The HarperCollins Study Bible

Writing for the Committee which undertook the translations, Bruce Metzger explains in the Preface that "The Bible carries its full message...to all persons and communities who read it so that they may discern and understand what God is saying to them." This text is accompanied with Notes which are generally helpful, or at least interesting, in the study of the scripture.

For example, the chapter in Genesis 30 which explains the origins of the Ammonites and Moabites. The incest is described as an "unflattering episode". This is taken as "fitting recompense for Lot's carelessness about his daughters' welfare" in 19.8, and notes that "from Moab will eventually come Ruth, ancestor of King David" who in turn is the progenitor of Jesus. The show more story of Lot's daughters making Lot drunk so as to have sex with him also "recalls the drunkenness of Noah and resultant sexual indiscretion by one of his offspring in 9.18-27. The subsequent sons' names in the Septuagint are a play on the incest theme.

{The repeated eruption of incest may also reflect Egyptian influences. The same book otherwise commands that incest would have been a stoning offense. Drunkeness is an aggravating, not mitigating factor. Remarkably, for the Christians, the delineation of this lineage is supposed to provide some kind of legitimacy to the Messiah coming from the incestuous root of these drunken sots. For the Judaic tribes, it only adds to the confusion of exactly how they originated, and who is included in their number.}

This work does combine the multiple "bibles" of Judaic, eastern and western Christian traditions, including the apocrypha, and notes the differences between them. With indexed colored Map Plates. show less

Not as good as the Oxford study bible, but worthwhile nonetheless. Satisfyingly free of denominational (read evangelical!) bias.

This Bible is the required Bible for some of my freshman classes at college. I went all out and purchased the Leather version and it was the best investment I made during school.

I was required to get this Bible for one of my first religion classes in college. It's since become my go-to Bible for research. It has tons of great footnotes and includes historical information before each of the books.

This Bible is the required Bible for some of my freshman classes at college. I went all out and purchased the Leather version and it was the best investment I made during school.

2012
Genesis http://www.librarything.com/topic/128182#3208318 (read Robert Alter translation)
Exodus http://www.librarything.com/topic/128182#3306746 (read Robert Alter translation)
Leviticus http://www.librarything.com/topic/128182#3350780 (read Robert Alter translation)
Numbers http://www.librarything.com/topic/128182#3387682 (read Robert Alter translation)
Deuteronomy http://www.librarything.com/topic/128182#3440428 (read Robert Alter translation)
First Five Books http://www.librarything.com/topic/138560#3472119 (read Robert Alter translation)
Joshua http://www.librarything.com/topic/138560#3480986
Judges http://www.librarything.com/topic/138560#3562261
1 & 2 Samuel http://www.librarything.com/topic/138560#3698957 (read Robert Alter show more translation)

2013
1 & 2 Kings http://www.librarything.com/topic/147378#3937339
1 & 2 Chronicles http://www.librarything.com/topic/154187#4183198

2014
Ezra, Nehemiah, Tobit & Judith http://www.librarything.com/topic/163456#4533123
Ruth - no post
Esther - no post
Job http://www.librarything.com/topic/163456#4638130 (read this and the Robert Alter translation)
Psalms https://www.librarything.com/topic/179643#4930787
Proverbs https://www.librarything.com/topic/185746#4995976

2015
Ecclesiastes https://www.librarything.com/topic/185746#5063808
Song of Solomon https://www.librarything.com/topic/185746#5095236
Isaiah https://www.librarything.com/topic/185746#5159224
Jeremiah https://www.librarything.com/topic/191940#5205720
Lamentations - no post
Ezekiel https://www.librarything.com/topic/191940#5231103
Daniel https://www.librarything.com/topic/191940#5284549
Minor Prophets https://www.librarything.com/topic/197329#5352355
A post with OT references https://www.librarything.com/topic/197329#5359531
OT https://www.librarything.com/topic/197329#5364332

2018
The Book of Esther, with Deuterocanonical additions https://www.librarything.com/topic/279863#6330521
The Wisdom of Solomon https://www.librarything.com/topic/279863#6337563
Ben Sira https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6412110
Baruch and the Letter of Jeremiah https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6426962
Addition to the Book of Daniel, The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6427011
1 Maccabees https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6472125
2 Maccabees https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6472159
1 Esdras https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6472163
Prayer of Manasseh https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6487987
Psalm 151 https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6487993
3 Maccabees https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6488563
2 Esdras (It's not easy to capture, but this was a book that pressed a lot of buttons in sequence and had me quite fascinated.) https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6488584
4 Maccabees https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6488587
Matthew https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6510998
Mark https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6532644
Luke https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6557644
John https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6573508
Romans https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6602713
First Corinthians https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6613729
Second Corinthians https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6624089
Galatians https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6636383
Pauline Epistles https://www.librarything.com/topic/288371#6650070

2019
Hebrews and the Catholic Epistles
https://www.librarything.com/topic/301619#6693400
The Book of Revelation https://www.librarything.com/topic/301619#6702341
NT https://www.librarything.com/topic/301619#6703466 show less

The HarperCollins Study Bible—Student Edition is the landmark general reference Bible that offers the full text of the New Revised Standard Version as well as in-depth articles, introductions, and comprehensive notes by today's leading biblical scholars for the Society of Biblical Literature. Completely revised and updated, this edition incorporates the latest scholarship and findings as well as incorporating new diagrams, charts, and maps—25% revised or new material.