Bible Review: MacArthur Study Bible NASB

[@helpfulcreation8238]

I have this exact one too. Hate the stiff bonded leather, but I keep coming back for the great notes. The big M watermark looks a little prideful, but maybe it’s to help with keeping his material credited to him. Good luck on your hunt for the smyth sewn! God bless

[@tsurek]

Thank you for doing this!

[@stevenfrasier5718]

Woah. Is the binding really that bad, dude? Is it a matter of "edition"?

[@jeffcarlson3269]

@stevenfrasier5718 sorry for this late response.. but in regards to the NASB bible shown by John Taylor several years back..: "Woah. Is the binding really that bad, dude? Is it a matter of "edition"?" stay away from Bonded leather ones... I have dozens of these fall apart on me within about a year.. of use.. this includes toting them to church .. bible studies...etc... I suppose if you keep your bible at a desk... never expose it to the light of day or any changes in temperature.. (like from outside). .and are very careful in regards to how you open and close the bible.. it might last longer.. AND NEVER absolutely NEVER.. leave a bible in a hot car.. I had a leather rebind that I accidentally left in the trunk of my sedan after a short vacation.. in just one day.. the cover was all crinkled.. fortunately since it was Leather.. I used a steam iron on a light setting and was able to iron the wrinkles out.. and they were deep ones too.. true story... I was so relieved... back in 2005 I had that rebind done and 2 months after I took my trip.. so it was a recent rebind. .on a bonded leather bible.. I still am using that bible that I ironed.. today.. and it still looks like the day I got it from the binders.. I believe a bible is to be used.. a leather one will easily outlast anyone.. a person needs to either stick with genuine leather.. in order to get a lasting quality bible.. or buy a hardcover.. for the cheap price of hardcovers.. who cares if it falls apart..? but... a person does have to be careful.. since many bibles go out of print after only being on the market for one year... so .. suppose you get a bonded leather one and after 2 years you can no longer use it.. cover falling off.. pages coming out.. then you think to yourself.. I have to get another one of these.. but you cannot find that same bible that you are so attached to anywhere... then what?.. I don't know how many stories I have heard of people having to get there falling apart bibles rebound just so they could keep using the same bible.. a typical re bind costs over a hundred dollars now.. taking into all the costs of shipping..etc.. and the turn around time can be anywhere from 2- 4 months... for that frustration.. a person would be better off just paying 20.00 extra or so.. and getting themselves a forever bible.. I got tired of spending 39.99 + for a bonded leather bible and have the cover start flaking away and coming away from the spine.. Leather ones are a much better investment.. give a bonded leather one.. to a casual acquaintance.. or to a new believer who doesn't even own a bible yet.. or to someone whom you don't know if they will even read it or not... but to anyone you care about....and KNOW will read the word.. .. give them a leather one..

[@jeffcarlson3269]

@stevenfrasier5718 just another side note regarding bible covers... back in 1995 I was a new Christian.. and so I went to a local bible store... and I saw a "Matthew Henry Study Bible"... they had many to choose from.. but in the end I settled for 2 .. it was between the 69.99 Genuine Leather covered one.. or the 59.99 Bonded Leather covered one.. I decided to splurge and spend the extra 10.00.... I Still use that bible regularly today.. and it still looks just like the day I bought it close to 30 years ago.... I do not know if I would be able to say the same regarding the bonded leather one... but for 10.00...difference?.. always choose a leather bound one. .even if the difference is greater nowadays.. due to inflation.. it's worth it..!..

[@stevenfrasier5718]

@@jeffcarlson3269 Thank you ever so much brother for sharing all this with me. I appreciate the info and the time you took to relate it. ~S

[@stevenfrasier5718]

@@jeffcarlson3269 Now I know the difference between "Bonded" and "Genuine", thanks to you. I never gave it much thought before. I just saw "Leather" and went with that. I have about a dozen leather study bibles, each a different English translation.

[@jeffcarlson3269]

@@stevenfrasier5718 the reason for my last comment was this: I recently purchased this same John MacArthur Study Bible shown here... through some checking I found an actual copy...used/like new... in "genuine leather".. on Amazon... Years ago back in 1997.. I bought the MacArthur NKJV study bible... but I never had a MacArthur study bible in the NASB... well this one almost NEW was on Amazon for under 25.00 It stated this was a "paperback".. but from the ISBN number.. AND after doing a search.. I realized this may have been a "genuine leather" bible.. with an improper description... I figured for 25.00 ... if it arrived and it WAS indeed a paperback I could just donate it somewhere or give it to someone.. but this bible was in "genuine leather".. here is the thing though... this bible was printed around 2008.. my NKJV was printed in 1997 the "leather ".. cover on the 1997 NKJV is 10 times better... softer smoother and more pliable than this newer 2008 MASB... ALSO my 1997 is a "smythe".. sewn....binding which means I can bend it backwards toss it around kick it.. or manhandle it any way I wish to and it will remain intact as if nothing happened to it..(I would NEVER do that, however...I was just making a point.).. the NASB from the 2008 printing I just got for 25.00 .. is NOT sewn.. and though the cover is "genuine leather".. it is very stiff.. so there might be a reason why I got the "genuine leather".. almost new bible... just now ...for 25.00.... when I paid about 79.95 back in 1997 for my other one..

[@Pastor-Brettbyfaith]

I have a newer hard back edition that is smyth sewn. If you are interested, I can send it to you. Let me know brother. Great video! God’s best to you!

[@jsddf8455]

Pastor Brett thank you for your kind offer. I am willing to wait as I am searching for a calfskin bound copy that is smith sewn as I prefer these to hardbacks.

[@Pastor-Brettbyfaith]

John Taylor I wish I could help. Ministry funds are tight. I have to keep it available for the men on the inside. I can only offer of my own collection. God's best to you and yours.

[@jsddf8455]

Pastor Brett Pastor Brett it’s all good. I planned on purchasing that one when the time is right, Lord willing

[@jacobsavage1264]

Which isbn?

[@jeffcarlson3269]

@@jsddf8455 sorry it has taken so long to leave a comment to you regarding this review... for years I was in a church that Only preached from the KJV... and though I have had the MacArthur study bible in the NKJV since about 1997/.. I never purchased an NASB by him...published thru Nelson publishing.. the church I now attend (due to the former one closing).. preaches from the NASB.. so I thought ...even though I own many NASB's..I did Not own the MacArthur NASB so I thought I would pick one up.. I found a copy listed on E-bay.. as genuine leather.. and the photo looked good.. but I wanted to do a cross check on the ISBN number on the back of the bible.. when I did... the same photo came up. but the description stated "paperback".. I had Never seen a paperback MacArthur NASB.. by Nelson.. so I was a little bit weary of this.. I wondered Why.. would the ISBN search state this was a "paperback".. when it looked like leather..? well I went to Amazon... and lo and behold.. they had this bible.. listed with that ISBN number as a paperback.. for under 25.00 I thought to myself.. "well it's only 25.00..if it comes in paperback and I don't care for it.. (cuz I am not fond of paperback bibles..)...I could give it away or donate it somewhere.. when this bible arrived 2 days later.. It was indeed in genuine Leather and smythe sown with 2 ribbons... still practically brand new in the box.. the only thing missing was the shrink wrap.. my ONLY comment is... I have noticed this before in the past with the Nelson.. King James Study bible.. previously known as the Liberty Annotated bible.. that when Nelson.. publishes bibles with bonded leather covers as opposed to Genuine leather covers.. the maps and print is Darker in the bonded leather ones.. by a shade or two.. I don't know if You have noticed this.. but your bonded leather one in your video.. has a slightly darker shade to the grey areas than mine as well on this MacArthur NASB.. also.. from what I can see.. it appears that Your rendition is about 2 years older than mine.. but.. it seems that the print.. on the pages on yours might be slightly a kilter.. to the edges of the bible.. mine has this gong on... on the left page the gap from the end of the print is about 2mm difference from one edge to the other.. so the pages seem slightly slanted.. have you noticed this?.. or are your pages perfectly centered?.. mine are a little slanted but that's ok.. for 25.00 I will not complain... I just was wondering what is up with Nelson and their printing processes.. I have also noticed that every bible that is published by Nelson in red-letter.. has un even red-lettering going on... some pages being a more heavier re inked than others.. have you ever noticed this?..

[@jeffcarlson3269]

I think the thing that COULD have been mentioned here..in regards to the bible maps.. these are typical Nelson bible map fare.....nothing out of the ordinary... if you own another Nelson published bible... the odds are you have seen these identical looking maps before.. John Taylor.. is correct in his assessment .. there are definitely better maps in bibles published by other houses such as Oxford or Zondervan.. but HEY.. why should Nelson invest in more costly maps... when they can continue to use these el cheapo maps over and over again throughout the decades.. across the board.. in All of the translations they put out .. right?.. they can save a lot of money by using the same ones over and over again ad infinitum.. these same maps are what you will find in bibles published by them over 20 years ago... I have these in my 2002 King James Study Bible.. that was originally titled the "Liberty Annotated Bible"...as well as my NKJV wide margin bible published in 1996... my guess is these maps have been in millions of bibles.. across the decades...8 pages and always the same maps... in the same order... and NEVER any map indexes.. published to help one locate specific cities on any one given map...but as I said.. that would cost money.. and Nelson would see less profit from each bible... if they did that...