Crossway has been publishing beautiful editions of the English Standard Version since the turn of the century, but none have been more practical than their journaling bibles.
In this review, I will survey four ESV journaling Bibles, highlighting the unique advantages of each. But before I begin, I would like I make an observation.
Journaling Bibles require us to stare imperfection in the eyes. They require you to scribble fallible thoughts on pages that contain the inerrant Word of God. Journaling Bibles are no different than study bibles in this regard, but study bibles have a handful of trained theological and style editors. This is not so with journaling bibles. So get comfortable with misspelled words, smeared ink, and exciting incites you later find to be heretical.
So why use a journaling bible? Journaling bibles are simply the best way to engage God's Word. They enable you to log what you learn as the Spirit guides you into a deeper knowledge of the Lord. They're great for illustrating, taking sermon notes, and sketching outlines of sermons you preach or Sunday School lessons you teach. And once you've filled your journaling bible with notes, it becomes a precious testimony to the seriousness with which you approach God's Word. Something your children and grandchildren can benefit from as they thumb through your old bibles.
Double-Column ESV Journaling Bible
The standard, Double-Column ESV Journaling Bible provides lined margins for note-taking (a feature of all ESV journaling bibles except the interleaved bible). The lines aren't dark and heavy as in some other journaling bibles I've seen. Instead, they are visible to help you keep your text straight, but are light enough to keep from being a distraction.
The popular two-column layout provides a sense of familiarity for most bible readers and creates a nice sense of balance on the page.
I would recommend this bible for readers who are interested in switching to a journaling bible, but who would like a text layout similar to more traditional bibles they may be used to reading.
Single Column Journaling Bible
The ESV Single-Column Journaling Bible combines the wide, lined margins of the ESV Journaling Bible and the popular single-column text format of the ESV Study Bible.
The single column text layout makes for a more natural reading experience. If you like the novelized look of the ESV Reader's Bible but want to keep all of your section headings and verse numbers, a single-column bible is the way to go.
ESV Interleaved Journaling Bible
The new ESV Interleaved Journaling Bible is based on the famous "Blank Bible" Jonathan Edwards owned. From Genesis to Revelation, each page of text (front and back) is followed by an entirely blank page (front and back).
Of all the ESV Journaling Bibles, this is my favorite. This format allows me to write entire essays on a text of Scripture on the facing page.
The paper in this journaling bible (as with the others) is thick enough to prevent bleed through (which is especially necessary with this much space to write), but it's not so thick that the bible feels cumbersome. The Interleaved Bible is about the height, width, and thickness of the ESV Study Bible.
This journaling bible is also perfect for bible readers who like to illustrate their bibles. There is room for large, detailed illustrations, with room to spare for notes.
The Writer’s Edition
Wide-margin bibles and journaling bibles usually give the reader free space on the outer edges of the page to take notes, but the ESV Writer’s Edition moves this free space to the bottom third of the page (the same space occupied by study notes in most study bibles). The Writer’s edition allows you to write your thoughts out across the entire width of the page rather than requiring you to start a new line every three or four words.
The layout of the page in the Writer’s Edition lends itself to fully developed thoughts and impressions about entire passages rather than detailed notes about particular verses. Someone who wants to make notes about several verses on the page may want to choose one of the other journaling bibles mentioned in this review.
Regardless of which ESV Journaling Bible you choose, you’re getting a quality product. Beautifully bound, formatted, and packaged, these journaling bibles can endure extensive use, and will be wonderful resources for you and your children for years after you’ve filled them with notes.