Rating: 
Summary: "Combines translation accuracy with proven winning helps!"
Review: Although not the subject of this review, I will say up front: I love the John MacArthur Study Bible. If the editors had just included a concordance....(hint)! So now that you know that....It goes without saying that the NASB text is peerless in it's accuracy. Period. Too, I have always admired the wealth of notes extant in the NIV Study Bible. Not to beat a dead horse, but the problem there was the NIV; the Study Bible part was great! Now the best of both are merged into the Zondervan NASB Study Bible, and it's wonderful! While not perfect (as other reviewers have pointed out), it's the best conservative evangelical study bible to date. (Subject to change when the new MacArthur Study Bible debuts!). While the depth of the commentary is obviously limited in such a work, the breadth is exhaustive. The strength of the notes are in their helfulness everywhere--not just in long-winded commentary on controversial passages. The index, concordance, maps, etc., are sufficient for most everyone, and, as a whole, far better than most. I never thought I'd say it: we've come a long way from Dr. Scofield! In summary, you'll be hard-pressed to top this work. Despite its (few) minor annoyances which other reviewers have greatly exagerated, the Zondervan Study Bible is the best of its genre in print today. Are you listening Dr. MacArthur?!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as in-depth as it's NIV cousin
Review: I was disappointed with Zondervan's NASB Study Bible. I believe the marketing of this product is less than accurate. For years I had enjoyed your NIV Study Bible, especially its excellent concordance and the wealth of center column cross-references it contained. About a year ago I was drawn to the NASB translation and started using another study bible. But its concordance and cross references left much to be desired. So when I heard Zondervan had issued an NASB Study Bible and that it had all of the great features of its NIV Study Bible I was thrilled and I immediately bought it. It was only with use that I realized that the NASB Study Bible lacks the rich concoredance of the NIV version- it has a skimpy, much abridged concordance. Similarly the cross references in the center column area are a poor cousin to the NIV cross references (e.g., compare the cross references for Genesis 50:20 in the NIV with the NASB). Quite frankly I was disapointed. Zondervan should make clear in its sales literature that the NASB Study Bible is not the NIV Study Bible with simply a different translation for the text.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Translation + Great Notes = Great Study Bible
Review: I was glad to see Zondervan match the NIV study notes with the more accurate NASB translation. While the NIV is more readable, the NASB is more literal and therefore more helpful for study. The notes in this Bible can be trusted primarily for historical accurracy and for accurate protrayal of the various doctrinal viewpoints. The outlines and references to other passages within the study notes are very helpful also. The only drawback with these notes is that in fine points of doctrinal differences, they are somewhat ambiguous in an effort to appeal to all the different camps. All in all, a fine combination.
Rating:
Summary: Great Translation + Great Notes = Great Study Bible
Review: I was glad to see Zondervan match the NIV study notes with the more accurate NASB translation. While the NIV is more readable, the NASB is more literal and therefore more helpful for study. The notes in this Bible can be trusted primarily for historical accurracy and for accurate protrayal of the various doctrinal viewpoints. The outlines and references to other passages within the study notes are very helpful also. The only drawback with these notes is that in fine points of doctrinal differences, they are somewhat ambiguous in an effort to appeal to all the different camps. All in all, a fine combination.
Rating:
Summary: Probably the best study Bible on the Market
Review: If you are a serious student of God's Word, and are looking for a Study Bible...THIS is the one to buy! I have used the NIV study Bible for years, but the thing that has always bothered me about the NIV is the translation itself. It has been my constant experience that when you read a dynamic-equivalent translation, one thought lingers in the back of the mind--"Is this what the Word of God REALLY says?" The New American Standard erases that lingering question. One can read this the NAS with confidence knowing that this translation is as accurate and literal to the original that one can find today! Thus, the superiority of the NAS--as a translation--is the basic reason for buying this study Bible.
The introduction and the notes are not as extensive as the NIV study Bible, but they are nevertheless outstanding and contain a wealth of information.
The cross-references are NOT as extensive as the NIV study Bible--and that is to be regreted; but the NASB marginal notes make up the difference. There is a wealth of enlightening information in the NASB marginal notes--in fact, this is one of the strongest features of this Bible.
The only negatives?
1. The paper is too thin. Any personal notes written in ink will bleed through terribly. High-lighter bleed-through is pretty bad also.
2. There is virtually no room for one to write his/her own notes. I hope they come out with a wide-margin edition of this study Bible.
3. The appearance of the text could have been better. The print is a bit light for these eyes--not bad, mind you--but I would like a font that is a bit larger in size and darker in appearance. The red print is also a bit of a strain on the eyes. To fix these problems, Zondervan will need to print this Bible using a thicker and better paper.
4. The genuine leather binding is adequate, but certainly not top-of-the-line (but this has always been a weakness with Zondervan). Having presented these negatives, I still say that this is probably the BEST study Bible on the market (and I pretty much have them all). If you are a "serious" student of the word, and you can afford only one study Bible, this is the ONE to have!
Rating:
Summary: NASB Study Bible - The most complete NAS bible available!
Review: If you love the NASB, and are a serious student of the Word, this is the bible for you. It has the award-winning study notes of the NIV Study Bible plus the reliable New American Standard Bible translation with the 1995 update, hailed the most accurate word-for-word (while extremely readable) bible on the market. It has exhaustive center-column references. Charts on almost every bible subject possible are included. Introductions to every book of the bible are extensive and include information on the following: Style, Date, Author, Subject Matter, Cultural Information, and very indepth outlines. There are hundreds of intext maps and a very extensive chronology of the bible included at the beginning of the bible. The best thing about the study notes is that they are not biased to any particular denomination. When more than one view exists on a subject, generally at least three views are presented. Information from all kinds of archaeological and historical sources offers much needed insight to difficult passages. This is your one-stop for cultural, historical and theological information for almost every verse in scripture. I'm a youth minister and this bible is my main source of study and lesson preparation. I find that I don't need much more than this. If you're a minister or just a student of the Word, then you can't go wrong with the NASB Study Bible.
Rating:
Summary: NASB Study Bible - The most complete NAS bible available!
Review: If you love the NASB, and are a serious student of the Word, this is the bible for you. It has the award-winning study notes of the NIV Study Bible plus the reliable New American Standard Bible translation with the 1995 update, hailed the most accurate word-for-word (while extremely readable) bible on the market. It has exhaustive center-column references. Charts on almost every bible subject possible are included. Introductions to every book of the bible are extensive and include information on the following: Style, Date, Author, Subject Matter, Cultural Information, and very indepth outlines. There are hundreds of intext maps and a very extensive chronology of the bible included at the beginning of the bible. The best thing about the study notes is that they are not biased to any particular denomination. When more than one view exists on a subject, generally at least three views are presented. Information from all kinds of archaeological and historical sources offers much needed insight to difficult passages. This is your one-stop for cultural, historical and theological information for almost every verse in scripture. I'm a youth minister and this bible is my main source of study and lesson preparation. I find that I don't need much more than this. If you're a minister or just a student of the Word, then you can't go wrong with the NASB Study Bible.
Rating:
Summary: Happy to see this book
Review: In the short time I've so far been using the NASB I've already learnt a lot of things that I never knew while I'd been reading NIV. Every now and then while reading I'll go Ah-hah, that's interesting when I see a subtlty which was hidden by the NIV's attempt to shield the reader from their own interpretation. But I had always put off trying out NASB because the NIV study bible was so nice. Now that the study notes and NASB are together I'd rate it as a must buy. However, as others point out, the concordance seems much worse than the NIV version, and I find it annoying that the footnotes are combined with the cross-references, but I guess that is the NASB "way".
Rating:
Summary: A Good Literal Translation With Good Study Notes
Review: It's tough to find a good Bible that uses the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic (and copies in other languages) to produce a good translation. It's even harder to find one of these with good study notes to help understand it better. Thank God for this Bible. It was about time that I start looking for a much better translation, I needed one much more literal than the KJV and newer, too. This Bible doesn't even fall into the dynamic equivalent category the slightest bit, it is literal all the way and in my opinion, much better for a Bible student than the NIV or NRSV. When I came across this Bible, I was amazed and astonished. I read a few study helps and decided right away to cancel my order for the Scofield Bible and get an NASB. This is the best study Bible I have seen so far, I am majorly impressed with fantastic introductions, footnotes and indexes, it almost has a commentary built right in. Like the Geneva Bible of the 20th Century, this book teaches GOOD THEOLOGY. Diagrams are accurate and reliable and basically, the NASB is the most literal translation you're gonna get if you don't know Greek and until I am fluent in Greek (and know Hebrew), this Bible will serve me well!
Rating:
Summary: Love it!!
Review: My trusty NIV Life Application Bible was falling apart, so I researched long and hard what I would buy next. I am THRILLED with this Bible. The Life Application has a lot of notes in it, but the majority seem to tell you what you should do and how you should live your life. This is great for a new Christian IMO. If you are a long time student of the Bible however, the NASB gives facts in the notes. It tells you about the culture and helps you better understand the Scripture. I just assume let the Holy Spirit tell me how to live my life anyway :)
The literal translation is a huge plus as well. If you can't read the languages yourself, this translation is a great choice!
| 
