NIV Faithlife Study Bible, Standard Print

NIV Faithlife Study Bible Standard Print ISBN-13: 9780310080572 Hardcover: 2704 pages Publisher: Zondervan Released: March 7, 2017

Source: Review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Filled with innovative graphics and rich commentary, this visually stunning study Bible delivers helpful insights designed to inform your faith. Robust study notes are built on the original languages and adapted from the popular Faithlife Study Bible app. The balance of striking graphics, comprehensive study features, and intriguing insights from multiple points of view will keep you curious as you explore the treasures of God’s Word.

Features include:

-The full text of the most read, most trusted modern-English Bible – the New International Version (NIV)

-In depth book introductions that include an outline and information on authorship, background, structure, themes, and a map, a timeline, or both

-Verse-by-verse study notes with the unique focus of revealing nuances from the original biblical languages for modern readers

-Informative contributions by respected scholars and best-selling authors including Charles Stanley, Randy Alcorn, and Ed Stetzer, among others

-Over 100 innovative full color infographics, comprehensive timelines and informative tables to enrich Bible study. Three detailed life-of-Jesus event timelines chronicling his infancy and early ministry, the journey to Jerusalem, and the passion and resurrection. 27 family trees and people diagrams illustrate the interconnectedness of key characters in Scripture


My Review:
NIV Faithlife Study Bible is a New International Version with copious study notes. These notes included word studies, information on people and places mentioned in the verses, and cultural or historical background information. It also had maps, timelines, family tree charts, tables comparing different theological views, and infographics showing things like a fishing boat, ancient Israelite house, and royal seals of Judah.

It sounded like the study notes would focus on helping the reader understand the text for themselves rather than telling the reader what to think about the verses. In the New Testament, that was generally true and I felt the notes and graphics were interesting and helpful. It's in the Old Testament--especially early Genesis--that I had some problems.

The Old Testament notes often assumed that other Ancient Near Eastern beliefs deeply influenced the biblical narrative and beliefs. I believe that Genesis preserves the true history of the universe, and any similarities found in ancient myths are degraded forms of that true history. So I had problems with statements like "this reflects an understanding common in the ancient Near East" about how the universe worked, and then the verse was explained using New Eastern beliefs. And we're told that "the deep" in Genesis 1:2 refers to chaos and a chaos deity, thus God created chaos and so "the chaos is part of what God deems 'very good'" All because the word for "the deep" is somewhat similar to the name of a chaos deity in a religion that existed around the time of Moses.

The notes sometimes provided a look at a various viewpoints. In early Genesis, they gave more information about views that don't favor the plainly intended meaning of a verse. So we're told that the author of Genesis 1:5 specifies the length of the day with "evening and there was morning," but then they immediately say it could really mean any length of time. They could have simply stated the nonliteral interpretations rather than making it clear that they favor a nonliteral view. The notes for Noah's Flood mention that there is evidence that backs up a global flood and the verses clearly indicate such, but then basically say that a global flood is still questionable. I would have preferred it if the notes just stated the various views or that there are similarities with other religions rather than telling us what to think.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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