The Old Scofield® Study Bible, KJV, Classic Edition Illustrated Edition

I like this Bible. Mine is free of the manufacturing defects enumerated in some other reviews. The print is uniform and the red letters pop out but are not overly bright. Some of the notes and subheadings are very clearly pushing a certain theology, one that does not necessarily reflect the most widely held orthodox Christian beliefs today, but still are interesting ways of thinking about the biblical text. I’m interested in these annotations as a historical document as much as anything else. They’re 104 years old. Other features to recommend this Bible are that is has a concordance which seems to be pretty thorough, and also a dictionary of proper names. There’s also a subject index. The maps look pretty old, which is another cool feature. I just like old stuff. The center column references help me to make connections I hadn’t made before. The book intros are reflective of the kind of scholarship that was available at the time, which was not as advanced as what we have today, but they still help me learn something. Whether you agree with dispensationalism in principle or not, I think this Bible is a good addition to any collection. Also I do think the KJV, while it has certain faults, is a very beautiful translation, and keeps me enamored with the biblical text, wanting to read more.As far as the book itself, the cover is kind of a coffee-colored bonded leather, the pages have gilt edges and there’s a ribbon marker. It is regular sized/personal size. Not sure what size the font is and I have no way to measure it but it’s not particularly huge. It seems similar to what you would find in a standard newspaper.

I have many KJV bibles, the Nelson study bible, Thompson Chain, and Life Application to name a few. All good bibles. This one is slowly becoming my favorite due to the ease of use and functionality of the on-page helps (cross-references, chain references, subject headings). Most newer study bibles have overkill on the pages which are very distracting. The references in the Scofield are probably the most useful and practical I've used. I will say that I didn't like it at first because I was so used to the Thompson Chain but the difference, in my opinion, and the reason I like the Scofield better is the on-page helps. The Thompson has some really nice features but they're just topical chain references in the margins some of which don't really apply to the text or context. The references in the Scofield really point you to better understanding what each reference is cross-referencing back or forward to. The Thompson has more in the back in regards to character studies and archaeological section but if you want a basic text KJV plus some helps this is the one for you. The bonded leather is very nice. I was skeptical about that at first but it's the nicest bonded leather bible I have however I do recommend genuine leather. I don't like ironed calfskin. Some do. To each his own. While the print size is small it is easy to read and the overall bible size is perfect for carry or to stick in a bag or car. Now, while this bible might be my favorite it might not be yours. Everybody's different. The best bible is the one you'll read. Good luck in your bible search! This one is good for me. I hope this review helps. God bless!

I hesitated on this for a long time based on some of the negative reviews. The price dropped under $18 and decided to grab it since I really wanted to get an Old Scofield Study Bible. Turns out I waited for no good reason. Sure it isn't the same as much older editions. But what is the same these days? The paper is a bit thin showing lettering of the opposite side. But no more so than my old bibles bought in the 70's- 80's that are similar size. Moreover the text isn't any harder to read in good lighting than this text you are reading. The font is pretty close to the same size maybe a smidgen smaller than the text on my screen. Some of the pages stick together and take a bit of patience to get separated. No it doesn't have thumb tabs, but it doesn't claim to. ***It is a lovely Bible at a comfortable size, with large enough text, well presented in a nice protective presentation box.***Don't let the negative drama queens stop you from picking this great Bible up. I would love to get an older version like most of you but they simply aren't available outside finding one used or an old dusty NOS from a Bible store out in the boonies somewhere. Larger print would make the size significantly larger, and thicker paper would make it significantly larger. Do you want a Bible you can enjoy doing multiple hours of study while sitting in a comfy chair or do you want a Bible you need to put on a desk, sit up straight and have Catholic Nuns slapping your fingers with rulers when you start to slouch. The book has compromises to keep it at a comfortable size and I agree with those compromises now that I have it.May God Bless your studies and teach you about his Grace!