Study Bibles Ranked and Described (Updated)

If you are looking for a study bible, here are my thoughts on the ones that I have and use. I ranked them in order of preference.



  • NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (formerly the NIV Zondervan Study Bible)

This is the best study bible that I have. It is so big, though, that you wouldn't want to carry it. The design is really good and the notes are really excellent. It focuses on the themes of the bible and the articles are supposed to be a big feature. I haven't read any of them, though.

  • ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible

This is a different kind of study bible. I heard it described on the Room for Nuance podcast interview with Jonathan Carswell as the Jesus Storybook Bible for adults. That fits. It has just a few notes per chapter, but it shows how every passage in the Bible points to Jesus. This is great for teachers and for those who struggle to understand the full storyline of the Bible.

  • CSB Study Bible

This was my favorite study bible before I bought the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible and before I read the article on the Pentateuch. I bought it for our home so that our kids can refer to it with questions. Every time I have a question, it refers to and explains the details of passage very well. No other study bible is as textual as this one and as insightful. However, I don't like the article explaining the formation of the Pentateuch. It raises more questions than it answers on the trustworthiness of it. I don't recommend it as highly because of that article. The notes in it are still really insightful, though.

  • ESV Study Bible

This is the largest study bible that I own. It seems the most rigorous, but most of its energy goes into articles. It does point out the main point of each passage and different interpretations of important passages. That is the main reason I use a study bible in sermon preparation--to identify the main point of the passage.

  • Reformation Study Bible

This is all about reformed doctrine. Every passage is explained in terms of how it relates to doctrine as Ligonier Ministries sees it. It is worthwhile if you want or need that.

  • NIV Study Bible

I have had this the longest. I use its insights the least. It is vanilla but not in a good way.

Why do you need a study bible?

  • To answer a question. This is a basic reason to have a study bible. 
  • To identify the main point. Study bibles have limited space, so they get to the point quickly.
  • To evaluate your lesson, teaching, or sermon. You can refer to a study bible after you have studied the passage to make sure that you aren't creating some new meaning in the passage.

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