"The Complete Jewish Study Bible"

Recently, I was given the opportunity to review The Complete Jewish Study Bible, a Bible geared toward both Jews and Christians. Taking a look at this Bible intrigued me, especially since I recently learned there's a good chance I have some Jewish heritage.

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Christians and Messianic Jews who are interested in the rich spiritual traditions of their faith will be thrilled with this brand new study Bible. The Complete Jewish Study Bible pairs the updated text of the Complete Jewish Bible with extra study material, to help readers understand and connect with the Jewish roots of the Christian faith.

The Complete Jewish Study Bible shows that the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, is a unified Jewish book meant for everyone—Jew and non-Jew alike. Translated by David H. Stern with new, updated introductions by Rabbi Barry Rubin, it has been a best-seller for over twenty years. This translation, combined with beautiful, modern design and helpful features, makes this an exquisite, one-of-a-kind Bible.

Unique to The Complete Jewish Study Bible are a number of helpful articles and notes to aid the reader in understanding the Jewish context for the Scriptures, both in the Tanakh (the Old Testament) and the B’rit Hadashah (the New Testament).

• Twenty-five contributors (both Jewish and Christian), including John Fischer, Patrice Fischer, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Rabbi Russell Resnik, and more
• Thirty-four topical articles ranging from topics such as the menorah (or “candelabra of God”) and repentance (t’shuvah) in the Bible, to Yeshua’s “Sermon on the Mount” and the Noachide Laws (the laws given by God to Noah and subsequent generations) and their applicability to Gentiles
• In addition to these topical articles and detailed study notes, there are twelve tracks or themes running throughout the Bible with 117 articles, covering topics such as Jewish Customs, the Names of God, Shabbat, and the Torah
• New Bible book introductions, written from a Jewish perspective
• Bottom-of-page notes to help readers understand the deeper meanings behind the Jewish text
• Sabbath and Holy Day Scripture readings
• Offers the original Hebrew names for people, places, and concepts

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The Complete Jewish Study Bible is a fascinating study Bible. It focuses on the "Jewishness" of God's word. In the introduction, Rabbi Barry Rubin, a Messianic Jew who served as the general editor, explains how after centuries of translations, nuances, meanings, and cultural things the Jews would have understood have been lost. This study Bible seeks to restore some of the original nuance by using Hebrew names and terms, as well as including articles that explain the cultural context.

For me, one of the most helpful aspects of this study Bible is the glossary of Hebrew words into English. I know virtually no Hebrew words besides Yeshua (Jesus), so I found myself using the glossary often. Also, each book of the Bible is listed by both its Hebrew and English name. Some of the Hebrew names I could guess; others I had no clue without looking at the English—for example, Yesha'yahu is Isaiah. Also of note is that this Bible is organized into the traditional Jewish sections, and the books are not in the order we are used to. This makes the table of contents vital!

Overall, I'm enjoying using this study Bible. It's not one I'll use for my daily Bible reading, as it requires me to spend too much time looking things up and reading articles. But it is a great Bible to use for study, and I'm happy to have it in my library. 4-1/2 stars.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links on this page are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase a product, I will receive a commission. 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 am part of the CWA Review Crew.