Best Study Bibles For Beginners – Begin a Greater Bible Study Journey!
Reading, studying, and applying God’s word to our lives are some of the most important priorities for a believer in Christ. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, studying the Bible and understanding what it has to say to you can help form and inform your personal life and habits. It is one of the most vital practices for those of us in the Christian faith.
We can talk about Jesus and His goodness all of the time, but without the Holy Bible as our primary source of Christian information then we can have incomplete facts about the Christian faith. If you are looking for a great choice in the best study Bibles for beginners we are definitely going to look at some great Bibles that are available today whether you are a first-time study Bible owner or you have access to a lot of study Bibles.
The Bible is the main source of our Christian doctrine. Between its pages, you will find the teachings, the history, and the primary message of the Christian faith and the story of mankind and his God.
Studying the Bible can help us and give us a greater understanding of God’s plan for us as individuals and this world. Bible study can not only help us gain knowledge but also gain wisdom to face the challenges of this life on earth. You can choose from study Bible versions that are translated into a more modern language style or you may choose a new study Bible from a more traditional English reading such as the King James Version.
However, we don’t simply want to look at the Bible as an instruction book, but also as God’s word to us to help build a personal and dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ as His Holy Spirit works within us.
Exactly What is the Best Study Bible For Beginners
This is a question that is hard to answer because of all of the options and important features that publishers put into study Bibles. A good study Bible serves not only as your Bible but also as a Bible study guide. Perhaps the first step in choosing a Study Bible is to find the best Bible version for you. What kind of Bible do you need for this time in your life and Christian walk? Yes, there are many fine Bible versions, and the translations of most are true to the intent of God’s word.
However, do you want a Bible that is more of a literal translation in a word-for-word sense, or a translation that is more of a thought-for-thought translation? There are fine and accurate Bibles in each of those types. Can we tell you with 100% what the best decision for your choice of study Bible should be? Not really. Can you give us some solid examples of some of the most popular and our favorite study Bibles? Yes.
The Need For The Best Study Bibles for Beginners
While it is great to get started with any accurate and fairly modern translations of the Bible, there are many reasons that a good study Bible can help you as you dive into God’s word.
Study Bibles come with quite a few valuable resources that can help a student of the Bible develop a better understanding of what is being said in the text of the scripture. They include valuable study notes that can give you insight and help you grow in your faith.
They also can add commentary about the individual books of the Bible, the setting where the events of each book took place, why it was written, where it was written as well as insights about the culture for which that book was written.
We will go into more detail on these Bibles later on this page. However, here are 6 Top Bibles that we will recommend. You will find other recommendations at the conclusion of this page, but these are our top 6!
Top 6 Study Bibles for Beginners
- Life Application Study Bible – NIV or NLT Version
- NLT Study Bible
- NIV Study Bible
- CSB Study Bible
- The Quest Study Bible (NIV)
- NIV Teen Study Bible
Many study Bibles will offer insightful perspectives and comments from great theologians, teachers, or pastors who have studied the Bible for decades and decades.
Some of the best study Bibles for beginners will offer charts, timelines, maps, and other types of aids that will visually help the reader to understand the who, what, when, and where of what is going on in the passage. They may include study questions or various other methods or resources that will prompt you into further study of God’s word personally or in a group setting as well.
Most of all a good study Bible can help provide clarity of God’s word and help us apply the word of God to our own lives.
Yes, reading a regular Bible is wonderful. However, if you consider upgrading to a study Bible you may find that it will provide you with additional spiritual guidance, clarity of thought, and encouragement while helping you understand the passages as you study God’s word.
Let’s take a look at the six study Bibles that we previously mentioned.
If you happened to be looking for top Bibles for beginners, check out our recommendations.
1- The Life Application Study Bible
We have promoted the Life Application Study Bible quite a bit and we think this is in the running for the best study Bible, especially for someone who might be a new Christian or if this is your first study Bible. We promote this in several places on this website. That is primarily because it’s one that I have confidence in and have used a lot myself. I enjoy the modern English and the thought-for-thought translation in the New Living Translation version of this Bible.
However, It comes in several fine Bible translations such as the New International Version (NIV) or the New King James Version (NKJV). It also is available in the more traditional King James Version (KJV). the King James Version makes use of the flowing and beautiful old English. However, many of today’s readers prefer one of the modern translations.
You can dive through the fascinating and life-challenging pages of the Old Testament and the New Testament and see the story of the Bible unfold as your understanding of the Bible does also!
The interior design of these Bibles gives a good layout of the additional features such as the book introductions that give you the big picture of each book. I enjoy the fresh two-color covers on the outside. However, that’s my personal preference. choose the cover design that you like best.
This Bible also happens to be available in a Bible in Chronological Order. A Bible in chronological order can be helpful and enjoyable reading. However, I would suggest that if you are new to the Bible that you begin with the standard format of the Bible since it it is primarily used in most teaching and preaching scenarios.
The Life Application Study Bible has proven to be very popular throughout the last few decades and definitely one of the best study Bibles for beginners. It is regarded to be a solid and well-placed choice in the lineup of study Bibles. Personally, I have enjoyed the well-produced variety of resources that are specifically designed to help the reader understand the text of the Bible and, more importantly, be able to make an application of Christian beliefs in their lives.
The study notes that are included within the pages of the Life Application Study Bible offer wise insights about the scripture passages. The background information about various books of the Bible is a great resource as you study the bible as well. As the title of this Bible says, you can rest assured that the notes and commentary found in this Bible are aimed at helping the reader take the words of scripture off of the page and apply them to their lives.
I think that the Life Application Study Bible in the New Living translation is perhaps at the top of the list of the best study Bibles for beginners. would be the New Living Translation. It is very easy to read and is quite accurate as well.
This Bible features many notes, maps, book introductions, and quite a bit of commentary, and helps you understand the reason for the writing of each book.
I personally have this Bible in more than one Bible translation – the King James Version, the New Living Translation, and the Chronological Version, which is in the NLT Bible translation.
I highly recommend the Life Application Study Bible as one of the best Bibles for young adults and older adults as well.
2- The NLT Study Bible
The NLT Study Bible from Tyndale House Publishers is also a valuable resource in the area of study Bibles that will help bring the pages of scripture to life to help you live your everyday life! Of all of the different translations, this thought-for-thought Along with the complete text of the New Living Translation of the Old and New Testaments, it has insights and fine commentary from almost 50 exceptionally trusted Bible scholars. The publication date of this particular edition is 2017. This Bible will help you dive deep into your Biblical studies and allows you to study scripture with a wide range of features.
This study bible has over 25,000 textual and study notes, 85 introductory articles, and 300 themed articles that are relevant to God’s word. For me, I loved themed articles to help drive home the point of the scripture! In addition, you will find over 220 charts, maps, timelines, and other illustrations. It also contains 200 Greek and Hebrew word studies and over 90 profiles of high-profile people found in the Bible.
You will also find over 50,000 cross-references so you can connect to related verses about that particular verse or topic. It purposefully seeks to help you dive into a deeper study and experience the excitement of the scriptures. It includes the words of Jesus printed in red. The NLT Study Bible is one of the well-suited Bibles for beginners.
3- NIV Study Bible
The NIV Study Bible has also become a trusted resource as a study Bible published by Zondervan. It works well for personal Bible study or Bible study within a group environment. In this study Bible the reader will find over 21,000 bottom-of-the-page study notes that give you help and insight from wise evangelical scholars. This Bible will allow you the study resources to help you gladly jump into a more in-depth study of God’s word.
It also includes more than 125 articles on various relevant topics. It includes maps in the context of the scripture and provides charts, illustrations, study notes, and diagrams that will help the reader better understand each story or passage in the Bible. In this NIV Zondervan study Bible you will find the 66 book introductions will help you gain a deeper understanding of the text as it helps to make Bible reading more interesting and enjoyable.
Book introductions are a big key to me as I look at the passage of a particular book and most of these study Bibles include book introductions.
The NIV Study Bible also includes a concordance with nearly 4800 words in which you can find passages containing those words.
This Bible has been printed in Zondervan publishings’ NIV comfort print typeface for easy reading and also has the words of Jesus in red. The NIV Study Bible is a good choice for those looking to get more deeply into their Bible study and is helpful in understanding the meaning of the passages of scripture.
4- CSB Everyday Study Bible
With the CSB Everyday Study Bible (Christian Standard Bible) from Holman Bible Publishers, you will find a compact study Bible, portable for everyday use at home or on the go. It has concise study notes from the award-winning Holman Study Bible and also adds compelling articles from top-quality and knowledgeable Bible scholars.
You will enjoy the Bible character profiles and a compelling list of 99 “Essential Truths” of our Christian faith. This Bible has a two-column format along with subject headings about the topic at hand.
This Bible includes the popular Smyth-sewn binding that allows the Bible to lay flat when opened. This CSB Study Bible can serve well for many types and ages of people for personal study and for group participation,
Along with the study notes and articles, the CSB Everyday Study Bible provides you with full-color maps, timelines, and great illustrations. It contains the full text of the Christian Standard Bible – both Old and New Testaments and the CSB stays as literal as possible within the English language to the original meaning of the text.
It has an emphasis on practical application and encourages everyday engagement with the word of God. That becomes easier with this compact Bible that packs a sweet punch!
In our look at any CSB Study Bible, we would also want to mention the CSB Study Bible by Tony Evans. I admire Dr. Tony Evans and his teaching. The CSB Tony Evans Study Bible is an all-encompassing resource that offers extensive study notes, commentary, sermons, and writings authored and selected by Dr. Tony Evans.
One extra special feature is the group of over 150 videos accessible through QR codes. Also, within the text of this Bible, the content is meticulously positioned alongside the Biblical text to provide a novel interpretation of God’s Word and facilitate a more profound comprehension of Scripture. Outfitted with application tools, this Bible is purposefully created to encourage readers to embrace and spread the principles of God’s kingdom.
5- The Quest Study Bible (NIV)
The NIV Quest Study Bible provides its readers with thousands of answers to a wide range of questions about subjects in the Bible. This Bible has over 7,000 notes. However, they are arranged in a very unique question-and-answer format. This format helps it stand out in a different and unique way. This Bible contains the New International Version of the Bible and is formatted to help you gain insight into common and the more difficult passages in the Bible.
To ensure that these notes stay relevant to the times, they are updated on subsequent releases of the Quest Study Bible. It also features almost 350 articles that tackle some of the most asked questions about the scripture.
It contains introductions to each book of the Bible, an expansive subject index, plus over 150 maps, timelines, charts, book introductions, an article index, and expanded subject index, and over 150 charts, which can be greatly helpful to new believers. timelines, and maps.
This Bible contains a helpful Bible reading plan that features three different tracks that you can choose to follow. It has the NIV Dictionary-Concordance along with 16 pages of full-color maps. The NIV Quest Study Bible is a quality resource for individuals who are seeking and have questions in which they need solid, Biblical answers.
6- NIV Teen Study Bible
The NIV Teen Study Bible is an easy-to-carry and very compact resource for a teenager. It is full of study helps and features that can spur a teenager on to learn more about the word of God and how it relates to their lives.
This Bible has sold over 4 million copies and is popular for offering Biblical advice for teenagers and encouragement for a variety of issues that this age group faces on a daily basis. Perhaps a teenager is dealing with family, friends, school, or problems such as depression or bullying. This study Bible is serious about helping teenagers through problems like that and learn the truths of God’s word that can help them through the best and roughest of times.
The NIV Teen Study Bible includes the entire text of the New International Version of the Bible and has quite an assortment of study guides including introductions to each book of the Bible, some very important verses that teens are encouraged to memorize, and profiles of famous characters featured in God’s word.
It also comes with Questions and Answers in order to test their Bible knowledge and much more! It has nice, gold-stained page edges, two ribbon markers, and the NIV Comfort Print Typeface that is exclusive to Zondervan.
For teenagers, this study Bible is one of the top resources as teens discover the great and life-changing truths found in the word of God as they dive into fascinating Bible studies. It will help them understand the truths of scripture in a way that is relevant to their age group and guides them to make those truths applicable to their everyday life and perhaps help prepare them to stand firm when they become college students.
Other Fine Options
There are many other fine study Bibles you might want to consider as well. Some of these that we didn’t write in depth about may be just what you need, so I will mention a few other options for you or a family member.
If you are in the very beginning of your Christian walk, you may want to have a look at a new believer’s Bible such as the Christian Basics Bible. The New Living Translation in that Bible, once again, is a good first-time beginner’s bible and is easy to read for modern readers.
The Woman’s Study Bible by Thomas Nelson publishers is one that we have promoted on our Women’s Study Bible Page. This Bible in the New International Version has study notes and helps women who desire deeper study to learn Biblical principles and strengthen their spiritual growth. It contains the standard study tools that you would find in most study Bibles. The Woman’s Study Bible can be very encouraging and targeted for our ladies.
The New Inductive Study Bible obviously features the inductive study Bible method of learning. The New Inductive Study Bible features a one-year Bible reading plan and a three-year plan.
One of the harder things about studying Biblical teachings is understanding what was going on in the culture when the original text of a book of the Bible was written. Taking a much closer look at that can open up your understanding of the concepts you might find in your daily readings. If that sounds appealing to you, then you might want to have a look at the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. The subtitle for this Bible version is. “Bringing to Life the Ancient World.”
It’s a great way to get a better handle on the circumstances in the daily life of a person who might have been there thousands of years ago when the book was penned in the original languages.
If you are a fan of the commentary and speaking of Dr. David Jeremiah as I am, you may want to consider the Jeremiah Study Bible with commentary and Biblical insights from Dr, David Jeremiah. This Jeremiah study Bible is in the NKJV Study Bible as it takes its scriptural text from the New King James version of the Bible. Dr. Jeremiah has a knack for helping new believers and long-term believers.
The ESV Study Bible or English Standard Version Study Bible is based on the award-winning English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible. It contains 20,000 ESV study Bible notes. The ESV Study Bible is excellent for a variety of people and is considered to be more of a word-for-word translation. It is very scholarly in nature but also easily read.
Actually, there are a couple of ESV study Bibles that you might want to consider. The ESV Study Bible and the ESV Student Study Bible.
The ESV Study Bible is many times a favorite of those who adhere to Reformed theology. However, it is a widely used translation and is used by many others as well.
The ESV Study Bible continues to gain popularity and is an option to be considered.
For those who follow one of America’s most well-known pastors, you might consider the Macarthur Study Bible (NKJV). Over 2 million people have taken advantage of the Macarthur Study Bible. It is edited by John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in California.
Although Dr. MacArthur has a version of the study Bible in the ESV version, there are still a lot of people who love the NKJV Study Bible by Dr, MacArthur. In terms of in-depth Bible study, Dr, MacArthur has been an inspiration for countless new believers, long-term believers, and Bible students in general.
For those who may be more charismatic in nature, the Spirit-Filled Life Bible is a study Bible that has sold over two million copies and has been an encouragement to many with the commentary and leadership of Dr. Jack Hayford.
We could literally go on and on mentioning other study Bibles with commentary by famous pastors and teachers. However, the most important thing is to get your hands on one and begin to study the Bible in a more in-depth way. A study Bible is an important resource to help you do that.
It is my hope and prayer that this page has encouraged you and helped you as you consider buying a study Bible. I believe that a study Bible would be a great and helpful resource for you.
Slao I would invite you to take a look at our Bible Study Software recommendations page.
Blessings to you!
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