Here you will find some good (I think :-) book reviews.
NOTE: Publishers, and others, in order for a book to be reviewed
on this site, a sample copy (non-returnable) must be sent
to the reviewer, for shipping information
inquire via this email address:
adminATbiblical-data.org
substitute the AT with the @ symbol.
Include some basic information about the title first,
at which time a decision will be made if it is to be reviewed.
If after receiving the title, and it is rejected,
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ALL reviews are the copyrighted property of
Mr. Gary S. Dykes, © 2006. Permission to use in whole, or part, outside this site
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Title:Holy Bible: The Holy Scriptures in the Original Languages author: (publisher) Trinitarian Bible Society year published: 1998 |
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Title: New American Standard Bible: Reference Edition. author: (publisher) Foundation Press year published: 2001 |
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Title: Mt. Sinai Arabic Codex 151 author: Harvey Staal year published: 1983/84 |
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Title: The Luther Bible of 1534 | Complete Facsimile Edition author: Martin Luther year published: 2003 |
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Title: The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2005 author: (editors) Dr. Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont year published: 2005 |
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Title: A Reader's Hebrew Bible author: (editors) Dr's. A. Philip Brown II, and Bryan W. Smith year published: 2008 |
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BOOK REVIEWS
TITLE: [0001]
Holy Bible: The Holy Scriptures in the Original Languages [New Testament and Old Testament
titles also in Greek and Hebrew scripts]
PUBLISHER:
The Trinitarian Bible Society
Tyndale House Dorset Road
London, SW19 3NN
ORDERING INFORMATION USA:
Trinitarian Bible Society
1600 Leonard Street NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 735-3695
website: www.trinitarianbiblesocietyusa.org
DATE REVIEWED: February 2006
|
BINDING |
NUMBER of PAGES |
PAGE SIZE |
PAPER INFO |
| Hard Cover, smyth sewn | 2,288 total (1,808 OT: 480 NT) | 6 3/4 x 4 1/2 inches | bright white, no ANSI info, no acidity statement. .00115 inches thick |
Price: $31.15 (Dec. 2005). An amazing value for such a fine book! The volume fits well in the hand,
and lays flat (open) on any page. The paper is very thin, which results in a volume which is 1 9/16
inches thick. The thin paper exhibits some bleed, but is tolerable. The bright white is a bit glaring
as contrasted with the fine black print. The print and fonts are sharp and clean, the text is very
readable, the margins are adequate. The Hebrew pointing is very clear. All pages exhibited a nice
consistent gray-type-contrast (no excessively light or dark pages!). The volume easily lays open.
See sample page images:
SAMPLE NT
PAGE: 
00500
SAMPLE OT
PAGE: 
00501
The Hebrew text is that of Ginsburg's edition of the Jacob ben Chayim version,
as printed by Bomberg in 1524-1525. It has the Masorah (at the foot of each page)
from these editions, with the references listed at the front of the OT text. The
text is taken from the plates of the multi-volume edition of Ginsburg's work in
1894. The book titles are all in Hebrew.
The New Testament Greek text is that of Beza's 1598 edition. Basically it is
the Textus Receptus. No notes or any foot notes. Book titles are all in Greek.
For the person who needs and likes having on-hand the complete Bible in
its original languages, this is a recommended volume. Even, with the Masorah
it is not recommended for critical textual evaluations, as it is just purely the
Second Rabbinic Bible and the TR. However, it is handy for use in church services
and reading. It is "cheap" when compared to the prices of other complete original
language Bibles. The only negative point is the somewhat fragile paper, it cannot
endure rough handling. But such a handsome work is usually treated with all
due respect. The smyth-sewn binding, and the hard covers make this a very
desirable book, it is a work of art!
TITLE: [0002]
New American Standard Bible: Reference Edition.
PUBLISHER:
Foundation Publications, Inc.
Anaheim, California 92816
ORDERING INFORMATION:
American Bible Sales
P.O. Box 5158
Fullerton, CA 92838
1-(800)-535-5131
DATE REVIEWED: March 2006
|
BINDING |
NUMBER of PAGES |
PAGE SIZE |
PAPER INFO |
| Genuine Leather, smyth sewn | 1,842 total (1,344 OT: 404 NT) | 6 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches | bright white, no ANSI info, no acidity statement. .00155 inches thick. Special French paper. |
Price, as of March 2006, was listed as $52.49 - via American Bible Sales (above).
I rarely review personal editions of modern English Bibles, but this particular edition
is an exception. I have, over the years, examined dozens and dozens of personal
Bibles—those which most church-goers carry to service, use for personal Bible
reading and study. Most editions are very poor products. Their paper is too thin,
and often bleed-through makes reading a pain as type from the other side bleeds
through. Many have a cheap glue-injected binding, which means that backs will
break and pages fall out. In many the margins are too narrow for proper page pro-
portions, with little or no room for notes.
Not so this Bible. It is extremely finely bound! It has beautiful gold gilded edges. The
paper is a special French-produced paper. Thin, but with minimal bleed-through. The
maps are also on the same paper stock, which retains the strength of the binding.
The basic leather edition is very nice leather. They also have a calfskin leather bound
edition for about $112.00.
Here is a
sample image from I Corinthians 
00502
As you can see this full-sized image reveals generous margins for notes, the point size
is about 14 points, so reading is not a chore. This particular recommended edition, is
referred to as the "Side-Column Reference Bible", the "Updated Edition". The ISBN
number is: 0-910618-49-6. There is an indexed edition available as well. You will find
several other features which make this a GREAT personal reference Bible!
(1) NO red letters!
(2) NO added religious commentary or notes
(3) NO poorly printed pages (none too light or too dark or fuzzy) all are SHARP.
The text is of course the updated version of the venerable NASB. It is a very literal
English translation. In this edition the most noticeable change is the THEE's
and the THOU's are rendered as YOU and YOUR, for the benefit of today's modern
readers. The overall changes effected in the updated version are actually
a major improvement, making numerous sentences easier to understand!
Some improvements are long over due corrections, such as the insertion of
"Jacob" in Genesis 30:5. However, as translations go, this is one of the best
commercial Bibles extant in English. I would like yet to see a correction as
concerns the participle and the word "after" changed in Acts 11:17 (they
seem to render the time sequence wrong)-- I would suggest instead of "after
believing"-- reading "when believing" or even "while believing", but certainly
not "after" which indicates SUBSEQUENT action!
Many Bibles have colored maps on thicker stock, which is okay, but this thicker
signature often stresses the binding over time. In this Bible the grayscale maps
(10 maps total) are on regular stock, hence no stress!. At the end of the NT text,
is a handy 82 page concordance, with room for additions.
There is a presentation page, and a 7 page introduction. Marginal cross references
(in the side margin) are very very full for a personal Bible. Translation notes are also
presented in the margin. All of which enhances the value of this translation.
In the sample page above, note verse 18:
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us
who are being saved.....
Note the two reference numbers, 1 and 2, next to the verbs "ARE". Now the printed
text is very accurate to the Greek here, a process is meant in the Greek. Thus ARE
BEING SAVED (and ARE PERISHING) are true to the underlying Greek. Paul is
not discussing salvation here, he is talking about the daily relationships believers
have with the written Word and in their daily experiences. Each day we believers are
BEING RESCUED, each day we are in the hands of God. Each day the perishing
sow and reap corruption. Such accuracy is a great assist to those who only use the
KJV. (The KJV translators often missed the real intent of numerous verb formations
in the original Greek).
Consequently, this NASB (updated edition) is highly recommended as THE
alternative and supplementary (or primary) translation to the venerable KJV.
Use BOTH, and greatly enhance your personal studies. For a paltry $60.00
you can own a GREAT translation, in a bound edition which will last the user
a lifetime! Get them while they last! Remember, well-made Bibles today are
becoming quite rare.
TITLE: [0003]
(in 4 volumes of 2 parts: part I - Pauline Epistles: part II - Acts and the Catholic Epistles)
PUBLISHER:
Peeters Publishers (Belgium)
ORDERING INFORMATION:
web site:
http://www.peeters-leuven.be
DATE REVIEWED: March 2006
|
BINDING |
NUMBER of PAGES |
PAGE SIZE |
PAPER INFO |
| soft cover , smyth sewn | 768 total (all four volumes) | 6 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches (trimmed) | no ANSI info, no acidity statement. .0038 inches thick. |
00504
00505
TITLE: [0004]
The Luther Bible of 1534 [Biblia]
(in 3 volumes, 2 hardcovers form the Biblia, and a softcover is the introductory text)
PUBLISHER:
Taschen, GmbH; Cologne
ORDERING INFORMATION:
web site:
http://www.taschen.com
DATE REVIEWED: August 2006
|
BINDING |
NUMBER of PAGES |
PAGE SIZE |
PAPER INFO |
| hard covers, smyth sewn. Soft cover also smyth sewn. | the 2 hardcovers - circa 1860 pages total. 64 pages for the softcover | 7 3/4 x 12 inches (trimmed) | no ANSI info, no acidity statement. .00365 inches thick. Softcover uses coated paper. |
Price as of 2006, ranges from $75.00 to $150.00. Christian Book Distributors has/had the 3
volumes for $75.00. The three volumes appear thusly:
One of the
hardcover volumes, appears as such: 
These are sizable volumes reflecting the original size of Luther's 1534 Bible. They are
durably bound, and beautifully printed and executed. The facsimiles are printed via
an offset lithography, a four-color process. The digitizing was done by the Göttinger
DigitalisierungsZentrum der Staats-und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen.
Even at $125.00 these fine volumes are a bargain! The printing is exquisite! Each
page is carefully reproduced, even the foxing marks and light water stains! The
bleeds are also visible in these incredible reproductions! Consequently these volumes
give to each owner a great copy of Luther's 1534 German Bible! In fact, these copies
may even be better than the original, as the original was in a fire shortly after this
facsimile was created - however the original was not burned, it suffered some light
water damage [at the Herzogin Anna Amelia Library].
Volume one contains Genesis through the Song of Solomon, volume two begins with
Isaiah and finishes with Revelation. The apocrypha follows Malachi. Throughout the two
hardcover volumes, Luther's introductions are faithfully preserved. In these volumes,
the wood-block illuminations are hand-colored, thus this facsimile was made from a deluxe
copy! In fact many believe this is Luther's personal copy! The colored illuminations and
initials may have been colored by the master Lucas Cranach (the younger). The woodcuts
were commissioned by Döring himself.
Stephen Füssel provides the wonderful softcover introductory edition. It is a beautiful
work illustrating the history of the early German Bibles! It handsomely (with its gorgeous
illustrations) supplements these two hardcover volumes of Martin Luther's Biblia. This work
is highly recommended. What amazes me, it the low cost! The facsimile editon of Codex
Vaticanus costs $5,000 - $6,000 and it may not even equal the quality of this facsimile edition
of Luther's Bible! (Perhaps the Vatican's edition of Codex Vaticanus [only 450 copies were
printed] helps pay their attorney fees!). :-)
TITLE: [0005]
The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2005
PUBLISHER:
Chilton Book Publishing, Southborough, Massachusetts
ORDERING INFORMATION:
Chilton Book Publishing
P.O. Box 606
Southborough, MA 01772-0606
(as well as from Dr. Robinson Himself - see below)
DATE REVIEWED: February 2010
|
BINDING |
NUMBER of PAGES |
PAGE SIZE |
PAPER INFO |
| hard covers, smyth sewn. | xxiv plus 586 | 9 1/4 x 6 inches (trimmed) | alkaline paper, .0037 inches thick. Bright white. |
ISBN 13: 978-0-7598-0077-9
Cost is an economical $16-$18 dollars, via Amazon! [but see below] As seen in the sample image,
unlike the earlier editions of Robinson/Pierpont, this edition is fully accented. It also shows many
of the variations between this edition and that of the Nestle/Aland text(s), at the bottom of each
page. The preface is completely revised from its earlier state as seen in the 1991 softcover edition.
A nice feature is located on the outer margins, wherein a handful of significant inter-textual
differences amongst the Byzantine MSS themselves are displayed, hence the user has in hand
a very fine edition of the Byzantine text-type. (no outer marginal readings are seen in the sample
image).
As editors, Robinson and Pierpont did make some decisions as to the displaying of certain
minor variants, these are mentioned in their preface. This they did thoroughly; after testing
their efforts I have found their decisions typically reflecting the real MAJORITY of
Byzantine MSS, though not always.
For example at I Corinthians 1:2, the adverb "all" (pasin) has the final nu indicated in this
edition; this does not reflect the proper Attic (and Ionic) rule, (since the word precedes a
word beginning with a consonant without intervening punctuation, the final -n is usually
omitted) which rule was observed by most Byzantine scribes (though not all). In this case
they - Robinson and Pierpont made a decision which did not also follow the consensus
of existing Byzantine MSS here at I Cor. 1:2. The vast majority of Byzantine MSS omit the
final nu here, and read "pasi". By not displaying the consensus reading here, an anomaly
is manifest in this labor of Pierpont and Robinson. (Note most Egyptian MSS retain it and
read "pasin").
As one peruses the must-read preface, one is struck by the studious avoidance of the term
"majority" or "majority-text" (seen only once on page i). Instead one is confronted with
the similar - "consensus text". Robinson and the late Pierpont, arrived at their consensus
text via extraction from H. von Soden's large work from the earlier 20th century. Von
Soden developed a methodology for recognizing MSS which formed the backbone of
his "K" text-types (a majority or Byzantine text-type(s)). Robinson and Pierpont (as well
as the Hodges/Farstad edition) relied heavily upon von Soden's classifications in texts
other than the Apocalypse. (For the Apocalypse both utilized the work of Hoskier).
In reality, Robinson and Pierpont relied upon printed editions for their text, and did not
do extensive or thorough collations of hundreds of manuscripts. (Only the Pericope seen
in John, has been fully examined amongst most manuscripts). If one were to ask Dr.
Robinson which Byzantine minuscules read "diakonian" instead of "koinonian" at
I Corinthians 1:9?, he would have to run to von Soden or Swanson to give you an
answer, as he himself did not collate this text in the actual manuscripts. Von Soden
would only reveal 1 witness, Swanson 2 more. Beyond that Robinson could/can not
answer you. I can provide more, as I have examined personally, (via films and
photographs) many many manuscripts, I can thus speak with authority, and it is
this very authority which this edition lacks! It is a derivative work, second-hand
in nature.
Consequently, the "consensus text" as seen in Robinson and Pierpont, rests largely
upon the labors of others, and not upon the collations done by Pierpont nor Robinson
- as they did not do this type of necessary work. Necessary in that it provides a sure
foundation and proof of an actual majority reading (or a reading which does not reflect
the majority). Despite this lack, both the Robinson, Pierpont and Hodges/Farstad
editions are very similar. Their agreements are remarkable. Their texts are no doubt
close to being the majority text as seen in the majority of Byzantine mansucripts
throughout the centuries: but they fall short in being able to actually point to actual
manuscript witnesses to prove their case. Outside of the Pericope in John, they have
not done their essential homework. Perhaps this is why they have no apparatus of
fresh and original manuscript readings validating their "diplomatic" text. They do
not have, nor have produced such original evidence.
Nevertheless, despite these orthographic decisions, and despite their lack of reliance
upon word-for-word collations of hundreds of Greek Byzantine manuscripts, they
produced a very commendable effort!! An effort which is easier to use than laboriously
trying to extract the data from von Soden and elsewhere, and an effort which should
set the stage for future efforts to produce an authorative text. As Dr. Dan Wallace once
stated, the majority text can and should serve as the text against which all other texts
and manuscripts should be collated. It is indeed the standard Greek text of God's
Word. (Wallace- first indicated his preference for the MT for collation purposes in,
Bibliotheca Sacra, January-March, 1990, pages 122f..)
Following the NT text, is an essay by Robinson outlining reasons why the Byzantine
Text-type is superior to the later Egyptian text-types. Robinson's essay has never
been answered by the advocates of the Egyptian recensions. (Perhaps they are
unable to, Robinson's logic is clear and difficult to actually refute).
This volume has nice wide margins, and the text is very sharp, no pages misprinted.
The book is sturdy and well made. The binding is a bit tight, and the volume does
not lay open. Note that the paper is a bright white, and can strain the eyes.
A recommended text, and currently a steal at this low price!! [As of February 2010,
the first printing is going quickly, however, for the few copies remaining, one can
purchase them directly from Dr. Robinson himself, for the unbelievable price of
$13.50 EACH.... post paid, in the continental USA]. I say get them while they are HOT.
Instructors, this is a fine time to order in bulk. This address and offer follows:
Dr. Maurice Robinson
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Wake Forest, North Carolina
27587
phone numbers available on their website
TITLE: [0006]
PUBLISHER:
Zondervan
ORDERING INFORMATION:
web site:
www.zondervan.com
DATE REVIEWED: February 2010
|
BINDING |
NUMBER of PAGES |
PAGE SIZE |
PAPER INFO |
| soft leather- like covers, smyth sewn. | xxviii, plus 1652 | 9 x 6 inches (trimmed) | no ANSI info, no acidity statement. .0018 inches |
ISBN 13: 978-0-310-26974-8
A beautiful publication, the cover is a flexible Italian made(?) duo-tone cover. The text is finely printed,
and is quite sharp. The book comes in a nice box.
The Hebrew text is that of the Westminster Leningrad codex (version 4.4), this being utilized in BibleWorks 7.0.
All Hebrew words occurring 100 times or less, are indicated at the foot of each page, with a gloss, and some
parsing if a verb. References are also made to standard Hebrew dictionaries (HALOT and BDB). All Aramaic words
occurring 25 times or less are also likewise glossed. (see sample images). Page edges are silver gilded.
Ketib/Qere readings are also indicated in the text. Proper names occurring 100 times or less, are indicated by a
lighter type. These editors (both with PhDs, of Bob Jones University) did a really fine job. The text is easy to use
the bleed is minimal - even with the thin paper. The price is about $40.00 - $49.00, and is a bargain. You will
really enjoy using and possessing this fine work for years to come! If your Hebrew is a bit rusty, this is the
book for you.
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