NLT Wide Margin Bible Filament Edition Review

Tyndale provided these Bibles 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 Bible is available at (affiliates)

Amazon – Brown | Black |Genuine Leather

Christianbook – Brown | Black | Genuine Leather

and many local Bible bookstores

_________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

1. 1. Binding
   2. Paper
   3. Typography
   4. Footnotes
   5. Tyndale Verse Finder
   6. Visual Overview of the Bible
   7. Filament
   8. Comparisons
   9. Conclusion

Video Review

Binding

Black Genuine Leather

The black genuine leather has a pebbly grain. The front and back covers are plain and the spine has gold text separated by gold lines all near the top. It has a black vinyl pastedown liner. I was pleased to see it laid fairly flat right out of the box, even in Genesis. It has one 1/4″ wide red ribbon marker with matching red head/tail bands. It weighs about 2 lbs, 13.5 oz, and measures 6.75 x 8.8 x 1.75″. The page edges are gold gilt. I think this is a nice addition to the NLT Wide Margin Bible lineup.

Leatherlike Bindings

I’m reviewing two editions in Leatherlike. One is flexible while the other is a hardcover edition. The spine rises upward when opened, flattening the pages, making it a great choice for reading and study.

Dark Brown Palm Leatherlike

The dark brown Leatherlike has a smooth grain with palm leaves etched all over the front and back. It’s dark brown with a red tone and enough color variation to make it look interesting. It has perimeter stitching. The spine includes horizontal lines etched into the top and bottom and the text etched into the center. The liner is pastedown vinyl. At first, it does try to close at the beginning of Genesis, but it doesn’t close and it breaks in quickly. It has one dark brown 1/4″ ribbon marker and matching head/tail bands. The overall size is 6.75 x 8.8 x 1.75″ and it weighs 2 lbs, 12.3 oz. It has gold gilted page edges.

Black Hardcover Leatherlike

The black hardcover Leatherlike has a slightly pebbly grain. It looks and feels like real leather. The front has a copper and white cross design. The spine includes text separated by copper lines all placed at the top. The liner is black paper. The text block is sewn and stays open perfectly on any page. It has one copper 1/4″ ribbon marker and black and white head/tail bands. The overall size is 6.5 x 8.75 x 1.75″. It weighs 2 lbs, 15.4 oz. It has white page edges.

Besides the three covers we have reviewed this Bible is also available in brown genuine leather and an ocean blue cloth-covered hardcover with flowers. Two additional covers, a pink and cream leatherlike with flowers and an autumn leaf printed leatherlike are due out later in 2023.

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Paper

The paper is in the upper 30’s in gsm (I’d guess 36-38). It’s off-white in color and it’s highly opaque. It’s smooth, but it does have the right amount of roughness for writing and turning. This paper is excellent for notes, highlighting, and artwork.

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Typography

The text is presented in a single-column, paragraph format with poetry set to stanzas, letters indented, and lists presented as lists. The header shows the book name and chapter number in the outer margin and the page number and Filament code in the center. The translator’s footnotes with references are placed in the footer in a smaller font than the biblical text. Section headings are in bold italics. The outer margin is 2.25″ and is ruled, making it easy to add notes. Unlike most NLT journaling Bibles, it does not include artwork.

The typeface is 8-point with the words of Christ in red. Both the black and red are about medium in boldness. The print quality is consistent throughout. The text is printed with line-matching, meaning the text is printed in the same place on both sides of the page. Show-through is minimal.

It has around 14 words per line with lots of space between the lines and words to make it comfortable to read. The inner margin has enough extra space to bring the text out of the gutter. This keeps the lines straight, which makes it easier for me to keep my place on the page when going from one line to the next. Poetry especially looks great.

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Footnotes

Footnotes are keyed to the verses with an asterisk at the end of the word or phrase. I didn’t find it too distracting when reading. The footnotes show the chapter and verse number in bold, the word or phrase from the verse in italics, and the footnote. There are lots of them and I’m glad to see them included.

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Tyndale Verse Finder

The Tyndale Verse Finder is an 18-page topical index. This shows the topics with their sub-topics and includes a short description, a Scripture reference, and the page number. This is a good index for basic personal study and sermon prep. There are even more tools in the Filament app, so this small index is really all you need for basic study.

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Visual Overview of the Bible

The Visual Overview of the Bible replaces regular maps. It includes maps, charts, infographics, and information, printed on thick semi-glossy pages. They show insights into biblical settings and events and include a lot of information and an introduction on how to use them. They look great and I find them easy to use. I prefer this to regular maps.

They include:

1. World of the Patriarchs
2. The Plagues of Egypt
3. Exodus from Egypt
4. Israel’s Annual Calendar
5. Twelve Tribes of Israel
6. Kingdoms of Israel
7. The Book of Psalms
8. The Prophets
9. The Exile
10. The Ministry of Jesus
11. Prophecies of the Messiah
12. The First Journeys of Christian Leaders
13. Paul’s Missionary Journeys
14. The Old Testament in the New Testament Letters

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Filament

The Filament app gives you access to study and devotional material. Each page in this Bible has a scannable symbol. When you scan the page with your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet it will open tools that show related content such as study notes, devotionals, videos, interactive maps, and music for that page. You can also navigate through the app manually.

The app is free and includes:

• 25,000 study notes
• 350+ videos
• 40+ maps and infographics
• 400+ profiles and articles
• 1,500+ devotionals

Once you scan a page it shows the page number and chapter number with three links: Study, Reflect, and See.

Study

Study – this has study notes from several Tyndale resources. Clicking the title to open the notes. Click the link in the bottom left corner to see the different types of notes. Study notes include:

• Study Notes
• Book Overview
• People
• Themes

Reflect

Reflect – this gives you a list of devotionals from several Tyndale resources. It shows the title, author, and Scripture references. The bottom of the devotional shows more Scriptures to read and the name of the devotional.

See

See – this is a set of interactive visuals that include videos, infographics, illustrations, and interactive maps. They include the title, the type of resource, Scripture reference, and a featured image.

Navigation

Rather than scanning the page number, you can also navigate manually by clicking the book and chapter name to scroll through the books and chapters. Select the page numbers or navigate by clicking the arrows left or right. You to adjust the font size, choose the theme, switch to a different Bible, see a tutorial, and get help. The app includes lots of resources that turn your Tyndale Filament edition Bible into a study and devotional Bible. The app isn’t compatible with my Amazon Fire tablets but it works well with my Galaxy S8+.

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Comparisons

Here’s a look at how the NLT Wide Margin Bible compares to a few other Filament-enabled NLTs.

NLT Inspire Prayer

The NLT Inspire Prayer is the latest version of the Inspire. It has a shorter page with fewer lines and includes a lot of artwork. It has a different pagination. The paper has a slightly cream tint, but it’s not too much. Both have an 8 point font.

NLT Filament Bible Journals

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Final Thoughts on NLT Wide Margin Bible, Filament Enabled Edition

The NLT Wide Margin Bible, Filament Enabled Edition is an excellent Bible for notes, thoughts, prayers, journal entries, and artwork. The materials and construction quality are excellent. I especially like the paper with its white color and high opacity. The font is a touch small for older eyes. I’d recommend this Bible even without being Filament enabled. Add Filament to the mix and you’ve got a great combination of a Bible that’s great for personal study and note-taking. As always, I recommend you use the study material as a reference and do your own study. It’s refreshing to see a journaling edition that’s designed for notes. If you’re interested in an NLT for notes, the NLT Wide Margin Bible is easy to recommend.

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_________________________________________________________

This Bible is available at (affiliates)

Amazon – Brown | Black

Christianbook – Brown | Black

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.