Dake Annotated Reference Bible-KJV

Good Bible to have on your bookshelf. A lot of great notes. But if your going to study the Bible I, personally, suggest a more modern Bible like the NIV, or the new edition of the ESV Study Bible,or new edition of NKJV.
But like I said the Dake's has page after page of great notes, it's a keeper. ( )

A Bible from my fundamentalist days. Very conservatively slanted commentary and notes. ( )

First off, I should say that I am *not* a Biblical scholar; my religious "training" is solely based on a churchgoing upbringing and liberal arts-oriented (but not religious) education. Even though I'm not a religious scholar by any stretch of the imagination, I do find that I can sort out fact from opinion. As long as you've got some sort of foundation in Christian religion (I specify "Christian" not to exclude other religious but only to make clear the needed background for reading this text), you will most likely be able to make your own judgements regarding Dake's opinions.

***Also, don't forget that opinions DO have their plus side! They make you think, mentally aruge, search for scriptures, and review your own beliefs.***

I find the tremendous amount of annotating to be fascinating. Because of it, I find myself reading each chapter, each verse more carefully and analytically than I have with any other study Bible. Dake's abundance of information as well as his opinionated stance force the reader to read carefully and thoughtfully.

The Greek translations are numerous; if the origins of words do not interest you, I would consider that a reason not to buy this text, simply because there are so many translations. I do like the abundant translations, as I find that they enrich the text. I was just reading in Luke, and it's fascinating (for example) to see how many words this physician uses that are medical in nature.

The cross-referencing is invaluable. The only thing I can think of that rivals it is computer software that allows you to search scripture. The cross-referencing has the advantage of not being merely a word-search but instead referencing similar themes and concepts.

Overall: I would certainly buy this again for myself. I would recommend it to people who are interested in nitpicking (in a good way!) scripture. It's not for the impatient reader or for the reader who would prefer just a statement of facts (as much as a statement of facts can exist, unclouded by opinion). It's not an easy read, and it's not a Bible I would recommend to someone who's beginning Biblical study (something like the HarperCollins NRSV might be better for the individual who's just setting out on Biblical analysis; the footnotes, for one thing, are far less daunting).

One final note, something others have commented on: BUY THE LARGE PRINT EDITION! Being 25, I assumed that the large print version was meant for the farsighted and older individuals. Luckily, I purchased this in a store, where I could compare the large and regular print. The regular print version is tiny, tiny, tiny, and the lines are very close together. You don't lose anything by switching type sizes; both Bibles contain exactly the same amount of information. The only thing you risk losing with the regular print is your sight.

This is a Bible that will present loads of information; some may feel overloaded. You also have to be ready to deal with commentary and interpretation that may not coincide with what you've been taught or have come to believe yourself. However, I repeat that this quality can be a plus, in that it forces you to be analytical about not only Deke's opinions but your own as well. I give this four instead of five stars because I deducted a star for its potential inaccessibility to some audiences and the fact that it could be downright confusing for those not prepared to deal with interpretive commentary. ( )