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Summary: An excellent version of the most important book ever
Review: A year ago, I decided that I needed to read the Bible as an adult. After several hours of research and a couple of trips to the bookstore, I decided on the NIV Study Bible - and I was not disappointed. The linguistic style of the book is straightforward, avoiding unnecessary challenging phrasings and making the book a pleasure to read. I don't feel that the meaning was sacrificed for the translation's fluidity, however. The copious footnotes and annotations are perfectly laid out, in a manner that allows easy access to this extra information without interrupting a straight reading of the text. The appendices which sort important verses by topic (such as "selfishness" or "hope") are invaluable for finding important quotes. The various maps, timelines, and book summaries are useful as well. This is an absolutely essential addition to the library of any serious student of the Bible. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: NIV Study Bible
Review: I have not read the Bible in it's entirety, nor most of it. I also do not pretend to be a Bible scholar. However, I have begun to read the gospels and appreciate the NIV Study Bible as illuminating and interesting.This version of The Book will appeal to those who, like myself, have a great interest in history or who appreciate contextual explanations and clarifications. There are maps, timelines and an incredible amount of footnotes. There are also discussions of authors of the various books which serve to explain, as best as anyone can 1800 years or so after the fact, the objectives of those who first recorded and transmitted the word and teachings of God. Writings this old contain many anarchism's and unfamiliarity's, both of place and practice. While it is not necessary to unravel those mysteries of another time in order to understand the meaning of the Bible, standard versions can lead one with a lot of musings about the location of towns, the value of coinage, the everyday practices for which the authors' original audiences needed no explanation and the broader lives of historical figures mentioned in scripture. If you are prone to want to know more about these types of things, than this version of the Bible will be deeply satisfying. (The footnotes also point out cross-references to different books of the Bible in order to underscore prophecy and help tie in the various writings to the whole). I find this a very enjoyable, fascinating and educational Bible that enhances the Message with historical and contextual depth that in no way diminishes the focus on the Word of God.
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Summary: Please don't take literally
Review: I like this bible becuase it gives alot of explanations of what is going on as you read. I have been reading this version for several years now and I still love it!
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Summary: The best Study Bible I have ever owned.
Review: I own a first edition of The NIV Study Bible. The Bible was a gift from my grandparents on my 25th birthday. It is the best Bible I have ever owned. The study notes are outstanding and send me on a journey of discovery everytime I follow a cross reference (no pun intended). I find it impossible not to follow the references on any subject throughout my NIV Study Bible. The New International Version translation makes scripture understandable to the lay person. Each book of the Bible is preceded by an introduction and outline. There are many maps and outlines throughout the NIV Study Bible. Most verses have a study note listed at the bottom of the page and references are listed down between columns. At the end of The NIV Study Bible are indexes to subjects, maps and color maps as well as an extensive concordance. I have left out many features of this excellent scriptural resource. The best recommendation I can give is that I am at this writing ordering copies of The NIV Study Bible for two of my sunday school students.
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Summary: Every Evangelical should own this...
Review: I think many evangelicals know the Bible only in terms of life application. They don't know the difference between God and God the one and Only (see John 1:18 NIV), nor concern themselves with theological or historical aspects of the Bible. The NIV study Bible should help change this. Its notes are concise, numerous, and very informative. When I got this Bible, it opened up a whole new area of fascinating biblical study that perviously I had overlooked. The translation of the NIV is readable and for the most part accurate (though they sacrifice literalness for the sake of readability a lot). The notes represent the conservative side of theology and I agree with most of what they say, though I always have other versions on hand to broaden the depth of study. My only real big complaint is the lack of the deuterocanon. Though I do not consider the books to be 'inspired' scripture, I do believe for a complete study of the Bible they should be consulted. Maybe in a future addition they will be included. If people ask me which Bible to buy, I usually say this one.
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Summary: Very good resource for all Christians
Review: I think the NIV Bible is one of the best study Bibles around. Although the writers of the notes are conservative evangelicals, at least they do not dump fundamentalist rubbish upon you at every page and are willing to accept historical and literary criticism of the Bible. It helps enormously to understand the message of the Bible if you also understand the historical, social and literary context, which in my view the authors cover well and in a balanced way without compromising the heart of the Christian message. For example, the commentators allow the bizarre visions of Ezekiel and Daniel to be interpreted figuratively, and also the strange symbolism of Revelation.
My main criticism is that the commentators do not go far enough in outlining authorship, historical and archeaological issues relating to the Bible. For example, there is little reference to the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Epic of Arthasis, or the Egyptian Wisdom Literature (including the Hymn to Aten) which beautifully paralell the material in much of the Bible, and I think no doubt influenced the composition. They also ignore important issues regarding the authorship of the Pentateuch, for example the source theory. Few serious thinkers today seem to believe it was written entirely by Moses. The problem with the first and second Isaiah is ignored, and the 'Q' theory for the composition of the Gospels is also ignored.
My other major complaint is the exclusion of the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha are very important to the evolution of Christian tradition (Augustine and Aquinas refer to them extensively in their theological works) and I don't see why a beautiful work such as Sirach should be omitted just to satisfy some theological agenda. I would like to see what Evangelicals like Zondervan think of these works, so omitting them is not really necessary.
I would recommend getting a couple of good Bible commentaries and also another study Bible such as the Oxford edition with Apocrypha. The commentary in the Oxford edition is not as good, but at least they openly admit the authorship issues over material like the Pentateuch and the First and Second Isaiah. When so many other religions these days are claiming to have 'infallible' books that are the 'perfect word of God' we need a more critical stance to all so-called books proclaiming to be 'God's Word', including the Bible itself.
Apart from these gripes, the NIV Bible is excellent and I'm sure it will serve Christians of any persuasion as a helpful resource. I purchased one for my Pentecostal African friend and she is very pleased with it, so I got one for myself and have not regretted it.
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Summary: Its PERVERTED!!!!!
Review: May God forgive me for previously giving this book a good rating. I did not know anything about the bibles history and preservation back then... I was as a child... a new Christian and wrote a good review on a perversion of Gods word. Please dont make the mistake I made. It has caused me no end of heartache. Now today I try to memorize verses and continually missquote them because of 6 years of using the wrong translation. It omits important words and adds words that should not be there, thus changing the whole meaning of the sentances... whole verses are omited and the list goes on... God Forgive me!!!!!
Please Go and read a good book on the subject... Like Dr. Gail Riplinger's "New Age Bible Versions" or Dr. James H.Sightler's A Testimony Founded Forever (the King James Bible defended in faith and history)
Please Dont fall for all of the millions of dollars in marketing... you cant sugar coat Gods word and what the NIV is is a perversion of Gods word with a candy coating to get you to swallow it... I did. It was a bitter Pill to swallow!!! I deleted my previos Review and Repented of my sin... Thank you Lord Jesus for your forgivness..... Thank you Lord for Real Salvation!!! even when your rebukes are painful... You discipline me as a son you Love and I thank you Lord. Bless now the Lord ohh my soul... I can rejoice!!!!
PS they would not let me give it 0 stars and thats the only reason it got even 1 star!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Decent
Review: On the whole, this is a decent study Bible from an evangelical point of view. The layout is very nice and the notes are helpful, though it lacks any kind of substantial dialogue with the best of current ecumenical scholarship. Also, the absence of the deuterocanonical books make it unsuitable as a primary Bible for Catholics and Orthodox. The text of the NIV is pretty good, but there are some "loose" translations of the text in some places to support conservative evangelical theology. This is probably the most balanced study Bible written by conservative evangelicals. I would recommend that evangelical Christians use this Bible along with the Oxford Annotated Bible (Revised Standard Version) and the New Jerusalem Bible. For nonevangelicals, this Bible can be useful in order to consult a mainstream evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures.
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Summary: Excellent Bible, with a few caveats
Review: The New International Version of the Bible is a highly readable, elegant translation, and this Zondervan edition offers copious annotations, cross-references, maps, timelines, and other info, including three indexes (to subjects, notes, and maps) and a huge concordium. An earlier reviewer claimed that certain verses, such as Matthew 18:11 and Acts 8:37, were left out, but in fact they are given as footnotes (apparently because there is some dispute as to their authenticity). My biggest qualm about this edition concerns the introductory notes to some of the books. In what may be an excess of piety, the editors go so far as to assert that King Solomon probably wrote the Song of Solomon and most of Proverbs, that Paul wrote all of the Pauline epistles, and (most dubious of all) that Moses probably wrote the Pentateuch! Few serious scholars would accept these claims. The editors also avoid discussion of how different Biblical traditions were conflated -- e.g., the two versions of the Flood story, which appear to have been interleaved, verse by verse, by a late redactor. Still, this edition is well worth owning for the grace and readability of the NIV translation, as well as the wealth of footnotes and other supporting material. As a bonus, the type is big enough to be read without eyestrain (at least as far as my middle-aged eyes are concerned).
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Summary: More Than Just Another Study Bible
Review: The NIV Study Bible is a very in-depth, yet accessible study bible that actually assumes that readers have some brains! I have been using it for several years now, and always find it helpful.
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