First Look: NOAB 5th Edition (NRSV w/Apocrypha)

Thanks to Marc for providing these pictures of the New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha.  He reports that he pre-ordered it during the holiday sale in December. The stated release date is April 1st for this edition, but apparently Oxford is shipping pre-orders early! Overall, the construction and type setting of this edition is nearly identical to the fourth edition. I've included a few side by side photos for reference (fourth edition on the left, fifth edition on the right). The text columns continue to be left-justified, and the font of the Bible text and notes remains the same. Physically, the fifth edition is no thicker than the fourth. In fact, it feels a little thinner. This is probably because the pages in my fourth edition have "expanded" with use.  It is printed in the Netherlands by Royal Jongbloed.

Marc is happy to answer any of your questions in the comments.  I really liked the feel and construction of the 4th edition, which was done by Royal Jongbloed as well.  

New to this Edition:

-Twenty new essays and introductions, including new essays on Time/Calendar and Languages of the Bible

-Fully revised and updated annotations to reflect the latest biblical scholarship

-Introductions and extensive annotations for each biblical book

-Informative essays on essential topics for biblical study

-Color maps, timelines, glossary, and an index to study materials

-Includes the Apocrypha

-Thumb-indexed

NOAB 5th Edition- Spring 2018

The listing is up for the 5th edition of the venerable New Oxford Annotated Bible.  As usual, it will come in editions with or without the apocrypha/deuterocanonical books.  I have only seen the hardcover and paperback listings so far.  If they do a genuine leather edition, I hope it maintains the high quality of the 4th edition.  The biblical text will, once again, be the NRSV. 

Description:
For over 50 years students, professors, clergy, and general readers have relied on The New Oxford Annotated Bible as an unparalleled authority in Study Bibles. This fifth edition of the Annotated remains the best way to study and understand the Bible at home or in the classroom. This thoroughly revised and substantially updated edition contains the best scholarship informed by recent discoveries and anchored in the solid Study Bible tradition.

· Introductions and extensive annotations for each book by acknowledged experts in the field provide context and guidance. 
· Introductory essays on major groups of biblical writings - Pentateuch, Prophets, Gospels, and other sections - give readers an overview that guides more intensive study.
· General essays on history, translation matters, different canons in use today, and issues of daily life in biblical times inform the reader of important aspects of biblical study.
· Maps and diagrams within the text contextualize where events took place and how to understand them.
· Color maps give readers the geographical orientation they need for understanding historical accounts throughout the Bible.
· Timelines, parallel texts, weights and measures, calendars, and other helpful tables help navigate the biblical world.
· An extensive glossary of technical terms demystifies the language of biblical scholarship.
An index to the study materials eases the way to the quick location of information.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible, with twenty new essays and introductions and others-as well as annotations-fully revised, offers the reader flexibility for any learning style. Beginning with a specific passage or a significant concept, finding information for meditation, sermon preparation, or academic study is straightforward and intuitive.

A volume that users will want to keep for continued reference, The New Oxford Annotated Bible continues the Oxford University Press tradition of providing excellence in scholarship for the general reader. Generations of users attest to its status as the best one-volume Bible reference tool for any home, library, or classroom.

A Great Bargain: The NRSV New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Loose-Leaf Edition

The NRSV NOAB w/ Apocrypha, Loose-Leaf Edition is massive, but if you are a teacher or Bible study leader it can be an amazing resource.  Right now, you can get it at Christianbook.com for under $30.  I think the binder itself costs that much at most office supply stores.

Students, professors and general readers alike rely on the New Oxford Annotated Bible for its outstanding scholarship and trustworthy guidance to the world of the Bible. Now this excellent resource is available in study-friendly loose-leaf format. Featuring the full content of the standard study Bible with the added flexibility of loose-leaf, it also includes wide margins that offer ample room for making notes.


Features

• Complete NRSV text with the Apocrypha
• Contributors from a wide range of traditions and backgrounds
• Book introductions and annotations offer helpful explanations, background, and insights. 
• Essays on the major divisions of the biblical text and the formation of the biblical canon
• Explanations of the Bible’s historical background provide guidance through the ancient Near Eastern context
• Clarifies the varieties of biblical criticism with guidance to developments in scholarly research
• A timeline of major events in the ancient Near East
• A history of biblical interpretation, from biblical times to the present
• In-text maps and diagrams
• Concordance
• Full index of the study material
• Wide margins offer lots of room for notes
• Clear 10-point type for ease of reading
• Sturdy 11 x 11.5 x 5 inch five-ring binder
• Durable 8.5 x 11 inch pages (fit any standard 3- or 5-ring binder)

A Re-Opening: New Oxford Annotated Bible 4th Edition (Genuine Leather)

Back in August, south-east Michigan was hit with some terrible flooding.  My town received over 5 inches of rain in a short period.  Needless to say, our basement flooded with two feet of sewage.  It was not a pleasant smell.  Among the many things that were ruined or lost were a decent number of Bibles and other biblical works.  I am not going to be getting most of these things back, some of them are out of print while others are too expensive.  I did, however, re-order one Bible since I loved the overall package.  So, here, is my re-opening of the New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha (4th Edition) in black genuine leather.

A Discovery at Baker Book House in Grand Rapids

Last week I had delight to visit my friend Louis who works at the amazing Christian bookstore Baker Book House in Grand Rapids.  It truly is an amazing Christian bookstore, which has a nice selection of Catholic Bibles and books too!  After having lunch with Louis I began to take a look at the used book section and found a Bible I had longed to get for many years.  It is the New Oxford Annotated Bible w/ Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books published in 1991.  This is the edition that was edited by two of the most prominent Biblical scholars of the 20th century, Dr. Bruce M. Metzger and Carmalite priest Fr. Roland E. Murphy.  A truly ecumenical study Bible if there ever was one.  This was the first edition that included the NRSV translation, but before many of the changes to the annotations that were found in later editions.  These annotations are similar to, but not exactly the same, as the original New Oxford Annotated Bible RSV.  This edition, though slightly bigger in size than the previous edition, also contains very generous margins for personal annotation.  It may be the best I have seen to be honest.  The second picture below, gives you an indication of what I am talking about.

Now, what made this find even better was the fact that they had a copy available in burgundy leather.  It is a soft, genuine leather cover with sewn binding.  Since it is a used Bible, it opens very easily and has a great feel to it.  Fortunately for me, this edition has only a few pencil marks on some of the pages, which can easily be erased.  A truly great find!

There were some additional NOAB NRSV editions available in hardback, so if you are interested you can contact Baker Book House and they will ship it to you.  If you are close enough, I would highly recommend stopping by Baker Book House.  It took me a little over two hours to drive there from metro Detroit, and it was worth every minute.

NOAB RSV Changes?

This news from reader Jonny:

I ordered The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha (RSV) in genuine leather a few months ago, and have been very pleased with its overall quality and usefulness as a study tool. I was so impressed, in fact, that I ordered two more for relatives as a Christmas gift! I was very pleasantly surprised to see when I received these, that Oxford University Press has completely overhauled and improved the quality of construction of the book!

Yes, my first copy was probably the best quality and my overall favorite Bible to use for personal study, but it had a couple of small quirks that I did not really mind. It was in genuine leather, but it was kind of a stiff, leather wallet looking leather that bent inside with the spine when the book was opened. Also, there were small creases near the top inside corners at some places throughout.

The newer edition is just beautiful. It is still has the sewn binding, but it is bound in a softer, more textured genuine leather that does not bend inside the spine when opened. Also, it is slightly smaller. In addition to being an eighth of an inch shorter it is actually a half inch thinner (just a bit shy of 1 1/2/”)! And the amazing thing is that that the pages look more opaque than the previous edition.

I ordered these both times from Amazon and got them delivered with free shipping. I have found that usually the new products that are shipped by Amazon are the most current edition, so I think this change must be very recent. I did not think that I would ever see a Catholic-approved Bible (minus the “expanded” Apocrypha books included in this edition) that would rival the overall quality of the Cambridge KJV that I own, but I think Oxford has done it now.

I wonder if the leather cover is the same as the one use for the NOAB 4th edition?

Sort of Retro Review: NOAB RSV Extended Edition

The New Oxford Annotated Bible RSV with Apocrypha Extended Edition is in many ways a remarkable study Bible. Not only because of its unique ecumenical origins, but more specifically because it has remained in print for over thirty years. Over the past thirty years, Oxford has published three additional editions of the NOAB, along with an augmented 3rd edition, with the NRSV translation, as well as two (and soon to be three) editions of the Catholic Study Bible NAB. Yet, the NOAB RSV remains in print, both in the hardbound and genuine leather edition. Why is that so?

In my mind there are a couple of reasons for this. First off, the RSV remains popular in a number of circles still today, most notably Catholic, some Orthodox, and the academy/seminary. The seminary where I received my degree encouraged the RSV-CE for its Scripture and theology classes. In addition, the RSV is still being published, in various editions, by Oxford University Press, Ignatius Press, Scepter, and Saint Benedict Press. It should also be noted that the RSV was the base text for the ESV and the RSV-2CE. It is used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (English language edition), along with the NRSV, and is the main translation used in many of Pope Benedict’s works. Therefore, any thought that the RSV would recede into history with the publication of the NRSV in 1989 has simply not happened.

Secondly, the NOAB RSV is a beautiful and useful study Bible even today. Does it have a lot of the nice study aids that the current 4th edition does, like in-text maps and charts, a concordance, and updated essays? No. However, it does posses a number of advantages over the newer editions of the NOAB, not counting the use of the RSV (including 1971 updated NT). Here are a few:

** The overall size, while certainly not compact, is a very portable 9 x 6 x 1.7 inches.

** Strong binding and genuine leather cover. My edition has always opened flat from day one.

** The type and page layout is very readable. There are no paragraph headings, but that is easily resolved by examining the commentary which is organized by pericope. You can get a closer look of the page layout here.

** The inner margin, as well as the bottom of each page, provides enough space to include your own personal notes.

** The notes contain plenteous cross-references and concise, yet helpful commentary. Rarely does the commentary take up more than half of a page, usually around a quarter. The commentary gives you the basic historical information you would need in an academic study Bible. The Old Testament commentary does reference the New Testament, most often through cross-references. Even the Deuterocanonical/Apocrypha section, although unfortunately placed at the back, references New Testament allusions to these books. While the commentary is not Catholic, there has been very little that I could find objectionable. For example, while the section on John 6 could, one may argue, point out the Eucharistic overtones a bit more, there are other places, like in Matthew 13:55 which concerns Jesus’ “brothers”, which go out of their way to point out Catholic/Orthodox belief. If one keeps in mind that this is an ecumenical study Bible, he will find little to be concerned with.

For those of you who would like to have a one-volume study edition of the RSV, this is really your best, and perhaps only, option until the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible project is completed. I use this study Bible often and would recommend it to anyone.

(I did a shorter examination of this a few years back, which you can read here.)

Revised on May 18

Guest Review: NISB vs. NOAB 4th Edition

Diakonos09 is a frequent visitor and commentator on this blog, and lately we have been emailing back and forth on the issue of study Bibles. Well, over the past week he held a little "competition" between the various study Bibles on the market that could be usable for Catholics. I found his analysis to be both funny and informative. He has given me permission to reproduce his findings, so enjoy:

Competitors: put in your mouth-guards and check the laces on your gloves, because this might get ugly. Let the fight begin! Ding! Ding!

In one corner, weighing in at 3.9 pounds, boasting 2,298 pages and bearing an oddly-shaped over-sized dimension in width we have the New Interpreter's Study Bible. In the other corner, tipping the scale at 3.6 pounds with a girth composed of 2,480pages and sporting a new 21st century appearance yet holding fast to the well-recognized traditional red cover is the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible- 4th Edition. Both competitors include the so-called Apocrypha. Both come recommended by Catholic and Anglican scholars. And both have successfully claimed skirmish victories in this competition over their primary mainline Study Bible competitors: NJB (though not in theology), NAB (in all its editions to date), REB (was it every really a serious challenger?), Harper Collins (though I still may score a cheap used paperback copy) and ESV (the first loser based on theology).

Portability
I need to take the winner to deaconate classes, to Bible Study meetings, to CCD, etc. Because it goes out so much, carries a decent amount of scrap notes, holy cards and handouts and typically gets tossed into my backpack, I like to put my SBs into a nice zippered cover with pockets, etc. With this in mind the NISB is the hands-down loser due to its odd width-dimension. It is a good 1.25" over-sized and I'd have to have a cover custom made. Searches for covers on the net yielded nada. So I declare the NOASB-4 winner in this category. BTW...they are identical in thickness and near identical in length. I guess the NISB folks decided to go with the odd-width to allow for the extra in-text notes it contains.

Typeset/Paper
I see no difference really in the paper quality but it seems to me that the font size or at least clarity of print is slightly better in the NISB. "Bleed" factor is identical and really not an issue at all to me. I have not been able to test note writing on the paper. Winner by a fraction of a decimal of a point is the NISB.

The competitors leave the externals round and enter into the textual competition in a tie.

Text Layout/Notes
Both have a clean look with text taking up at least 60% of the page and note section clearly distinguishable. This is important because on one and the same page you have God's inerrant Word and man's errant-prone research and hypotheses. Even the best of notes in line with the tradition need to be clearly seen as commentary. The judges were indeed impressed by NOASB-4's use of the sectional-heading in bold idea for commentary even if not for text. NISB notes however are extremely succinct without loosing content or conveying concepts...so much is packed into so little, though this "little" is still more than found in the NOASB-4.NISB has a habit of commenting on an entire subsection (for example, Rom 3: 21-31) and then following this with a verse/verses sub-commentary on the same section. This allows for a bit more information and puts things into context.

NOASB-4 makes finding commentary easier again because of the subheading concept. It also came out above the NISB in the Introductions layout with a nice format of labeling authorship, genre, etc.The judge brought this close-call competition to deliberation over lunch (and a couple of drinks of course) and came back declaring NISB the winner.

Theology/Objectivity/Catholic Friendliness
While both competitors make a point of seeking a denominational neutrality in their annotation and comments, it can't but be helped that some theological emphases will be apparent. Likewise, it is possible to get a feel for a kind of objectivity (or not) regarding current biblical scholarship theories. Together these can produce a sense of Catholic friendliness at best or a sense of Protestant kindred ship which is polite enough to allow a Catholic or Orthodox presence (to a degree).

While it is quite clear that the NISB is in the Protestant kindred ship domain, it does a reasonably ecumenical job of acknowledging Catholic/Orthodox applications of Scripture for Jn 6/Euchairst and even Jn 19/Spiritual Motherhood of Mary. It absolutely fails, though in 1Cor 11/Eucharist, Mt 16/Peter. The NOASB-4 actually is less overt in its notes for these passages (particularly the Johannine ones) but what saved its butt in the competition here and actually elevated it above the NISB is its consistent reference to and comfort with Liturgical/Sacramental aspects of passages. Perhaps because Oxford is more Anglican than evangelical it has no problem with liturgical senses or with assigning Baptism as a rite beyond an outward confession of faith, especially in its notes in Pauline passages.

While I truly enjoyed seeing an ecumenical Bible give a nod or two to Catholic/Orthodox doctrine I found much more theological satisfaction in the overall sense of the NOASB-4 notes. In addition, the NOASB-4 introductions have no problem acknowledging traditional authorship as well as pointing out current thought. There is much objectivity there than in the NISB.
So for the theological and scholarly objectivity competition, the judge must declare the NOASB-4 the winner and comment it for its Catholic friendliness. However, the NJB will remain on the judge's bookcase for its Catholic theological notes.

The two competitors came to the Final Round will equal scores:
NISB won for paper/typeset and text layout/notes.
NOASB-4 was the victor for portability, theology/objectivity/Catholic Friendliness...

The final round in the battle of the Study Bibles considers, of all things, study aids besides the notes/annotations. After all...WHY are they published if not for this reason? Therefore, this will be the round that separates the boys from the men...

Study Materials besides Notes:
NISB fails miserable in neglecting to include a concordance, while the NOASB-4 triumphs in this regard.

BOTH fails in cross references but it’s not a competition-point since both use the NRSV and as such suffer the deprivation. Though both do allow for some cross referencing in the notes.

The NISB has great features in the excursi and in the self-pronouncing text. something that the NOASB-4 lacks. Excursi are real handy and helpful addition to a study Bible.

In the domain of maps both do very well. I believe there are 19 detailed maps in the NISB and while I don’t know the number, I recall that the NOASB-4 has a good amount as well which is to be expected from Oxford University Press.

Finally, considering the notes/annotations seen solely as STUDY material and not from a theological perspective, I have to admit that NISB wins out in quantity without detriment to quality.

The NOASB-4, however, take the crown for the Introductions as study material.

So the NISB takes it for excursi and annotation quantity...
NOASB-4 triumphs in concordance and introductions...

This is a CLOSE TIGHT race.....but the judge must look at the overall picture and render a holistic pronouncement that considers all of these features as well as one more irrefutable function of a Study Bible...

The Word of God is first of all a Person. This Person became flesh incarnate of the Virgin Mary. This Person proclaimed the Kingdom of God and commissioned His disciples to "teach them what I have commanded you". This Person founded a Church upon the rock of St. Peter and the foundation stones of the Twelve. These men preached the Gospel which was later consigned in part to writing. The Old Testament prepared for Him. The New Testament proclaims Him Lord, Savior and King. Which of these Study Bibles, above and beyond any comparison of parts and features, best fosters a communion with this Person and the Church which teaches in His Name?

The winner is the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible with Apocrypha, 4th Edition.

NOAB 4th Edition Genuine Leather

Last week I decided to order the NOAB 4th Edition in genuine leather. At the time, it was priced at Amazon.com for only $59.00, so I decided to go for it. As I was awaiting it's arrival over the weekend, I started to get a little buyers remorse. Should I have used part of my tax return for another study Bible? The fact is that I really liked what I had saw in the hardcover edition. While some people did not like the new page format and font, I actually found it easier to read. I also found the notes to be succinct, yet helpful and the new map section and essays were informative. My biggest issue, then, became whether or not the genuine leather cover would be quality. I have written often on this blog about the need for premium/quality leather Bibles for Catholics, so I was hoping that this would be the case with the NOAB 4th Edition. I usually don't recommend people purchasing a genuine leather Bible unless recommended by another or unless you are able to see and feel it for yourself. Needless to say, I broke my own rule on this one!

Fortunately, when I opened up my package yesterday from Amazon.com I was very pleased with the quality of the genuine leather. While not being goat or calf skin, it is actually very soft and nimble. It is definitely a step up from the other two genuine leather Oxford study Bibles that I own, those being the NOAB RSV and The Catholic Study Bible NAB (1990) editions. While the durability of any Bible can only be judged over time, my first impressions are that it will be just fine. I plan to use this Bible exclusively this summer, for personal reading, leading Bible study, and any retreats or conferences I attend, so I will let you know how it holds up.

Below are some additional pictures I took with my I-Phone:

I should also point out that this edition comes with two Bible ribbons, tabs, and a simple presentation page at the front of the book.

First Look: NOAB Fourth Edition

The fourth edition of The New Oxford Annotated Bible: NRSV w/ Apocrypha arrived at my home yesterday. While the page format is slightly different, the overall size is almost identical to the Augmented Third Edition. The actual typesetting reminds me alot of the recent NRSV Catholic Gift Bible, as well as the New Life with God Bible NRSV, from HarperCollins. There are no paragraph headings within the NRSV text and the commentary notes are organized well in the standard NOAB single column fashion. All cross-references, like in previous editions, are located within the verse commentary. Overall, I think the look is an upgrade to previous editions.

The standard hardcover edition, which I purchased, contains a concordance, which is missing in the college edition. The maps are generally the same, however, there is an additional update to the maps concerning the Setting of the Exodus, Roman Empire, and Setting of Early Christian Missions.

One of the immediate areas where the NOAB has been updated is in the individual book introductions. Although I haven't had a chance to read them in detail, each intro is clearly marked and broken down into parts focusing on issues like Authorship, Date, and Place of Composition, Literary Form, Interpretation, Style, Structure, and additional issues pertaining to the book being read. This makes finding particular introductory information a lot easier than in prior editions. One helpful inclusion, for example, I found in the introduction to Ephesians, where the NOAB included a chart documenting the parallels between Ephesians and Colossians. Nice touch!

Throughout the text, there are 40 additional in-text maps, charts, and diagrams, many of which were included in the Augmented 3rd edition. The appendix contains a set of essays covering the Canons of the Bible, various forms of Interpretation from ancient to modern, Cultural Context essays, and a set of tables that includes a historical timeline, table or rulers, weights and measures, calendar, and parallel texts. There is also a glossary of biblical scholarship terms and a complete index to the study materials.

Overall, it seems like it is a very nice update to the Augmented 3rd edition. I have checked up on some commentary notes that had me scratching my head in the previous edition, and for the most part I think they have been improved and clarified. Of course, I have only had this 4th edition in my hands for hardly twenty-four hours, so take that for what its worth. Again, one must keep in mind that this is an ecumenical study Bible that has Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish contributions. If you are looking for a devotional or life application study Bible, don't buy this one. However, if you like your study Bible with plenteous notes on literary forms, historical context, and other modern Biblical scholarship terms, purchase the NOAB 4th edition. It will eventually come in genuine leather too!

Info on New Oxford Annotated Bible 4th Edition

Rick Mansfield over at his This Lamp blog recently posted some additional information about the soon to be released NOAB 4th Edition. You can read all about it here. The NOAB 4th edition will be released in February 2010.

NOAB 4th Edition Update

I emailed Oxford University Press over the weekend asking if there would be multiple binding options for the NOAB 4th Edition. A customer service representative responded saying that "There will be alternate bindings available for this title when it is published." Good to hear!

I hope this means that there will be genuine leather bindings. I mentioned in the previous post's comment box that I was very close this past weekend to ordering a genuine leather study Bible. I had been debating it for the past few months, but was still undecided between the NOAB 3rd edition and the New Interpreters Study Bible. Now that the 4th edition will be coming in February, it may be wise to wait until then. Hmmm.....

New Oxford Annotated Bible 4th Edition Due in February

Sorry for the low amount of content over the past week, but I have been leading a school retreat as well as recovering from a nagging head cold. However, while I was sitting on the couch today, I did some searching on my I-Phone at the Oxford University Press website. What did I find you ask? Well it appears that OUP will be releasing the 4th edition of the New Oxford Annotated Bible this coming February. So far, it is only listed to be released in hardcover editions. It will be 2480 pages with a size of 6 9/16 x 9", which would make it identical to the augmented 3rd edition.

It seems strange, at least to me, that they would be releasing this edition so soon after the 3rd augmented edition, which came out only in January 2007. However, in many ways, the bar has been raised in the study Bible world with the recent releases of the NLT and ESV study Bibles. I hope they offer this edition with a genuine leather cover.

Here are the features of the upcoming NOAB 4th Edition:

The premier study Bible used by scholars, pastors, undergraduate and graduate students, The New Oxford Annotated Bible offers a vast range of information, including extensive notes by experts in their fields; in-text maps, charts, and diagrams; supplementary essays on translation, biblical interpretation, cultural and historical background, and other general topics.Extensively revised--half of the material is brand new--featuring a new design to enhance readability, and brand-new color maps, the Annotated Fourth Edition adds to the established reputation of this essential biblical studies resource. Many new and revised maps, charts, and diagrams further clarify information found in the Scripture text. In addition, section introductions have been expanded and the book introductions present their information in a standard format so that students can find what they need to know. Of course, the Fourth Edition retains the features prized by students, including single column annotations at the foot of the pages, in-text charts, and maps, a page number-keyed index of all the study materials in the volume, and Oxford's renowned Bible maps. This timely edition maintains and extends the excellence the Annotated 's users have come to expect, bringing still more insights, information, and perspectives to bear upon the understanding of the biblical text.

· The renowned New Revised Standard Version Bible translation, the scholarly standard for study of the Bible

· Wholly revised, and greatly expanded book introductions and annotations.

· Annotations in a single column across the page bottom, paragraphed according to their boldface topical headings.

· In-text background essays on the major divisions of the biblical text.

· Essays on the history of the formation of the biblical canon for Jews and various Christian churches.

· More detailed explanations of the historical background of the text.

· More in-depth treatment of the history and varieties of biblical criticism.

· A timeline of major events in the ancient Near East.

· A full index to all of the study materials, keyed to the page numbers on which they occur.

· A full glossary of scholarly and critical terms.

· 36-page section of full color New Oxford Bible Maps, approximately 40 in-text line drawing maps and diagrams.