The new ESV Journaling Study Bible from Crossway in natural rough cut cowhide reminds me of the ESV Journaling Interleaved Bible. The covers are virtually identical, though the color is slightly different. One of the really nice things about it is it wears naturally. It will scuff, and discolor in a way that is unique to however you use it. It’s very easy to scuff and scratch, so if that isn’t your thing, it probably wouldn’t work for you.
One of the downfalls of this bible is the same as the interleaved. The font size is 7.5 and that will pose a problem for some. While it’s nice to have the wide margins for journaling it comes at a huge price there. I wish they had made it thicker because it’s only 1.5 inches thick (8 x 8.5 trim size) and I have no issue with a thicker study bible, especially if we could sneak that font up to a 8.5 or 9.
Another minor disappointment with this bible is the paper. The thickness seems adequate at 30gsm, but you can see in the pictures it seems to have some waviness to it. It’s not bad, it’s just a fact. The paper is very easy to turn, and feels nice to the touch. It’s also plenty opaque, which is a good thing because the text is not line matched which is another disappointment, however, none of the ESV Study Bibles are line matched that I am aware of.
The study notes, are actually quite satisfying for a bible of its size and with the margin space (about 2 inches with dotted lines). My understanding is that this is the ESV Student Study Bible, which is a more simplified version of the ESV Study Bible. The study material is impressive, I’ll confess. With nice intros to the Old and New Testament, and several articles between the testaments and at the end. It also has a concordance and a nice set of maps.
Over all, despite the disappointments, this is a solid edition that you can get a fair price on if you utilize either discounts or sales sites. The leather cover is EPIC! I love the flap and strap feature, it gives me Indiana Jones vibes. If you don’t like this cover it also comes in hardback, and TruTone, which are also more economical. Links below are affiliate.
TruTone Cover:
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Hardback:
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Natural Cowhide with Flap:
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