Bible Review: NASB Wide-Margin Bible

I recently received a copy of Zondervan’s new NASB Wide-Margin Bible.

The wide-margin feature provides ample room for observations and notes as you read through your New American Standard Bible version. My copy has a Leathersoft (TM) cover that lays flat nicely and contains two bookmarks (which is especially helpful when flipping between passages!). The edition I received features Zondervan’s exclusive “Comfort Print.” The NASB is a version recognized for its quality word-for-word translation. If you’ve been looking for a new bible, check this one out!

Pros

Legibility: This Bible has employed a unique typeface (called Comfort Print) designed by 2K/Denmark at 9.5-point size. The section headings which contrast nicely with the primary text, are set red, small caps. This allows for quick scanning of the content. There is also ample white space around the two-column text organization which helps reduce eye-strain while reading. There is some show-through (see image below), but it seems to be comparable with most bibles.

Preface: As with all bible versions, it’s worth your time to read the preface to understand some of the choices made with the design, layout, and translation. This particular preface is both concise and helpful, including information on some of the symbols used throughout.

Comprehensive Concordance: I currently use a journaling bible and I frequently miss having a concordance at my fingertips. The concordance in this edition is outstanding! If you know a key word in the text you are looking for, you can quickly flip to the back of this bible and will likely find the passage you are seeking. Again, the designers formatted this effectively, employing contrasting color and typeface for each word, thereby making it easy to scan the columns (see image below).

Wide Margins: As mentioned at the beginning, the margins of this version are nice and wide. There are no lines for your notes, but there is decent space, particularly at the beginning of each book. My daily-use bible is currently a one-column journaling bible, which I have placed underneath the NASB Wide Margin Bible for comparison purposes. Notice also that the typeface in my version is much smaller than the Zondervan’s Comfort Print. Considering the NASB Wide-Margin Bible is not considered a “journaling” bible, this is an excellent amount of space for annotation and observation.

Table of Contents: One feature I really like about their Table of Contents is the inclusion of common abbreviations for each of the books. If you’ve been a long-time student of the Bible, this might not be needed; however, if you are still new to the abbreviations used by your preachers or teachers, or are uncertain how to abbreviate bible book titles, this might be a handy reference for you (see image below).

Cons

Lacks In-Text Cross-References: Many bibles may not have related passages listed in the margins, but they will often have a reference note for prophecies from the Old Testament which are quoted in the New Testament. This edition contains neither.

Lacks Maps: Personally, I don’t ever use the maps included in my bibles. I tend to use a separate bible atlas if I’m curious as to where something is located. I often find most Bible maps to lack the detail/information I want. This isn’t really a con for me, but I know that many like having that particular reference tool.

Overall

The NASB Wide-Margin Bible is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a bible in which you can take notes and read easily.

If you would like to purchase a copy of this Bible, it is available at Christianbook.com or Amazon.com.

Disclaimer: The opinions in this review are my own. I received a copy of this Bible free of charge for review purposes.