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Monday, 25 February 2019

Book Info:

NIV First-Century Study Bible
Notes by: Kent Dobson
Published by: Zondervan
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Price: $36 hard cover or $7.99 on kindle
(Amazon Affiliate Link)

Thank you Zondervan Publishing for sending us a copy of this Bible to review!

It's been a while since I've carried around a physical Bible. I've gone digital and have used the ESV bible on both my phone and tablet. Even my 3DS has a digital Bile on it! Finding the verses digitally is easy and usually faster than people flipping pages getting to a particular verse.

What my electronic versions are lacking is commentary, maps, timelines, and Greek translations and explanations. The NIV First-Century Study Bible has all that plus lots of pretty colorful pictures of ancient art and artifacts dug up by archaeologists.

At the beginning of each book there is commentary about the book's title (Hebrew text and definition), author, date it was written, historical setting, structure, and purpose in the Bible. The verses are explained on the bottom of the page. Even tricky books like the beginning of Ezekiel is explained in a manner that makes sense. Scattered throughout the text are word studies that explain and show the Greek origins of many words. One of my favorite examples was the cubit which is a source of measurement often referenced in the Bible.

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Gigi & Nate

Friday, 02 September 2022

Cheryl Gress

Movies

Thank you NIV 2011 Bible Properties LLC for sending us a review sample!

NIV Live - A Bible Experience is a cinematic performance of the Bible that brings Genesis through Revelation to life. It's more than someone reading the text here; the Bible is being acted out and even sung in some cases. This rendition features Oscar winning actors, background music and sound effects to make it an immersive experience. My kids, who normally ask to play music instead of talk radio while driving, did not mind listening to the book of Acts. They enjoyed hearing the story of Paul being shipwrecked while trying to seek an audience with Caesar. There was the sound of ocean waves, seagulls in the air, the ship's crew in the background along with the narrator and Paul, Felix, and Agrippa being voiced by different voice actors. The audio quality is really good and has 3D theatrical sound. It includes deep bass that you can hear through a subwoofer.

The gospels are all extremely well done and the voices for the apostles, God, Jesus, Roman soldiers, and Pharisees are all top notch. I enjoyed listening to Isaiah, Proverbs, and Psalms as well. Some of the Old Testament sections like Jesus' lineage and the temple specifications are still a little yawn worthy, but are well voice acted regardless. :)

There are three ways to enjoy this audio Bible experience. For $19.99 you can gain access to the app on a single (Apple, Android, or Amazon) device. This includes both text and audio versions. You can create custom playlists and synchronize them. The app is really easy to use and sounded great on my Samsung Galaxy S4.

For $49.99 you can have up to six devices using the mobile app. You'll also have access to the online web Bible and mp3 downloads. Make sure you download and backup the mp3's right away since you only gain access to them for thirty days after registration.