Initial Superficial Impression of the Orthodox Study Bible

Today, the bonded leather editon of the Orthodox Study Bible came. At first glance, I’m fairly pleased with it. I’ve a couple of quibbles (stemming from my Protestant upbringing): no center column reference and margins too small for penciled notations. I would also add that the “You” instead of “Thou” when addressed to God just strikes me wrong, now that my liturgical lingua franca over the last five and a half years uses the more formal tones.  The aesthetics of the layout, however, are just fine. The binding seems a bit stiff and different from other bonded leather Bibles I’ve owned in the past. We’ll have to see how it wears over time.

Aside from a couple of one-off’s this is the first Bible I’ve purchased in thirteen years (that one being the New Revised Standard Version, with Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals). I’ve picked up some Greek editions, but it occurred to me that I haven’t had a good, solid English translation that I’ve carted around and used the heck out of in a very long time. I hope that doesn’t mean I’ve been neglecting the Scripture–I don’t think so–but it is a curious phenomenon. It does, I think, point to how technical my Bible reading has become, and how much less “devotional” (if you will), it presently is.

So, we’ll dive into the OSB and see how we do. More to come.