Life Application Study Bible, NIV

This bible is rich with maps so it is easy to see where the stories are located, how far journeys last and things like that. There are also summaries of the main characters and their roles in the stories -- a biblical "Cliff's notes" of sorts. Be careful though, as you might expect, your interpretation of a character's purpose in the story may be a bit different from that of the authors.

This is a great bible. Its ease of use has allowed me to increase my bible reading, without sacrificing accuracy or relevance to the original text. I can read more at one sitting without getting worn down pondering the meaning of Old English text.

One note of warning, however, an accurate, modern English translation of the 23rd Psalm (Ie. The Lord is my shepard, I shall not want. etc.,) falls absolutely flat. He doesn't "lay me down by still waters." He only "leads me by peaceful streams." Where the poet who wrote the King James bible would say "He restoreth my soul" this bible says He only "renews my strength." Yet, the care which is evident in other parts of the translation -- at least to a layman like me -- leads me to believe this is the more accurate translation, even if it is less poetic.

Enjoy this bible. It has become my friend.


What a Great Bible for Today's Way of Life   November 2, 2002
Zaine Ridling, Ph.D. (L'Anse Aux Meadows, Newfoundland)
84 out of 86 found this review helpful

There are so many good things about Tyndale's "Life Application Study Bible" (LASB) that I'm not sure where to start. The negatives are short and quick: (1) it contains too much typology, interpreting far too many events in the OT as announcing Christ, e.g., the burning bush was not Christ, but God himself; (2) it tends to get a little preachy in places; and (3) after a careful reading I found sixteen misspellings and intertext reference errors (which I submitted for correction in the next edition to the publisher).

But that's nothing compared with what you get: a set of concise book, event, and character outlines that are unmatched in current Bible publishing. The point of the LASB is to relate the Bible to our lives today, and not the way we lived 400 or even 2000 years ago; in other words, LASB's goal is to make the Bible directly relevant to its reader. It certainly succeeds.

Perhaps its least noticed but best feature is its one-column text format, giving the reader full verses. The poetry of the Psalms and within the prophetic books is retained and in metered format to distinguish it from prose and didactic sections. Loaded with footnotes explaining not only the what, where, who, but the why. The editors tell you WHO James is, and who his brother is, and give you hints to distinguish him from other Jameses. Each book is set up with an introduction, along with a "blueprint" model that gives the major themes of the book; a separate "megathemes" (meta is the proper word) section lays out the thematic significance of the book with explanation; and finally a "vital statistics" section that gives a quickview of the book's setting, key people, purpose, etc. The maps in the back are quite good, too.

So there's no reason you won't want this Bible, even as a supplement to more scholarly bibles like the New Revised Standard Version Oxford Annotated Edition. I highly recommend it.


This bible is so helpful!   November 1, 2001
RITA HAHN (PA, USA)
77 out of 81 found this review helpful

I was in the market for a Bible that helped to shine light and understanding on God's word. Some (the Old testament) is hard to understand. But the writers of this Bible have put so much helpful information on every page. It helps me to meditate on the Scriptures, and to apply them to my daily life. This Bible brings to life the authors, the times in which they were written, and how they can benefit us today. It is truly "life's application bible".


L.A.B. is a GREAT study Bible for Pastors !!!   June 18, 2004
Robert L. Tollison (Texas, USA)
33 out of 33 found this review helpful

WOW! What can I say @ the L.A.B. Bible that has not already been said by others? I am a Baptist Church Sr. Pastor, and I now preach/teach 4 sermons per week. I have many great Bibles in my peresonal Bible collection (old ones, new ones, several languages, big ones, small ones, etc) BUT my L.A.B. is one of the four main Study Bibles I love, prefer, & use in my personal Bible study time. (Along with: (1) The NIV Study Bible, (2) The Ryrie Study Bible, and (4) The Open Bible Study Bible).

~ So, if you are looking for a great study Bible with tons of study aids, helps, charts, notes, verse commentary, informative intro material to all 66 Bible books, etc., the L.A.B. is one of the best I have ever used in over 23 years of being a church staff member -- most of these years as a Sr. Pastor preaching 3 or 4 sermons each week.

The Commentary notes about the verses (printed at the bottom of the pages) are among the best I have ever read and used in a study Bible. The study notes truly are thorough, inspiring, benefical, theologically conservative, and helpful.

~You cannot go wrong with the L.A.B. ... you will not regret buying one and using it to study God's Holy Word.

*My only complaint is that a large section (about 200 pages) literally just fell out in one chunk as the binding came lose gave out! This happened after I had the L.A.B. for only 1-1/2 years or so. I plan on taking it back to the store where I bought it to see if they will repair it. I trust that they will.

But, as far as the content is concerned -- you will love the L.A.B.!!


Tremendously valuable   January 19, 2000
Keenan Walker (Research Triangle Park-Raleigh, NC)
66 out of 72 found this review helpful

I plan to purchase a copy for myself-I'm always reading my wife's copy! I found this version to be of great value for the wealth of resource information it provides, as well as the easier-to-read language (vs. KJV which I use in church services for it's accuracy). With the KJV, I've used footnotes and scriptural cross references to gain understanding but the Life Application Bible provides so much information throughout each chapter I'm reading. My study is much more efficient!