The ESV Study Bible in Deep Brown Cowhide
I am a huge fan of the ESV Study Bible. I've had a hardback copy for as long as I can remember and I also use the digital version quite regularly. This Study Bible is such an excellent resource that I wanted to check out some of the finest bindings on the market. I've reviewed the Heirloom version here and today I'm pleased to get to bring you a review of the ESV Study Bible in deep brown cowhide.
Outer Materials
The Bible looks and feels great! You'll immediately notice the amazing texture of the cowhide as you pull it out of the box. The Bible is wrapped in a brown cowhide with white perimeter stitching. It has a really striking look to it. Being a study Bible, you'll also notice it's heft and thickness, but that just means it's packed with great content. The spine of this Bible has four raised ribs with the words "Study Bible", "ESV" vertically down the spine, "English Standard Version", and the Crossway logo in gold lettering. The page edges have a gold art gilt. The Bible also has black and yellow head and tail bands.
The Bible has two, single-sided satin ribbon bookmarks brown. The ribbons used on this Bible are wider and longer than the ones typically found in the Heirloom series. However, they still leave something to be desired. Ribbons are one area that Crossway really has room for improvement. I'd love to see them take a note from Zondervan and start incorporating ribbons similar to their Premier Collection..
The inside cover is edge-lined in the same material used on the cover. I really like this choice. It looks great, feels great, and gives the cover some real flexibility. The Bible is also Smyth-sewn, which is a must for a block this big.
Paper
This Bible is printed in China, but I do think the paper is quite nice. It's a high quality European Bible paper that is true white and looks to be about a 28 gsm (but I haven't verified that). It has minimal ghosting with maps showing through the most because of their color.
Text
The font is a very nice 9 point that is in a single column for the Bible text. The notes are in a smaller, but still quite readable 7.25 point that is arranged in a double column that is separated from the Bible text with a horizontal line. The columns are also separated with a vertical line. The text is not line-matched and I think this is problematic for an edition this nice. When I'm paying over $100 for a Bible, I really expect line-matched text. I am sure it is harder in a Study Bible, but I don't think it's too much to ask to line-match the sections of Scripture.
Content
When you buy a study Bible, if we're honest, the thing you probably care most about is the content. I think the ESV Study Bible is the best Study Bible on the market because of the amazing amount of information it contains. It gives you a wealth of study material in one volume, which is what makes it incredibly valuable.
This Bible is going to give you over 25,000 study notes. It contains more than 2 million words! It has over 50 articles focusing on theology, ethics, and biblical teaching. I love that this Study Bible gives you the meat to chew on when it comes to articles. These aren't devotional; they are theological. You come to a Study Bible to grow and learn and the ESV Study Bible delivers. It also contains extensive introductions for each book of the Bible. You get 240 full-color maps and illustrations. It has over 80,000 cross-references and a robust concordance.
I just don't think you're getting this kind of content anywhere else for this price. The ESV Study Bible's content alone is worth far more than they price it for and that's such a blessing. I've heard it said that this Bible is the equivalent of a 20-volume Bible resource library. It's truly an incredible value!
Conclusion
The ESV Study Bible in Cowhide is truly beautiful. The Cowhide feels amazing and the Bible is built to last. Despite the ribbons and text not being line-matched, I still think you're getting an incredible value for this edition at the price it is listed for. An amazing Bible like this deserves a great binding and the cowhide is one of the top tiers you can get in this edition. I almost forgot to mention that it comes with a lifetime guarantee from Crossway so you truly are making an investment. You won't regret picking up an high quality edition of the ESV Study Bible because you'll want to pass it down for generations.
Check out a few more pictures below.
You can pick up your copy of this Bible from Crossway or Amazon (affiliate).
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from Crossway in exchange for a fair and honest review.
