ESV Literary Study Bible (Cloth over Board): Holy Bible, English Standard Version

by Anonymous

Explore the Literary Structure of the Bible In order to understand the content of the Bible, readers first need to understand how the content is expressed. The literary forms and features of the Bible are a crucial part of understanding the Bible's message―both for its original audience and for readers today. Compared to conventional study Bibles that answer the what of a passage, the  ESV Literary Study Bible  guides readers through the Bible text, showing how to read the passage. Combining over 1,200 insightful notes with the complete ESV Bible text, this volume highlights literary features such as genre, images, plot, setting, stylistic and rhetorical techniques, and artistry so readers can more richly understand the unity, flow, and profound depth of the biblical text. First published in 2007, the  ESV Literary Study Bible  has been refreshed with an all-new typesetting while retaining all the same content that helps readers discover and teach the message of the Bible embodied in its literary forms and features.

2032 pages, Hardcover

Published March 31, 2020

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* 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

Reviews

[Robert Cathcart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used the Literary Study Bible for my yearly Bible reading plan. The introductions/outlines to each book, and the literary summaries at the beginning of chapters/sections helped me to slow down and to meditate upon the meaning of the text - instead of speed reading the assigned chapters each day. I would highly recommend it for this purpose!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ESV Literary Study Bible by Crossway Books is both a reader's and a literary Bible. Beyond being a reader's Bible it is also a study Bible. In addition to being the inerrant Word of God, the Bible is also a work of literature. We do not diminish the authority and divine inspiration of the Bible by viewing it as a book of literature. When you examine the sixty-six books contained in the Bible, each book conveys its message in a different way. There is a vast difference between the poetry in the Song of Solomon and that found in the Psalms. ESV Literary Study Bible is designed to help readers better understand the message(s) that individual authors intended in their writings.

How is the Bible defined as literature?

In literature, a writing's genre is the mode in which its content is expressed. Narrative and poetry are the two main genres found in the Bible. There are more than one hundred literary genres in the Bible. Prophecy, visionary, apocalyptic, pastoral, oratory, drama, epistles, monologues, and hymns are some of the other genres in the Bible.

There is a wide range of literary subject matter, from abstract propositional discourse to concrete presentations of human experience.

The Bible is considered to be the most complete repository of archetypes in the Western world, as it contains plot motifs, character types, and images that repeat throughout literature and life.

There are many stylistics and rhetorical devices that can be used in a piece of writing. These include: imagery, metaphor, simile, symbol, allusion, irony, wordplay, hyperbole, apostrophe, personification, paradox, and pun. Many of these images and figures of speech are found in the poetic and prophetic books of the Bible, as well as in Jesus' discourses in the Gospels.

Literature is an art form.

Fallacies About Literary Approaches to the Bible

Viewing the Bible as Literature Betrays Liberal Theological Bias

The Idea of the Bible as Literature is a Modern Idea Foreign to the Bible Itself

To Speak of the Bible as Literature is to Claim that the Bible is Fictional

To Approach the Bible as Literature Means Approaching it only as Literature

To Say that the Bible is Literature denies its Divine Inspiration

Twelve Literary Feature of the Bible

A Unifying Storyline

The Presence of a Central Character

Religious Orientation

Variety of Genres and Styles

Preference of the Concrete over the Abstract

Realism

Simplicity

Preference for the Brief Unit

Elemental Quality

Oral Style

Aphoristic Quality

The Literature of Confrontation

There is a thorough introduction to each book of the Bible. Introductions vary in their content. In the book of Isaiah, you will find this information.

The Book at a Glance

Prophecy as the Dominant Genre

Other Genre

Format

Tips for Reading and Interpreting Isaiah

Inferred Literary Intentions

Theological Themes

Isaiah as a Chapter in the Master Story of the Bible

These elements are present in the introduction to the Book of Matthew.

The Book at a Glance

Genres

Format

The Storyline

How to Visualize the Book

Phetorical and Stylistic Features

Inferred Literary Intentions

Theological Themes

Matthew as a Chapter in the Master Story of the Bible

Before Esther chapter 5, we are presented with this literary explanation entitled Esther Intervenes for Her Nation.

"The book of Esther is written in an embellished style, with scenes and speeches presented in full detail. In this chapter, this technique yields the famous picture of Esther appearing unsummoned before the king, who extends his scepter toward the queen. Esther invites the king to two banquets, perhaps weakening at the first one when the king asks what she wants (v.8) and in any case increasing the suspense of the story. The storyteller does not tell us why Esther also invites Haman, but it may have been part of a strategy to force the king into making a decision on the spot when at the second banquet Esther makes her accusation. But we are a long way from that moment when Haman returns from the first banquet "joyful and glad of heart" (v.9) and bragging to his wife and friends (vv. 10-13). The construction of the gallows that Haman intends for Mordecai shows him to be the archetypal overreacher –– the person whose personal ambition is too excessive to succeed."

My personal opinion is that the ESV Literary Study Bible offers an interesting and unique way to study the Bible. It makes sense to explore the Bible as a work of literature after reading the lengthy Introduction at the beginning of the Bible. While maintaining the traditional chapter and verse format, typical study notes are not included in the Bible. Scripture passages flow naturally like great works of literature, without distraction. However, literary notes within the text provide a guide to individual books and passages. To avoid blending with the scripture text, the print size and style differ. The literary aids are placed at appropriate points within the text. My daily Bible reading will be enriched with the ESV Literary Study Bible.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this three stars because finally, I couldn't decide whether to recommend it or not. It has been highly blurbed by a number of people smarter and better educated than I am (see Amazon) so maybe they know something I don't. I thought the Introduction and the glossary of literary terms were worth studying. But the annotations I found repetitive and often hardly more than a summary of the following section. I also found the annotations too numerous. If you are dealing with literary genres, especially in narrative, they extend well beyond the chapter, but virtually every chapter in every book has an introductory annotation. The other thing that's is lacking is that there is no sense at all of larger units. The comments rarely extend even to the length of a chapter, let alone larger sections. I suppose this Bible might be helpful for people who are just beginning to study the Bible, but I think even they would be put off by the highly repetitive nature of many of the comments. It also struck me as odd that there is no indication anywhere in the book as to who did the annotating. Virtually all study Bibles have a list of those who contributed to the work. But there is nothing os that sort with this one.