The Cambridge Topaz is a new setting that will join the Clarion in the Cambridge family of Bibles. The goal of the design is to provide a reference Bible in a larger format for study and public reading. It has a classic verse-by-verse setting and will be available in a range of translations. They’ve started the Topaz line of Bibles with the ESV. It’s made in the Netherlands by Royal Jongbloed.

It’s available in several covers:

• Black Calfskin – MSRP $285, ISBN: 9781108702270
• Cherry Red Calfskin – MSRP $285, ISBN: 9781108702638
• Dark Blue Goatskin – MSRP $335, ISBN: 9781108702263
• Black Goatskin – MSRP $335, ISBN: 9781108718165

Cambridge provided these Bibles in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.

_________________________________________________________

This book is available for pre-order at:

Amazon (affiliate)

Cambridge

Evangelical Bible

and many local Bible bookstores

_________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

1. Video Review
2. Cover and Binding
3. Paper
4. Typography
5. References
6. Presentation and Family Records
7. Table of Weights and Measures
8. Concordance
9. Maps
10. Comparisons
11. Conclusion

Video Review

Table of Contents

Cover and Binding

I’m reviewing the black goatskin and the cherry red calfskin. Let’s look at each one independantly and see what’s different between them.

Black Goatskin

The black goatskin has a deeper grain than I’ve seen in most Cambridge Bibles. It isn’t as shiny as my Concord. I love the look and feel of this grain. It’s perimeter stitched and has a 5/16″ yapp. The front has HOLY BIBLE printed in gold. The spine has HOLY BIBLE, ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION, and CAMBRIDGE printed in gold. The spine also has 5 raised spine ribs. It’s flexible, but not overly floppy. I had no issues holding it in one hand to carry or read.

The liner is edge-lined calfskin. The edge-lined tab is a touch stiff out of the box, but it has no trouble staying open in Genesis. It’s Smyth sewn. It doesn’t have overcasting.

It has two double-sided satin ribbons in red. The red is slightly darker than the other ribbons I’ve seen from Cambridge. They have a touch of orange.  To my eye, they fit with the black cover better because they’re not as bright. They’re long enough to pull to the corner and they’re cut at an angle. They’re made in the UK. They’re 3/8″ wide. It has red and gold head/tail bands. The overall size is 6 5/8 x 9 7/8 x 1 1/4″. It weighs 2lbs, 4.4oz.

Cherry Red Calfskin

The cherry red calfskin has a smooth grain similar to the brown calfskin Clarion. It does have a noticeable texture, but it’s not as deep and grainy as the goatskin. The red is gorgeous. It has an indention around the perimeter to give is some style. The front has HOLY BIBLE printed in gold. The spine has HOLY BIBLE, ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION, and CAMBRIDGE printed in gold. It has 5 spine rib indications, but they’re not raised. It has a 7/16″ yapp.

The liner is black pasted-down vinyl. It has no trouble staying open on page one. It’s easy to hold open in one hand. Of course, this one is also Smyth sewn.

It has two double-sided satin ribbons in red. It’s not exactly the same red as the goatskin edition. It has a touch more burgundy. It looks nice with the red cover. These ribbons are 1/4″ wide. They’re long enough to pull to the corner and they’re cut at an angle. They’re made in the UK. It has red and gold head/tail bands. The overall size is 6 3/4 x 10 x 1 1/4″. It weighs 2lbs, 3.8oz.

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Paper

The paper is 28gsm Indopaque by Papeteries du Leman, Thonon-les-Bains, France. It’s silky smooth and, out of the box, I didn’t find this paper to be difficult the separate with my fingers. This is the same premium paper that’s used in many of the top premium Bibles including the Turquoise and newer editions of the Clarion, Pitt Minion, Concord, and many others. It’s ivory in color and it’s very opaque. The pages on both editions are art-gilt with red under gold.

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Typography

Unlike most modern translations and designs in anything other than KJV, this is a double-column verse-by-verse setting. It does not include paragraph markers, poetic settings, or any other settings to set different types of text apart. Unlike the KJV, each verse starts with a lower-case letter if the verse continues the sentence from the previous verse. It’s designed with preaching in mind.

Cross-references are placed in the outer margin close to the top of the page. The advantage to this is all four columns of text are closer to each other, keeping you from having to skip over references to continue reading. Also, this leaves a lot of empty margin space that’s good for adding notes or references. The main disadvantage is you can’t write those notes near the verses, but this would not be possible anyway for the first half of the page. I probably won’t write in the margin, but it’s nice to have space, just in case.

Chapter and verse numbers within the text are printed in red. If the text is red-letter, then the verse number will be black. The chapter number is still red. Chapter and verse numbers and page numbers in the header, and section headings in the text are printed in black.

It was designed and typeset by 2K/Denmark in a 10-point modern typeface called More Pro Book. It was printed with a slow printing technique that creates a clean and consistent print quality. The black is dark and extremely consistent. The words of Christ are printed in red. This is the same red as the highlights, which is a medium to dark red. It’s also highly consistent throughout.

The typeface is slightly tall and narrow. At this size, it’s excellent for reading and preaching. It has a generous leading, and it has around 6-7 words per line with good spacing between the words. It does include reference and footnote keys in the text in superscript. I found them easy to ignore for reading and preaching. It’s line-matched to help reduce show-through.

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References and Footnotes

It includes the standard ESV references, which is a lot of cross-references for study and sermon prep. These are the same references as the ESV Clarion and Pitt Minion. The pilot verse in the margin is bold. Cross-references are placed in the outer margin. Those at the top go with the inner column, while those at the bottom go with the outer column. They’re separated from the text by a line for each of the columns. Footnotes are placed under the last verse and are also separated by a line. I like that the references and footnotes are separated from each other. This gives more room for references and the footnotes are easier to find.

The footnotes are placed at the bottom of the page and are keyed to the text with numbers. They’re larger than the references. They provide alternate translations, literal translations, Hebrew and Greek terms, special uses of Greek words, the meanings of names, words where meanings are uncertain, clarification of additional meanings, grammatical points, supplied pronouns, English equivalents of weights and measures, and manuscript variations. I find them useful for personal study and sermon prep as they give insights on the text.

It has a lot of  references that cover both words and themes. Here are a few examples of references to help you compare:

• Genesis 1:1 – Job 38:4-7; Ps 33:6; 136:5; Isa 42:5; 45:18; Jn 1:1-3; Ac 14:15; 14:24; Col 1:16, 17; Heb 1:10; 11:3; Rev 4:11
• Deuteronomy 6:4 – Cited Mk 12:29; [Isa 42:8; Zech 14:9; Jn 17:3; 1 Cor 8:4, 6]
• Isaiah 9:6 – Lk 2:11; [Jn 3:16]; ch 7:14; [Mt 28:18; 1 Cor 15:25]; ch 22:22; [ch 28:29]; ch 10:21; Deut 10:17; Neh 9:32; Jer 32:18; [Ps 72:17]; ch 63:16; [Jn 14:18]; Ps 72:7; [Eph 2:14]; see ch 1:6-9
• Matthew 17:20 – [Jn 11:40]; see ch 6:3; ch 21:21, 22; Mk 11:23; Lk 17:6; [ch 13:31]; ver 9; [1 Cor 13:2]; Mk 9:23
• Mark 11:23 – Mt 17:20; [Ps 46:2; 1 Cor 13:2; Rev 8:8]; Rom 4:20; 14:23; Jm 1:6; [ch 16:17; Jn 14:12]
• Mark 12:29 – Lk 10:27; cited from Dt 6:4, 5; Rom 3:30; 1 Cor 8:4, 6; Gal 3:20; Eph 4:6; 1 Tim 1:17; 2:5; Jm 2:19; 4:12; Jude 25; [Mt 19:17; 23:9]
• Acts 2:38 – 3:19; 20:21; 26:18, 20; Luke 24:47; ch 22:16; [ch 8:12]; See Mark 16:16; ch 10:48; see ch 8:16; See Mark 1:4; ch 10:45; [ch 8:15, 20; 11:17]; See John 7:39
• John 1:1 – Gn 1:1; [Col 1:17; 1 Jn 1:1; Rev 1:4, 8, 17; 3:14; 21:6; 22:13]; Rev 19:13; [Heb 4:12; 1 Jn 1:1]; 1 Jn 1:2; [ch 17:5]; Phil 2:6
• 1 John 1:1 – see Jn 1:1; [ch 2:13, 14]; Ac 4:20; Jn 19:35; ch 4:14; Jn 1:14; 2 Pet 1:1; Lk 24:39; Jn 20:27

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Presentation and Family Records

In the front are several pages for records. It includes a page to show who the Bible belongs to, a familay record, children, marriages, grandchildren, and deaths. They’re printed on thick paper that also help give the Bible structure.

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Table of Weights and Measures

This is a one-page table that shows the biblical unit, approximate American and metric equivalents, and biblical equivalents for 22 weights, measures, and monetary units. Most are explained in the footnotes where they occur, but it’s always nice to have a quick reference table. This one is useful, but it is a simplified table. I’d like to see a few Scriptures added for examples of each one.

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Concordance

The concordance is 99 pages with 3 columns per page. It has lots of entries. It contains 3000 word-entries and 14,00 references. This is the same concordance as found in the Clarion. It has a lot of good material to help in study and sermon prep.

Sample entries include:

• Christ – 17
• Christ’s – 3
• Christian – 2
• Christs – 1
• Faith – 36
• Faithful – 12
• Faithfully – 3
• Faithfulness – 7
• Faithless – 2
• God – 56
• Goddess – 2
• Godliness – 6
• Godly – 4
• Gods – 4
• Praise – 11
• Praised – 4
• Praises – 3
• Praising – 4
• Pray – 13
• Prayed – 5
• Prayer – 11
• Prayers – 7
• Praying – 4

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Maps

It has 15 pages of maps on thick semi-glossy paper. They are bright and colorful, but they don’t look cartoonish. I like these colors. They include borders, import commodities, dates, routes, passes, settlements, distance, topography, mountains, cities of refuge, cities, tribes, vegetation, kingdoms, battle sites, satrapy, cities walls, city gates, older city walls, seven Churches of Asia, etc.

It also has an 8-page color-coded index to maps printed on the same paper. They identify settlements, political (nations, provinces, and regions), physical land, physical water, travel, and Jerusalem. I’m always glad to see a map index included and I find the Cambridge color-coded index to be one of the best available.

Maps include:

1. The Ancient Near East in the Late Bronze Age
2. Regions of Palestine and Surrounding Areas
3. Sinai and Canaan at the Time of the Exodus
4. Israel within Canaan
5. The United Monarchy of David and Solomon
6. Israel and Judah: The Divided Monarchy
7. The Assyrian Empire
8. The Babylonian Empire
9. The Persian Empire
10. The Hellenistic World after Alexander
11. Jerusalem in Old Testament Times
12. Jerusalem in New Testament Times
13. Palestine in New Testament Times
14. The Roman Empire
15. The Eastern Mediterranean in the First Century AD

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Comparisons

Here’s how the Cambridge Topaz compares to a few similar Bibles.

ESV Verse-by-Verse

The Crossway ESV Verse-by-Verse is a much cheaper Bible, but the price reflects that. I’m comparing design rather than materials. The Crossway is shorter and the width and thickness are about the same as the Topaz. It has a smaller font, but it also has almost an inch outer margin. References are placed under the last verse. It also does not have a poetic setting. It’s black letter and it isn’t line-matched. It has excellent paper for its price-point.

Quentel

The Topaz is slightly taller, wider, and thinner than the new NKJV Quentel. They have the same paper and the calfskin seems to be the same. The font size and darkness look to be the same. The Quentel’s red letter is a little darker. The ribbons are the same, but the Quentel has 3. The Quentel has raised spine ribs.

Turquoise

The Cambridge Turquoise is slightly thicker, shorter, and not as wide. They have the same paper. The Turquoise font is larger and darker (although I find the Topaz to be dark enough, and I’m extrememly picky with font darkness). The grain is elegant, but not as pronounced as the Topaz (although, I might not notice that if I didn’t compare them side-by-side). The ribbons look to be the same. The spine ribs are the same.

VBV NKJV Premier Collection

The Thomas Nelson NKJV Verse-by-Verse retains the poetic setting and indents letters. It’s about 1/4″ thicker. Both have a similar size typeface (any noticeable difference is due to font design). The Topaz does have higher quality materials and construction, but that’s reflected in the price difference.

Omega

The Crossway Omega has the same footprint and paper (my older edition has Indopaque), but it’s a thinner Bible. It has a paragraph format and a slightly smaller print. It’s black-letter.

Clarion

Until now, the Clarion was the largest print ESV that Cambridge produced. With the same paper, an 8.75 font, paragraph format, and hand-sized, it’s meant to be a personal size Bible for carry and reading. It’s a good companion to the Topaz.

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Conclusion

The Topaz design isn’t new, but it is a unique layout for a modern translation. 2K/Denmark has done an excellent job of designing a layout that’s ideal for public reading and a format and size that’s easy to carry and use. It doesn’t feel like a large Bible, but the 10-point font is easy to read from behind the pulpit. The references in the outside margin and footnotes in the footer keeps the text together and even provides a little bit of space for your own notes.

The materials and construction are high-quality. The MSRP is just under the wide margin editions, and the retail prices will be much lower, but they’re currently higher than the wide margin editions. I’m hoping to see these prices drop as the Topaz becomes more popular. I do expect the Topaz to be a popular Bible for Cambridge. Cambridge has listened to the market on design and produced what many are asking for: a large print edition in verse-by-verse. In my opinion, there’s a need for all types of designs and the vbv layout is a welcome edition. I’m glad to see it join the Cambridge family.

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_________________________________________________________

This book is available for pre-order at:

Amazon (affiliate)

Cambridge

Evangelical Bible

and many local Bible bookstores

_________________________________________________________

Cambridge provided these Bibles in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.

The post Cambridge ESV Topaz Bible Review appeared first on Bible Buying Guide.

The KJV Lectern Bible Pica Antique Reference Edition from Cambridge is a Bible made specifically for use in the lectern or pulpit. It’s a large Bible with extra-thick paper and a large dark font that’s a joy to preach and read from. It includes a presentation page, Epistle Dedicatory, Translators to the Reader, and index in the front. It does not include any material after Revelation, so you won’t find a concordance or maps. This edition does not include the Apocrypha. This is model KJ986:XB, burgundy, ISBN: 9780521508223, made in the UK.

Note – my review copy shows wear on the gilt because it’s a show floor sample, so the gilting has worn with all of the hands that have touched it and the many miles that it’s traveled across the world. I’m surprised this Bible looks as amazing as it does.

Cambridge provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.

_________________________________________________________

This book is available at (includes some affiliate links)

Amazon

Christianbook

Cambridge

The KJV Store (black)

and some local Bible bookstores

_________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

1. Video Review
2. Cover and Binding
3. Paper
4. Typography
5. References
6. Comparisons
7. Conclusion

Video Review

Table of Contents

Cover and Binding

The cover is burgundy goatskin over board. It’s about 1/4″ thick and it’s highly textured. It has tools decorative edges around the front surrounding the words HOLY BIBLE printed in gold. The spine includes four raised ribs, HOLY BIBLE, King James Version, the crest, and Cambridge.

The liner is reinforced paste-down. It looks and feels sturdy. The burgundy end-sheet is textured. A gold gilt-line traces around the outside area where the liner meets the thick board. It’s Smyth sewn. The spine does bend upward when the Bible is opened, so it stays open flat on every page.

The overall size is 12.0 X 9.5 X 3.5″. It weighs 10 lbs, 12.8 oz. It has three 5/8″ thick burgundy satin ribbons. They’re elegant to the touch, extra long to make them easy to use, and cut at an angle on the ends. I’m not sure of the brand, but they look and feel like Berisford’s ribbons. It’s printed in the UK at CPI Antony Rowe and bound at Ludlow Bookbinders.

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Paper

This paper has spoiled me. I like and use paper in all thicknesses, but this paper stands out. It’is 100gsm and has a slight cream color that’s a total joy to read from. This paper is the easiest to read from and the easiest to turn of any Bible I’ve ever touched. The paper is so opaque that show-through isn’t even a consideration. The page edges are art-gilt. The corners are squared rather than rounded. This is typical of hardcover books.

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Typography

The text is presented in a double-column verse-by-verse format with center column references. The header shows the book name and chapter numbers in the center and page summaries over both columns. The page number is centered in the footer.

The font is 12-point Antique Pica. This is a thick font that I find easy to read. It’s black-letter and it’s very dark. It’s consistent throughout. It has about 8-10 words per line and includes reference keys, footnote keys, pilcrows to mark paragraphs, and italics for supplied words. It does not include self-pronouncing marks. Each verse is indented, so they’re easy to find quickly.

The text never feels too crowded. None of the words are too close and it has enough space between the lines for comfortable reading. It actually has 3/4″ wide margins on the sides and a 1 1/5″ margin on the bottom in case you want to write some small notes. This helps bring the text out of the gutter even more than it already does.

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References and Footnotes

References are keyed to the text with letters. They go from one column across to the other, so you might have an a on the right, b and c on the left, d on the right, etc. The references are not large print, but I did find them easy to read. The footnotes of the standard translator’s notes that include explanations of Greek and Hebrew words where necessary for clarity.

Here are some example references to help you compare:

• Genesis 1:1 – Ps 136:5; Jn 1:1-3; Col 1:16, 17; Heb 1:8-10; 11:3
• Deuteronomy 6:4 – Mk 12:29; Isa 42:8; Jn 17:3; 1 Cor 8:4, 6
• Isaiah 9:6 – Lk 2:11; ch 7:14; Mt 28:18; Judges 13:18; Eph 2:14
• Matthew 28:19 – Mk 16:15, 16; Isa 52:10; Lk 24:47; Ac 2:39;
• Mark 12:29 – Dt 6:4, 5
• Luke 24:47 – Ac 13:38; Isa 49:6; Mal 1:11; Ac 2:14-47
• John 1:1 – Gen 1:1; ch 17:5; Col 1:17; 1 Jn 1:1; ver 14; Rev 19:13; 1 Jn 1:2; Phil 2:6
• John 3:16 – Rom 5:8; 1 Jn 4:9; Rom 8:32; ch 1:18
• Acts 2:38 – Lk 24:47; ch 3:19; 20:21; ch 8:15, 16; 22:16; Mt 26:28; ch 10:45
• 1 John 1:1 – Jn 1:1; ch 2:13, 14; Rev 1:2; Jn 1:14; Lk 24:39; Jn 1:4

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Comparisons

I’ll compare this to a few other KJVs that are often used in the pulpit, and the next largest KJV Bible I’ve seen from Cambridge.

Turquoise

Here’s a look at how the KJV Lecturn Bible compares to the other large print reference KJV from Cambridge that’s likely to be used in the pulpit: the Turquoise. The Cambridge Turquoise font is 1 point smaller and it has fewer words per line that are slightly closer, but the Turquoise actually holds its own. The self-pronouncing marks do make the Turquoise slightly harder to read. The opacity of its 28gsm Indopaque paper is amazing.

New Cambridge Paragraph Bible

The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible is a large Bible that’s often thought of as ‘pulpit size.’ It is a large Bible, but it looks small next to the KJV Lectern Bible. It’s font is clean and clear, but not as dark. I love the 40gsm paper. Of course, it’s single column paragraph setting with fixed sentences, poetry set to stanzas, and personal letters indented place it in a class by itself.

Wide Margin Concord

The Wide Margin Concord has 38gsm paper and is a large Bible, but it has a lot smaller font. It’s an excellent choice for study and use in the pulpit if you don’t need large print and you want a lot of space for notes.

Thomas Nelson KJV Preaching Bible

Here’s how the KJV Lecturn Bible compares with the KJV Preaching Bible from Thomas Nelson. Its typeface is noticeably smaller, but it’s dark and clear. The 36gsm paper is opaque and easy to turn, making it excellent for preaching. I like overall size.

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Conclusion

The KJV Lectern Bible from Cambridge is a joy to preach from. It is very large and it takes some time getting used to the wide and tall pages. It took me no time at all to get used to that paper and print. I love this text. The print is dark and easy to read from behind the pulpit. I didn’t find the reference and footnote keys distracting and the extra space in the text is noticeable when reading. The image above shows the Bible on my hand-made pulpit.

The image above shows it sitting on a music stand. It does hang off the edges just a little, but it has no trouble staying in place and it’s easy to use this way. I actually found this easier to use because I could adjust the height. This is a large and expensive Bible. The price and size make this ideal for larger Churches, hospitals with an area for chaplains, and even desk use. Of course, it isn’t the kind of Bible anyone would carry around while preaching. If you or your Church can afford it, or if you run across one in your price range, I recommend getting it.

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_________________________________________________________

This book is available at (includes some affiliate links)

Amazon

Christianbook

Cambridge

The KJV Store (black)

and possibly local Bible bookstores

_________________________________________________________

Cambridge provided this Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.

The post KJV Lectern Bible in Goatskin Review appeared first on Bible Buying Guide.

The NKJV Topaz is Cambridge’s newest addition to the Topaz line. Following the design of the ESV, it presents the NKJV text in a large print, verse-by-verse setting with preaching, teaching, and public reading in mind. It makes a great companion to the Clarion, Pitt Minion, and Wide Margin editions. It’s available in black, blue, or green goatskin and black or brown calf-split. I’m reviewing the brown calf-split, ISBN 9781108965361, and the blue goatskin, ISBN 9781108949835, both made in the Netherlands by Royal Jongbleod, and designed and typeset by 2K/Denmark.

Cambridge provided a discount for the brown Bible and loaned me the blue Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.

_________________________________________________________

This book is available from (contains some affiliate links)

Christianbook

Amazon

Cambridge

_________________________________________________________

Table of Contents

1. Video Review
2. Cover and Binding
3. Paper
4. Typography
5. References
6. Presentation and Family Records
7. Concordance
8. Maps
9. Comparisons
10. Conclusion

Video Review

Table of Contents

Cover and Binding

I’m reviewing the blue goatskin and the brown calf-split. Let’s look at each one independently and see what’s different between them.

Blue Goatskin

The blue goatskin has a smoother grain than I’ve seen in most Cambridge Bibles, which is the opposite of the ESV Topaz in black goatskin. The grain looks natural. I like the look and feel of the grain. It has perimeter stitching and a 1/4″ yapp. The front has HOLY BIBLE printed in gold. The spine has HOLY BIBLE, NEW KING JAMES VERSION, and CAMBRIDGE printed in gold. The spine also has 5 raised spine ribs.

The liner is edge-lined calfskin. The edge-lined tab is a touch stiff out of the box. It did have trouble staying open in Genesis, but this Bible is on loan, so I didn’t break it in or use it enough much. The text-block is Smyth sewn.

It has three double-sided satin ribbons in various shades of blue. They’re long enough to pull to the corner to open the Bible easily. They’re 3/8″ wide. the head/tail bands are blue and white. The overall size is 6 5/8 x 9 7/8 x 1 1/4″. It weighs 2lbs, 5.8oz.

It’s flexible, but not too floppy. I had no trouble carrying it, but I did have a little bit of trouble holding it in one hand to read. I preferred to read from the calf-split edition because it lays flatter.

Brown Calf-split

The brown calf-split looks more like mahogany than brown. I love this color. Like all calf-split editions from Cambridge, it’s stamped with a pebbly grain that looks and feels natural. It’s indented around the perimeter. The front has HOLY BIBLE printed in gold. The spine has HOLY BIBLE, NEW KING JAMES VERSION, and CAMBRIDGE printed in gold. The spine also has 5 rib indications. It has a 3/8″ yapp.

The liner is brown pasted-down vinyl. The text-block is sewn. It has no trouble staying open on any page. The stiffness of the cover and liner makes it easy to hold in one hand to carry and read.

It has two brown 1/4″ double-sided satin ribbons. They’re long enough to pull to the corner to open the page easily. The head/tail bands are brown and gold. They help complete the elegant look of this Bible. The overall size is 6 3/4 x 9 15/16 x 1 1/4″. It weighs 2lbs, 6.3oz.

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Paper

The paper is 28gsm Indopaque by Papeteries du Leman, Thonon-les-Bains, France. This is the same premium paper that’s used in many premium Bibles such as the Turquoise, goatskin Clarion, Pitt Minion, Concord, Quentel, Personal Size Quentel, etc. It’s ivory in color and highly opaque. I love this paper for reading. It’s smooth to the touch. I had no issues separating it with my fingers. It has 11 pages in the back that can be used for notes. The blue goatskin edition is art-gilt with blue under gold. The calf-split edition is gold-gilted. I love the look of art-gilt, but it does get damaged and show wear easily. I find regular gold-gilt easier to use because I’m not as worried about keeping it pretty.

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Typography

The NKJV text is presented without its standard formatting in a double-column verse-by-verse layout. Each verse is indented. Verses that continue the sentence from the previous verse start with a lower-case letter. There are no paragraph markers. It includes the standard NKJV section headings in bold all-caps. The lead-in to the book names, verse numbers, chapter number, and chapter title in the references are in red. Section headings, book names, and all reference and footnote keys are black. The header shows the book name and chapters in the outer margin and the page number in the inner margin. Cross-references are placed in the outer margin and footnotes are placed in the footer.

The layout was designed and typeset by 2K/Denmark using a 10-point typeface called More Pro Book. This is a red-letter edition. Both the black and the red are a dark semi-bold, and both are consistent throughout. The footnote and reference keys are superscripts. I found them large enough to see and small enough that they don’t cause too many unnatural pauses when preaching.

It has around 6-8 words per line. It has enough space between the words and the lines to be comfortable to read. It was slow-printed with line-matching, meaning that the lines are printed in the same location on both sides of the page. This greatly reduces show-through and improves readability. It has extra space in the inner margin to bring the text out of the bend and onto the flat part of the page. The text just starts into the bend. The fact that the spine is only 1.25″ helps this a lot.

Cross-references are placed in the outer margin starting at the top of the page. They’re separated from the text with a line. This design keeps all four columns of text together, keeping you from having to jump across the non-biblical text to continue reading. One advantage of this is it has a lot of empty margin space that’s good for writing notes. Having the references and footnotes separate makes them easier to find.

One thing that does stand out as odd is in poetry. The standard NKJV setting starts poetic breaks on a new line and each line starts with an upper-case letter. They’ve retained the upper-case letters, but not the poetic breaks. Some might prefer preaching from this layout instead of a standard poetic layout, but I find the upper-case letters in the text to look odd. The problem with v-b-v for me is that nothing stands out and you can’t identify the type of text at a glance. I’d prefer to see a poetic setting and letters indented even in a verse-by-verse layout. My guess is the columns needed more words per line to make this work.

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References and Footnotes

Cross-references are placed in the outer margin to keep the text on both sides of the page together. Those at the top are for the inner column, and those at the bottom are for the outer column. They’re separated from the text by lines. The pilot verse in the margin is bold. The cross-references cover both words and themes.

It has fewer references than the NKJV Pitt Minion and Clarion. There are enough to help with study and sermon prep, but I’d like to see it have the same number of references as the Clarion. Since it has the outer margin dedicated to the references, I’d like to see the margin filled up. The extra space can be used to add your own references, and I’d guess you’ll need to if this is your primary reference Bible. Fortunately, there are a few references in the footnotes.

Here are a few examples of references to help you compare:

• Genesis 1:1 – John 1:1-3; Acts 17:24
• Deuteronomy 6:4 – 1 Cor 8:4, 6
• Isaiah 9:6 – Luke 2:11; John 3:16; Matt 28:18; Judg 13:18; Titus 2:13; Eph 2:14
• Matthew 28:19 – Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47
• Mark 12:29 – Deut 6:4, 5
• John 1:1 – 1 John 1:1; Rev 19:13; John 17:5; 1 John 1:2; 5:20
• John 3:16 – Rom 5:8; Is 9:6
• Acts 2:38 – Luke 24:47
• Romans 10:9 – Luke 12:8
• 1 John 1:1 – John 1:1; John 1:14; 2 Pet 1:16; Luke 24:39; John 1:1, 4, 14

All of the NKJV translation footnotes are included. Footnotes provide explanatory notes, alternate translations, cross-references, NT citations of OT passages, textual variants, etc. The textual variants identify the manuscripts with the variant readings. This is one of the strengths of the NKJV in my opinion. I’m glad to see them included. I find them useful for personal study and sermon prep as they give insights into the text.

They are placed in the footer and are separated from the text by a line. They’re printed in a larger font than the references. I like that the footnotes are separated from the references. This helps make a cleaner design and makes the references and footnotes easier to find.

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Presentation and Family Records

In the front are several pages for records printed on thick, non-glossy paper. It includes a page to show who the Bible belongs to, the family record of the husband and wife, children, marriages, grandchildren, and deaths. There are a few blank pages before the family pages. All of this thick paper helps give the Bible structure, so I’m glad to see it included.

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Concordance

The concordance is 155 pages with 3 columns per page. It includes proper names and significant topics. Dashes are used to indicate when a keyword applies to a different person, place, or topic. It has lots of entries. This is a lot larger concordance than the one used in the Clarion. It’s a good concordance for study and sermon prep.

Sample entries include:

• Christ – 33
• Christian – 2
• Christians – 1
• Christs – 1
• Faith – 56
• Faithful – 26
• Faithfulness – 9
• Faithless – 2
• God – 70
• Goddess – 2
• Godhead – 2
• Godliness – 6
• Godly – 6
• Gods – 7
• Praise – 38
• Praised – 6
• Praises – 5
• Praiseworthy – 1
• Praising – 3
• Pray – 23
• Prayed – 3
• Prayer – 21
• Prayers – 9

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Maps

In the back are 15 pages of maps on thick semi-glossy paper. They are bright and colorful and they’re highly detailed. They include borders, import commodities, dates, routes, passes, settlements, distance, topography, mountains, cities of refuge, cities, tribes, vegetation, kingdoms, battle sites, satrapy, city walls, city gates, older city walls, seven Churches of Asia, etc.

It also includes an 8-page color-coded index to maps. The index is printed on the same paper as the maps. They identify settlements, political (nations, provinces, and regions), physical land, physical water, travel, and Jerusalem. I’m always glad to see a map index included and I find the Cambridge color-coded index to be one of the best available.

Maps include:

1. The Ancient Near East in the Late Bronze Age
2. Regions of Palestine and Surrounding Areas
3. Sinai and Canaan at the Time of the Exodus
4. Israel within Canaan
5. The United Monarchy of David and Solomon
6. Israel and Judah: The Divided Monarchy
7. The Assyrian Empire
8. The Babylonian Empire
9. The Persian Empire
10. The Hellenistic World after Alexander
11. Jerusalem in Old Testament Times
12. Jerusalem in New Testament Times
13. Palestine in New Testament Times
14. The Roman Empire
15. The Eastern Mediterranean in the First Century AD

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Comparisons

Here’s how the Cambridge Topaz compares to a few similar Bibles.

ESV CalfskinTopaz

The ESV Topaz matches the NKJV Topaz in every way except it has calfskin instead of calf-split, and the ESV elements such as cross-references, footnotes, section headings, table of weights and measures, and the concordance. The paper, fonts, ribbons, and maps are the same. The ESV’s normal poetic setting doesn’t stand out when placed in a v-b-v format because each new poetic line starts with a lower-case letter instead of an upper-case letter like the NKJV uses.

Quentel

The NKJV Quentel is about the same size as the Topaz. They use the same paper. The Quentel font looks slightly larger with more space between the lines, but the Topaz might be a hair darker for both the black and red letters. The Quentel presents the NKJV text in a double-column paragraph layout and includes more references.

VBV NKJV Premier Collection

The Thomas Nelson NKJV Verse-by-Verse has the same footprint, but it’s about 1/4″ thicker. It has a v-b-v layout in double-columns, but it retains the poetic setting and indents letters. The font looks to be the same size, but the TN is darker and includes red highlights. It includes book introductions, a concordance, and maps. The Topaz does have higher quality materials and construction, but that’s reflected in the price difference.

NKJV Preaching Bible

The Thomas Nelson NKJV Preaching Bible was designed with preaching in mind. It has thicker paper and slightly darker font. It’s black-letter, has blue highlights, and has more words per line. It’s a vbv, double-column layout, but poetry is set in stanzas and letters are indented. References and footnotes are combined in the footer. There isn’t a concordance or maps. It has slightly lower quality materials and construction, but that’s reflected in the price difference.

Clarion

The NKJV Clarion has the same paper, an 8.75 font, a paragraph format with poetry and letters set in a different format, and a lot smaller footprint. It’s noticeably thicker, which many find to be awkward in the hand. It’s designed to be a personal size Bible for carrying and reading. The Clarion has more references, but it also has a smaller concordance. It makes an excellent combo with the Topaz.

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Conclusion

The Cambridge NKJV Topaz Reference Edition is a well-made Bible. As always, Royal Jongbloed has done an excellent job with the high-quality paper, print quality, and bindings. I like both cover options, but I”m actually drawn to the calf-split. I find it easier to hold open to read and it stays open much flatter. It’s reinforced, so it should last for a while. 2K/Denmark has done an excellent job of designing a layout that’s ideal for public reading. The red highlights and red-letter text look elegant.

Some may find a poetic setting difficult to preach from, but I’d like to see the poetic setting added back in. For me, the formatting is one of the advantages of the NKJV- even in a vbv setting. I question why it has fewer cross-references than the NKJV Clarion when it clearly has the space for even more references. Placing the references in the outer margin does help make them easy to use. The larger concordance does help, though. I like that the references and footnotes are separate. I like the design direction to keep the text together and that the text doesn’t run into the gutter.

Similar to the ESV Topaz, MSRP is a little higher than I’d like. Premium Bibles do have higher costs in materials, design, and manufacturing, so I do understand that price, but I hope to see the prices drop over time. I do expect the NKJV Topaz to be a popular edition of the New King James Version. Verse-by-verse is popular and this one delivers. It’s excellent for preaching, teaching, and study. If you’re interested in a high-quality NKJV but don’t want a poetic setting, the NKJV Topaz is a great choice.

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Cambridge provided a discount for the brown Bible and loaned me the blue Bible in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions are my own.

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