The Catholic Study Bible

I’m impressed with this study bible and I definitely love the translation (NAB) and that’s coming from a KJV as first choice bible reading student, as soon as I received the study bible I wasted no time in reading it, I started with James, Galatians, 1st &2nd Thessalonians and completed these 4 books in less than a week, started with the Gospel of Mark today and so far I’m enjoying everything about this bible translation, I liked it so much I ended up buying The Little Rock Catholic bible used on eBay same translation, the reading guide is something new to me I’ve never seen this in other study bibles and I own 40 plus bibles, the font size of the text is good, however the study notes below the biblical text is small so if you have bad eyesight might want to consider something else. Instead of going back and forth from biblical text to reading guide I’ll read the whole reading guide for that particular book first then read the actual book introduction to the book and the text, cross references are good not overpowering like other bibles. The paper is thin so I recommend using the Crayola Twistables it’s not waxy they’re color pencil/crayons that’s the best way to describe it, forget normal highlighters it will ruin the pages Micron pens kind of work but I stick with the color crayons most of the time. This study bible has a lot of useful information and is well put together, I’m a former Catholic I decided to leave the church yrs ago and joined a nondenominational bible believing church but still read Catholic edition bibles and this is a great tool to add to anyones biblical library, the only thing I disagree with is the reading guide here states Daniel, like Noah and Job(with whom he is mentioned in Ezekiel 14:14, may have never existed in other words later in the text it says Daniel in lions den is a fairytale like Daniel’s 3 companions that were thrown into the fiery furnace, they claim could have been a parable like the ones Jesus used in the Gospels, personally I believe what the Bible says 100 percent and I’m able to discern when something is a figure of speech and something is literal and I believe this was a supernatural event that God permitted to prove a point, otherwise people who question the Bible will question the parting of the Red Sea, the donkey that spoke to Balaam in Numbers 22:28 Joshua 10:12 when the sun stood still to finish the battle etc etc casting doubts like this is like serpent in the garden Yea, Hath God said Genesis 3:1 2 Timothy 3:16-17 God has no reason to lie, I know these were not parables like the ones Jesus used in the gospels, other than that I am comfortable reading through this bible without doubting God’s Word at all, I wouldn’t recommend this bible to a new believer but for someone who has study enough scripture to know when someone is trying to convince the reader that certain events never took place won’t affect the individual. All in all this bible is 10/10 it’s pricey for a softcover but well worth the money. Hope this review helps God bless ✝️🙏🏽❤️

I was hesitant to get a paper back, but it is more than worth the price. This addition reads so smoothly and the print is comfortable on the eyes. At a proper distance, I won’t even need my readers to quickly review a verse. The study aids are phenomenal and very detailed. A must have study Bible in my opinion for any serious catholic.

This is the best Catholic study bible I’ve ever seen. The entire front part is historical and cultural context, which really helps me understand the Bible much better. If you love a deep dive into everything that was happening around the Bible, you’re going to love this.

It isn't enough for me to dock any stars simply because it is an extensive bible. Paperbacking is somehow more flimsy than the one I have falling apart. Would be a good book to recover turn into a custom hardback. Most of the pages have some kind of crease or Winkle at the top it isn't too bad so again I didn't dock any stars but if stuff like that bothers you maybe go with a different seller. It contains works outside of the Bible that help explain different aspects which I really love so I do recommend this Bible In probably the hardback version. I Planned on recovering anyway so it's not a huge issue but the cover on this one if you even think about opening it bends and thats annoying but the inside pages are thicker so if you do make a hard cover for it you're not cutting off any information. 12/10 would buy again.

Concerning the paperback version: Sturdy & well-made, which it needs to be because it's over 2" thick, not 1.6" as Amazon indicates. Even though the book is trade paperback size, I was concerned it would be printed in some microfont; happily the printer reduced the margins and kept a reasonably sized font. I've been reading the iBook version of NABRE for years now, so of course that great, readable translation conveys with its extensive footnotes & cross-references. Items that may be significant to other readers: • for presenting itself a study Bible, the margins are uselessly narrow — only about 0.5". • The Table of Contents does little or nothing to distinguish major sections of the book (e.g. Readers' Guide (RG), OT, NT, &c) from parts within these major sections. Considering the RG contents mimic those of the OT & NT, there seems to be some real opportunity for confusion until the reader becomes more acquainted with the volume. • Although I hoped for them against all expectations & good reason, this book does not have thumb indices. • In the absence of thumb indices, I am particularly disappointed that the printer didn't bleed any kind of markings to any page edges to indicate at least major section boundaries (Reader's Guide, OT, NT, Maps, etc.) These would be the "poor man's" thumb indices, but there's not a one. What kind of student reference edition is this supposed to be? >>> Heavy-Referencing Readers: get out your markers or PostIt® tabs — you'll need to do something yourself if you want any ability to navigate around this thick volume quickly. With neither thumb indices nor page-edge indicators, the reader's reliance on the ToC increases, and so the ToC's uninspired formatting becomes more aggravating. Adding some kind of "navigational aid" and improving the ToC could be all this publication needs to become a superb reference. At present the hard-bound edition is only $5 more expensive. If I hadn't already started marking the sections, I wouldn't hesitate to return my paperback & get the hardback version.

What I like: first off, the revised edition of the NAB OT is really good. There are many who are critical of the NAB, and for good reason; but the 2011 NABRE is much improved. The notes and introductions for each book are the standard ones you'll find in any NAB(RE). But the real meat and potatoes of this study Bible is the 500+ pages of study notes located in the front of this bible. The study notes cover each and all 73 books. They provide solid, scholarly information about the structure, and thought behind the writings. This study bible also includes a lectionary, very nice Oxford maps, and a pretty good sized concordance and glossary. Thumb tabs are also included which I don't really have an opinion on, but I'll take em. What I don't like: I was a bit hesitant to purchase because of some reviews complaining about the binding coming apart after some use. So far, after a few months of steady use, I can tell that the binding isn't that strong. Ive been very careful not to be too casual with this bible so as to prevent the binding from coming loose. I've done a good job thus far, but c'mon, I've got books waaaay older that can and have taken a beating and the binding remains strong as ever. Anyway, the spine has gotten a little flimsy and I'm not sure how long I have until it separates. Hopefully never. The paper is ehh. Obviously you can't have thick paper on a study Bible or it will become too heavy and too unpractical to carry. But I have other bibles just as big that seem to have good quality paper and not sacrifice its portability. So expect some ghosting but not enough that you'd be too afraid to highlight, BUT only with good quality bible markers. Be warned regular highlighters or pens will bleed through BIG time. But those marker/crayons and pens made specially for thin paper works just fine; minimal bleed through. One more issue I have is it doesn't come with ribbons. A bible with this much material should have at least two, (though four would be even better). No excuse Oxford, no excuse. So all in all, a wonderful, scholarly, study Bible for any serious Christian. Buy it, but be gentle with it. BTW, here is a link to the Mr. Pen- Dry Highlighter, Gel Highlighters that I bought. They work well. There's some tinting on the back of the page that was highlighted but it is minimal. Go light and you'll be fine. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0793DYRKV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kaUpBb9MYR8Y1

Enhances my bible study with explanation and timeliness. Makes it easy to follow my Bible in a year plan.

I read a few negative reviews, but I purchased this Bible anyway. I'm very glad I did! The notes are very thorough, you just have to know how to use them. The Reading Guide (RG) overviews are fantastic, and this edition is loaded with them. Very helpful for understanding context, etc. As for the print, it's strong and bold. Not nearly so small as some have said. I have bad eyes, and don't have a problem reading it at all. I purchased the hard bound version, and it is well bound. I followed YouTube instructional for breaking in a thick book, and have had no problem. This is a good Bible, all the way around. If you're looking for a good Catholic study Bible, this is a good one. Yes, I would definitely recommend this to others. 5 stars!