The full Tanakh: Torah, Nevi’im, and Kethuvim, Law, Prophets, and Writings, with scholarly running commentary, maps, chronological tables, a list of translations of primary sources and a wealth of essays following the translation. There are essays on interpretations, The Bible in Jewish Life and Thought, and Backgrounds for Reading the Bible. This is a treasure trove for the lay reader.

The celebrated standard translation with Oxford's monumental assembly of insightful scholarly study aids. ( )

Originally published in 2004, the Second Edition of The Jewish Study Bible (2014) by Marc Zvi Brettle a revised version. I bought this 2,300 pages volume recently to enrich my collection of Bible translations, commentaries and Study bibles. As reference, the Jewish Publication Society translation of the Hebrew Tanakh (among Christians known as First or Old Testament) is used, the latest link in the chain of Jewish Bible Translations. It was made directly from the traditional Hebrew text into the idiom of modern English, searching for the meaning of words and phrases. That contrasts the close, literal method of Bible translation applied in the Greek Septuagint, and Targums, which were foundational and influential for translations like the Latin Vulgate (4th Century CE), and English King James Version (1611). The latter was used as source for e.g. Revised Version (1881-1885), and the American Standard Version (1901, revised in 1952).
This treasury for lay readers has the full Tanakh: Torah, Nevi’im, and Kethuvim, Law, Prophets, and Writings, with introductions to each book, footnotes and comments along the running text. True to Jewish tradition 42 essays are included on a plethora of themes categorized in Jewish interpretation of the Bible, Biblical ideas and institutions, and the Bible in Jewish life. Backgrounds for reading the Bible include history, geography, biblical languages, but also textual criticism, canonization of the Bible, and development of the Masoretic Bible. Only one essay is dedicated to the use of the Tanakh in de New Testament and one on use and exegesis in the Qur'an and Muslim Tradition.
It's important to understand that the notes, commentaries and essays reflect a Jewish point of view. It certainly can help Christian readers to re-think their - often exclusive - own interpretation. On the other hand this volume will not invite readers of the Tanakh to (re-)read the Jewish authors of New Testament gospels, letters and revelations. ( )

I love this book, but I deducted a half-star because I think Robert Alter's translations are better; in some cases, WAY better. But everything else about this volume -- notes, essays, maps -- is wonderful, and I really cherish it

Note: Have finished the Bible; still look forward to reading the essays in the back. ( )

Raised in the evangelical Christian tradition, I am a student of all faiths, and found the JPS Tanakh study version a phenomenal source for alternate translations and an eminently readable, invaluable addition to studies in the Abrahamic religions. This is my stand-by, and the version I refer to whenever I find an insightful or unusual commentary on an "Old-Testament" text. This is my Gold Standard--alone amongst all other versions I've read in unbiased exploration of the hermeneutic history and alternative ideas of meaning, context, and translation. ( )