Rating: 
Summary: Finally, the ESV the way it should look.
Review: I have been very impressed with the English Standard Version since its publication in 2001. Of the multitude of English translations of Scripture available, it may well be the best combination of accuracy, readability, and literary quality. Up until now, the one major disappointment, as many other reviewers have noted, has been the rather poor quality of publications in which it was available.WIth this new edition of the Classic Reference Bible, it appears that Crossway has finally achieved the goal of providing a high quality ESV Bible. While the text, references, footnotes, maps, and concordance are identical to the already published Classic Reference Bible, there are, in my opinion, three unique improvements in this edition that commend it to anyone who loves and prefers this wonderful translation: (1) The print type is larger, a 10.5 size (vs 9.5 in the original Classic Reference), which makes it easier to read. This is especially true with regards to the references and footnotes, which were practically illegible to my 40+ year old eyes. (2) The wider margins allow notetaking, a real plus. (3) While I don't claim to be a binding expert, it does appear that the binding used (at least on the genuine leather edition) is of a higher quality than on the original edition, which is a much needed improvement. In summary, I would commend this edition of the ESV without qualification, unlike the earlier editions.
Rating:
Summary: Truly, a Bible for life!
Review: I have just received my Heirloom Reference Edition of the ESV Bible and I am absolutely amazed at the quality of this bible! I have waited a year for this edition to come out. When the ESV debuted last year, I inquired of the possibility of a high quality binding. I was told by Crossway that they had one planned for this year- so I waited. My expectations were exceeded and it was worth the wait. Even though this is an expensive bible, if you consider the years of use that it will give you, it's really a frugal choice in the long run. This is a bible that is built to last a lifetime and from what I can tell, it will. The genuine calfskin binding is the best I have ever seen, it's supple and flexible, with no synthetic inner lining, instead there are actually 2 layers of the finest calfskin. I simply can't say enough about this binding, for those of you who may be having a hard time with it's price, let me just say that there is a very substantial difference in quality between this edition and their standard edition, in other words, it's worth the extra money. They have also widened the margins for notes and the paper appears to be more substantial than a standard ESV Bible. If you know of anyone who uses this translation and spends a substantial amount of time "in the Word", this would make the PERFECT gift. The ESV is a great translation that the publishers describe as "essentially literal" which, in a nutshell means that the tranlation is literal and yet has flowing readability. I have used the NASB for years and I find the ESV to simply be easier to read and yet I don't find that any of the specificity or accuracy has been compromised in the ESV translation. This is my personal assessment of this translation and I am not, by any means, a biblical scholar but then again- careful attention to the Word of God has not been reserved only for "biblical scholars".
Rating:
Summary: Now thats more like it!
Review: I have just received my new Heirloom Reference Edition ESV and I am absolutely delighted. Is this the bible I have been looking for, for over a decade? Probably. 1. The ESV is an excellent translation - reliable & readable. More reliable than the NIV, more readable than the NASB. 2. The binding is a sumptous premier calfskin, leather lined, smyth stitched for durability. It is an aesthetic delight. 3. The Comprehensive cross reference system is among the best available & there are useful foot notes, a compact concordance & some excellent Moody bible maps. 4. The print is bold & clean, the page layout is crisp & clear,
the wide margings (0.75 inch) are large enough for notes without crowding the text. Are there any criticisms? No. But I think a couple of tweaks could have been made, which are somewhat subjective. 1. I would like to have seen India Paper used rather than ordinary bible paper. On a bible costing [this much], the best available paper should have been used - this editions' paper is OK, but not top draw.
2. I would like to have seen Art Gilt Edging (Red Dye under the gold leaf) as in the best Cambridge Bibles. This adds an additional lustre to the bible, and remains when the gilding has worn away.
3. The free CD Rom with various bible helps is OK although I think I would have preferred a larger discount on the bible and no CD Rom! I expect that the people who will spend this sort of money on such a quality bible will already have access to a large seleciton of comemntaries & bible study aids. Despite my personal preferences, I think this is probably the best available bible on the market today. No one who buys it will be dissapointed. It is a delight to the senses. And that's before you begin to actually read God's life transforming revelation!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent translation, Crossway poor quality unabated...
Review: I received my copy of the Crossway Heirloom Reference Edition today and I must say that I am disappointed with the quality of this bible.
I am in a strait betwixt two here as I certainly don't want to slow the adoption of this excellent translation through a negative review, but I have to be honest and admit that Crossway just can't get it right--even when they so explicitly try to produce a high quality edition. The calfskin leather of this Bible is of a fine quality, exactly like the premium calfskin Bibles from Foundation Publications or Nelson's Signature Series. This is not "Bible" leather like a Cambridge calfskin or goatskin with it's wonderful smell; it's more like "shoe" leather and smells like a new pair of shoes. For some reason this has become the standard of excellence these days. The paper looks to be the same as that used in their hardback Deluxe Reference edition, a bit of a disappointment in a Bible with an msrp of $195.00. Both the Foundation Pubs and Nelson's Signature Series calfskin's use a fine french-milled paper that is a positive delight to see and touch. This is most definitely not a premium paper--India or otherwise. Perhaps the most disturbing flaw is that the "puckering" mentioned below in the genuine leather edition is also present in the heirloom calfskin edition--absolutely inexcusable in a Bible at this price point. The pages are puckered or bubbled at and between the stiching where the paper is joined at the inside edge to the binding materials. And, yes, it does "crinkle" when you turn the pages. I truly don't know what the good people at Crossway were thinking when they priced and released this edtion and can only conclude that they simply don't understand Bible publishing.
This is all doubly disappointing as I love this translation. My recommendation is that you purchase the hardback Deluxe Reference Edition and pray with me that Crossway will stop all work on new editions and focus full time on getting the ESV into the hands of a publisher that can produce a quality Bible. In the Feb/Mar 2005 timeframe P&R Publishing will be coming out with The Reformation Study Bible English Standard Version. This will be the first publisher besides Crossway to offer an ESV edition and I hope they are successful. I too would love to see a Cambridge edition of this wonderful translation.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent translation, nice format and presentation
Review: I recently had to give my ultrathin NASB Bible to my son. At 40 I was having trouble seeing the print. So, I ordered the ESV, which seems similar to the New King James and NASB. The first one I received had defective leather, but Amazon shipped me a new one with two or three days. The print size does not seem bigger than my Ryrie Study Bible or Open Bible, but is very clear and there is good line spacing. The margins are wider and that helps too. The paper is a good thickness and I do not find the many center column references to be distracting. As for the translation, after much study and review, I have switched to the ESV as my primary translation. I use it for reading, study and memorization. The text has a nice flow and reads similar to other more literal translation. At my first sitting, I read through the first 15 chapters of Revelation. So, this Bible is highly recommended and a good buy.
Rating:
Summary: A strong contender for my default bible
Review: I set two weeks aside to read the ESV from cover to cover. I am most impressed with it this time around, mostly because it avoids novelty and sticks closely to the RSV, upon which it is based. The New Testament I read in three days, and the Old took the rest of the time. I began reading the ESV to complete an article I am currently writing on the RSV. From now on I intend to use the ESV (rather than the RSV) as my default bible. Not only is it accurate, but it also reads well in church. Although it is not excessive in its inclusive use of language, it is inclusive enough to make me as a pastor feel comfortable about it. I don't have to feel I am excluding anyone. In the translation, I found that in several places the ESV improves on the accuracy of the RSV. For example, in 1 Cor 10.3 the RSV's "supernatural food" is replaced with "spiritual food" and in 2 Cor 5.16 we find a return to "according to the flesh". In many places, clarity is also improved: e.g. Eph 3.5. There is a drawback. The ESV has tried to retain the word "man" where it occurs in older Bibles, but is also looks for inclusively, particularly in passages that have a missionary orientation ("unless ONE is born again"). This has led to some strange inconsistencies in translation such as the following from John 2:24-25: "But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to THEM, because he knew all PEOPLE and needed no one to bear witness about MAN ..." The ESV goes from 'them' to 'people' to 'man'. It all seems a unnecessary since the text is referring in all three occasions to the same group. Another notable oddity is Ephesians where the 'new man' plays such an important part. In 2.15 Paul speaks of the 'new man' in which Jew and Gentile have been reconciled. But in 4.13, the goal of ministry, we are told in the ESV is a 'mature manhood', although the Greek says 'to a full grown man.' Only a few verses on, Paul calls the Ephesians to put off the old MAN, but the ESV says 'put off your old self'. Once again: from 'man' to 'manhood' to 'self' all to render the same Greek word ANTHROPOS. The ESV is following the RSV mostly, but in a translation that claims to be literal, more consistency is in order, and the lack of consistency has only occurred, not because the translator is finding it difficult to render 'anthropos', but because he is sensitive to gender issues. As far as readability is concerned, the ESV is much easier to read than the RSV. I read Hebrews and actually understood it for the first time. But sometimes, taking out the Thees and Thous also tampers with the beauty and dignity of the text, particularly in poetic passages. The OT, it seems, also reads less easily than the NT. (Is this merely because I find the OT more difficult?) In some places one would have hoped to find improvements on the RSV (such as Acts 2.46 where the Greek has 'home' not 'homes') but the ESV has kept the error (contra NRSV): "And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts." The singular is important because it suggests that the church met in a single home in a single city, and not in several "house churches". That plural has led to an entire ecclesiology-which may be false. These comments should not detract from the bottom line: this is a most wonderful bible, and I suspect it will become the default Bible in the future for most users. This deluxe reference edition is an improvement on precious editions of the ESV, which were all horrid, but I do not think that Crossway has yet produced their best edition of this Bible. The margins are spacious, the paper is sturdy, and the binding is durable. But does it compete with the best publications of the Bible out there (I think of the NASB update large print edition). I do not think so. Crossway should be planning an edition with a more spacious and readable text. This however is the best one they have and so I recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Text...but the binding still has a way to go.
Review: The English Standard Version (ESV) is an excellent compromise between the readability of the New International Version (NIV) and the literalness of the New American Standard Version (NASB) Updated. I especially like the way the ESV captures the poetic flow of the Old Testament which though not like modern english has a beauty that should not be lost. In the New Testament the ESV does a much better job than the NIV in retaining the connections in the text "so that" you can get closer to the writer's argument. This flow is especially important in the Pauline espistles. Traditional interpretative phrasing is retained. So, move over NIV. Many people are praising the "heirloom" edition binding. I have not seen that binding, but the regular Deluxe leather binding is not very good. It is better than the hardcover which I had which fell apart. The pages are crinkled or bubbled towards the page edge attached to the binding. The pages crinkle when I turn them. I compared the leather ESV binding to the binding of my NIV Study Bible and my old NASB Bible and found that the NIV and the NASB have a far superior binding. The pages turned easily on these latter two Bibles and lay flat in the Bible near the binding point. The type font is bigger in the Deluxe version compared to the classic version, but I still find it difficult to read. The font type and the spacing is not as pleasing as that in the NIV and the NASB. I use my NASB or my wife's large font NIV when I want to read the text easily while preaching. Sometimes, I create notes with enlarged versions of critical texts taken from the ESV online or the CD-ROM. Your eyes may vary from mine. So, get this Bible if you want the ESV in its most accessible and probably most durable form to date. I give the text 5 stars, but I give the binding and font only three stars.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly bound....
Review: The ESV Deluxe in hardback and genuine leather is the best
edition of the ESV in print. I have both the hardback and
genuine leather editions. The hardback is very good and
put togther quite well. The leather comes only in black
and looks and feels very nice. Crossway has done a better
job with this edition of the ESV, but I would love to see
Cambridge publish the ESV! The translation itself is excellent for study, preaching,
teaching, and devotional reading. It is "literal", but not
so much so that there is no literary style. The literary
style is very much in the Tyndale/KJV tradition. This is
due to the fact that the ESV is a slight revision (6% I'm
told) of the RSV. The RSV still remains one of the best
translations available, but needed some updating. I recommend the ESV Deluxe Reference Edition without
reservation. Again, it is the best edition of the ESV
in print and the ESV is a good translation for study of
the Holy Scriptures.
Rating:
Summary: Best Edition of ESV
Review: The ESV Deluxe in hardback and genuine leather is the best
edition of the ESV in print. I have both the hardback and
genuine leather editions. The hardback is very good and
put togther quite well. The leather comes only in black
and looks and feels very nice. Crossway has done a better
job with this edition of the ESV, but I would love to see
Cambridge publish the ESV! The translation itself is excellent for study, preaching,
teaching, and devotional reading. It is "literal", but not
so much so that there is no literary style. The literary
style is very much in the Tyndale/KJV tradition. This is
due to the fact that the ESV is a slight revision (6% I'm
told) of the RSV. The RSV still remains one of the best
translations available, but needed some updating. I recommend the ESV Deluxe Reference Edition without
reservation. Again, it is the best edition of the ESV
in print and the ESV is a good translation for study of
the Holy Scriptures.
Rating:
Summary: A Bible To Last a Lifetime
Review: The ESV Heirloom edition is the finest Bible I own. And I don't say that lightly. I own several of the Nelson Signature Series Bibles as well as the Cambridge Concord Bible bound in genuine goatskin. This ESV edition is simply outstanding. The binding in genuine calfskin is thick and yet soft and very pliable. Smooth as silk. The overall construction is nearly perfect. It feels good in your hands. It smells great. The paper is thick enough, and the margins wide enough, for notetaking. The print is very readable. Two ribbon markers.
The translation has been discussed in many other reviews, so suffice it to say that the ESV is a more accurate translation than the NIV, more consistent than the NASB, and more readable than the NKJV or KJV. It is the "scholar's" Bible.
This Bible is also now used and endorsed by one of my favorite theological writers, John Piper.
Well worth the investment!
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