed for the New King James by 2K/Denmark. It’s 9-point and has red letters for the words of Christ. It’s a medium/dark shade and the text is highly consistent throughout. It’s printed with line-matching and has around 12-14 words per line. Poetry looks elegant with this word count. Only a few lines wrap to the next line, and those are indented and well-balanced. I found the text to be great for reading and preaching. Some preachers may find the text too small to read from the pulpit, though.

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References and Footnotes

The NKJV Single-Column Reference Bible has 72,000 cross references. The cross-references and footnotes are placed together in the inner margin. Cross-references and footnotes are placed under the pilot numbers with extra space separating the pilot verses where possible. They’re left justified. There are enough cross-references for deep study and sermon prep.

Here are some example references to help you compare:

  • Genesis 1:1 – Ps 102:25; Is 40:21; Jn 1:1-3; Heb 1:10; Gen 2:4; Ps 8:3; 89:11; 90:2; Is 44:24; Acts 17:24; Rom 1:20; Heb 1:2; 11:3; Rev 4:11
  • Deuteronomy 6:4 – Deut 4:35; Mark 12:29; John 17:3; 1 Cor 8:4, 6
  • Isaiah 9:6 – Isa 7:14; Luke 2:11; John 1:45; Luke 2:7; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9; Matt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:25; Rev 12:5; Judg 13:18; Titus 2:13; Eph 2:14
  • Matthew 17:20 – Mat 21:21, Mk 11:23, Lk 17:6, 1 Cor 12:9
  • Mark 11:23 – Matt 17:20; 21:21; Luke 17:6
  • Mark 12:29 – Deut 6:4, 5; Is 44:8; 45:22; 46:9; 1 Cor 8:6
  • John 1:1 – Gen 1:1; Col 1:17; 1 John 1:1; John 1:14; Rev 19:13; John 17:5; 1 John 1:2; 5:20
  • John 2:19 – Mat 26:61, 27:40, Mk 14:58, 15:29, Lk 24:46, Acts 6:14, 10:40, 1 Cor 15:4
  • Acts 2:38 – Luke 24:47
  • 1 John 1:1 – John 1:1; 1 John 2:13, 14; Luke 1:2; John 1:14; 2 Pet 1:16; Luke 24:39; John 2:27; John 1:1, 4, 14

The footnotes are the full set of NKJV translation footnotes, which are my favorite footnotes. I find them useful because they provide manuscript variations and identify the manuscripts.

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Concordance

The concordance is 138 pages with 2 columns per page. It includes 3500 entries with 9200 context lines. It shows the number of times the word appears and the number of references that contain the word. Some of the main words include Greek and Hebrew word studies with Strongs’ numbers, references, etc. This a great concordance for study. It doesn’t include other common names. It does have Jesus, though.

Here are a few example entries and the number of references they provide to help you compare:

  • Christ – 13 plus word study
  • Christian – 1
  • Christian – 1
  • Faith – 40 plus word study
  • Faithful – 20
  • Faithfulness – 5
  • Faithless – 2
  • God – 38 plus word study
  • Goddess – 2
  • Godhead – 2 plus word study
  • Godliness – 4
  • Godly – 3
  • Gods – 5
  • Jesus – 20 plus word study
  • Praise – 25 plus word study
  • Praised – 4
  • Praises – 2
  • Praiseworthy – 1
  • Praising – 3
  • Pray – 14 plus word study
  • Prayed – 2
  • Prayer – 16
  • Prayers – 5

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Bible Atlas

It includes 8 pages with 7 full-color Zondervan maps printed on thick glossy paper. They’re printed in bright earth tones, which I like a lot. It doesn’t have an index but the maps are annotated well and I find them easy to use. They include topography, distance, routes, borders, possible locations of lost places, battles, elevation, cities, and locations for the events of Jesus’ ministry.

Maps include:

  1. World of the Patriarchs
  2. Exodus and Conquest of Canaan
  3. Land of the Twelve Tribes
  4. Kingdom of David and Solomon
  5. Jesus’ Ministry
  6. Paul’s Missionary Journeys
  7. Jerusalem in the Time of Jesus

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Comparisons

NKJV Single Column Reference

The NKJV Single Column Reference Bible has the same footprint, but it’s a touch thicker due to having thicker paper. It also has a larger font in black-letter and it has a single-column paragraph layout. It has the same references, but they are in the outer margin. This one also has a pattern on the page edges, but it’s a lot different. This Bibles is adorned with red highlights, which look more elegant.

NKJV Clarion

The NKJV Clarion has a smaller footprint and the same thickness. It has thinner paper. Its layout is a single-column paragraph with the same references in the outer margin. Its font is larger and is black letter.

KJV Personal Size Large Print Reference Bible

The Thomas Nelson KJV Personal Size Large Print Reference Bible has a slightly larger footprint and it’s the same thickness with thicker paper. The font is larger and darker, with red-letter text in a single-column v-b-v layout. It doesn’t have any special formatting. References are placed at the bottom of the page.

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Conclusion

The NKJV Single-Column Reference Bible is an excellent verse-by-verse edition of the New King James Version. The size is great for carrying and reading. The v-b-v layout is highly readable and looks elegant with a poetic format. The inner-margin references bring the text out onto the flat part of the page, making it great for reading and preaching. If you’re looking for a v-b-v NKJV, the NKJV Single-Column Reference Bible is an excellent choice.

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_________________________________________________________

This Bible is available at (includes some affiliate links)

Amazon – Genuine Leather | Leathersoft

Christianbook – Genuine Leather | Leathersoft

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.