Zondervan NIV Study Bible Summary and Reviews

Zondervan NIV Study Bible
by Zondervan

Zondervan NIV Study Bible
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Book Summary Information

Author: Zondervan
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-10-01
ISBN: 0310929555
Number of pages: 2240
Publisher: Zondervan

Book Reviews of Zondervan NIV Study Bible

Book Review: A Good Shot
Summary: 3 Stars

I was surprised by some of the negative comments about the NIV Study Bible, though my own opinions of it are less than raving about its perfection. While not the best around, I did find it has some definite redeeming features, (apart from the end, of course).

The NIV has a very useful cross-reference system, (for which it is justifiably well-known), that makes pursuing a particular topic or item through the Bible very easy. This makes finding things a breeze. In addition, and contrary to some, the subject index and concordance are pretty good. Yes, they are very basic, but this is a Bible and not a concordance in itself. I did not find anything wrong with them, and they were pretty useful.

There has been some comment about the introductions to each book, and I have found to be reasonably balanced and realistic about the evidence. In some cases, I would personally suggest even later dates for the books than the NIV gives. While the introductions are not perfect, (for more detailed information, see the real evidence out there), they do the job. I don't see how dating books accurately according to evidence is "godless" or in anyway detrimental to the Bible. Anyway, back to the point: the introductions are not detailed, but they are adequate for the task.

I found the translation to be ok in most cases, though in some places, it seems to soften the ideas and teachings of Christ. This is noticeable when it is compared with other versions, which take a more literal translation as a technique. A teaching on marriage and not being married seemed to be softened in the NIV as compared to others. While I have no problem with the "dynamic equivalence" method, (it is not paraphrasing, as some seem to think), the NIV highlights the need to check with a couple of translations, unless you are going at it from the Greek, as well. This is something which makes me cautious to recommend the NIV as a primary study reference.

While limitations of space have a significant effect on how much commentary you get, the NIV could have a little more. Admirable effort at leaving the real thinking to the reader, but in some nasty places there was very little commentary given, and it would have been useful.

Overall, the NIV is not bad, and certainly not worth burning along with the other heretical works. It does a good job, and it has some very good features that make studying it easy, functional and even fun. Apart from the concerns above, it is pretty good.

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