Roll Your Own Study Bible

While looking for something else, I ran across this cute little ESV Journaling Bible. A quick look at a sample of the inside (Genesis 1-2; 307KB PDF file) shows a nice amount of space for taking notes and the like.

This is a great concept and has some features I would love to incorporate into my Bible classes at Eastern University. My NT class this semester is being forced given the opportunity to make their own study Bibles. However, the margins in the NRSV’s we’re using don’t allow much room for comment. This Bible would be perfect. I just wish it was with a different translation.

I’m not a big fan of the ESV. I have some sever reservations with a few of their translation choices; but this Bible would allow students to write those reservations into the margins. A bigger problem, however, is that it’s missing all of the deuteroncanonical books; and I almost always make students read Sirach and Maccabees.

So, unfortunately, unless the ESV suddenly decides to come out with an”Ecumenical” or “Catholic” edition, I don’t know if I’ll be using this one in class anytime soon.