Thomas Nelson’s Giant Print Reference KJV is from their Classic Series of Bibles, which offers a good balance of quality and price. It’s printed in the US and has a lifetime guarantee. In this review I look at the black bonded leather edition.
Pros
- Print is easy to read
- Sewn
Cons
- Not enough inner margin
- Bonded leather
Features
- KJV
- Family records
- Sewn
- Bonded leather
- 14 point font
- Red letter
- Section headings
- Book introductions
- Center column references
- Concordance
- Maps
- One ribbon
- Gilted edges
- 5 x 9.5 x 1.75
- ISBN: 9780840704887
- Model 0895
- Printed in USA
- MSRP: $39.99
Cover and Binding
The cover is bonded leather with an interesting grain pressed into it. It has a dull finish (which I like). I like the feel of it. It’s stiff and thinner than I like. The liner is paste-down vinyl. It doesn’t lay flat. I’d love to see this Bible available in a premium leather. This is a good size Bible, but it doesn’t feel large. It’s about the size of a standard study Bible.
It’s sewn. I thought it was glued until I saw the lifetime guarantee. I started poking around in the maps and found the threading. I’m hoping that it will lay flat after I use it enough.
Paper and Print
The paper is thicker and more opaque than I expected. I don’t know the gsm, but it feels like it’s in the low to mid 30’s to my fingers. It has a dull finish that would take pencil and marking really well. This could easily be made into a premium edition.
The font is 14 point with a nice leading. I like this font. It’s readable and has a nice style to it. It’s about a medium darkness and is very consistent throughout. The red is also fairly consistent, but not as consistent as the black (which is expected). It’s about a medium shade, but with its size it reads well. I had no issues reading it at all. There are no pronunciation marks, but it does have italics for supplied words.
The inner margin is too close to the gutter. This makes part of the text difficult to see. The header shows the book names, chapter, and verse. Books usually start on the same page where the last book left off. The section headings are in italics so they stand out. There’s just enough to be helpful (usually one per chapter). Genesis includes:
1:1 – The creation
2:4 – Creation of man and woman
3:1 – The fall into sin
4:1 Cain, Abel, and their descendants
5:1 – The generations of Adam
6:1 – The LORD is grieved with men
7:1 – Noah and the beasts enter the ark
7:11 The flood
Cross References
Cross references are placed in the center column under the chapter and verse number. They’re keyed with letters. They’re placed close to the verse they correspond to so you don’t have to look up and down the page for them. I’m not sure of the number, but there is a lot of cross references. I found them helpful in study.
Matthew 17:20 gives ch. 21:21, Mark 11:23, Luke 17:6, 1 Cor. 12:9
- Gen 1:1 – 15
- John 1:1 – 7
- 1 John 1:1 – 3
There are no translation notes. I’d like to see the more important notes at least.
Book Introductions
There are two elements to the book introductions. First, there is a paragraph that talks about the author and main points of the book. Then there’s a simple outline that covers somewhere between 5-7 points. There isn’t a lot here, but it is enough to help you understand the overall setting. You can also get some basic points for teaching or preaching.
Concordance
The concordance is 32 pages with two columns per page. It still has more in it than I expected. After each entry is a short definition. Here is a short list of words that I looked up with the definition and number of references for each:
- Faith (loyalty, belief, reliance) – 27
- Faithful (firm in adherence) – 12
- Faithfulness (consistency) – 4
- God (eternal, infinite Spirit) – 43
- Praise (homage) – 7
- Pray (to entreat, implore) – 10
- Prayer (supplication, request) – 6
Maps
There are 8 pages of full color maps on thick glossy paper. There isn’t an index, but they are labeled well and they’re easy to use. Maps include:
- The World of the Patriarchs
- The Exodus from Egypt
- The Conquest of Canaan
- The Twelve Tribes
- David and Solomon’s Jerusalem
- Jerusalem in the New Testament Times
- The Holy Land in the Time of Jesus
- Paul’s First Missionary Journey and His Journey to Rome
- Paul’s Second and Third Missionary Journey’s
Conclusion
I likeThomas Nelson’s Giant Print Reference KJV. It wouldn’t take much to make this my perfect Bible. I love the paper and the print. I like that is has section headings and small book introductions. I want it to lay open wide so I can see the text in the inner margin more easily, I want a good quality leather that’s edge-lined (I’d like to see it in everything from genuine leather all the way to goatskin – it’s time US Bible publishers offered quality leathers), and I want translation notes.
As it is it would make a great preaching Bible and reader for those that like larger fonts (like me). It has enough material for good study without having so much that it takes over from the text. It’s not too large to carry and hold and it looks great in the pulpit. I’m thinking I’ll use this as my preaching Bible for a while. I’ll add some ribbons, add some notes in the center column, and when the bonded leather disintegrates I’ll have it rebound.
Thomas Nelson provided this Bible free for review. I was not required to give a positive review- only an honest review.