The TBS Hebrew and Greek Bible brings the Hebrew and Greek Old and New Testaments together into one volume, providing an easy to handle edition of the underlying texts of the KJV and other reformation-era translations. It’s a paragraph edition in a handy size with a few unique features that I want to see in a KJV.
ISBN: 9781862281165
TBS provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review – only an honest review. My opinions are my own.
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Binding
The cover is black vinyl-covered hardback with gold stamping on the spine, front, and… ummm… front. Like all publications by Trinitarian Bible Society, the binding is sewn. It has no issues lying open anywhere you want it to.
The overall size is 7 x 4 7/8 x 1 ¾”. I find this size perfect for carry and study. Fortunately the font size doesn’t suffer due to the small footprint. It includes two white ribbons and matching white head/tail bands.
Paper
The paper feels like the 32gsm paper from the Westminster and Windsor, only it’s slightly whiter. It does still have a cream tint – just not as dark. The opacity is about the same and is only noticeable in the blank spaces on the page.
I had no issues turning the pages. There are 8 blank pages between the Hebrew and Greek sections that can be used for notes. It has 2296 pages plus a few thick end sheets and introductory pages.
Typography
This is actually two Bibles in one – Greek on one side and Hebrew on the other (hence the two front covers). It uses the Hebrew and Greek alphabets rather than the English equivalents. The Greek is printed in the same direction that we’re used to for Bibles and books printed in English. The Hebrew Bible is printed like all Hebrew Bibles should be – opening in the opposite direction of English and Greek Bibles.
The font is 9 point. It’s dark and sharp but not so dark that it hurts my eyes to read it. I prefer darker fonts. I’d like to see the Westminster and Windsor with fonts as dark as these Greek and Hebrew fonts.
Both sections are printed with line-matching in single column paragraph format with verse numbers in the outer margins. Chapter numbers are printed in the outer margins in bold. This is one of the nicest layouts I’ve seen. I’d love to see TBS print a KJV in this exact format.
Hebrew
The Hebrew is the Bomberg Old Testament. Book names are printed in the center of the header with the chapter number and range of verses in the inner column, and the page number in the outer column. Poetry is set to a poetic setting.
The Hebrew text reads from right to left. It has around 42 characters across with around 7-8 words per line. It has around 28 or less lines per page.
The Hebrew includes footnotes on the text in the footer. These are scribal notations that are similar to translator’s footnotes except they’re done by copyist.
Greek
The Greek text follows the edited version by F. H. A. Scrivener published around 1894. Book names are placed in the center of the header with the chapter and verse numbers over the outer margins. Page numbers are centered in the footer.
It has around 54 characters across with 8-10 words per line and 35 lines per page. The text is highly readable and never seems cramped or crowded. It has lots of room between the lines.
Conclusion
The TBS Hebrew and Greek Bible is a nice edition of the Bible in the original languages. The hand-size hardback is great for carry and reading. The fonts are dark and highly readable with the cream-ish paper. The line-matching helps reduce the show-through, which is mostly noticeable in the poetic settings in the Old Testament. I highly recommend the TBS Hebrew and Greek Bible to anyone interested in a Bible in the original languages.
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Photography by hannah C brown