A Guide to ESV Study Editions

This article is part of the Which ESV Is Right for You? series.

Go Deeper into God’s Word

Countless scholars, teachers, and theologians have mined the depths of Scripture for our benefit and understanding of God’s Word.

Crossway’s content Bibles provide readers with a variety of commentary, detailed concordances, articles, maps, and illustrations for the purpose of helping students of the Bible better understand God’s Word.

ESV Study Bible

Winner of the ECPA Book of the Year Award

The ESV Study Bible was designed to help you understand the Bible in a deeper way. Created by a diverse team of 95 leading Bible scholars and teachers—from 9 countries, nearly 20 denominations, and 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities—the ESV Study Bible features a wide array of study tools, making it a valuable resource for serious readers, students, and teachers of God’s Word.

Also available in large print and personal size editions.

Features:

  • 2 million words of Bible text, insightful explanations, teaching, and reference material
  • Concordance
  • Extensive articles
  • 240 full-color maps and illustrations
  • Book introductions, charts, and timelines
  • Cross-references
  • Smyth-sewn binding

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ESV Student Study Bible

Winner of the ECPA Book of the Year Award for Bibles

The ESV Student Study Bible is adapted from the ESV Study Bible and is ideally suited for students who are serious about God’s Word—who want to learn more about what the Bible teaches and how the Bible applies to all of life.

With 12,000 clear, concise study notes, the ESV Student Study Bible provides numerous other features—including nearly 900 “Did You Know?” facts, 120 Bible character profiles, and 15 topical articles. It also features a glossary of key terms, more than 80 maps and illustrations, an extensive concordance, and 80,000 cross-references. These and many other features make it the most comprehensive and content-rich student Bible available today.

Features:

  • 12,000 clear, concise study notes
  • Introductions and timelines for each Bible book
  • 80+ maps and illustrations throughout
  • 15 topical articles
  • Nearly 900 new “Did You Know” facts
  • 120 Bible character profiles
  • Glossary with concise definitions of key terms
  • 80,000 cross-references
  • Extensive concordance
  • Smyth-sewn binding

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ESV Archaeology Study Bible

The ESV Archaeology Study Bible roots the biblical text in its historical and cultural context, offering readers a framework for better understanding the people, places, and events recorded in Scripture.

With editorial oversight from Dr. John Currid (PhD, University of Chicago) and Dr. David Chapman (PhD, University of Cambridge), as well as contributions from a team of field-trained archaeologists, the ESV Archaeology Study Bible assembles a range of modern scholarship—pairing the biblical text with over 2,000 study notes, 400 full-color photographs, 200 maps and diagrams, 200 sidebars, 15 articles, and 4 timelines. These features bring life to the ancient texts, helping readers situate them in their historical context while recognizing the truth that the eternal God became flesh entered human history at a specific time and in a specific place.

Features:

  • 2,000+ study notes
  • 400+ full-color photographs
  • 200+ maps and diagrams
  • 200+ informational sidebars
  • 15 articles like “The Bible and History,” “Archaeology and Preaching,” Major Biblical Finds,” and “Daily Life in the New Testament Era”
  • 4 timelines
  • Cross references
  • Book introductions
  • Smyth-sewn binding

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ESV Story of Redemption Bible

The Bible is the epic story of the unfolding plan of God over the course of the history of the world. The ESV Story of Redemption Bible: A Journey through the Unfolding Promises of God leads readers on a journey through this storyline from start to finish, with conversational commentary written by pastor Greg Gilbert interspersed throughout the full ESV text.

With the aim of encouraging interaction and contemplation passage by passage, Gilbert explains how every part of Scripture fits together and is ultimately centered on Christ. Particularly suitable to those who are new to the Bible but rich with insights for even the most seasoned Bible reader, the ESV Story of Redemption Bible will draw readers in as they see their place in the greatest story ever told.

Features:

  • Nearly 900 notes written by pastor Greg Gilbert interspersed throughout the full ESV text
  • All-new introductions to each book of the Bible
  • 80+ maps, illustrations, and timelines
  • Foldout timeline in the back
  • Smyth-sewn binding

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ESV MacArthur Study Bible

The ESV MacArthur Study Bible contains John MacArthur's personal study notes below the full-length ESV Bible text. Virtually every Scripture has a matching study note with detailed information, explanation, and helpful insight. The notes are based on MacArthur’s verse-by-verse approach to the Bible and nearly forty years of careful study.

The ESV MacArthur Study Bible is an excellent resource for growing Christians. It can transform your personal time in God’s Word by clarifying difficult passages, bringing unseen cultural and historical details to life, and helping you understand and apply biblical truth.

Also available in large print and personal size editions.

Features:

  • Nearly 25,000 explanatory notes from John MacArthur
  • 140+ two-color maps, charts, timelines, and illustrations
  • Introductions to each Bible book
  • Concise articles on “How We Got the Bible” and “Introduction to the Bible”
  • 80,000 cross-references
  • Extensive concordance
  • Full-color maps
  • Bible reading plans
  • Smyth-sewn binding

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ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible

Theology should, first and foremost, be rooted in God’s Word. The goal of the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible is to demonstrate how all Christian doctrine arises from the pages of the Bible.

Created to help readers understand how Scripture forms the basis for our understanding of God, humanity, sin, salvation, and eternity, this study Bible features over 400 short in-text doctrinal summaries connecting Christian beliefs to specific Bible passages, 25 longer articles explaining important theological topics in greater depth, and introductions to each book of the Bible that highlight the unique ways each book contributes to the whole of Christian theology. Created by an outstanding team of editors and 26 contributors, this resource has been created to help Christians better connect what they believe about God with the very words of Scripture.

Features:

  • 400+ doctrinal summaries explaining core doctrines and connecting them to specific Bible passages
  • 25+ longer articles on key theological topics
  • Book intros
  • Topical index of sidebars
  • Cross-references
  • Smyth-sewn binding

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ESV Global Study Bible

The ESV Global Study Bible is a one-volume study resource for globally minded Christians everywhere. It has been designed from beginning to end to be highly accessible and priced for distribution on a global scale.

Each book of the Bible begins with an introduction, followed by a unique, insightful description of the overarching message of the book. The Bible also features a set of articles by Christian leaders around the world who apply the Bible to global issues, such as the role of government, the nature of the church, world religions, social ethics, and missions and evangelism. The notes and maps were adapted from the best-selling ESV Study Bible and contain a wealth of information about the biblical text, history, and geography. The ESV Global Study Bible is an outstanding resource at an extremely affordable price for Christians everywhere who seek to know and understand the Bible and how to apply it in a global context.

Features:

  • 12,000 clear, concise study notes
  • 14 articles written by global Christian leaders
  • Introductions to the global message of each book and timelines
  • Nearly 900 highlighted Bible facts
  • 120 Bible character profiles
  • 120+ maps and illustrations throughout
  • 80,000+ cross-references
  • Glossary with concise definitions of key terms

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ESV Literary Study 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.

Features:

  • 1,200+ study notes focusing on the literary elements of passages throughout the Bible
  • General introduction to the Bible’s literary features
  • Introductions to each book of the Bible
  • Smyth-sewn binding
  • 9.0 Milo type

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