NIV Study Bible

The Zondervan NIV Study Bible was published in 2015. Its publisher says it's "built on the truth of Scripture and centering on 'biblical theology' -- the ways in which many important themes work their way through Scripture come to focus in Jesus Christ.

It's a comprehensive combination of newly crafted study notes, articles, book introductions and study tools."

This Study Bible is based on the New International Version of the Bible (2011) and D.A. Carson is the General Editor. When you purchase a new Zondervan NIV Study Bible, you can access the Zondervan Study Bible digital edition.

This allows you to access study notes, maps, charts, articles, and of course - the Bible on your mobile device. It's a nice feature and increases the value for the Bible Student because this Study Bible is very large and hardly fits in your purse or pocket.

However, you can take a mobile phone or tablet with the digital version anywhere. It's a nice feature and makes this product worthy of your consideration. But there's more you should know so read on.

Features of the NIV Study Bible

This Study Bible has 2,880 pages and is a pretty hefty book. Because of this, we recommend you consider the hardcover as you're likely going to have this great reference tool on your bookshelf near your desk or favorite reading nook. 

Other features for this Study Bible include:

Introductory Articles

Our review found all sixty-six books of the Bible are preceded by an introductory article. In addition to the book introductions, this study Bible offers seven additional introductions to different sections of the Bible:

In our review, we noticed this Study Bible also included an impressive number of maps (94), charts (81), articles (28), and illustrations (14). 

Maps

There are maps associated with 52 Books of the Bible. Books not included are: Leviticus, I Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Haggai in the Old Testament. Maps are not provided for II Timothy, Philemon, I John, II John, III John, and Jude in the New Testament.

But this makes sense; for example, you really don't need a map for the Book of Psalms. Also, we noticed that many books have several maps included, such the Book of Acts with nine maps. An index to maps is provided at the end of the Bible.

Also, we found 14 full-page color maps at the back of the Bible that are very helpful in understanding the geography of the biblical world.

Charts

39 Old Testament Charts

Charts cover subjects such as the distances in miles between Old Testament cities, the life of Moses, quotations from and references to Isaiah chapter 53 in the New Testament, and the kings of Judah, Israel, and Assyria. The Book of Numbers has the most with ten charts.

41 New Testament Charts

Charts cover subjects such as the parables of Jesus, the harmony of the Gospels, Roman emperors, and the life of Paul. There are 17 included with the Book of Revelation, significantly more than any other book.

All of the charts are in color, are well done, and will likely enhance the reader's understanding. 

Articles

Our review found over two dozen articles centrally located after the New Testament in the Zondervan NIV Study Bible. They are written by some well-known and respected scholars. Twenty-two different authors have written on subjects such as the kingdom of God, holiness, wisdom, worship, sacrifice, the glory of God, and many other topics. The articles are generally two or three pages long and provide unique insights for the Bible student.  

Illustrations

Our review found the fourteen illustrations varied in size and detail. Most of the artists drawings depict buildings, furnishings, temples, ancient cities, and one of Noah's ark. The full page illustrations of Herod's Temple and Solomon's temple are a great help in appreciating these important buildings. Especially interesting and illuminating is the rendition of the tabernacle constructed in the wilderness by Moses.  

Recommendation for the Zondervan NIV Study Bible

In conclusion, the Zondervan NIV Study Bible is recommended by Biblefied.com for the person who needs a good reference source for his or her study of the Bible. It's a large size, but the included digital version makes it portable. Overall, at the suggested retail price of $49.99 it's a great investment. We paid a lower price in late 2016 of about $36 through Amazon.com

As of December of 2016, this study Bible had a rating of 4.5 stars with over 200 ratings on the Amazon website and 4 Stars with 33 reviews on the Christian Book Distributors website. Use the form below to rate it yourself here on our site.