Only hours after reading the ESV Bible Blog's announcement of the launch of the ESV Study Bible website, the info is still rolling in on this remarkable new addition to every good Christian's library. Justin Taylor, the managing editor, has clarified some stuff by also announcing this on his blog, and I am constantly finding new stuff on the site.
Some stuff I am particularly excited about:
- The text is single-column and black-letter (no red-letter text), 9-pt. type on high-opacity paper. Ultimate readability!
- The binding is Smyth sewn (the best, most enduring binding method), not glued.
- There are over 25,000 study notes (I believe that is a good bit more than any popular study bible on the market, excluding the NET Bible's translation notes).
- Over 50 special articles (again, these are written by some amazing scholars, as are the study notes, featuring several members of the SBTS faculty).
- Over 200 full-color maps based on the latest NASA satellite imagery, as well as diagrams drawn by a leading architectural firm based on the latest archaeological evidence, and other spectacular visual aids.
- Free online version of the entire study bible for those who purchase the print copy (this was done, to some degree, with the Literary Study Bible, but with a small extra charge).
- Some very aesthetically pleasing cover designs for the hardcover, Tru-tone, and leather editions.
