New and Improved ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible!

[@erichoehn8262]

I picked mine up a few weeks ago in the true tone. I am enjoying it.

[@pattube]

Side note: I think the ESV Study Bible is actually better than the original version of the ESV Systematic Theology Bible in terms of systematic theology, but hopefully this new version improves significantly on its previous incarnation! 😊

[@anickelsworthbiblereviews]

There are some improvements. Spoiler alert, it’s not new material.

[@PamodziChitsonga]

Alright, I am convinced, I am gonna get myself a copy. As a newbie in systematic theology I think this would be a great place to start.

[@davidrules90]

I’m glad you released this I wanted a review of it and all the other vids were of the older edition! Glad this video is here!

[@missinglink_eth]

This looks fantastic. I’m not reformed but the more I study it the less I take issue with. Maybe 90%-ish there.

[@alex-qe8qn]

Full disclosure : I gave away both the first edition of the Systematic Theology Bible and also the Literary Study Bible!

[@anickelsworthbiblereviews]

I gave the Literary Study Bible away, but I loved it just because of the cover and layout.

[@alex-qe8qn]

@@anickelsworthbiblereviews Yes, it attracted….but the content didn’t live up to that attraction!

[@MAMoreno]

Okay, so I looked at the new edition, and I see that they've plopped the condensed notes from the ESV Student Study Bible in there. (These same notes are used in the Global Study Bible, Women's Study Bible, and Men's Study Bible. They are more robust than those in the Concise Study Bible, but less verbose than those in the standard ESV Study Bible.) The first edition felt essentially pointless. In its newer form, it's rather redundant, but it may be the best option for someone who doesn't want a self-proclaimed "student" edition (or a mission field-focused edition, or a gender-specific edition) but still wants an ESV Study Bible that knows when to stop yapping. Now let's see them fix the ESV Literary Study Bible. Some actual running commentary about the literary devices, motifs, and wordplay--especially when such things are culturally specific to the Ancient Near East or simply untranslatable--would be nice. Since Leland Ryken was the co-editor of the book, I expected far more out of it than what I found. (I'd love for Robert Alter to contribute material, too, but I'm sure he's far too liberal for Crossway to give him the time of day.)

[@pattube]

I completely agree with everything you've said! Good information and good points. 👍 Speaking of Ryken, I respect Ryken and his work, but I've always thought it somewhat ironic that Ryken is the main stylist for the ESV, for, if you read any of his own published works, he's quite prosaic in his style. Nothing stands out; he has a rather bland style. By contrast, J.I. Packer served as the general (or was it theological) editor for the ESV, and he has a beautiful literary style. It would've been better to have consulted Packer for style than Ryken, though perhaps Crossway did, at least informally or behind the scenes. I guess the only other significant defenses that come to my mind for choosing Ryken as chief ESV stylist are: (1) the ESV inherited most of its literary style from the KJV-RSV lineage so the ESV needed little stylistic advisement and revision, and (2) Ryken may have a better ear for style than he does a hand, just as one may be a poor musician but a fine musical critic. I don't know, just guessing.

[@MAMoreno]

@@pattube I have the Literary Guide to the Bible that Ryken co-edited with Tremper Longman for Zondervan. It's decent enough to suggest that Ryken should have done better when he was given the opportunity to make the study Bible. That's not to say that it's a beauty to read on its own. Right beside it on the bookshelf is the slightly older Literary Guide to the Bible edited by Alter and Frank Kermode for Harvard UP, which was the volume that frustrated Ryken enough to make his own answer to it. Frankly, neither one is fully satisfying, but the Ryken doth protest too much about Alter's book.

[@anickelsworthbiblereviews]

It’s been years since I’ve seen the Literary Study Bible but I remember it being a bit underwhelming, but did have some nice features. The cover was amazing.

[@TacticalPreppy]

It is a beautiful edition, however I sent mine back. The notes continually push the eternal subordination of the Son, which is neither Reformed nor biblical. Here are a few of examples: The notes on Matthew 11:27 say “it also shows the supreme authority of the Father within the Trinity.” In Mark 10:40 the notes declare, “Though Jesus is fully God, there are differences of authority within the Trinity…” In Acts 2:33 the notes say, “The personal and orderly relationship among the persons of the Trinity is evident in this verse. When Christ’s work on earth was accomplished, he was exalted to the second highest position of authority in the universe…”

[@alex-qe8qn]

I agree that the ESV Literary Study Bible was a disappointment!

[@HollywoodBigBoss]

Does it have the Deuterocannon?

[@anickelsworthbiblereviews]

No.

[@MAMoreno]

All Crossway editions of the ESV lack the Deuterocanon. You'd need to look to other publishers who have licensed the ESV.

[@HollywoodBigBoss]

@@MAMoreno Thank you for thr information. My ESV with Apocrypha is done by SPCK.