Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture - NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

One of the fundamental rules of biblical interpretation is that the Bible should be read in context. A corollary to this is that taking the Bible out of context is a great error. Bible readers should strive to do the former and avoid the latter. Context changes everything, you see.

The problem is that our cultural context is not the cultural context of the Bible’s original writers, hearers, and readers. For example, the story of Abraham (Genesis 12:1ff.) took place 4,000 years ago. Abraham’s world was characterized by polytheism, concubinage, slavery, sacrifice (of both animals and children), and a pastoral economy.

Similarly, the story of the apostle Paul (Acts 9:1ff.) took place 2,000 years ago. It was a world characterized by Greek culture and language, Roman law and politics, Gentile polytheism versus Jewish monotheism, slavery, and very different assumptions than ours about the worth of women and children, among other things.

The differences between our cultural backgrounds and the Bible’s cultural backgrounds illustrate the truth of L. P. Hartley’s famous statement, “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” To understand the Bible’s meaning here, we must understanding its meaning there.

Unfortunately, the Bible’s cultural backgrounds are often opaque to us. Its original hearers and readers would’ve picked up on the meaning of a given Bible passage immediately because they understood its culture from the inside. Contemporary readers have to work harder to understand a text in its original context.

There are numerous print resources help readers do this: anthologies of ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman literature, Bible commentaries, dictionaries and encyclopedias, histories of the biblical eras, archaeological reports, and scholarly monographs on a variety of topics. The libraries of Bible scholars and pastors usually contain books like these.

The average Bible reader often doesn’t have the time to read or resources to accumulate such a library, however. What they want is a reliable, affordable volume that explains the basics of the Bible’s cultural backgrounds. That’s why I’m so excited about the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, edited by John H. Walton and Craig S. Keener, and published by Zondervan.

Walton and Keener are respected Bible scholars, teaching Old Testament at Wheaton College and New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary, respectively. Both are devout Christians with a high view of Scripture’s inspiration and authority. Keener is a fellow Pentecostal.

Both have devoted a significant portion of their scholarly careers to understanding the Bible’s cultural backgrounds. Walton served as general editor of The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. Keener authored The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Walton and Keener drew on these resources to write the Old and New Testament sections of the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, respectively.

Here are some of the key features of this Bible:

• Introductions to each book of the Bible
• 10,000 notes explaining specific verses
• 320 essays and 375 maps, charts, and diagrams that “summarize and explain important background information from Scripture” (p. iv)
• The NIV Cross-center Cross Reference system and the NIV Concordance, both of which are common to all NIV study Bibles

The focus of this study Bible is the cultural backgrounds of the Old and New Testaments. Walton and Keener identify “three goals” in their introduction to the text:

1. We study the history of the Biblical world as a means of recovering knowledge of the events that shaped the lives of people in the ancient world.
2. We study archaeology as a means of recovering the lifestyle reflected in the material culture of the ancient world.
3. We study the literature of the ancient world as a means of penetrating the heart and soul of the people who inhabited that world (p. x).

This focus on history, archaeology, and literature means that the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible does not address questions about the application of biblical teaching to today’s questions, as do many other study Bibles. Instead, its goal is to illuminate the meaning of the Bible in its original cultural contexts.

One of the paradoxical themes that emerges from such a focus is similarity and difference. Put simply, biblical religion displays both similarities to ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman culture, the cultural backgrounds of the Old and New Testaments, as well as differences from those cultures. Both are necessary to fully understand the Bible in context.

Let me illustrate this with two articles from the study Bible:

The first comes from the Old Testament. The religions of both Israel and other ancient near eastern societies involved animal sacrifices and food offerings. See the opening chapters of Leviticus for a biblical example of this. This illustrates similarity.

But differences emerge on close inspection—deep differences, in fact. An article titled “Great Symbiosis” (p. 186) explains:

"In the ancient Near Eastern world, people believed that the gods were initially quite content to live without human beings… As time went on, however, they grew tired of feeding themselves, making clothes for themselves and building houses for themselves. Digging ditches for irrigation to grow crops was heavy labor.

"They therefore decided to create humans as a slave labor force. The responsibility of humans was to care for the gods in every way. Rituals provided food and drink the gods. Temples provided housing. The gods then became dependent on people to provide the luxury to which they were accustomed and which they deserved. In turn, the gods would provide for the people (so the people could provide for them) and protect the people who were caring for them. This defined the codependent relationship between the gods and humans in the ancient world.

"Besides the rituals and the temple building, the gods were interested in maintaining justice among the people, but not because the gods were inherently just or because of any sense of ethical right and wrong. Rather, the gods understood that if society was plagued by lawlessness, violence and disorder, the people would not be at liberty to carry out their ritual obligations. Thus there was a symbiotic relationship between gods and people…which was maintained for a smoothly operating ritual system, designed to keep the gods happy."

The “Great Symbiosis” describes the relationship between gods and humans in the ancient Near Eastern cultures surrounding Israel. It was fundamentally materialistic, concerned with divine and human needs for food and shelter, and it prioritized ritual over righteousness.

Israel’s theology, on the other hand, was primarily moral and prioritized righteousness—a divine attribute—over ritual. The article goes on to say:

"The difference in Israel was that even though they offered sacrifices to Yahweh, Yahweh did not need these sacrifices as food. In his covenant with Israel he promised to provide for his people and to take care of them, much like other gods did. However, what he required of them was not care and feeding, but covenant fidelity. We could therefore say that the Great Symbiosis was replaced in Israel by the Covenant Symbiosis."

Here’s another example, this time from the New Testament. Between 1946 and 1956, scholars discovered 981 texts (or fragments of texts) in caves near the northern end of the Dead Sea called Qumran. The Dead Sea Scrolls include numerous copies of texts of the Old Testament, as well as texts describing the theology and practice of a sectarian Jewish group living in Qumran, probably the Essenes.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls revolutionized our understanding of Second Temple Judaism, the period between the second century B.C. and the second century A.D., the period during which Jesus lived and the early church began. Scholars noted “significant examples of how the Qumran community parallels the New Testament church.” And yet, despite these similarities, the early church was also very different from the Qumran community. The article titled “Qumran and the New Testament” goes on to summarize the differences:

"In sum, the Dead Sea Scrolls give us information on the kinds of issues of concern to Jews during the New Testament era: the identity of God’s true people, questions of ritual and purity, and the search for a fresh word of revelation in troubled times. But the community that emerged from Jesus’ teaching was radically different from that of Qumran. In many ways, Qumran depicts for us “the road not taken” by the early Christians (p. 1757)."

Once we see the cultural backgrounds of the Bible, we realize that surface similarities often masked deep differences. Israel’s sacrificial system was similar to other ancient Near Eastern societies, but its theology was different. The early church’s worldview shared concerns with other Jewish groups, but how it addressed those concerns was different.

Although the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible does not focus on questions of application, it seems to me that understanding the similarities and differences of Israel and the Church to their surrounding cultures has enormous practical value. Christians today Christians cannot live in contemporary society without looking and sounding like our neighbors, to a great degree. And yet, there are deep differences. The goal is to be “in” the world without being “of” the world (John 17:13–19). Understanding how first Israel and then the Church struggled to be in-but-not-of helps us with our own struggle to do the same today.

Obviously, in a work of this size—weighing 4.3 lbs., this study Bible has 2,400 pages—a reader won’t agree with all the authors’ notes or essays. Walton and Keener take care to differentiate conclusions that reflect scholarly consensus from topics where there is a scholarly difference of opinion. Even so, I found my understanding of biblical passages enriched by encountering them in light of the history, archaeology, and literature of their cultural backgrounds.

The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is available in print and digital formats. It is available in Kindle format for $14.99, in hardcover for $49.99, and in three leather-bound options for $79.99. The Kindle price is attractive, but I would recommend buying the hardcover or leather-bound copy. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive, but I think it’s much easier to use.

If you’d like to test-drive the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible before you buy it, I’d encourage you to visit the website contextchangeseverything[dot]com, which includes a sampler of the print version of Genesis and Matthew. To see the layout of the Kindle version, click “Look Inside” on its the store page.

Love, love, love this Bible!! I had wanted a good study Bible for some time so I did some research on study Bibles. This one got some great reviews. Plus I wanted to know more about the culture of Biblical times and this Bible provides that and so much more. I've been studying the book of Matthew. The maps help me to see the travels of Jesus and his disciples and how far the different towns were from each other. The notes within the chapters provide much needed information about not only the culture of the times but also in-depth discussions of what the verses really mean. Plus there are informative articles within the books to explain various topics relating to the verses within the books. The cover of the Bible is black bonded leather and the pages are edged in silver.

The mantra of Bible interpreters the world over is context, context, context. You can twist the Bible into supporting virtually anything you want but when you read and interpret the Bible in its context then everything changes.

Context changes everything is the slogan Zondervan Bibles has chosen to showcase their new Bible the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (2016). Containing the full text of the NIV version of the Bible, this study Bible is edited by world renown scholars John H. Walton (OT) and Craig S. Kenner (NT). While this study Bible draws on the work of many scholars, Dr. Walton has drawn extensively on his own work in the Zondervan Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament and Dr. Keener has drawn on his work in The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament.

While there are numerous good study Bible’s out there in a number of good translations, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible stands apart from the rest for a number of reasons. Written with the purpose “to increase your understanding of the cultural nuances behind the text of God’s Word,” the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible “has been developed with the goal of allowing readers to immerse themselves in the culture, the literature, the geography and the everyday life of the people to who the Bible was originally written.” There are several features of the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible which facilitate these stated goals and an example of each will be given from the book of Deuteronomy:

1. Introductions – The introductions to each book orient the reader to any relevant issues related to the broader cultural, literary, and geographical settings to the book. Most of Deuteronomy addresses the re-giving of the Mosaic Law. Similar to the OT, there are numerous collections of laws from neighboring cultures such as the Sumerian Laws of Ur-Nammu and the Old Babylonian Laws of Eshnunna.

2. Sidebars – Throughout each book there are full color pictures of cultural artifacts, geographical locations, and comparison or data charts which bring to light more detailed information about a key aspect of the text. In Deut. 27 there is a picture capturing Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal where the former mountain was a reminder of God’s covenantal blessing’s and the later God’s covenant curses.

3. Study Notes – The bulk of the information about the text comes from the study notes themselves. In keeping with the stated purpose for this study Bible, these notes expand on the cultural, literary, and geographical issues in the text. As such, they do not primarily intend to address theological or practical issues, though they are sometimes given a nod in passing. This should not be seen as a weakness. For instance, in the notes on Deut. 6:4 which says, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” they focus on the ancient near eastern (ANE) thought regarding deities and worship. Some of the notes say the following, “The claim that a deity is one or alone, as maybe Enlil and Baal, relates to the supremacy of that god’s rule….Another possibility is that this statement demands a unified view of Yahweh, in contrast to the views of the other Near Eastern peoples who would have many different shrines celebrating or emphasizing a different perspective or aspect of their gods.” (306) If you were to compare these notes of the same verse with those of the ESV Study Bible or even the NIV Zondervan Study Bible you will see a noticeable difference in the content of the discussion around the same topic.

4. Articles – In addition to the sidebars, there are a few hundred short articles tackling various important issues raised in the text. For instance, there is an article addressing on Deut. 34 and the death of Moses and the authorship of Deuteronomy. In it the issue is raised as to whether or not Moses penned the entire book of Deuteronomy himself or if he had the help of trained scribes. At the back of the study Bible there is both a canonical and alphabetical list of the articles for quick reference.

5. Ancient Near Eastern Parallels – This feature of the study Bible plays a major role in the formation of everything mentioned above. Much of the content of the notes draws on the parallels that the OT & NT text has to other cultures. Some will think the editors have gone too far with the comparisons. The intent is not to imply that the biblical text has simply copied ANE sources, historical accounts or cultural ways of life. Rather, the desire is to show the points of similarity and dissimilarity between the life lived by those who did not follow God and those who did. The point is to teach us about the text rather than imply that the biblical text is in some way inferior to the surrounding ANE cultures.

In addition to the printed options for the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible there is also an app for OliveTree where you can purchase either the study Bible itself or the notes. Both options work seamlessly in your app along side of your other books. You can also check out the OliveTree Bible study app which enables you to get the most out of all the tools in your library including the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible.

The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is definitely a study Bible that you want to have on your shelf next to your other favorites. It truly has content that no other study Bible has and it adds to the readers understanding of the biblical text and the world surrounding it. It brings to life and clarity the world and point of the text in a way that no other study Bible does.

I received this book for free from the Zondervan for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

I really wanted this study Bible but the font was way too small and light. A darker, larger font would have made this a worthwhile addition to my library. This book has no use for me since I cannot read it. Why do publishers insist on going the cheap route by using such a small, light font? I'm not going to use a magnifying glass just to read this. A shame!

As an experienced pastor and Bible scholar (20+ years of ministry), I like to read a different study Bible through in its entirety every year so that I can glean insights along the way and gain fresh perspectives on Scripture. I feel that I can speak somewhat uniquely with a book like this as someone who actually reads it in entirety as opposed to just referencing passages. There are moments that this is a genuinely useful reference tool, and the presentation (including maps, charts, photos, and illustrations) is extremely useful, but after a while a very disturbing trend became clear. It seems that every ancient document outside of the Bible is given more weight than the Bible itself when discrepancies appear, despite that fact that none (not one) of those documents have received the scrutiny, scholarship, and vetting that Scripture itself has (not to mention Divine Inspiration!!!). There is a subtle agenda that steadily seeks to undermine the credibility of Scripture at every turn, from places to events to the numbers presented as fact. I am left believing that the authors here have little belief in the accuracy of Scripture, but seem to take everything out of Ugarit or Egypt as "Gospel truth". There is useful information to be found in these pages, but unless you are an experienced student of the Word (and ancient history), you might find yourself having less rather than more belief by the time you put down this book. That's fine, if this were marketed as a critique of Scripture, but it most certainly is not when marketed as a "Study Bible".

Properly understanding the context of a historical document such as the Bible is necessary to unlock a meaning that leads to application. Context changes everything in the arena of biblical interpretation and it is near impossible to do serious study of the Bible without a sufficient understanding of the context. As is frequently repeated, the golden rule of biblical interpretation is “context, context, context.” It is here that the recently released NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible edited by John H. Walton and Craig S. Keener provides a much needed resource for pastors, students, and laity.

The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is both beautifully illustrated and rich with content. The full-color layout immerses the reader into the Bible like never before. There are plenty of high-quality photographs and illustrations throughout, as well as numerous maps, charts, and diagrams. Still, one of the most fascinating aspects of this Study Bible is the extent to which the publisher has sought to bring the reader into the cultural background beyond mere written content. The reader will encounter extensive high-resolution photographs of various artifacts, written documents, biblical manuscripts, and more. The experience of the Study Bible alone is well worth the cover price. It is truly as close to a total immersion into the biblical world as many readers will get in this lifetime.

As the title suggests, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is based on the updated 2011 NIV translation. The content of the study notes are above expectation. First, and probably foremost, the sheer amount of notes packed into this Study Bible is amazing—much, much more than a typical niche Study Bible. In fact, I would say the amount of notes is similar in number to that of any of the major Study Bibles released in recent years. Moreover, throughout the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible there are various sidebar topical discussions on cultural themes that arise with each book of the Old Testament and the New. These discussions vary in length—from a paragraph to a couple pages—and cover a ton of important subjects. For example, in Genesis the reader will discover conversation surrounding the historical setting of Genesis, ziggurats, cosmic history and mythology, patriarchal religion, covenant, and much more. Almost every other page has a significant entry relevant to the culture and background of a given book of the Bible.

There is much to be celebrated about the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. As stated above, I think that one of the most impressive aspects of this volume is the intentionality to bring the reader into the biblical world. The combination of visual and written content is paired with a unified mission like no other Study Bible I’ve ever seen or used. The closest comparison is the HCSB Study Bible, which succeeds in part visually, but lacks the depth of cultural interaction and content seen here. I also found the layout and organization of the Bible to be incredibly useful and well-executed. There is a ton of content on every page, but reading through it doesn’t feel as cumbersome as one might think. It is visually pleasing and the print quality is excellent. The font may be difficult for aged-eyes, especially in the study notes, but the print quality itself is akin to all previous Zondervan full-color Study Bible publications. It is currently available in hardcover, Italian duo-tone imitation leather, and black bonded leather. Premium ebony leather would be preferred (specifically the same build and quality of the Zondervan NIV Study Bible), but the options available at this time are more than sufficient.

The newly released and highly anticipated NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible edited by John H. Walton and Craig S. Keener is a phenomenal resource and deserves a spot on the shelf of all serious students of the Bible. This is a resource that will be consulted often and be used for many years to come. It is a resource that will drag the reader into the biblical world and illuminate the text like never before. If you are looking for a Study Bible that will uniquely compliment others in your library, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is one that could not be recommended more. It’s an instant classic that will quickly make its way to the top of your most used resources list. It comes highly recommended!

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for and honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

This 'NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible' contains many features. It allows readers to immerse themselves in the culture, everyday life, literature, and geography of the people to whom the Bible was originally written through articles, study notes, charts, maps, timelines, etc.

The beginning pages include: Presented To page, Title Page, Quick Start Guide, Table of Contents, Author Introduction, Acknowledgements, About the Authors Page, Abbreviations (General, and Old and New Testament Bible book abbreviations), Preface, Hebrew to English Translation Chart, Ancient Texts, and Old Testament Chronology.

Sections between the Old and New Testament: Description of the time between both of the testaments, time between Malachi to Christ, Key New Testament Terms, and New Testament Chronology.

Ending pages include: Table of Weights and Measures, Index of Articles in Canonical Order, Index of Articles in Alphabetical Order, Concordance, Index to Maps (with codes listed), and colored maps (each map is numbered and includes letters and numbers to locate rivers, mountains, towns, etc from the Index to Maps listed).

The books of the Bible are divided up in sections of: 1) The Torah, 2) Narrative Literature, 3) Wisdom of Hymnic Literature, 4) Oracles of the Prophets, 5) The Gospels and Acts, 6) The Letters and Revelation.

While reading through the Biblical books of Nehemiah and Ephesians in this Bible, I liked how I could learn about ancient cultural history during Biblical times. Even though the word LORD is used throughout this NIV version, information was included about God's name (that was replaced by LORD) in some of the articles and study notes (which I liked). I also liked that the study notes are included at the bottom of the pages and are close to the Scriptures that they explain and that the study notes in the New Testament Scriptures that I read included many thoughts related to different Hebrews of the times, and how the Scriptures applied to them. I noticed that most Bible books in this Speciality / Study Bible have an introduction which includes date and author, literary setting, and key concepts, although I noticed that at least one Bible book didn't have the introduction included (the book of Nehemiah).

I love how this Specialty/Study Bible focuses on the ancient times of the Biblical days and who it was written to during those times! It is filled with so much information that will continue to expand my mind each time I read something new. I will also try to allow the information to absorb deeper if I end up reading some of information more than once!

I received this Specialty/Study Bible free from the Book Look Bloggers program in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

One of the most important aspects in Bible study is context. Every preacher and anyone conducting a Bible study needs to understand the context of the passage under study, and understanding the context requires a full understanding of the cultural background of a given passage. If you want to gain knowledge regarding cultural backgrounds in the Bible then the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Bible, (Zondervan, 2016) is the resource you need to pursue that objective.

This Bible is designed to take Bible students to a higher level in understanding times and customs from the Bible. This amazing Bible comes with notes addressing cultural issues as well as exegetical and theological concerns. Notes are abundant, so potential readers should expect a Bible that demands a serious commitment to study it.

The design Zondervan has chosen for text in this Bible (NIV) is a two-column design. They have placed cross-references in a bar dividing the biblical text. This bar comes in light-brown color, which makes the cross-references easier to differentiate from the biblical text. Every chapter and heading is in red color to make it easier to identify them.

Every book in the Bible is preceded by a introduction, but unlike other study bibles, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Bible does not include outline or theological themes. Instead, introductions to biblical books include historical settings and literary settings, with key concepts. This is obvious due to the emphasis this Bible has on cultural and historical backgrounds.

As expected in a study Bible, the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Bible is full charts, diagrams, maps, and full-color pictures and images. This makes Bible study to be more dynamic and pleasant. A concordance is also included at the end of the Bible. And if that was not enough, this Bible includes a Hebrew to English translation chart, a chart showing ancient text relating to the Old Testament, an Old and Testament chronology, a study of the time between the Testaments, a list of key New Testament terms, and an introduction to biblical text divided by genre (the Torah, narrative literature, wisdom and hymnic literature, etc…). As you can see, this is a very complete Bible, a great addition to any pastor’s library.

As for the material, the volume reviewed in this review is a hardcover edition. Imitation leather and bonded leather are also available, varying in colors and price. The hardcover Bible I received feels strong and well crafted. It comes with a removable jacket to protect the hardcover. Price range is $34.99-$89.99.

Summarizing, this is a highly recommendable, a must have Bible for pastors, those in ministry, Bible students, and anyone seeking to deepen his or her knowledge on the subject of cultural backgrounds in the Bible. You will not regret it.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The New Testament commentary notes alone make this study Bible one of best available for readers who want to know about Jewish contextual issues. Craig Keener has amazingly broad knowledge, and is quite even-handed. Well worth buying just for this reason.

A couple minor negatives: John Walton is a true expert on the Ancient Near East as a whole. Often the OT commentary seemed lopsided, fascinated with parallels to the wider ANE, but light on discussion of the immediate context of Israel and the Jewish people. Also, there were not many cross-references, which I think are important to understanding context.

The readability issue has really been overstated by other reviewers. Yes, the text is a little light, but the issue is minor. I posted close-up photos on my review at OurRabbiJesus so that you can compare and decide for yourself. I can't believe a reviewer would give one star because of this - quite unfair and unjustified.

Ironically, the reason for the issue is because the CBSB contains such a massive amount of commentary compared to other study Bibles. When there are just a few lines of notes on the bottom of a page no one complains, but here the notes often fill half the page or more. I'm guessing that future printings will address the issue.

One other thing readers should keep in mind is that a study Bible is a general resource, and the format has constraints. Don't expect the commentary to address every issue you've read about, or contain as much data as a commentary on a single book of the Bible.

This study Bible is a great overview for readers -- a very needed one. Text readability is a very minor issue. I wouldn't worry about it.

I am reviewing the hardcover edition. This bible is also available as an ebook.

The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible By Craig S. Keener & John H. Walton, General Editors which is published by Zondervan is an excellent resource. It would be an incredible help for seminary students but I know that it will also be so helpful for the utilizing for the bible studies that I belong to. I prefer study bibles because they take away the guesswork when studying scripture and allow the reader to get more out of what they are studying. I love the notes, illustrations, introductions, charts and the maps. I love all the color! Colorful illustrations including the maps and illustrations are so helpful to reader. There is a great timeline at the beginning of the Old and New Testaments that are in color and are very informative.

At the beginning of the Old Testament there is a section on Major Background Issues from the Ancient Near East. I think that once a reader has the historical background, social, political and economic, they can interpret what is happening in the portion of the Bible they are reading and have a much greater understanding. There is an interesting section providing an introduction to the Torah.

At the beginning of the New Testament there is a section on Hearing the Gospels as First Century Hearers Heard Them. As a historian, I find that I have a much greater understanding of the books of the Bible once I understand the historical context. There are some excellent maps at the end of the Bible as well.

Overall, I find the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible to an excellent addition to my bible study library. I know that I will refer to it over and over. The NIV translation is my favorite translation so it is a winner right off the bat. I am a proud owner of this newly published bible and highly recommend it.

Whenever I review a Bible I head into my favorite book of the Bible which is Ruth so that's where I formed my opinion of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. On the opening page of Ruth I found a bit about the author, the historical setting which included an approximate date of when the events of the book took place. There is also a tiny box labeled key concepts which is just what it says it is, a few key concepts about the book of Ruth. The study notes were very good, they delve into the hazards of being a widow during the time period while also touching on difference between then and now. There are plenty of reference, actually a center column runs down the text but I also found additional reference verses embedded in the study notes as well. The color pictures enhances the text and touch on topics that are relevant to the particular scripture where they are placed. There are a few things that I didn't like about the Bible, and one has to do with the quality of the print, I feel like the text could have been darker, although the size of the text is great, even the study notes are printed in a decent size that is readable. The cover is plain and doesn't match the dust cover, which I prefer, but that's just me. I do like that there is a presentation page. Overall, not my favorite study Bible but one that I feel would be beneficial to me in my Bible studies. This Bible was provided for me to review.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

This is the neatest Bible. All throughout the Bible you find insight into the customs, culture, and literature of Bible times. The pictures help make this Bible as well. I love the muted colors and the beige and brown theme throughout.

The Bible is hardcover with s beautiful dust jacket. If you enjoy studying the scriptures, this Cultural Backgrowns Bible will be a wonderful addition to your study tools. And if you have ever wondered about when something was written, or wondered what life was like in Bible times, this Bible may just been what you need. This book was given to me by BookLook Bloggers Review Program. I was not required to write a review of this book. I chose to write this review, and the opinions are mine alone!

After reading and/or watching numerous reviews on the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, I decided to purchase a copy for myself. To note, I'm a Pastor with several Study Bibles on my shelf (NLTSB, NIVZSB, ESVSB, HCSBSB, Disciples SB - now out of print, and more through Logos Bible Software). I don't share this to claim any scholarly expertise, but simply to note that I've put years of experience and education into understanding God's Word and utilizing various resources to help others understand it as well.

What is the target audience of the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible?
In my opinion, the target audience of the CBSB would be anybody who has an interest in ancient historical cultures, and how those other ancient cultures may have influenced ancient Israel. Those who have some historical or archaeological education will be right at home with this Study Bible, understanding some of the names of Ancient kings and some of the customs that were found in the eastern part of the world. The bulk of the commentary would be OK for the average layperson, but I've found some of the language to be on a more scholarly level. As such, I likely wouldn't recommend this particular study bible to a High School student, but would recommend it to a college student / graduate with a high interest in ancient cultures. Similarly, I wouldn't recommend this study bible to somebody who is looking to understand the text or offer basic theology. This bible wasn't made to provide a basic theological overview. For that, I would more regularly recommend the NLT Study Bible.

Does this study bible contain anything indecent or unnecessary?
I felt it necessary to include this question in a review, based on other reviews (either here on the store, or elsewhere) that have noted "indecent" or "unnecessary" images or commentary. As I noted above, I believe the target audience for this study bible would for a college student or other adult with a high interest in ancient cultures, and how those cultures could've impacted ancient Israel. As somebody who has done fairly extensive study in Old Testament History and dabbled a little in ancient archaeology, I haven't found anything inappropriate. Sure, there's an image of Adam & Eve with fig leaves (I believe this one is found in the Book of Romans), and sure there are other ancient pictures or sculptures that provide artistic examples of human nudity. These are important, because they reveal to the reader cultural norms in these ancient times. While I hesitate to say this, I feel I must - one who is upset by these images would likely be upset by hearing a Christian Pastor read Song of Songs 4:21-5:1 from the church pulpit. Or other Old Testament passages that talk about a woman grabbing a man by the genitals (Deuteronomy 25:11-12). Or perhaps the HCSB reading of 1 Samuel 15:33 which says that Samuel "hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD", which is a better translation than simply, "Samuel put Agag to death." The Bible contains some pretty direct language that is sometimes sexual and/or violent. Because of this, I don't find any offense to the images provided in this study bible. In fact, I'd say these images are often milder than the passages noted above.

As for the commentary, I would caution any reader to not absorb a study bible's commentary notes in the same way they absorb the actual biblical text. Nevertheless, of the articles and commentary notes I've read thus far, I find it well written, and often fascinating. Will I approve of every commentary note? It's unlikely. But at the same time, I appreciate being mentally challenged to see some things from a different perspective, and sometimes a commentary will provide enough context and/or other evidence to help me see a passage differently than I once did. There's something wonderful about the challenge to love the Lord with your mind, stretch yourself, and try to better understand a passage in the same way the first readers would've heard it and understood it.

In short, I don't believe there's anything "indecent" or "unnecessary" here.

What about the font? Is it too light?
I've seen a few reviews here and elsewhere noting the light font, especially in the commentary notes. As somebody who purchased the Black Leather (indexed) copy, I haven't experienced this. In fact, I've found much of the commentary notes to be a slightly darker font than the biblical text. As somebody who is aging and is near the need to have bifocals, I've found no difficulty reading this Bible.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Sure. I like this study bible. I like it a lot. A lot a lot. Because of the newness of owning it, I would hesitate to say that it's my favorite study bible, but I won't be surprised if a few years from now I would say it's my favorite one. I like it so much that I even added a digital copy to my Olive Tree Bible app. In fact, I even contacted Olive Tree customer service because they were selling the digital edition for $40, while also selling the single NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible app for $20. Same publisher. Same software. They kindly sold it to me for the $20 price tag. That said, I'm REALLY glad I purchased a hard copy, as I prefer studying God's Word in non-digital format for personal growth.

What's Your Favorite Scripture Passage?
Hard to choose, but Romans 12:2 comes to mind. The NLT reads, "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Changing the way you think (eg. renewing your mind) is a big challenge, but we serve a BIG GOD, and He is more than able.

What's your favorite color?
Green...no blue....no, Wait, why is this question is even here?!

Do you have any recommendations to make it better?
In time, I may come to have more recommendations, but the only one I can currently think of is that it would’ve been nice to better highlight the Greek or Hebrew words in the commentary notes. They’re generally italicized, but I think having them bolded, or perhaps printed in the same color as the pericope headings for the biblical text would help the reader be able to more quickly identify when a commentary note includes terms from the original language. It’s a very minor gripe, but could be a simple “feature” included in future printings to make this resource even better.

Would you recommend this study bible?
Yuppers!

I have often found that people are reading their Bible, but they do not take time to consider the culture in which the words were written. Rather than seeking to hear the words through their original culture, we tend to read it from our modern vantage point. This can sometimes lead to confusion and even frustration as we get things wrong. I am glad that there has been a study Bible released to help us bridge this gap.

Let me be quick to say that I can already sense the mumbling coming from the mouths of seminary scholars. I know that this Bible will not address every facet of the culture and will not outline everything as neatly as you would. However, I am thankful for its existence to help educate everyday readers to the culture of the Bible.

Throughout the Bible, we are given chapter summaries, maps, and snippets of everyday life for the Jewish people that were the first recipients of Christ’s message. These are just a few of the many things that are addressed on the pages of this Bible. To fully appreciate Scripture, it helps to know the connotations in which it was written. You can relate more to the struggles that were facing the original audience and grasp a little bit more what it meant to have a relationship with God. For the relatively compact size, this Bible packs a lot of information. Could there have been more information? Absolutely, but then it would have been too big to move around. While it is still large to preach or teach from, it is not unbearable for personal study at home.

I received the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible for free in exchange for an unbiased review from BookLookBloggers. The words expressed here are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

I started out reading the Gospels and was pleasantly surprised by the not only cultural insights and comments but also the spiritual.
Then I started to read the Old Testament. Basically review all the miracle stories of the OT and then imagine commentary that undermines everyone of them and that is what you have. Maybe he does affirm one but I didn’t find any. I did not check every miracle story...but every one I read about he had a way of saying it wasn’t as you thought it was...
I am surprised Zondervan had this published. I assumed they did not publish commentaries so opposed to a plain reading of the Bible.

I don't understand some of the reviews that complain about the paper, font, or text. The study notes are not as sharp as the biblical text, but they're still readable, and I'm glad the biblical text actually stands out. The notes, maps, timelines, introductions, and sidebars are very well done. There is a wealth of information whether you are new to biblical backgrounds or have been reading in the area for a while. Not every verse has a note. This makes me wonder how the Bible Background commentaries (InterVarsity Press) compare. I'm not sure if they're identical or if the commentaries are more comprehensive. Either way, this study Bible is a great resource and will benefit not only pastors but church members as well.

I am very disappointed with this bible. I thought it would give me a greater understanding of the Word but instead it is very redundant and superficial. For instance the passage in Galatians about the yoke of slavery, the commentary says, "yoke can symbolize slavery". No duh! Most of it is like this. Then 3/4 of the pages is redundant commentary basically repeating the the scripture with slightly different words while 1/4 of the pages is scripture. I wish I could take it back but I got my name engraved on it.

The content of this study Bibe is fantastic. I have enjoyed using it over other stud Bibles. when I think Study Bible I think of something that HELPS me better understand God's Word even better. whereas other "study" bible give me opinions rather than facts that help me understand what is going on. the biggest downfall is the print size. the actual text of the Bible is fine, however the font of the study notes are incredibly small and hard to read...even for the normal sighted person, of which I am not.

there are ways to deal wth font size though and if you are looking for a study Bible worth your money this ne is it. Look no further.

BEWARE! This Bible is edited by liberal editors that likes to reason everything in the Bible instead of believing in God's words as is. I was shocked to find out that the editors stated that in Exodus Israelites did NOT cross the Red Sea as the Bible states, but instead some lake in the north of Red Sea, and the reason for that is it is unreasonable for the Israel people to travel all the way south to Red Sea. Not only that, in Joshua 10:13, the Word of God clearly states that God did listened to Joshua and stopped the sun from setting down for a full day. This has been proved by NASA recently but the editors claim that in fact God did not stopped the sun from going down because that wouldn't be reasonable, and instead said this is a case of omens. The editors of this study Bible distort the Word of God to make it more sense to them and make it reasonable and believable. I believe the Bible as is and if God said Israelites crossed the Red Sea, by faith I'll believe it to be the Red Sea and all other miracles stated in the Bible. The comments and edits in this Bible will shake your faith and lead you astray from the faith. BEWARE and don't buy this Bible.

I was looking with anticipation for this study bible. I have studied the bible in the original languages, in its historical context, with its related texts for nearly 40 years. I have long been one would read and buy anything by John Walton I could lay my hands on. First, the good. I expected Walton’s work on the Old Testament to be of the highest caliber. I have not looked at it much so, far, but from what I have seen I must say that not only was I not disappointed, but Walton appears to have exceeded my expectations. I can say without reservation that the Old Testament notes here are far superior in depth, breadth, and scope to any study Bible I have seen, bar none. That alone is worth the price of the book, and would have earned it a 5-star rating. Hats off the John Walton for his superb work on the Old Testament. However, I have some criticisms, and that is the reason for the three-star rating. The “Between the Testaments” essay is extremely weak. It omits much significant history. It does not mention the Pseudepigrapha at all (the main literary output of the era), and doesn’t mention the rabbinic literature, even though the beginnings of the later recorded rabbinic traditions were definitely happening in this time. Contrast this to The Annotated Jewish New Testament, where you get 90 pages of essays on every conceivable topic written by top scholars, including a 7-page essay by Martin Goodman, probably the top historian of the period. I had been informed that the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible was Zondervan’s replacement for The Archaeological Study Bible, which is now out of print, and whose notes were basically just a rehash of the NIV Study Bible: it had a sidebar on the Shroud of Turin. Many of the features of The Cultural Study Bible are different, but it still has a sidebar on the Shroud of Turin. Craig Keener teaches at Asbury Theological Seminary, so you won’t find the heavy Calvinistic emphasis of the ESV Study Bible or even the Archaeological Study Bible here: that’s a major plus. The notes in this Bible do not appear to be a rehash of anything. Keener’s notes most resemble the those in the HarperCollins Study Bible, but there are roughly twice as many of them. They do contain more information than any other Bible out there, more than, for example, the Oxford Annotated Study Bible. In terms of size, Keener’s notes fill the same amount of space in those in Kent Dobson’s First-Century Study Bible and the Archaeological Study Bible, which I suspect have slightly larger print. Walton’s notes are a vast improvement on Dobson’s in the Old testament, which were extremely poor. Generally speaking, the quality of Keener’s notes are quite good, making this by and large a better effort than the other ones. Is this the only study Bible you will need? I’m afraid not. Although in the first century what we now call Christianity was a Jewish movement required by Roman law to be attached to the Greek-speaking Diapsora Jewish synagogues, although about 10 per cent of the notes relates to Judaism and Jewish texts, I suspect that’s not enough. Paul went to the synagogues because his letters presuppose that his converts knew the Jewish texts, even the Jewish interpretations, and Jewish history. In the Nestle-Aland Greek text there are some 500 references to non-canonical literature, most of them in Paul. It’s actually impossible to understand some of the issues that come up in the New Testament without knowing something about these things. In this respect, you’re still going to need The Annotated Jewish New Testament and Dobson’s First-Century Study Bible alongside the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. The opposition between the schools of Shammai and Hillel dominate the first century. Just barely does Keener does mention that the schools of Hillel and Shammai opposed each other. Keener does mention that the issue in Galatians is that the Jews expect the Gentiles to become full Jewish proselytes to attain full status as children of Abraham (see “Paul’s Jewish Opponents” on page 2047). Mark Nanos would be proud. Apocalyptic literature also receives pretty cursory treatment, although its treatment in the notes is pretty fair compared to other study bibles. Whole books have been written about the Jewish background of Paul’s experience of the “third heaven” (page 2039), but you’d never guess that. Granted, this book is huge—2358 pages—the paper is thin, and the print is tiny. Space considerations had to be a huge factor. I would have preferred to have a couple of the special features, such as the concordance and the word list, omitted to leave more room for Keener's comments. I think Keener’s theological position is a plus. Unfortunately, Keener also perpetuates some old stereotypes. For example, he frequently talks about “the revolutionaries” who brought about the first Jewish revolt. simply describing the Zealots as "revolutionaries" is perpetuating a very old stereotype. Do we really want to do that? To ask whether or not we want to continue to perpetuate an old stereotype is, I think, a fair question. Compare this to Dobson’s more nuanced treatment in the First Century Study Bible, where he calls them “lovers of freedom.” We would probably understand that differently than they would, but it is at least something they said about themselves. Dobson also calls them Zealots and Sicarii, which are also names they called themselves. Josephus and the Romans also called them bandits. Josephus told the emperor their motives were apocalyptic and messianic, which points to a religious motivation, not a political one. Keener elsewhere calls them “nationalists,” which is again perpetuating a very old stereotype, so I don’t think I’m misinterpreting what he’s saying, because he’s saying it quite deliberately. Contrast this to Martin Goodman’s essay in The Annotated Jewish New Testament where he says Josephus called them Sicarii but otherwise doesn’t even give them a name, although he does say they were divided into three factions and even gives the specific names of their leaders. Martin Hengel and Martin Goodman demonstrated that, from the Jewish side, the revolt was an accident. Josephus specifically says that the cause of the revolt was the decision of Eleazar, captain of the temple guard and son of the high priest, to refuse to accept all offerings by all gentiles. Josephus was actually there when this happened, and his language is quite specific. If Eleazar had simply wanted to start the revolt, all he had to do was refuse the sacrifice on behalf of the emperor. But he refused the sacrifices and offerings of all gentiles. There has to be a reason why it was specifically all gentiles, not just one, because Josephus said that even at the time it was a move that was considered to be quite radical. Hengel and Goodman point out that the Zealots were deeply religious and observant Jews. The finds in the synagogue at Masada have confirmed that interpretation. Hengel attributes the rise of the movement to an interpretation of the Shema: Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Goodman says the revolt was really a Jewish civil war in which the Jews spent most of the time fighting each other. Josephus omits the religiosity, devoutness, and conservativeness of his opponents. It's not an honest portrait, as Steve Mason and Paul Maier have demonstrated. For the people who want a typical study bible with just a little bit more, his effort will do fine. If you want to expand your knowledge, you’re still going to need the Annotated Jewish New Testament and Dobson’s First-Century Study Bible for the New Testament. For the Old Testament, I don’t think you could ask for more than John Walton’s treatment here.

I did purchase this Study Bible from a different publisher because of a coupon and better price on another book I bought at the same time. I just received my copy today, so this is not a comment on the content of the notes. Rather it is a response to many complaints about the size of the fonts on the notes and them being very hard to read because of the coloring. the store particularly had quite a few bad reviews over this issue. I was hesitant to order and was going to wait till the large print version would be published. I am 74 years old and have needed reading glasses for over 30 years now. When I opened my copy to see how hard it was going to be to read the notes, I was very pleased to see that I had no trouble whatsoever. I always read with strong lighting and I find the notes very easy to read: NO PROBLEMS! As far as content, I'm sure I will be pleased overall, as any background info helps us understand God's word and apply it better to our lives today. I've seen a few reviews nit-picking over a particular note, here and there. You can always find a few things in any study Bible, commentary, sermon, etc. over which you can disagree, But if most of the content is great, how about a little Grace shown to the writers where you may not agree with them.

A very happy buyer!!!

Even after reading some of the reviews about the small print, I still didn't realize how small it was. And the footnotes are especially dim/pale.
But my biggest criticism is the liberal tendency in the footnotes/explanations. Then I realized that one of the editors is Craig S. Keener. And also that N. T. Wright recommended it.
Oh well.....live and learn.
Will be shipping it back to the store.
WOW! the store hit me with a 50% restocking charge. Farewell the store....after so many purchases over the years. Will buy at other places.

Even after reading some of the reviews about the small print, I still didn't realize how small it was. And the footnotes are especially dim/pale.
But my biggest criticism is the liberal tendency in the footnotes/explanations. Then I realized that one of the editors is Craig S. Keener. And also that N. T. Wright recommended it.
Oh well.....live and learn.
Will be shipping it back to the store.
WOW! the store hit me with a 50% restocking charge. Farewell the store....after so many purchases over the years. Will buy at other places.

I love all things coloring and all things journaling. I couldn’t wait to receive the NIV Wonders of Creation Bible. I have an adult coloring book that is called Wonders of Creation and this looked similar. I was correct. It is basically some of the same illustrations.
I have several journaling bibles and coloring bibles. I love them all and the Wonders of Creation Bible is no different. I love it too. I will say this is not a journaling bible there isn’t anywhere to journal at all so just know it is only a coloring bible. One thing that specifically stuck out to me is the pages that are coloring pages are much thicker than you expect in a bible. I really like this about this bible, the pages are almost as thick as card stock. Some of my coloring bibles the pages are so thin you can see through them. I wish more publishers would make the coloring pages thicker.
The images are quite whimsical not realistic looking animals and but very fun. The spaces are larger and not so intricate that it would make it difficult to color. I haven’t tried yet but I’m thinking a water based marker would probably work without bleeding but test to make sure. There is a bible verse included with each picture so that you can ponder the Word as you color and relax. There are over 50 pages to color.
I would think this would make an excellent bible for a teen or pre-teen girl. The lettering of the bible is quite small I have a hard time reading it without readers. The bible isn’t a study bible of sorts, there are no notes or study verses as you go. There are no reference pages or concordance included. If those things are important to you then you may want to stay clear of this bible. Otherwise I found this bible enjoyable.
I received this bible at no charge from booklookbloggers in exchange for an honest review.
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