The CSB Verse-by-Verse Bible in Brown Bonded Leather
I’ve become a big fan of verse-by-verse layouts. They are helpful for teaching, preaching, and I’ve even enjoyed them for my own quiet time reading. The CSB is a translation that I’ve come to enjoy immensely as well. My church uses it so I interact with it often. I even decided to do a six month read through of the whole thing. That being said, when excellent CSB editions come out, I try and jump on them. The CSB verse-by-verse Bible was one I was really excited about. I’ve used the goatskin edition, but I decided I wanted to check out the bonded leather edition because sometimes it’s nice to have an edition you’re not afraid to be a little rough with. Today I’m bringing you a review of the CSB Verse-by-Verse in brown bonded leather.
Outer Materials
Straight out of the box, I was really impressed by this Bible. The bonded leather is really nice and the color is nice as well. The bonded leather feels very smooth and definitely isn’t the same quality as a genuine leather or a goatskin, but it’s not the same price either. What I really love about this bonded leather is the color. The brown puts you in the mindset of the color of Schuyler’s marbled mahogany. It’s really attractive. On the spine, printed in gold is the CSB logo, "HOLY BIBLE", "CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE", and "HOLMAN". Stamped on the spine are 3 double bar lines meant to resemble non-raised spine hubs.
The page edges are gold. What really impressed me are the bookmarks. The bonded leather uses the same double-sided satin bookmarks as the goatskin edition. From front to back they are black, yellow, and orange. I really like this color scheme and I like that Holman used the same ones on their less expensive edition.
Inner Materials
Inside the Bible has a black paste down vinyl liner with black end sheets. Another really nice thing about this Bible is that the text block and paper are the exact same as the goatskin edition making this an excellent choice for a rebind.
Text Block and Layout
The pages themselves are a nice white and from what I have heard, are 36 gsm (although I couldn't find this information on any website). The Bible thickness would indicate that this is probably accurate. The text is line matched and there is very minimal ghosting. The page margins are generous, which provides good space for note-taking.
The text block is a double-column, verse-by-verse setting. Cross-references are at the bottom of the page on the right side much like the popular ESV Omega. Textual notes are at the bottom of the page separated by a line break. The text itself is black letter including the words of Christ. The page headings, page numbers, chapter numbers, verse numbers, and reference numbers are all a maroon color. I especially like the decision to make the verse numbers red. This is an excellent feature for preachers and teachers who will be looking for verse numbers quickly.
Last Things
In the back of the Bible is a table of weights and measures. There is also a three column CSB concordance, which is pretty extensive. I like the use of three columns and the entries seem very robust. There are eight full color maps in the back on matte paper. I never use maps and prefer they not be included, but I will note that these maps are really nice for those who like them.
Conclusion
This is a great Bible for a great price! The verse-by-verse setting is hugely popular and you don’t have to be a preacher or teacher to enjoy it. I also love they used the same paper for both the premium and bonded leather versions. If you’re looking for an excellent CSB edition, look no further than this Bible.
You can pick up a copy of the CSB Verse-by-Verse Bible in brown bonded leather at Lifeway or on Amazon (affiliate).
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this Bible from Holman in exchange for a fair and honest review.
