The NLT Large Thinline Reference Bible, Filament-Enabled Edition is a large print NLT that’s designed to give you an excellent reading experience and provide lots of study and devotional content through the free Filament app. It’s available in multiple covers, so there’s something available for any budget. I’m reviewing the navy blue genuine leather and the floral leaf teal Leatherlike editions, both made in China.
Tyndale 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.
_________________________________________________________
This book is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
_________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
- Video Review
- Binding
- Paper
- Typography
- References and Footnotes
- Tyndale Verse Finder
- Visual Overview of the Bible
- Filament
- Conclusion
Video Review
Binding
I’m reviewing two covers: navy blue genuine leather and floral leaf teal Leatherlike (imitation leather). Both are Smyth sewn. The genuine leather has no trouble staying open in Genesis. The Leatherlike will need to break in a little more before it will lay completely open in Genesis. The overall size is 6 7/8 x 9 7/8 x 1″.
Navy Blue Genuine Leather
The navy blue genuine leather is dark and almost looks black on camera. It has a pebbly grain that feels soft to the touch. The front is clear of printing, while the spine has Tyndale, Holy Bible, and NLT printed in silver at the top. The rest of the spine is left blank. This is a clean minimal design. The liner is a navy blue paste-down vinyl. It has one silver 1/4″ ribbon marker and silver page edges. It weighs 1lb, 13.2 oz.
Floral Leaf Teal Leatherlike
The floral leaf teal is imitation leather (polyurethane). It looks more teal than in the photos. A floral pattern is debossed as a single pattern that wraps from the front to the back. It has several smooth leaves and several dark leaves that give the design visual texture. The pattern doesn’t go all the way to the edges, leaving about a half an inch between the pattern and perimeter stitching. The spine includes the text debossed into one small section close to the center. The design looks fancy and elegant at the same time. The paper liner is a teal paste-down paper. It has a teal 1/4″ ribbon marker and silver page edges. It weighs 1lb, 11.3oz.
Paper
I’m not sure of the GSM, but it seems to be in the upper 20’s or lower 30’s. It’s off-white in color and has no glare under direct light. The texture is slightly rough, which helps make it easier to turn. I had no trouble turning the pages. It does have some show-through, as is expected in a thinline Bible, but it’s mostly noticeable in poetic settings and the text is still very readable.
Typography
The text is in a double-column, paragraph format. Poetry is in stanzas, lists are presented as lists, and letters are indented. The header shows the page number in the center, and the book name and chapter number in the outer corner. Under the text in the right column, you’ll find translation notes followed by cross-references. Bold section headings are placed throughout the text.
The font is 10-point. This is a red-letter edition. Both the black and red letter are about a medium/dark in darkness. The red has a little bit of variation that’s just noticeable if you’re looking for it. Asterisks are placed on words to identify that there is a footnote. The text doesn’t include keys to the cross-references, so you just have to look at see what’s available.
It has around 10 words per line and has enough space between the words and lines to be comfortable to read. This is my favorite word-count to get the best balance for prose and poetry line-length. Prose doesn’t have too many words and poetry has enough space to break into smart places. Poetry does have several lines with a single word. So, rather than breaking the lines, they allow the text to go to the end of the line and then wrap to the next line.
The text is printed with line-matching, meaning that the lines of text are on the same place on both sides of the page. This does help improve readability, especially with the thin paper. The show-through is minimal enough that the text doesn’t look gray because of the text on the other side of the page. The extra space in the gutter helps bring the text out of the bend and onto the flat part of the page.
References and Footnotes
Cross-references and translation footnotes are placed under the last verse of the page on the right. This saves a lot of space and keeps the references and footnotes from cluttering the text. They’re placed separately from each other, making them easy to use.
The footnotes include the chapter and verse number and the note. There are lots of them on almost every page to give insights into the translation and include alternate renderings from the original languages, references, measurements, explanations, etc.
The cross-references include individual verses and larger passages for both the pilot reference and cross-reference. It doesn’t have a lot of references and it ends up leaving out a lot of important passages. It’s still helpful for study, but references are the weakest of the study tools in this Bible. The Filament app includes enough tools to make up the difference.
Here are a few example references to help you compare:
- Genesis 1:1 – Jn 1:1,2
- Deuteronomy 6:4 – x
- Isaiah 9:6 – x
- Matthew 28:16-20 – Luke 24:36-49
- Mark 12:28-34 – Luke 10:25-28
- John 1:1 – 1 Jn 5:20
- John 3:16 – Rom 5:8
- Acts 2:38 – x
- 1 John 1:1 – x
Tyndale Verse Finder
The Tyndale Verse Finder is a 32-page topical index that’s excellent for personal study and sermon prep. It’s not a large index, but it is a better tool that a small concordance. It includes topics with lots of sub-topics.
Visual Overview of the Bible
The Visual Overview of the Bible includes 15 pages of maps, charts, and infographics. printed on thick semi-glossy pages. They provide insights on biblical settings and events and include lots of descriptions. I like the visual information. Some of it isn’t obvious what it’s showing at first and some of the charts are complex, but they are helpful.
They include:
- World of the Patriarchs
- The Plagues of Egypt
- Exodus from Egypt
- Israel’s Annual Calendar
- Twelve Tribes of Israel
- Kingdoms of Israel
- The Book of Psalms
- The Prophets
- The Exile
- The Ministry of Jesus
- Prophecies of the Messiah
- The First Journeys of Christian Leaders
- Paul’s Missionary Journeys
- The Old Testament in the New Testament Letters
Filament
The NLT Thinline Reference Bible, Filament-Enabled Edition is compatible with the free Tyndale Filament app. Scan any page to see notes, devotionals, and interactive media. The material is from the NLT Study Bible, Tyndale devotionals, etc. As always, I recommend using the material for reference and do your own study.
The app includes:
- 25,000 study notes
- 350+ videos
- 40+ maps and infographics
- 400+ profiles and articles
- 1,500+ devotionals
- Library of worship music
Study – these are the study notes from the NLT Study Bible and other resources. It shows the verses the notes correspond to so you can select what you want to see.
Reflect – these are from Tyndale devotionals. They include a list of titles to click on. They’re short and include the resource name at the bottom to help you find the books if you want. I found them interesting and insightful.
See – this includes videos, infographics, and interactive maps. They include a featured image, title, the type of resource it is, and the Scripture references they correspond to, making it easy to decide what you want to see. The infographics have detailed descriptions. The maps show information for the area that you select on the map.
You can also navigate manually through the Bible books, chapters, and verses, adjust the font size, select a light or dark theme, switch between Bibles, and read the tutorial. I found the app to be intuitive. The Filament app is compatible with Android and iOS.
Final Thoughts on NLT Thinline Reference Bible, Filament-Enabled Edition
The NLT Large Print Thinline next to the regular version
The NLT Large Print Thinline Reference Bible, Filament-Enabled Edition is a highly readable edition of the NLT. The paper is thin but I found it to be easy enough to turn and opaque enough to be excellent for reading. It helps keep the size down, making this a good Bible for carrying, even though it’s large print. The layout is clean but still has references and footnotes.
Having access to lots of tools with the Filament app makes it a good choice for anyone that wants access to study and devotional material without having to carry a large Bible. If you’re looking for a large print NLT and don’t mind using your phone or tablet for extra tools, the NLT Large Print Thinline Reference Bible, Filament-Enabled Edition is easy to recommend.
_________________________________________________________
This book is available at (includes some affiliate links)
and many local Bible bookstores
_________________________________________________________
Tyndale 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.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks