When it comes to study Bibles, one of the most well known ones is the Thompson Chain line of Bibles. Having been around for almost 100 years in some form, the Thompson Chain Bibles have blessed many over the years and have increased the knowledge of the Scriptures. Zondervan has now taken over the publishing of the Thompson Chain and I have the opportunity to review of these reprints.
For those unfamiliar with the Thompson Chain, it works as follows. As a person reads the Scriptures, there is a running list on the sides of the Bible with numbers and words. Each number corresponds to a topic (the words next to the number) that can then been referenced in the Index of Chains in the back of the Bible. Then, a person can see that topic along with associated topics.
For example, in Job 19 (see pic), there is the number 3296 for Evil Words. Using that number, the Chain in the back has additional helps for evil words like vain, proud, malicious to name a few. That is the strength of this Bible.
There are other helps as well like maps, concordance, and book outlines in additional to other helps. This would then be a great resource for just about any Bible reader.
As to the Bible itself, the paper is creamy white but does have some noticeable bleed through. This lends itself to not being a good choice for writing/journaling in it. However, it does lower the weight some, though it is still a heavier Bible.
The text is slightly over 8pt in size and the chain link text is smaller still. Those who struggle with smaller fonts should look at a large print edition. The darkness of the text makes reading easier and the red is a good red that is not too light so that it looks pinkish. I would have preferred a NASB95 text but such is not the case. There are other texts like KJV, NIV, and ESV available.
I would recommend that those who are looking to gift a Bible like this, purchase a leather bound copy that is designed to last much longer. My father-in-law has a leather Thompson that he has been using for years and has held up well.
This Bible then will serve well all you use its many aids and should bless those who desire to understand and study Scripture more.
*I received a review copy from Biblegateway in exchange for my unbiased review. I was not told or expected to give a positive review.
This book is a compilation of various works on prayer by A.W. Tozer. While not a how-to book, it has great words on why one must pray, the value of prayer, and the nature of prayer to name a few.
