{Book Review} CSB Study Bible

The CSB Study Bible is published by Holman. The edition that I am reviewing is the black deluxe leathertouch. 

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CSB Study Bible

First of all, I want to mention that this review will not focus on the CSB translation, but upon the study Bible itself. 

Let’s start with the craftsmanship of this black deluxe leathertouch. The Bible is absolutely beautiful! I really like the feel of the leathertouch. It’s definitely not anywhere close to goatskin or genuine leather, but it’s also unlike other fake leather Bibles that I have. It’s very unique. The ribbed edges on the spine are great! I’ve always found that to be a nice addition to Bibles. The spine isn’t too busy with it’s gold lettering, and I think everything is nicely spaced. The pages have gold-gilding. There are two bookmarks, one red and the other black. There is a red stitching around the perimeter of the Bible, and it’s very nicely done, and it gives the Bible a really nice look (black and red are sharp). 

The features of this Bible include: 

• 15,000+ study notes
• 315 word studies
• 141 photographs
• 62 timelines
• 59 maps
• 24 articles
• 16 illustrations/reconstructions
• 15 charts
• Book introductions and outlines
• Concordance
• Two-column text with center-column cross-references
• Topical subheadings
• Sewn binding—lays flat when open
• Presentation Section
• Ribbon marker
• 9.5-point text size
• 9.50″ x 6.75″

Just a few comments on the features. The study notes are excellent, and there is no shortage of them. With this many study notes, there’s no way that one will agree with everything that is commented on. It seemed to me that there is a large bent toward a broadly Reformed hermeneutic, which I was happy with. As a Presbyterian, I (obviously) found myself disagreeing with notes that dealt with ecclesiology (especially the sacraments) or any aspect of soteriology that wasn’t good ol’ 5 Pointer Calvinsim, but this was to be expected. I was able to look past that and move on. 

I absolutely LOVED the word studies! This was very unique. I am very grateful that Holman wanted to provide some Hebrew and Greek word studies, including the pronunciation of the original word. This was an invaluable aspect to this study Bible! At the beginning of the study Bible, there is an index of all of the Hebrew and Greek word studies so that you can jump right to the page of the study you’re looking for. I didn’t find myself using this index too often, but it’s nice for when you do need it. I just found myself reading a passage of Scripture and then enjoying the word study whenever it popped up. It certainly enhanced my study. 

The 24 articles that are sprinkled throughout the study Bible are wonderfully written by trusted scholars. Page XXI provides a list of essays and their contributors. I would have preferred for all of these to be placed in one section of the Bible (i.e. at the very back of the Bible). However, I understand what Holman was doing. They were placing these essays close to relevant passages of Scripture, and I think that was a good move. It just makes it harder to find the articles. 

I greatly appreciated the book introductions. They were the perfect length (not too long, but not too little information either). I’m a big fan of the timeline that is placed at the bottom of the page to help you understand the historical context (both religious history and world history). 

The coloring of the Bible, font size, headings and subheadings were all very nicely done! I was a big fan of the chapter number being in orange (as well as the study note references). The color pictures (including maps and reconstruction) were amazing! The same can be said of the timelines that are included in each of the 66 book introductions. The charts were likewise very helpful. This is truly a beautiful Bible, and one that is exceptionally useful in the study of God’s Word. 

Conclusion

In summary, I loved using this study Bible! I used it for about a month prior to writing this review. I enjoyed all of the features and found them to be extremely useful in my study of God’s Word. I really appreciated some of the more unique features that this study Bible provided that most others do not (i.e. the Word Studies and the colorful pictures and reconstructions). The notes were well-done, and though I didn’t agree with them at times, I generally found them to be instructive. I highly recommend this study Bible! Tolle lege, take up and read! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to Holman for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.