NIV Study Bible, Fully Revised Edition, Hardcover, Red Letter, Comfort Print

This book presents itself as the product of a scholarly committee that deliberated carefully to determine the "correct" translation and to provide context to the writing to "clarify" issues.The result is a false presentation of the texts, covering up the truth that may be uncomfortable, combined with false information in the commentary.Two examples illustrate this, but the problem permeates this book.Example 1: The Hebrew word "Elohim" is completely missing. The entire Old Testament is a Hebrew text in which the polytheism of the early Hebrews is evident in more than 300 uses of the word "Elohim" which is plural, meaning multiple gods. Apparently the original text is uncomfortable to the committee that fabricated the writing in this book, because the word "Elohim" is censored and "god" or "lord" is used in its place.Example 2: Decades of objective scholarship published in peer-reviewed journals has established that the Old Testament was compiled from writing by at least four different people, writing at different periods, whose work was patched together. This book edits out variations in word use and style in the Old Testament in order to obscure this fact. This book also adds a highly deceptive note dismissing the settled knowledge of true scholars about the multiple people who wrote pieces of the text. An arm-waving assertion is made that the entire text was written by "Moses," a purely delusional claim.The real insult here is that the book is promoted as a "study Bible." If you want to study wishful thinking, nonsense, and a whitewash of the truth, then sure, I suppose that designation fits.

AHH MAAAZEEE INNNNGGGG.... just amazing ! So much to read... so easy to understand... this Bible is the perfect gift for a new believer ....

I have a few disagreements with some study notes -- may 5% -- but not enough not to want this and use it. The photos, charts, articles and color scheme for the types of literature in the Bible is excellent. It's lovely just to browse through it for the images and style. I'm coming back to the NIV after some years of anti-NIV snobbery. NIV isn't perfect but neither am I! It's not the best study Bible in my collection but it's in the top 5 and I own 10 or more study Bibles.

I am returning this Bible. I wanted a study Bible and this is not that. I still have this NIV Bible copyright 1986. The 1986 version has great notes, not for every verse but for many. Every time I have a question or want more information the notes almost always come through. They have been eliminated in the new version and replaced with rather meaningless information. What a step backwards.

Absolutely beautiful. Great notes. Lovely illustrations. Easy to read.