I love the ESV translation and based on what I've seen and heard, it's the most accurate "non-wooden" translation available in English today. Sadly, however, I don't care as much for the commentary in the ESV Study Bible. I find it to be lacking in depth, sometimes so obvious as to be redundant, and sometimes wildly interpretive. I hope some different study versions emerge to go along with the excellent translation. ( )

The Best study Bible! ( )

Incredible resource which sets a new standard in study helps and scholarship. 100-page section in the back provides lots of top quality articles on theology and Christian living. Great full-color illustrations. Edited by Wayne Grudem and J. I. Packer. ( )

The Positives of the ESV Study Bible

The Maps! If you like maps, this is your Bible. Most Study Bibles have maps, especially in the back of the Book. But, this study Bible is map-paradise. There are maps in the back, but also in the front of each book placing the book in location. Not only that but there are maps in the study notes at the bottom of the page, and they are in color. So, if you are talking about a battle, in the notes there will be a map of the area and arrows showing the movement of each side. If there is a journey, a map will chart the course.

The Charts! I'm a "chart-girl." At least my girlfriend used to call me that. There are charts, charts, charts: genealogies, charts of kings, charts of all the mentions of a word or phrase in a book (such as how many time The Spirit of the Lord is mentioned), charts of percentages, etc.

The Historical/Archaeological Corroboration: Events are put into their historical setting. For example, the book of Nahum is a prophecy against the Assyrians, and the author names the rulers of Assyria with their dates of reign, the affliction they brought against Israel, and the significance historically. The study notes often list archaeological corroboration. For example, in I Kings 14:25-26 the note tells that "a monumental relief of the Bubastite Portal of the main temple of Amon...catalogs, town by town, Shishak's military incursion into Israel and Judah. The Karnak relief provides striking verification of the biblical account."

The literary significance: At the beginning of each book there is a section titled "Literary Features." This section clearly talks about the genre of the book and some literary features employed by the author, holding each book up as some of the world's great literature.

Possible Negatives:

Each book of the Bible has a different author/s for the notes; some authors seem more conservative than others. (This is also one of this Study Bible's great strengths because dozens of theologians are writing in their area of specialization.) For example, there is a note in Genesis arguing that the flood did not have to be worldwide.

Prophecy: Your view of future prophecy may differ. For example, the notes in the book of I Thessalonians do not use the term "Rapture" but instead the "Second Coming of Christ." However, the notes in Revelation do delineate the various viewpoints on end-time prophecy. There are diagrams/timelines showing future events from the various schools of interpretation including Dispensational Premillennialism, Historical Premillennialism, Preterists Schools, Idealist School, etc. Then there are more charts discussing various ideas on the Millennium.

Overall I think this Study Bible is worth it for the maps and charts alone. The colored graphics for the Tabernacle, Solomon's Temple, and Herod's Temple (not to mention of the city of Jerusalem) are outstanding. Even if you disagree on the some of the comments on prophecy, this would be a great reference book to have on your shelf. I thought the notes were very helpful in linking events to their historical setting. ( )

For most of my Christian life I have always been NIV-positive. Someone introduced the ESV Study Bible to me about a year ago and I haven't reverted back to my NIV Bible ever since. I have understood that the ESV is a revised version of the RSV and perhaps the most accurate English translation of the Bible to date. Similar to the Tyndale English Bible, it captures both the thought-for-thought and word-for-word translation better than any other English version. This study version has excellent commentary from notable Bible scholars, theologians, and seminary professors throughout the English speaking world. I highly recommend this study Bible to any Christian ready to dig deeper into God's Word. ( )