Review: Zondervan Large Print NIV Thinline Reference Bible

Zondervan NIV Thinline Reference Bible

Large Print

Zondervan sent me a copy of their large print NIV Thinline Reference Bible for review.  The receipt of this Bible did not influence the outcome of my review.

As soon as you pick up this Bible you realize you are holding a quality construction.  The leather has a wonderful, soft feel.  It even has that new leather smell.  But the binding is not just for show.  Flip this Bible open and it immediately lays flat.  I scarcely had to fan the corners at all.  The binding is so good that even in Genesis and the concordance there is little to no text in the gutter.

The font is large and bold enough for me to read clearly with my progressive lenses.  Bold section headings help greatly in finding passages.  I am able to sit at the table and read this Bible comfortably.  I don't have to hold it at arms length to get a good focus!

The paper is average quality.  There is some show-through (also known as ghosting).  In some passages with more white space I found it a bit distracting.  I am pretty sensitive to ghosting so others may not find it a problem at all. The type of lighting makes a difference as well.

One feature I really appreciate is the parallel verses listed underneath the section headings.  This feature is used in the Old Testament and the New.  Anywhere it is relevant to list other passages with the same information you will find this handy feature.

Compared with the NIV Giant Print Compact (GPC) the print is smaller and the Bible larger.  The Thinline Reference is for both reading and studying while the GPC is designed for sitting down and reading longer sessions. Both have a simple elegance that is very appealing.  The two make a good pair that should cover nearly every usage.

This binding is one of my favorites of all the regular commercial Bibles.  Obviously publishers like Schuyler and Allan produce high quality bindings.  But it is wonderful that mainline publishers are now entering the premium Bible market.  I am not much for fancy bindings no matter how beautiful they look.  But bindings that last for decades and open flat for better reading are a blessing.  Zondervan's premium bindings have what I call simple elegance.  The covers are not for admiring; the covers invite you to open them and read God's word!

I happily recommend this Bible with one concern:  This is a pricey Bible at $129.99 retail.  Online it can be found for $80 to $118.  However, the construction is high quality — well worth saving up to purchase.


The Bible:

• Published by Zondervan
• Printed in China
• Ebony Premium Leather
• Two-Piece Cover
• Rounded Corners
• Tight Binding
• 1,460 pages
• Perimeter Stitching
• Sewn Binding
• Lays Flat
• Bible Measures 6.5 inches wide x 9.625 inches high x 1.25 inches thick
• (Pictures may make Bible look larger, please note actual measurements listed here)
• Silver Page Edging
• Silver Printing on Spine
• 2 Black Ribbon Markers
• Presentation Page
• Retail Price = $129.99
• Boxed
• ISBN: 978-0-310-43637-9

Introductory Material:

• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Books of the Old and New Testaments

The Text:

• New International Version (2011)
• This is #9535.110 in The Encyclopedia of English-Language Bible Versions
• Double Column Text
• Large Print
• Approximately 10 Point Type
• Paragraph format
• Center Column Textual References
• Footnotes
• Words of Christ in Red
• Chapter Headings
• Sectional Headings

Study Helps:

• Table of Weights & Measures
• Concordance
• Color Maps

Extra Features:

• Beautiful leather smell!
• Extra-thin Edition
• Two Piece Cover
• Beautiful Patterned End Papers
• Section Titles with Parallel Passages Listed