The NIV Thompson-Chain Reference Bible.
The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible is something I’ve heard a lot about, but had little familiarity with. I’m diving in to bring you a review of the newly revised and updated edition of the NIV version of this legendary Bible. I’m reviewing the hardcover version.
I like a good hardcover, but I’ll refer you to the pictures for how it looks. Of note though is that this edition includes two double-sided satin ribbon bookmarks. One is navy and the other is gold. It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Zondervan’s ribbons, so to put two of these in a hardback is really nice!
I’ll also note up front that the paper seems quite thin in this Bible. However, paradoxically, I don’t think the ghosting is bad at all. I’m not sure how they did it, but I am impressed by it. The only thing to watch out for is wrinkling and creasing of the pages. I believe it could happen pretty easily.
The layout of this Bible is really nice. It’s a double column with references on the outer side of each column. That’s pretty unique in and of itself. What is vastly improved from my understanding is the type. This has a 9.5 font in the NIV Comfort Print typeface. The type looks great and is very readable, which makes this Bible very useable. Also very helpful is the accent color. A red accent now adds some pizzaz to the Bible. Page headings, section headings, and reference numbers now all have a red accent, which makes navigation easier. Textual notes are also at the bottom of each page.
What makes this Bible so attractive is the reference system and textual helps. As I said, I was unfamiliar with the Thompson Chain-Reference, but after reading the short intro, I already understand how to use it. I can see why people love this Bible. The reference system doesn’t only include cross references, it also includes topics. This is hugely helpful with study. The amount of references are massive boasting over 100,000.
For those familiar with the Bible, these are the noted updated features. The Two indexes have been renamed to better reflect their function. Chains that were previously incomplete have been completed and expanded. All marginal references are now listed in the index where some were previously unlisted. All topics are found in the margins thanks to a new typesetting and layout. Each topic now has a consistent title where it varied in the previous edition. Book introductions now appear in front of each book to help with study.
The back of the Bible contains many more helps including principles of Bible study, an alphabetical index of topics, a numerical index of topics, Bible character studies, Bible harmonies and illustrated studies, Hebrew times, seasons, and festivals, the NIV concordance, as well as maps. This a wealth of resources included in one Bible.
I now see the big deal. The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible is truly a valuable resource. Zondervan has plans to release more translations of this important Bible and I hope to review other editions in the future. I highly recommend picking one up for your own study and growth.
Grab your copy at Amazon (affiliate).
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this Bible from Zondervan in exchange for a fair and honest review.
