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The Orthodox Study Bible
The FIRST EVER Orthodox Study Bible presents the Bible of the early church and the church of the early Bible.
Orthodox Christianity is the face of ancient Christianity to the modern world and embraces the second largest body of Christians in the world. In this first-of-its-kind study Bible, the Bible is presented with commentary from the ancient Christian perspective that speaks to those Christians who seek a deeper experience of the roots of their faith.
Features Include:
* Old Testament newly translated from the Greek text of the Septuagint, including the Deuterocanon
* New Testament from the New King James Version
* Commentary drawn from the early Church Christians
* Easy-to-Locate liturgical readings
* Book Introductions and Outlines
* Subject Index
* Full-color Icons
* Full-color Maps
Orthodox Christianity is the face of ancient Christianity to the modern world and embraces the second largest body of Christians in the world. In this first-of-its-kind study Bible, the Bible is presented with commentary from the ancient Christian perspective that speaks to those Christians who seek a deeper experience of the roots of their faith.
Features Include:
* Old Testament newly translated from the Greek text of the Septuagint, including the Deuterocanon
* New Testament from the New King James Version
* Commentary drawn from the early Church Christians
* Easy-to-Locate liturgical readings
* Book Introductions and Outlines
* Subject Index
* Full-color Icons
* Full-color Maps
1856 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 2008
About the author
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See also: Anonymous
* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
July 18, 2023
I'm so proud to finally have read through the entire bible, and have already restarted it. This will be an annual habit for me from now on.
February 7, 2017
How can one review a Bible? For me it was a way of getting some insight into the way the Eastern Orthodox Church handles exegesis and theology. And for the most part, the experience was positive.
There were some things I didn't like about it. For instance, the fact that it used the New King James Version for the New Testament, rather than a more accurate translation.
Some of the notes overstated the obvious. Others demonstrated an unfortunate but understandable mistrust of the theology of other branches of Christianity. Most of the time this was expressed in a diplomatic way; however, it came out more strongly in the commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Be that as it may, many of the notes and study aids were helpful and interesting, particularly those which contained quotations of the Church Fathers or indications of how a certain passage is used in the context of worship.
The full-page illustrations, depicting various icons, were breathtaking. In Orthodox parlance, icons are "written," not "drawn," because they are considered another way of explaining Orthodox theology and tradition.
Those of my friends who have been tracking my progress through this Bible (or anyone who glances at the reading stats at the top end of this review) will know that it took me a long time to get through. (In fact, the stats are a tad misleading; I had started this even before I joined Goodreads!) On the whole, though, it was worth it.
There were some things I didn't like about it. For instance, the fact that it used the New King James Version for the New Testament, rather than a more accurate translation.
Some of the notes overstated the obvious. Others demonstrated an unfortunate but understandable mistrust of the theology of other branches of Christianity. Most of the time this was expressed in a diplomatic way; however, it came out more strongly in the commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Be that as it may, many of the notes and study aids were helpful and interesting, particularly those which contained quotations of the Church Fathers or indications of how a certain passage is used in the context of worship.
The full-page illustrations, depicting various icons, were breathtaking. In Orthodox parlance, icons are "written," not "drawn," because they are considered another way of explaining Orthodox theology and tradition.
Those of my friends who have been tracking my progress through this Bible (or anyone who glances at the reading stats at the top end of this review) will know that it took me a long time to get through. (In fact, the stats are a tad misleading; I had started this even before I joined Goodreads!) On the whole, though, it was worth it.
March 25, 2024
The NKJV is not my favorite English translation of the New Testament. I understand that the main reason the OSB uses it is because Nelson, the publisher, owns that translation, and so its affiliation with Orthodoxy is somewhat accidental. It is an interesting first attempt to put together an Orthodox study bible. But my dislike of it is that it gives the impression there is exactly one possible meaning of the text, whereas the reality is the Fathers used any one text for a variety of purposes, and the Fathers did not all agree on the interpretation of each and every text. There were schools of thought in the broad river of Orthodox thinking (for example Antioch vs. Alexandria) which disagreed with each other not only on the interpretation of a given text but even on the principles of interpretation. Through 2000 years, texts were used for many purposes and this is lost in notes which imply offering the one and only meaning of a text. Additionally, many Orthodox are so eager to get to the exact and only meaning of the text that they skim the Scriptures and turn to reading the footnotes thus making the footnotes to be the authoritative 'scripture' and the actual biblical text to be the mystery text that stands between you and the truth, blocking it.
April 2, 2022
This years reread of the Bible is completed. Now to start thinking about what translation to start around Thanksgiving.
December 31, 2022
Well, I actually did it. I read the entire Bible this year. It was something I decided to do on a whim 364 days ago, and I actually followed through with it. I’ve been measuring the passage of the year by crossing off each day’s line in the reading plan I’ve been following, and it’s a strange feeling to get to the end. I should probably have something more substantive to say, but I feel a bit like Forrest Gump after he ran across the country. “I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now.”
That said, it was a rewarding experience. I’d read most of the Bible before, but never all of it in one shot. This reading has reaffirmed my love for the Old Testament in particular. Those pseudo-Marcionite Christians (and there are sadly many of them) who ignore the Old Testament, thinking it has somehow been made irrelevant by the New, are frankly practicing a faith with little substance. The Old Testament is the content of our faith; the New Testament—the firstfruits of Scripture—is the spiritual light by which that content is illuminated. The New Testament is entirely submerged in the symbolic economy of the Hebrew Scriptures; and we ought to be as well. Plus, the Old Testament is a fantastic read in its own right: patriarchs, prophets, priests, kings, warriors, mystics, poets, court historians; tales of alluring darkness, mystery, sensuality, and violence; cosmogony, national epic, prophetic lament, and sage advice. It is a literary treasure-house, a gift for the entire human race.
Next year I plan to do some “extra-curricular” reading: I’ll read some of the Apocrypha, and I’ve got a collection of gnostic texts that I’ll work my way through as well. I also plan to do a long reading of the Quran at some point.
Happy New Year!
That said, it was a rewarding experience. I’d read most of the Bible before, but never all of it in one shot. This reading has reaffirmed my love for the Old Testament in particular. Those pseudo-Marcionite Christians (and there are sadly many of them) who ignore the Old Testament, thinking it has somehow been made irrelevant by the New, are frankly practicing a faith with little substance. The Old Testament is the content of our faith; the New Testament—the firstfruits of Scripture—is the spiritual light by which that content is illuminated. The New Testament is entirely submerged in the symbolic economy of the Hebrew Scriptures; and we ought to be as well. Plus, the Old Testament is a fantastic read in its own right: patriarchs, prophets, priests, kings, warriors, mystics, poets, court historians; tales of alluring darkness, mystery, sensuality, and violence; cosmogony, national epic, prophetic lament, and sage advice. It is a literary treasure-house, a gift for the entire human race.
Next year I plan to do some “extra-curricular” reading: I’ll read some of the Apocrypha, and I’ve got a collection of gnostic texts that I’ll work my way through as well. I also plan to do a long reading of the Quran at some point.
Happy New Year!
October 10, 2012
Love the christological and trinitarian footnotes applied throughout the Old Testament. Beautiful iconography. The lectionary and Morning/Evening prayers are also nice if you need them (it's more convenient for me to use this Orthodox calendar app I have for those).
November 17, 2018
This is the Bible English translation used by the Orthodox Church. As such, those from other branches of Christianity may find it different from other versions with which they are more familiar.
The Old Testament is based on the Septuagint, the ancient translation of the Old Testament that Jewish scholars translated from Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek. As such, the numerical assignment of verses differs from how they are assigned in other translations such as the KJV or NIV. In addition, other books considered by other branches to be apocryphal such as "The Wisdom of Sirach" and the 3 volumes of "Maccabees" for example are included in this version.
In addition, readers will find sections included, based upon rabbinical traditions used in the making of the Septuagint, such as Psalm 151 and Job 42:18-22, that are not in other translations. The addition in Job actually does seem to flesh out the book better in my opinion to a more complete ending.
Readers will also find that the order of books in Old Testament is different from that in other translations which may make it confusing to use at first.
The New Testament is the New King James Version (NKJV).
Throughout the text are notes at the bottom which explain key points in the verses based upon the consensus of leading Orthodox Bible scholars. These are easy to understand, and, in reading them one can better understand the doctrines and practices of the Orthodox Church --- which I do recommend for anyone interested in learning more about the Orthodox faith.
Also included are lovely iconic paintings of scenes from the Bible as well as in the back maps of the lands mentioned in the Bible.
A good translation --- easy to read with excellent commentary in the notes!
The Old Testament is based on the Septuagint, the ancient translation of the Old Testament that Jewish scholars translated from Hebrew and Aramaic into Greek. As such, the numerical assignment of verses differs from how they are assigned in other translations such as the KJV or NIV. In addition, other books considered by other branches to be apocryphal such as "The Wisdom of Sirach" and the 3 volumes of "Maccabees" for example are included in this version.
In addition, readers will find sections included, based upon rabbinical traditions used in the making of the Septuagint, such as Psalm 151 and Job 42:18-22, that are not in other translations. The addition in Job actually does seem to flesh out the book better in my opinion to a more complete ending.
Readers will also find that the order of books in Old Testament is different from that in other translations which may make it confusing to use at first.
The New Testament is the New King James Version (NKJV).
Throughout the text are notes at the bottom which explain key points in the verses based upon the consensus of leading Orthodox Bible scholars. These are easy to understand, and, in reading them one can better understand the doctrines and practices of the Orthodox Church --- which I do recommend for anyone interested in learning more about the Orthodox faith.
Also included are lovely iconic paintings of scenes from the Bible as well as in the back maps of the lands mentioned in the Bible.
A good translation --- easy to read with excellent commentary in the notes!
Currently Reading
July 10, 2026WHAT! GOD MADE THE GARGANTUAN EFFORT TO SEND OUT THE BIBLE BY FAX ON THIS GOOD EARTH AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN GONNA READ IT?!
We interrupt this programme to give you breaking news: I have decided to dissect the Bible. As the The Magic Mountain consumed me on my last read, so I learnt from it to turn the tables on the big-scary-Bible and consume it for the purpose of exegesis.
Translations used: as I wish to read as closely and as cleanly to the sources as possible, I am mostly reading from the Orthodox (hardcover, needs many annotations) as they use the Septuagint to translate the Old Testament (approved and quoted by Jesus and Paul in New Testament) and includes all the Apocrypha, as well as a myriad of helpful footnotes and maps. I am comparing and contrasting with the (KJV) King James Version (does not contain Apocrypha) as well as the Torah, all easily managed on BibleGateway
For the New Testament, I've chosen the Eastern Greek Orthodox translation (paperback, many annotations) that relies on the Byzantine text-type for the the Patriarchal Text of 1904, which will also be compared and contrasted with the KJV.
I'm also casting an eye on the The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English translation by Geza Vermes on Kindle.
Please be advised - I am an agnostic at best, therefore "dissecting the Bible" is not really an euphemism, I have Too Many Questions and will probably share questions or observations in this space for y'alls perusal and pleasure - no offence intended to anyone's belief and faith, it is best to skip this space if one is sensitive to unfiltered Q&A regarding Bible&Faith.
Augustine of Hippo insists the Bible should not be interpreted literally if it contradicts what we know from Science and our own Reason.
Thus we begin.
Page 1: have fully compared with other versions, there isn't much of a difference. I found the KJV a tad too poetically written, with too much effort wasted on my side in comprehending poetics rather than text. The Orthodox brings together poetics and a clarity of text that goes down really well. I am pleased with my choice.
GENESIS
Inspirations: Enuma and Eilish Babylon creation Myth, Egyptian god Ptah creating the world through speech, Enki and Ninhursag enjoying the Tree of Life, Gilgamesh flood myth.
GEN 1.3: "And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
Waters? What waters? Nobody told me anything about there being water before Creation!
Apparently this is related to Ancient Near Eastern Cosmology as the ancient world imagined the sky as a solid, physical dome that holds back an enormous cosmic ocean above it - shocking stuff and we're not even a paragraph in.
GEN 1.5: "the darkness he called Night, and there was evening and night and that was the first day*."
The Hebrew uses the word *"YOM" meaning "a period of time", the notion of days as we understand them now is nonsense, projection, and mistranslation (can be the official motto) - no wonder we are told to read this as an allegory, of course it makes no sense literally when it's badly/wrongly translated.
GEN 16: "now the two angels came to Sodom."
Nothing funnier than God sending his bodyguards to destroy Sodom cause he saw through his foreshadowing skills he would be in danger of getting gang-raped in the public square. He shouldn't have worried though, Lot offered his virgin daughters instead. Another hilarious moment ensues as the sexually-frenzied mob turns on Lot: "Now we will deal with you worse than with them." I didn't realise I'm reading comedy!
GEN 19.26: But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."
Nice metamorphoses :)
A moment I remember well from the children's books with stories from the Bible. There was always some interesting illustration.
GEN 24: "[Abraham says] put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear to the Lord."
He means literally holding his testicles. The point is to swear by the circumcision, the mark of god's covenant. The English word "testify" is related to the word "testicles", the Testis Fidelis (faithful witness) in PR 14.5
GEN 34: "But why should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"
The rape of Dinah and her brothers' revenge by killing the all the males in the rapist's tribe while they were in pain from circumcision - condemned as "worse than the crime perpetuated on Dinah", of course.
GEN 41: Joseph is my favourite character so far. A pragmatist who recognised the signs of a famine approaching and managed a nationwide 20% agricultural tax on the harvest for the Pharaoh.
Other observations: this is all a repeat of 3 Patriarchs with barren wives being rewarded with a son through their belief in god. And what's with the men lying about their wives being their sisters? And why isn't god upset with the lying, is it not sinful? And what in the world is with the incel fantasy with Lot's daughters throwing themselves at their father?
EXODUS
Inspirations: the Hyksos people arriving and departing Egypt, Minoan volcanic eruption of 1600BCE, the failed monotheistic revolution of Akhepaten, according to Otto Rank Sargon of Akkad for Moses, and according to Hecataeus Abdera an Egyptian plague that was blamed on foreigners.
EX 2.12: "and when Moses saw no one, he killed the Egyptian."
Murder is a sin, but not if you're privileged enough to be god's "chosen one".
EX 3: "the burning bush" - apparently to be read as allegory for the Mother of God and the immaculate conception. A tiring notion, who decides which is allegory and which is fact?
EX 3. 14: "And God said to Moses, 'I am the Existing One." - original Hebrew: ehyeh asher ehyeh, Greek ego eimi ho no, meaning "I am the one who is."
This is an absolute disastrous pot of translations, Moses was supposed to say Yahweh - the name of god in 3d person as was supposed to be used by other people. God calls himself Ehyeh (original Hebrew meaning 'the one who is'), his name in 1st person to be used by himself. The true pronunciation of the name is lost, as the Jewish people refused to speak it out of respect, a sort of shibboleth.
New International Version: God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
King James Version: And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.
Orthodox Jewish Version: And Elohim said unto Moshe, Eh-heh-yeh ashair Ehheh- yeh (I AM WHO I AM); and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the Bnei Yisroel, EHHEH-YEH (I AM) hath sent me unto you.
Great breakdown of the Hebrew here.
EX 6.3:"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them".
New International Version: I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them.
King James Version: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Orthodox Jewish Version: And I appeared unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Ya’akov, as El Shaddai (meaning Almighty), but by My Shem Hashem I did not make Myself known to them.
Hebrew: I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as El-Shaddai, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them.
EX 13: "the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire."
Quintus Curtius in The History of Alexander: "when he wished to move camp, he used to blow trumpets that couldn't be heard by the people, so he set up a pole on top of the general's tent that could be seen from afar and the people watched for Fire in the night and a Cloud of smoke in the day."
EX 14: "Crossing the Red Sea* "
The Hebrew uses Yam Suph, meaning "sea of reeds", this implies location being a shallow marsh, lake with reeds, lagoons. To be considered alongside the volcano eruption causing tsunami retraction of waters.
Allegorically, one could read it as the power of god being stronger than the power of Nature.
EX 20.22: "if you use tools to make an altar, it defiles it."
EX 21: the process of buying a servant is treated in the same chapter as the process of selling a daughter - just business.
EX 23.23: "For my Angel will go before you and bring you in the Amorites, Hittittes, Perizzites, Canaanites, Gergesites, Hivites, Jebusites, and I will cut them off!"
Al Pacino in the Godfather, is that you?!
God talks like a mobster.
EX 28.21: "[the breastplate of the priest will contain] stones with the names of the sons of Israel according to the twelve tribes: sardius, topaz, emerald, sapphire, agate, beryl, onyx, [...]"
Allegorically to be read as the 12 names of Christ: God and Word, Only-Begotten Son, Brightness and Impress, Mirror and Image, etc.
EX 24: The events at Mount Sinai: amazing imagery, great theatre performance by Moses during a potential volcanic eruption that probably disrupted or changed plant behaviour and migratory bird routes (Manna and Quail episode).
Other observations: Moses was a great actor and theatre-maker.
(7-10 July 2026)
We interrupt this programme to give you breaking news: I have decided to dissect the Bible. As the The Magic Mountain consumed me on my last read, so I learnt from it to turn the tables on the big-scary-Bible and consume it for the purpose of exegesis.
Translations used: as I wish to read as closely and as cleanly to the sources as possible, I am mostly reading from the Orthodox (hardcover, needs many annotations) as they use the Septuagint to translate the Old Testament (approved and quoted by Jesus and Paul in New Testament) and includes all the Apocrypha, as well as a myriad of helpful footnotes and maps. I am comparing and contrasting with the (KJV) King James Version (does not contain Apocrypha) as well as the Torah, all easily managed on BibleGateway
For the New Testament, I've chosen the Eastern Greek Orthodox translation (paperback, many annotations) that relies on the Byzantine text-type for the the Patriarchal Text of 1904, which will also be compared and contrasted with the KJV.
I'm also casting an eye on the The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English translation by Geza Vermes on Kindle.
Please be advised - I am an agnostic at best, therefore "dissecting the Bible" is not really an euphemism, I have Too Many Questions and will probably share questions or observations in this space for y'alls perusal and pleasure - no offence intended to anyone's belief and faith, it is best to skip this space if one is sensitive to unfiltered Q&A regarding Bible&Faith.
Augustine of Hippo insists the Bible should not be interpreted literally if it contradicts what we know from Science and our own Reason.
Thus we begin.
Page 1: have fully compared with other versions, there isn't much of a difference. I found the KJV a tad too poetically written, with too much effort wasted on my side in comprehending poetics rather than text. The Orthodox brings together poetics and a clarity of text that goes down really well. I am pleased with my choice.
GENESIS
Inspirations: Enuma and Eilish Babylon creation Myth, Egyptian god Ptah creating the world through speech, Enki and Ninhursag enjoying the Tree of Life, Gilgamesh flood myth.
GEN 1.3: "And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
Waters? What waters? Nobody told me anything about there being water before Creation!
Apparently this is related to Ancient Near Eastern Cosmology as the ancient world imagined the sky as a solid, physical dome that holds back an enormous cosmic ocean above it - shocking stuff and we're not even a paragraph in.
GEN 1.5: "the darkness he called Night, and there was evening and night and that was the first day*."
The Hebrew uses the word *"YOM" meaning "a period of time", the notion of days as we understand them now is nonsense, projection, and mistranslation (can be the official motto) - no wonder we are told to read this as an allegory, of course it makes no sense literally when it's badly/wrongly translated.
GEN 16: "now the two angels came to Sodom."
Nothing funnier than God sending his bodyguards to destroy Sodom cause he saw through his foreshadowing skills he would be in danger of getting gang-raped in the public square. He shouldn't have worried though, Lot offered his virgin daughters instead. Another hilarious moment ensues as the sexually-frenzied mob turns on Lot: "Now we will deal with you worse than with them." I didn't realise I'm reading comedy!
GEN 19.26: But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."
Nice metamorphoses :)
A moment I remember well from the children's books with stories from the Bible. There was always some interesting illustration.
GEN 24: "[Abraham says] put your hand under my thigh and I will make you swear to the Lord."
He means literally holding his testicles. The point is to swear by the circumcision, the mark of god's covenant. The English word "testify" is related to the word "testicles", the Testis Fidelis (faithful witness) in PR 14.5
GEN 34: "But why should he treat our sister like a prostitute?"
The rape of Dinah and her brothers' revenge by killing the all the males in the rapist's tribe while they were in pain from circumcision - condemned as "worse than the crime perpetuated on Dinah", of course.
GEN 41: Joseph is my favourite character so far. A pragmatist who recognised the signs of a famine approaching and managed a nationwide 20% agricultural tax on the harvest for the Pharaoh.
Other observations: this is all a repeat of 3 Patriarchs with barren wives being rewarded with a son through their belief in god. And what's with the men lying about their wives being their sisters? And why isn't god upset with the lying, is it not sinful? And what in the world is with the incel fantasy with Lot's daughters throwing themselves at their father?
EXODUS
Inspirations: the Hyksos people arriving and departing Egypt, Minoan volcanic eruption of 1600BCE, the failed monotheistic revolution of Akhepaten, according to Otto Rank Sargon of Akkad for Moses, and according to Hecataeus Abdera an Egyptian plague that was blamed on foreigners.
EX 2.12: "and when Moses saw no one, he killed the Egyptian."
Murder is a sin, but not if you're privileged enough to be god's "chosen one".
EX 3: "the burning bush" - apparently to be read as allegory for the Mother of God and the immaculate conception. A tiring notion, who decides which is allegory and which is fact?
EX 3. 14: "And God said to Moses, 'I am the Existing One." - original Hebrew: ehyeh asher ehyeh, Greek ego eimi ho no, meaning "I am the one who is."
This is an absolute disastrous pot of translations, Moses was supposed to say Yahweh - the name of god in 3d person as was supposed to be used by other people. God calls himself Ehyeh (original Hebrew meaning 'the one who is'), his name in 1st person to be used by himself. The true pronunciation of the name is lost, as the Jewish people refused to speak it out of respect, a sort of shibboleth.
New International Version: God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
King James Version: And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.
Orthodox Jewish Version: And Elohim said unto Moshe, Eh-heh-yeh ashair Ehheh- yeh (I AM WHO I AM); and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the Bnei Yisroel, EHHEH-YEH (I AM) hath sent me unto you.
Great breakdown of the Hebrew here.
EX 6.3:"I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them".
New International Version: I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them.
King James Version: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.
Orthodox Jewish Version: And I appeared unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Ya’akov, as El Shaddai (meaning Almighty), but by My Shem Hashem I did not make Myself known to them.
Hebrew: I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as El-Shaddai, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself fully known to them.
EX 13: "the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire."
Quintus Curtius in The History of Alexander: "when he wished to move camp, he used to blow trumpets that couldn't be heard by the people, so he set up a pole on top of the general's tent that could be seen from afar and the people watched for Fire in the night and a Cloud of smoke in the day."
EX 14: "Crossing the Red Sea* "
The Hebrew uses Yam Suph, meaning "sea of reeds", this implies location being a shallow marsh, lake with reeds, lagoons. To be considered alongside the volcano eruption causing tsunami retraction of waters.
Allegorically, one could read it as the power of god being stronger than the power of Nature.
EX 20.22: "if you use tools to make an altar, it defiles it."
EX 21: the process of buying a servant is treated in the same chapter as the process of selling a daughter - just business.
EX 23.23: "For my Angel will go before you and bring you in the Amorites, Hittittes, Perizzites, Canaanites, Gergesites, Hivites, Jebusites, and I will cut them off!"
Al Pacino in the Godfather, is that you?!
God talks like a mobster.
EX 28.21: "[the breastplate of the priest will contain] stones with the names of the sons of Israel according to the twelve tribes: sardius, topaz, emerald, sapphire, agate, beryl, onyx, [...]"
Allegorically to be read as the 12 names of Christ: God and Word, Only-Begotten Son, Brightness and Impress, Mirror and Image, etc.
EX 24: The events at Mount Sinai: amazing imagery, great theatre performance by Moses during a potential volcanic eruption that probably disrupted or changed plant behaviour and migratory bird routes (Manna and Quail episode).
Other observations: Moses was a great actor and theatre-maker.
(7-10 July 2026)
January 29, 2018
Wonderful
Excellent reading for Great Lent and all year long. True benefit to those who are humble of heart.
God bless
Excellent reading for Great Lent and all year long. True benefit to those who are humble of heart.
God bless
July 2, 2010
In the past few years, I've been trying to read through a different translation of the Bible each year. The Orthodox Study Bible is interesting in that it includes the Apocrypha (some neat stuff in there!), and the OT translation is taken from the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew OT). The NT is, rather disappointingly, the NKJV. I found myself scratching my head a few times, wondering at NKJV's translation of the Greek.
The study notes were full of interesting insights from the church fathers and the Orthodox tradition. The Orthodox are very concerned to apply all of the Bible in context of worship. There were also many helpful comments on the possible typologies in the texts. I noticed some notes which seemed to target typical Orthodox errors (such as focusing too much on which ethinic tradition one belongs to: Russian, Greek, Syrian, etc., the necessity of participating in the liturgy and not merely being a bystander). I appreciated those notes. Some study Bibles can turn into "Rah rah for our own tradition and way of doing things!". While there was plenty of that, the editors were not afraid to critique their own tradition. May we all follow their example!
The study notes were full of interesting insights from the church fathers and the Orthodox tradition. The Orthodox are very concerned to apply all of the Bible in context of worship. There were also many helpful comments on the possible typologies in the texts. I noticed some notes which seemed to target typical Orthodox errors (such as focusing too much on which ethinic tradition one belongs to: Russian, Greek, Syrian, etc., the necessity of participating in the liturgy and not merely being a bystander). I appreciated those notes. Some study Bibles can turn into "Rah rah for our own tradition and way of doing things!". While there was plenty of that, the editors were not afraid to critique their own tradition. May we all follow their example!
July 11, 2020
I was going to make this the Bible I read cover to cover this year but it is TERRIBLE. Unless you have literally never read scripture, encountered no theology (ancient or modern), and not heard any sort of preaching from any denomination, this is the most boneheaded “study” bible one can encounter. The notes are on par with seventh grade annotations, merely restating the most obvious points you’ve already read, as if you have no capacity to interpret anything (or giving you insignificant quotes from patristic sources without EVER sharing their source!) and the translation of the Septuagint sounds almost identical to the NKJV OT. How funny, then, that my criticisms are NOT unique and actually shared with quite a few Orthodox laity (including folks who worked on this Bible and were shocked with what Thomas Nelson churned out) as well as Orthodox religious. Granted, the prayers in the appendix are nice to have and the icons are stunning. But the actual Bible itself, in terms of notes and translation, is woefully underwhelming.
August 24, 2024
Not the best translation I've read, but it was good to read the Old Testament books in the Septuagint order.
I didn't read all the commentary notes, only the ones I was particularly interested in, and sometimes they were interesting and useful, and at other times they were banal statements of the obvious. In places I read each chapter twice, once here, and again in the "Africa Study Bible", which was a different translation, and read most easily. Many of the study notes in that one, however, were mini-sermons.
I feel I should say more about a book of 1750 pages, but can't really think of much more to say.
I didn't read all the commentary notes, only the ones I was particularly interested in, and sometimes they were interesting and useful, and at other times they were banal statements of the obvious. In places I read each chapter twice, once here, and again in the "Africa Study Bible", which was a different translation, and read most easily. Many of the study notes in that one, however, were mini-sermons.
I feel I should say more about a book of 1750 pages, but can't really think of much more to say.
April 10, 2025
The last time I read The Bible in its entirety was nearly a decade ago, when I was 19. It was independently, I had no church background. Up to that time I had only been studying the pagan world, and my original intention with The Bible was reading it for the sake of knowing it - to not be willingly ignorant of one of the most influential books of all time.
I remember the feeling of being profoundly moved. My understanding of religion was limited at the time to the psychological and allegorical, but still I knew what I was experiencing was something special. Since then I have never engaged with the sweeping negative judgements and the outright rejection without consideration that I see many of those from other religions (or the non-religious) doing with Christianity, most if not all of which don’t analyze beyond historicity, politics and philosophy.
Instead I’ve remained positive, open and receptive to it, if not actually a Christian. Something I’ve maintained with all other orthodox religious faiths.
Over the years I’ve become a Traditionalist, roughly meaning adherence to the spiritual truths ‘handed down’; not to conservative partisanship upholding manmade custom, documentary collection or antiquarian interest.
An essential part of participating in Tradition is to actually choose one, and for all this time I’ve swayed between Vaishnavite Hinduism and Orthodox Christianity.
For the first time in my life in November 2024, not long before this review, while I was in Edinburgh I decided to go and attend an Orthodox liturgical service, it also being the first church service in general I’ve ever been to.
For this year, 2025, I decided I would more seriously dedicate myself to the reading of and mindful living of a religious and spiritual life, something more active than what I’ve been more passively, or ‘intellectually’, doing up until now.
Following personal experiences and expediency the path of focus has been the Orthodox Way. Though in small steps, since: “When you find honey, eat what is sufficient, Lest being filled, you should vomit it up.” Prov. 25:18.
So, picking this book up seemed the reasonable decision, and a very fruitful one.
Rating sacred scripture seems unnecessary, but the annotations and topical articles throughout the Study Bible were a lot of fun to check up on after each chapter, and it made me eager to read and meditate on further commentaries.
I remember the feeling of being profoundly moved. My understanding of religion was limited at the time to the psychological and allegorical, but still I knew what I was experiencing was something special. Since then I have never engaged with the sweeping negative judgements and the outright rejection without consideration that I see many of those from other religions (or the non-religious) doing with Christianity, most if not all of which don’t analyze beyond historicity, politics and philosophy.
Instead I’ve remained positive, open and receptive to it, if not actually a Christian. Something I’ve maintained with all other orthodox religious faiths.
Over the years I’ve become a Traditionalist, roughly meaning adherence to the spiritual truths ‘handed down’; not to conservative partisanship upholding manmade custom, documentary collection or antiquarian interest.
An essential part of participating in Tradition is to actually choose one, and for all this time I’ve swayed between Vaishnavite Hinduism and Orthodox Christianity.
For the first time in my life in November 2024, not long before this review, while I was in Edinburgh I decided to go and attend an Orthodox liturgical service, it also being the first church service in general I’ve ever been to.
For this year, 2025, I decided I would more seriously dedicate myself to the reading of and mindful living of a religious and spiritual life, something more active than what I’ve been more passively, or ‘intellectually’, doing up until now.
Following personal experiences and expediency the path of focus has been the Orthodox Way. Though in small steps, since: “When you find honey, eat what is sufficient, Lest being filled, you should vomit it up.” Prov. 25:18.
So, picking this book up seemed the reasonable decision, and a very fruitful one.
Rating sacred scripture seems unnecessary, but the annotations and topical articles throughout the Study Bible were a lot of fun to check up on after each chapter, and it made me eager to read and meditate on further commentaries.
September 13, 2012
First let me say that I'm writing this review to encourage Protestants to read the (deuterocanonical) books of the Bible which are typically only found in Catholic or Orthodox Bibles. I review the books for my reactions to them, which is irreverent in a sense, but I do hope my recommendations have a cumulative effect of drawing people to these wonderful narratives.
The Orthodox Study Bible is great because it has a vibrant translation of the full Orthodox canon including books that Protestants don't have - like Judith, Tobit, and I, II, and III Maccabees. (Catholics have most of these books in their canon as well aside from III Maccabees.) I'd heard that Luther and others recommended it for devotional reading, and I definitely found that it strengthened my walk with God and my understanding of the rest of the Bible, particularly Maccabees and Judith. In fact, I'll say that without reading I and II Maccabees you really don't understand the New Testament as well as you could. Tobit was fun and faith building.
The Orthodox (and Catholic) Bible also has an extra section of Daniel including the story of Susanna and the Elders. This didn't hit me as hard, but it was fine.
One of the reasons these books weren't canonized is that it has content espousing views we don't hold. For example, at one point in Tobit, the hero burns parts of a fish to scare away a demon. We don't view demons as being repulsed by physical things in this way. These books are also not canonized for those following Judaism; they're not in the Hebrew Bible. However, its pages are filled with people responding to challenges with faith in God. Excellent material.
All of this pertains to the books themselves. The commentary is (to me) almost worthless, typically stating the obvious.
The Orthodox Study Bible is great because it has a vibrant translation of the full Orthodox canon including books that Protestants don't have - like Judith, Tobit, and I, II, and III Maccabees. (Catholics have most of these books in their canon as well aside from III Maccabees.) I'd heard that Luther and others recommended it for devotional reading, and I definitely found that it strengthened my walk with God and my understanding of the rest of the Bible, particularly Maccabees and Judith. In fact, I'll say that without reading I and II Maccabees you really don't understand the New Testament as well as you could. Tobit was fun and faith building.
The Orthodox (and Catholic) Bible also has an extra section of Daniel including the story of Susanna and the Elders. This didn't hit me as hard, but it was fine.
One of the reasons these books weren't canonized is that it has content espousing views we don't hold. For example, at one point in Tobit, the hero burns parts of a fish to scare away a demon. We don't view demons as being repulsed by physical things in this way. These books are also not canonized for those following Judaism; they're not in the Hebrew Bible. However, its pages are filled with people responding to challenges with faith in God. Excellent material.
All of this pertains to the books themselves. The commentary is (to me) almost worthless, typically stating the obvious.
December 31, 2020
Definitely a Bible that every Orthodox Christian should read, at least once in their lifetime, if not annually. Having the insights of the Church Fathers of the first few centuries of Christianity for certain passages in either the Old Testament or New Testament is helpful in understanding the Holy Scriptures with a patristic mindset.
June 19, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I've been using this study Bible as a Protestant to learn more about Orthodoxy and the Church Fathers. Very insightful in that regard, and I absolutely adore the iconography included--one of the main components that drew me to this one.
The study notes aren't as "in depth" as I'd expected, which sometimes is fine but other times gives me pause: "That's really all you have to say on the topic?" LOL. I appreciated reading some of the other reviews and getting a more fleshed-out picture (having not read every verse/study note in this iteration, granted). It is always interesting to see dialogue on differences of opinion within study notes, as well. So, a solid resource as a secondary-use Bible; not one I'll use for primary reading/study, but I sure like having it in my collection!
I've been using this study Bible as a Protestant to learn more about Orthodoxy and the Church Fathers. Very insightful in that regard, and I absolutely adore the iconography included--one of the main components that drew me to this one.
The study notes aren't as "in depth" as I'd expected, which sometimes is fine but other times gives me pause: "That's really all you have to say on the topic?" LOL. I appreciated reading some of the other reviews and getting a more fleshed-out picture (having not read every verse/study note in this iteration, granted). It is always interesting to see dialogue on differences of opinion within study notes, as well. So, a solid resource as a secondary-use Bible; not one I'll use for primary reading/study, but I sure like having it in my collection!
December 17, 2012
The OT is not very faithful to the Septuagint (LXX) as advertised, and the NKJV text in the NT is still very Protestant in places where alternate translations would be more appropriate (and historically faithful) for Orthodoxy. It doesn't stick to the conventional verse numbering scheme used by most bibles, so references are off in places. Finally, the commentary is often very shallow where more depth would be appropriate. It's better than nothing for Orthodox Christians, but I hope something better is released some day.
March 6, 2013
the best Bible out there - as simple as that, if there would been a six stars option I would've used it to rate the OSB. Just love all the conditional notes, included iconografy is outstanding, and added prayers are very helpful. Your best companion for a fruitful, spiritually loaded and knowledgeable walk through life as a practising Orthodox Christian.
P.S. gave my copy away to an Orthodox Christian family who couldn't afford to buy it, so will need to buy another one soon.
P.S. gave my copy away to an Orthodox Christian family who couldn't afford to buy it, so will need to buy another one soon.
July 7, 2018
When reading the proscribed daily passages, which I do mainly during Lent, it's good to be able to refer to the explanatory notes. Although this version of the Bible is in plain English it can still be difficult to understand some passages and the notes are especially useful for this purpose.
This is ongoing reading matter.
This is ongoing reading matter.
October 4, 2015
This was disappointing. I read Genesis through Leviticus, comparing it to the Greek LXX and slowly realized that this is not truly a translation of the LXX. Whenever I encountered a textual variant between the LXX and the MT, half the time it followed the LXX and half the time the MT. For the life of me I cannot figure out the pattern or principles guiding this picking-and-choosing! I purchased this book primarily because I wanted an English version of the LXX, and this failed to meet my requirements. Instead I now use a nice hardcover edition of the NETS (New English Translation of the Septuagint), which also happens to be available online for free in PDF form.
Also, the footnotes and theological sidebars in this study Bible are representative of *modern* Eastern Orthodox fads, with all its neo-Palamite and anti-Western biases. Traditional Eastern Orthodox theology is not well represented in this volume.
Also, the footnotes and theological sidebars in this study Bible are representative of *modern* Eastern Orthodox fads, with all its neo-Palamite and anti-Western biases. Traditional Eastern Orthodox theology is not well represented in this volume.
March 1, 2021
Hadn’t considered mentioning this on here until this very moment, but I did finally read the Bible from cover to cover in one go at it. I chose the Orthodox Bible for a few reasons, but the main one being to have as many books incorporated into it as possible (Catholic and Protestant Bibles kept smaller canons). I feel as though to offer a serious review of the Bible is kind of like offering up a detailed account of an LSD experience, it’s not likely to resonate with anyone. Perhaps that is the most incredible thing about God’s Word, that it speaks to everyone in such vastly separate ways, yet can resonate for those who truly hear it, to the deepest reaches of their being.
December 25, 2015
My review of 3 stars is not on account of the theology of the Orthodox Churches, but this study Bible is simply not as comprehensive of those produced by other traditions. I believe that the Lutheran study bible incorporate more of the early Church Fathers. Some of the articles are informative. I believe those who within the Orthodox tradition would be better served to get the Ancient Christian Commentary series for serious Bible study. Having said that, this is a good first attempt.
November 22, 2014
My favourite edition of the Bible. The insights, usually in the form of select commentary from the Early Church Fathers, are worth the price of admission alone. It's like a guided tour through the Holy Scriptures by some of Orthodoxy's greatest theologians.
January 30, 2009
it's God's word with notes and art by some of the earliest known church fathers and mothers
December 31, 2024
Loved listening to Fr. Alexis Kouri on Ancient Faith.
August 13, 2019
The OT is great because it’s a new translation of the Septuagint. The NT is less great, because the editors decided to use the NKJV, a comparatively weak translation among other contemporary ones. But the study notes are the reason to read this one. As a United Methodist the Eastern Orthodox perspective was great to be immersed in, especially how many of the OT notes are Christological interpretations, and how many of all the notes refer to the use of Scripture in the liturgy and at particular times of the church year. One annoyance was times when notes referred to “the Church teaches” rather than naming the particular Church Father or other source of an interpretation, cutting off further reading and further following curiosity to the sources.
April 27, 2025
It took me many years, due mostly to my own laziness, but I have officially read the Bible from cover to cover. Some good notes are here, but I also used the Catena app to really help understand the verses that weren't clear to me. Set the app to Byzantine Theology for the best information.
April 2, 2026
I won’t spoil but this book was fire🔥🔥
September 4, 2025
Read after following a read the Orthodox Study Bible in a year plan.
September 10, 2012
I have mixed feelings about this Bible, which deeply saddens me. I really wanted to like this Bible. But like others I have spoken to, they too are a bit disappointed with this Bible. The Orthodox Study Bible started out as the New Testament and Psalms, and with massive funding they started a project to publish the Old Testament with the New Testament. So it is nice to have the full Bible in one volume, especially when so many people publish just the New Testament for the price of a full Bible.
However, in this case, it might have been better to just keep the New Testament. The Old Testament translation was supposed to be a more accurate translation of the original Septuagint. What it ended up being was a different story. The translators basically took the New King James Version (NKJV) and tried to make it match up to the Septuagint. I have been told, since I don't read Greek (sadly) that they didn't even do this well.
There are some positives to take away from the Bible though. For starters, the English-speaking Orthodox people have a Bible they can call their own, instead of the NKJV or American Standard Version (ASV). I am a convert to Catholicism, but seeing that Orthodox and Catholics were/are the original and true Church (not getting into that in this review), I can't imagine either one of them not having an English Bible, but apparently that time did exist.
There are also copious footnotes in the Scriptures. Sadly, most of them are very basic footnotes that don't add a lot to the discussion. I do like the footnotes that tell when specific passages are read during the Church Year. That is definitely a valuable resource, as it helps you put what you're reading in the context of the Church seasons. Also throughout the Bible are various word studies explaining different Biblical terms, which explain Biblical terms and give you references to where you can find out the Biblical basis for those terms.
Overall, I would give this Bible 3.5 stars. It is a good Bible translation, but not a great one. It can be better, and it should be better. Hopefully, there will be a revision to this edition or other translators will undertake the task of making a better translation.
However, in this case, it might have been better to just keep the New Testament. The Old Testament translation was supposed to be a more accurate translation of the original Septuagint. What it ended up being was a different story. The translators basically took the New King James Version (NKJV) and tried to make it match up to the Septuagint. I have been told, since I don't read Greek (sadly) that they didn't even do this well.
There are some positives to take away from the Bible though. For starters, the English-speaking Orthodox people have a Bible they can call their own, instead of the NKJV or American Standard Version (ASV). I am a convert to Catholicism, but seeing that Orthodox and Catholics were/are the original and true Church (not getting into that in this review), I can't imagine either one of them not having an English Bible, but apparently that time did exist.
There are also copious footnotes in the Scriptures. Sadly, most of them are very basic footnotes that don't add a lot to the discussion. I do like the footnotes that tell when specific passages are read during the Church Year. That is definitely a valuable resource, as it helps you put what you're reading in the context of the Church seasons. Also throughout the Bible are various word studies explaining different Biblical terms, which explain Biblical terms and give you references to where you can find out the Biblical basis for those terms.
Overall, I would give this Bible 3.5 stars. It is a good Bible translation, but not a great one. It can be better, and it should be better. Hopefully, there will be a revision to this edition or other translators will undertake the task of making a better translation.
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