The ESV Reader's Bible (left) comes in a sturdy slipcase. The Heritage Bible comes in Crossway's usual box. |
For fans of single-column Bibles, the past couple of years have seen some interesting new editions, especially from Crossway. The first was the ESV Legacy Bible, published in 2012, and recently updated in the form of the ESV Heirloom Legacy, printed in the Netherlands by Jongbloed and bound in an even more sumptuous goatskin cover. (I hope to review the Legacy in a future post.)
The 2012 Legacy proved to be merely the first of several single-column offerings, followed in 2013 by the smaller ESV Heritage Bible, which retained the single-column 9 point text of the Legacy, while reducing the width of the margins and putting the headings that the Legacy's margins contained back into the text.
The Reader's Bible comes with two brown ribbon markers; the Heritage has one. |
I bought a copy of the Reader's Bible before I bought a copy of the Heritage. I liked Crossway's innovation of producing a Bible just for reading. But, after I had used it for a while, I actually found myself missing the verse numbers. I am not as bothered by superscript numbers as some readers; and, often, while reading, I like to remember the exact reference of a verse that particularly strikes me.
The Reader's Bible is a clothbound hardcover that comes in a slipcase. It is also available in black or brown imitation leather, but I wanted a clothbound copy--I wanted to see if it really duplicated the experience of reading a novel (and how many novels do you see in imitation leather covers?) The single-column text looks elegant with its red accents. Its proportions at 5.5″ x 8″ feel just right in your hand. It really does feel like a novel you could curl up with and just read, read, read.
Both Bibles are the same thickness (1.5 inches); but the Heritage is slightly smaller (5.25" x 7.5"). While the difference in size is slight, it is just enough to make the Heritage feel compact. In fact, for my taste, the Heritage feels almost too small. I have the same problem with the Cambridge Clarion, which is virtually the same size as the Heritage.
Both the Reader's Bible and the Heritage feature line matching, which improves reading on thin paper where show through is likely. The primary point on which you can choose between them is the presence of verse numbers.
Both the Reader's Bible (left) and the Heritage Bible are a pleasure to read. Your choice may come down to whether or not you want verse numbers. |
For pure reading pleasure, the Reader's Bible is a natural. Crossway has succeeded marvelously with this edition. For those who want an even (slightly) more compact edition with verse numbers, there is the Heritage.
The clothbound ESV Heritage Bible is available from Christianbook.com. Evangelicalbible.com has the Heritage Bible in a variety of covers, including a very nice calfskin, but not the clothbound version.
If you want a copy of the Reader's Bible, you can order it from the Christianbook.com or the Westminster Seminary Bookstore (where I bought mine). Evangelicalbible.com doesn't carry it. The Westminster Bookstore does an exceptional job of protectively packing and shipping their orders.
I am thinking of buying the Heritage, but none of the websites I've looked at have the information I want to know: is it a sewn binding or glued?
ReplyDeleteI am happy to report that the Heritage has a sewn binding. My hardback copy lies flat when open. The imitation leather or "Trutone" versions lie flat also. Unfortunately, the expensive calfskin binding does not lie flat because the hinges of the cover are too stiff. However all of the editions have sewn bindings and should hold up well.
ReplyDeleteNice! I really like the looks of the cloth over board one, plus it ever-so-conveniently fits into my budget. :)
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