Review of The [Expanded] Bible

This is a review for The [Expanded] Bible for the Thomas Nelson Book Review web company. If you

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The [Expanded] Bible was a new experience for me. I wasn't sure what to expect, since I haven't owned or read any type of amplified Bible in the past. It was difficult, at first, to read the text through the "expansions" that are integrated into it. It took me 3-4 chapters to get used to the new kind of reading that it required. However, once I did get used to it, I enjoyed learning and exploring the new aspects and meanings of the word that were provided. One thing that I didn't like was that oftentimes, the words and phrases offered as "other meanings" were simply synonyms. This wasn't helpful to me. However, there is also background information included at times, and these short pieces provided a backdrop for the existing words. This was indeed helpful, as I hadn't previously studied the surrounding history in correlation with the word.

It might have been a simpler read if the notes were included as footnotes, although I realize that when they are it becomes tiring reading, causing one to look back and forth between notes and text. Instead, the notes are included as part of the text, allowing me to continue to read through the passage fluidly as my mind connected the scriptures in a new way. The reading was a bit choppy, however, and the Bible seems to lend itself more to study than to simple reading.

All in all, the combination of the living words and the author's text caused this book to be both an interesting read, and one that inspires life. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to study the Bible in depth, but not necessarily to newer christians, as it may be more difficult to understand and digest, as it were.