7 Essential Bibles Every Christian Needs in Their Library

I would add Ronald Knox's version (Catholic.) Perhaps a bit archaic but in a thoroughly English way. Keeping in mind that Knox was chaplain of Trinity College, Oxford (Church of England Protestant) BEFORE converting to Catholicism and becoming the Catholic chaplain at the University of Oxford. That's pretty remarkable all by itself, yet he also penned numerous detective mysteries.

If only compact Bibles came with zippers! Or, at least, it was easy to find a properly fitting case. I don't know why this is so hard. I love my ESV large print compact. I would take it everywhere if I could. But I don't want the pages bent or scratched up. And the clamshell box it came with has the sharp edges that end up damaging cloth bags after a while.

a Bible with the apocrypha books?

I'm Catholic and reference a KJV study bible and an Oxford annotated bible for different perspectives. I'd like to add the ESV study bible to my collection as well.

What's a catholic to do ??😢

I brought Crossway Creeds, Confessions, & Catechism A Reader's Edition by Chad Van Dixhoorn PhD, Cambridge University Professor at Westminster Theological Seminary. it helps me understand Purgatory and The Lord's Supper. In The Thirty Nine Articles of Religion. It also talks about the Apocrypha. Thompson chain-reference also talk about the Apocrypha as well why certain books wasn't included.

❤ NIV Quest Study bible 2003 edition and large print NKJV ..NRSV just added to my collection. Will check out you're list. Thank you!!! 😊

I like your choices! The idea of having a Bible for each different text is a good one. The ESV study Bible is great but I prefer a more conservative view of creation and the flood. Therefore I lean to the CSB study Bible or the NKJV.

I'd say that the NKJV can cover the first and third categories. Since the TR is mostly adapted from the Byzantine text tradition, the NKJV's footnotes are sufficient to cover the rare passages where Erasmus and his successors departed from the majority readings. And if you pick up the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible in the NKJV, you've covered the fifth category as well.

So too, you might be able to knock out the second and third categories with the same book, such as the ESV Study Bible. Most of these major study Bibles have ample references in the margin, so perhaps the sixth category can be checked off here, too.

As for your last category, you might also consider a Bible from an Orthodox perspective, which is similar (though not identical) to a Catholic perspective. The Orthodox Study Bible uses the NKJV's New Testament, and it adapts the translation's Old Testament to better match the Septuagint, so it would pair well with a standard NKJV.

Out of the Catholic options, an edition based on the RSV Catholic Edition or the NRSV Catholic Edition would make comparisons with the ESV quite easy. After all, the ESV is practically the evangelical equivalent of the RSV2CE. And if you're using the NKJV, RSV, and ESV together, you're getting three translations from the exact same historical stream of English Bibles (Tyndale-KJV), so they will be similar enough for the differences to be meaningful.

Maybe it was because the focus of this video was the bible content and not the material holding the bible content...

Many thanks for the upload 👍

Seven Essential Bibles? Easy:
1. Cambridge Turquoise (KJV)
2. Schuyler Canterbury (KJV)
3. Cambridge Large Print (KJV)
4. Church Bible Publishers Classic Study Bible (Old Scofield) (KJV)
5. Thompson Chain Reference Bible, new typeset by Zondervan (KJV)
6. Cambridge Concord Wide Margin (KJV), for those who like to write on their Bibles.
7. Trinitarian Bible Society Westminster Reference Bible (KJV)

Did I mention I REALLY like the Authorized Version?
Just making sure it's clear 😂

Great content! For the Textus Receptus/TR camp you may want to add the following: simplified KJV, KJVER, MEV. I love the classic KJV but love the NASB. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you

What was your compact there at the end? The PSQ?

I have all I need…. Except a compact version. Good overview.

I was surprised that you did not mention a Tanakh. It is good to read how the Jews translate the Old Testament, and it is in a different order, which can change the way you read/understand somethings.

I wish Bible Hub would do a print run of the Majority Standard Bible. I'm not a Byzantine prioritist (I actually prefer the Nestle-Aland critical text) but there's a severe lack of Majority-based Bibles in print out there (and I view the Majority as much more useful than the TR, because the latter has at least one reading (1 John 5:7) that is just a total fabrication whose only manuscript witness post-dates Erasmus' original TR itself)

I absolutely love your content Tim. Keep up the great work. Always a pleasure.

Great video Tim. Thank you always for your great content and love for God's word!

I was surprised by the catholic study bible. I'll consider that.

I have been going with YouVersion Bible app since it has basically all the translations for comparisons. I read largely from ESV, as that is my compact Bible and I use the ESV Study Bible. I like to read many translations, especially when I come across something that makes me go “hmmm”. Then once compared, I’ll study more closely with my study Bible and the countless study tools available online. With digital media and internet tools, we can put our entire libraries in our pockets. Amazing! (nothing like turning pages though, it’s more kinesthetic.)

Excellent video. I personally use the Modern English Version as my 21st century King James. Along with the 2009 HCSB (Study Bible) and the New English Translation (Full notes edition) 2019 update. and the NASB ‘95 is my favorite Formal Equivalence translation.

G'day Tim, I have every bible you mentioned including the NJV (which I love and purchased based on your previous review) except for the Catholic Study Bible. I will purchase that now. What a wonderful review this was. Well done mate.
BTW I have 2 versions of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible in the NRSV and the NKJV. I love these bibles.

For alternative Textus Receptus translations, I have quite a few. Must say I’m a little partial toward my MEV! If I can only land my hands on a Julia Smith copy. God bless! Good video!

I love my CSB.

Great video! I definitely agree with you about having different versions of the Bible for better understanding. Thanks Tim!

Tim what do you think about the Westminster Reference Bible?

Thanks for the informative video.

Wow! Thank you, Tim! That was an excellent overview of what we need in Bible translations!

Really liked the way you did this summery. Gave me some good ideas on what I need to add to my library!

Thank you so much Tim for this video & your recommendations. I only have 2 of those. I have my xtra large print nkjv which is my daily go to though it's not a 'study Bible '. I have an nrsv which is small print I only use the concordance. I did get the Fathers of the Church Bible after watching your video on it & love it for the inserts.
I would like to get a chronological Bible & a reference study Bible. Also would love to have a premium Bible to experience His Word in cover to cover beauty of leather.
Thank you again. God bless you and your 🙏.

I believe I understand where you’re coming from on the recommendation of a Catholic Bible translation, but I would only recommend it to more mature Christians. If someone does not have a very solid understanding of the foundations of the Faith, regular reading from corrupted/heretical literature could very easily lead to confusion at best and adherence to false doctrine at worst. I have seen young Christians deceived by “comparing” books like the New World Translation and the Book of Mormon with the Bible.

Yes, some Protestants with the best intentions do misrepresent what others believe, but there are a great deal of wonderful apologetic resources that can familiarize anyone who’s curious. After someone is aware of the potential traps they will be much better equipped to read ANY literature without having their faith disturbed.

BSB is starting to surpass the CSB for me, but I love both!

I would add a good reader. I have also found it helpful to differentiate between what an individual Roman Catholic believes and what their catechism actually affirms. They can be different. The same holds for Protestants. That’s why I have a copy of the catechism.

Really enjoyed this video! I recently stumbled onto your channel and have really been loving the content! God Bless!

Thanks Tim! My wife appreciated this one as she's been building her collection of Bible translations and references. She grew up Catholic and has been Protestant since before we got married. Thanks for the Catholic Bible reference; good dialog between faiths is important!

Catholicism is a man made false religion

Excellent recommendations on bibles to own and use. As a Roman Catholic there are also a plethora of other excellent bibles, exhaustive study bibles and ones with notes from the CCC. I do so enjoy the videos.

Nice work on this, Tim! Very eclectic.

Nice Tim, good topic chosen for the video....good recommendations of the bibles....God bless you..

Thank you for promoting disagreement based on facts, not "somebody told me"! (re Catholic reference Bible).

Thank you, Brother Tim 🌹⭐🌹 Excellent advice: extremely helpful.

For me, it'd be:

1. A single volume reader's Bible (e.g. CSB Reader's Bible)

2. A multi-volume reader's Bible (e.g. NIV Sola Scriptura)

3. A study Bible (e.g. ESV Study Bible)

4. NET Bible with full notes (accessible online). I'd also add other online Bibles like the STEP Bible, the TIPs Bible, and Parallel Plus.

5. A premium Bible that is my main Bible or even my EDC Bible (e.g. Crossway Heirloom Heritage, Schuyler PSQ)