Editing Study Bible

{{Short description|Bible edition containing additional scholarly information}}
{{multiple issues|
{{original research|date=January 2013}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2014}}
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{{hatnote|For the study of the Bible, see [[Bible study (disambiguation)|Bible study]].}}

{{BibleHistory}}

A '''study Bible''' is an edition of the [[Bible]] prepared for use by a serious student of the Bible. It provides scholarly information designed to help the reader gain a better understanding of and context for the text.

==History==
Perhaps the first edition of an [[English language]] Bible that qualified as a "study Bible" was the ''[[Geneva Bible]]'' published by [[Rowland Hill (MP)|Sir Rowland Hill]] in 1560;<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KswJDAAAQBAJ&dq=%22the+1560+%27Geneva+Bible%27%2C+which+appeared+some+six+years+after+the+later+of%22&pg=PA44 |title=Staging Scripture: Biblical Drama, 1350–1600 |date=2016-04-18 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-31395-8 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Beenham.) |first=Thomas STACKHOUSE (Vicar of |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qehUAAAAcAAJ&dq=%22rowland+hill%22+%22geneva+bible%22&pg=PR26 |title=A New History of the Holy Bible, from the beginning of the world to the establishment of Christianity. L.P. |date=1838 |language=en}}</ref> it contained extensive cross-references, synopses, and doctrinal points. The text of the Geneva Bible was usually not printed without the commentary,  though the Cambridge edition was printed without commentary.{{citation needed|date= December 2014}}

The [[Church of England]] disputed some of the statements made in the Geneva Bible annotations.  This led to the creation of the ''[[King James Version of the Bible|King James Bible]]'', which was typically printed with a much less extensive apparatus or none at all. Several commentators have supplied annotated King James Bibles containing their own points of view, but unlike the Geneva Bible, these commentaries are not as thoroughly integrated into the text.

Another historically significant study Bible was the ''[[Scofield Reference Bible]]'', first printed by [[Cyrus Scofield]] in 1909. This study Bible became widely popular in the [[United States]], where it spread the interpretation system known as [[dispensationalism]] among [[Christian fundamentalism|fundamentalist Christians]]. A new version, the [[Recovery Version]], was published in 1985. It holds a similar interpretation, and this study Bible has a very large number of cross-references and explanatory and interpretative footnotes.

Nearly all [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] Bibles have explanatory and interpretative footnotes.{{citation needed|date= December 2014}} For example,  the ''[[Jerusalem Bible]]'' is a widely respected study Bible originally made by [[France|French]] [[monk]]s in [[Jerusalem]], under the auspices of the [[Catholic Church]]. The original [[French language|French]] edition of 1961 became the basis of versions of this study Bible in several other languages, including English, revised as the ''[[New Jerusalem Bible]]''; some versions have more extensive notes than others.{{citation needed|date= December 2014}}

Logos International published the ''[[Logos International Study Bible]]'' in 1972. Based on the 1901 ''[[American Standard Version]]'', it is essentially an updated version of ''The Cross-Reference Bible'', published before 1929 and edited by Harold E. Monser. It includes an unusually large number of cross-references, in-text articles, and treatment of variant readings.{{citation needed|date= December 2014}}

[[Zondervan]] claims that its ''[[NIV Study Bible]]'' has six million in distribution and that it is the world's best selling study Bible.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/Bible/About+Study+Bibles.htm?QueryStringSite=Zondervan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060430205232/http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/Bible/About+Study+Bibles.htm?QueryStringSite=Zondervan |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 30, 2006 |website=Zondervan|title=About Study Bibles}}</ref>

The ''[[ESV Study Bible]]'' is a recent addition which sold well in its pre-release phase, in the fall of 2008.<ref name=ElenaGarcia2008Nov03></ref>

In recent times, study Bibles focusing on specific aspects of the Biblical message, have appeared, such as ''[[The Green Bible]]'', an English version of the ''New Revised Standard Version Bible'' (originally published by [[Harper Bibles]] on October 7, 2008), which focuses on environmental issues and teachings.

==Features==
A study Bible usually contains such features as:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baptiststart.com/study_bible_comparison.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526112703/http://www.baptiststart.com/study_bible_comparison.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 26, 2011|title=Study Bibles: A Survey of Eight: A Look at the HCSB Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, NIV Study Bible, NKJV Study Bible, Reformation Study Bible, MacArthur Study Bible, Life Application Study Bible, and the Thompson's Chain Reference Bible|website=Baptiststart.com|accessdate=April 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=Baptiststart.com|url=http://www.baptiststart.com/pdf/study_bible_chart.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913212043/http://www.baptiststart.com/pdf/study_bible_chart.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 13, 2012|title=Study Bible Comparison Chart}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|website=Baptiststart.com|url=http://www.baptiststart.com/study_bible_comparison.html#Strengths|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526112703/http://www.baptiststart.com/study_bible_comparison.html#Strengths|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 26, 2011|title=Strengths and Emphases of Various Study Bibles: The Strongest Study Bibles in Various Categories}}</ref><ref name=ElenaGarcia2008Nov03>{{cite news| title=Highly Praised ESV Study Bible Reports Phenomenal Sales|author-last1=Garcia|author-first1=Elena| work=The Christian Post| date=November 3, 2008| url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/highly-praised-esv-study-bible-reports-phenomenal-sales-35211/}}</ref>

* Annotations explaining difficult passages or points of [[theology]] and [[doctrine]]
* Articles and short biographies or character studies of Biblical people, places, and  topics
* A [[concordance (publishing)|concordance]], a word index that indicates where various keywords are used in the Bible
* Contextual setting, including discussion of culture, customs, history, and timelines that relate Bible history to world history
* Harmonies of the [[Gospel]]s, pointing out parallel incidents in the life of [[Jesus]]
* Illustrations of locations and artifacts
* Introductions and historical notes for each book of the Bible
* Life/practical application
* [[Maps]] and charts that illustrate the [[Holy Land]] during Biblical times and may show the same areas today
* References or cross-references, to indicate where one passage of the text relates to others
* Variant readings or interpretations of certain debatable passages, or possible [[conjecture (textual criticism)|conjectural emendations]] (i.e., alterations based on a [[philology|philological]] expert's "educated guess" of the likely form of the original Hebrew or Greek, when the translators feel this is not sufficiently clear, possible translations from other ancient versions such as the [[Septuagint]], [[Targumim]], [[Peshitta]], and [[Vulgate]], readings from other manuscript families, such as marking those passages missing which are present in the [[Byzantine text-type]] in a modern textual eclectic translation, or marking those passages present which are missing in the [[Alexandrian text-type]] and the [[Nestle-Aland|modern critical text]] in a translation from the [[Textus Receptus]] or Byzantine text-type, etc.){{citation needed|date=April 2015}}
* Word definitions to explain difficult or complex words and ideas

==Study Bible software==
{{main|Bible software}}
Study Bible software is also available which can aid readers in the study of the Bible.  This software normally includes several [[Bible translations]], [[Bible commentary|commentaries]], [[Bible Dictionaries]], maps and other content. They also include [[search engine]]s to enable users to find Bible passages by keyword and by theme.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [http://www.equip.org/articles/how-to-choose-a-study-bible How to choose a study Bible], by John R. Kohlenberger III, Christian Research Institute, 1996 – analyzes several study Bibles available, with short descriptions, and recommendations from an [[evangelicalism|evangelical]] Christian perspective.

[[Category:Bible versions and translations]]
[[Category:Study Bibles|*]]