Marginal Interest? Why You Need A Wide-Margin Bible

If you've been around this site for any length of time -- five seconds ought to do it -- you know that I'm an opinionated, hair-splitting sort of fellow. For everything I like about a particular edition of the Bible, there are a dozen things I want to change, and I'll be the first to admit that some of my demands are a little unrealistic. Despite what some people think, the folks who publish Bibles do it out of a sense of vocation. They're not out to shaft the end user. The generally poor quality of contemporary Bible design and binding has as much to do with economy and the changing face of publishing as anything else.

But you know what? I'm an idealist. My strategy is simple: if we're all graciously demanding, then the quality and options we see in the market will improve.

REALLY BASIC
As far as I'm concerned, some features ought to be basic in Bible publishing. Text should be paragraphed, set in readable modern type and formatted in a single column. Bindings should be genuine leather, spines sewn, and every Bible should come with at least two ribbons -- and they should be wide, too, not the dinky little strings that never lay flat between the pages. Every publisher of every translation should consider it essential to produce at least one edition that meets this criteria. Sadly, most don't publish any that do.

And that's why another favored feature of mine is languishing: the wide margin. If publishers aren't getting their basic editions right, you can't expect them to invest much effort in something as 'exotic' as a well-made wide margin Bible. After all, there isn't that much demand. Who wants a wide margin Bible?

THE THINKING MAN'S STUDY BIBLE
The wide margin Bible is the thinking man's Study Bible. Like the Study Bible, it is full of notes, outlines and annotations. Unlike the Study Bible, it doesn't come with them. Instead, you make the notes yourself. That way, they're the result of your study, not someone else's. Don't get me wrong: I have nothing against store-bought Study Bibles. It's just that the one you make yourself is better. Sure, it demands more of you, but over time it gives more back.

If the demand for wide margin Bibles has declined, perhaps it's an indicator that the quality of our study has, too. We don't need those vast margins because we have nothing to write in them.

HOW TO USE A WIDE MARGIN BIBLE
I am an enthusiastic supporter of the English Standard Version, but until there's an ESV wide margin edition, I won't be able to switch over completely. One day, hopefully not too far in the future, I will sit down with an ESV wide margin on one side and my trusty Cambridge Concord on the other and start the laborious process of transferring notes. Until then, I keep the Cambridge handy. It's margins are full of annotations -- notes reminding me of glosses I discovered in commentaries, outlines I've used for teaching studies, and more. Next to various "problem" passages I've written down explanations. For example, my notes on Romans 11 include a reminder that in verse 32, when Paul writes "...that he might have mercy upon all," the word all refers to both Gentile and Jew. It's a simple point about context, but significant in certain theological conversations.

In the back of the Cambridge Concord wide margin, there is a series of lined pages. Mine are filled with questions and answers from the Westminster Longer Catechism; passages copied from Calvin, Kuyper, Berkouwer, Bavinck and Warfield; a two-page synopsis of John Frame's arguments for both the deity of Christ and the Trinity from The Doctrine of God, and much more. How many times have you gotten into a discussion only to find yourself unable to recall the flow of a certain line of exegesis? Whenever that happens to me, I research the answers and copy them into the back of my wide margin Bible.

Another thing you'll find in the margins of my Cambridge: variant readings from other translations. Whenever I come across an opaque passage and discover that an alternate translation offers more light, I note the reading in the margin beside the verse. This is particularly helpful when teaching.

TRADE OFFS
Obviously, there are trade offs. Wide margin Bibles are, well, wider. And because of those big margins, the page headings are farther in; you don't want to use a wide margin for your "sword drills." In my experience, it is even more important to have a good binding on a wide margin than it is on a regular edition. With a supple, flexible binding, the extra bulk of the wide margin is more manageable.

As Cambridge fans will know, just because two Bibles are the same edition in the same binding doesn't mean they will actually be the same. If you choose a Cambridge wide margin -- available only in the KJV and NIV, as far as I know -- be sure to shop around and handle the bindings in person. I have three Cambridge wide margins. One of them is bound in spectacular Berkshire leather and is more compact than the other two, which are both identical Concords. I say "identical," but the fact is they are very different. The one pictured here is quite flexible. I bought it after I'd already shelled out money on the first one only to discover that the calfskin cover was so stiff and sharp that it was impossible to flip through the Bible without reaching inside the cover and holding the paper block separately.

YOU NEED ONE
No doubt if Tolstoy had known me, he would have titled his famous short story "How Many Bibles Does A Man Need?" instead of "How Much Land," but what can I say? I really think that if you're serious about Bible study, a wide margin edition is an asset.

LINKS
For more about wide margin Bibles, including a survey of what's out there, see Rick Mansfield's "A Survey of Wide Margin Bibles by Version."

Comments

[Deeanne]

I have the Zondervan NIV Wide-Margin Bible and LOVE it. Big 2-inch margins. It only comes in bonded leather, but so far, it has help us pretty well. (I have had it not quite a year.)

[J. Mark Bertrand]

Do you know if the binding is sewn, Deeanne? If so, then it should last a while no matter what the cover's made of.

[Tommy Lane]

What writing implements do you use to write in your wide margin bibles? Pencil or pen?

Thanks

[PDS]

Pencil. I'm afraid of making a mistake with a pen.

[PDS]

I've seen a number of folks recommend the Micron Pigma pens. They are acid free, waterproof, and fade proof. I'm trying one out on another Bible. While there are different sizes, I've found that the 005 with a .20mm line width works best for me. My frustration with pencil over the years is that it fades terribly! Not only that, but the lead rubs off on to the page facing the one you write on once the Bible is closed. One has an eraser...one doesn't, however!

[Tommy Lane]

I think I'm going to go with the the pigma micron pens, myself. I bought a few of them the other day. I've heard good things about them.

[Jesus Saenz]

Pigma Micron, Prismacolor Fine Line Marker or Satedtler Pigment Liner are all fine products. I just wrote a blog about these archival quality pens. http://souldesaenz.blogspot.com/2007/10/writing-in-your-bible-is-something-that.html

[PDS]

Great review, Jesus. Quick question -- I am trying out the Sakura 005, which I love so far. I guess the trick is to let the point do the work instead of doing what we are used to, which is to apply pressure.

[matt]

This is a helpful conversation.

I am currently using a mechanical pencil (.07) with a zebra highlighter which is perfect for bibles (zero bleedthrough...w/out as bright of a line). But I have always used pens, and have some concern if pencils do eventually fade.

These Pigma Micron pens are tempting if they do not bleed through on bible paper (like Allan's) and do not leave the indents on the other side of the paper (such as pencils).

[matt]

I tend to always use blue pens (or colors other than black) so when I look at a page in scripture I do not see a sheet of black...helps to seperate notes from scripture.

[Jesus Saenz]

PDS, the 005 is quite a fine line and so it doesn't mark quite as dark but you don't need to apply quite as much pressure to get the pen to write. Another thing I forgot to mention is that the pigment doesn't clog so you will have not clogging issues to deal with.

Although the pigment doesn't bleed you still can see it from the other side of the page. Start off with the finest point and work your up, especially in your good Bibles. Thus far I have used them in my Deluxe Heirloom and the In Touch Ministries NASB from Lockman with nary a problem while using the 05 for underlining and the 005 for notes.

[PDS]

Great advice - thanks!

[matt]

Bought 5 different colors of the pigma Micron in different colors. So far I am the most pleased with the brown with a 01 tip (which seems to work well for underlining and writing), which does not show through the thin paper on my thinline ESV. The blue, red, and green were a little bright and could be seen on the reverse page. The black is also nice, but I like using a different color than the actual text.

[PDS]

What is the tip on the 01? Sounds like you are pleased? I've been impressed.

[PDS]

Anyone...where is the best place to find a BLUE 005? I'm having trouble locating it.

[Jesus Saenz]

If you do not have a Blick or a Pearl art supply store near you, check them out online.

http://www.dickblick.com/zz207/02/

http://pearlpaint.com/shop~ocID~~parentID~5935~categoryID~5931.htm

the 01 has a tip that is 0.1 mm thick

[PDS]

Thanks Jesus -- appreciate it!

[matt]

I am not a big fan of the blue because it pretty light (kinda turqouise), not a dark blue. Brown is my favorite on bible pages so far.

[PDS]

Does brown provide enough of a contrast?

[matt]

The brown looks almost like a reddish brown on the page, so it stands out but is more subtle than other colors (black obviously blends in the most). My problem lately is my eyes are "very ADD" and get distracted when reading with a bunch of florescent highlighted text, so I have gone to just underlining and making notes on the side.

[PDS]

Yep, I don't do any highlighting. I box in words...or underline...and makes notes on the side. Question is whether I will mark in my new Allan ESV Tan edition! :)

[matt]

When I get my Tan ESV I will use the brown micron pigma pen...they will match.

[Michael Swoveland]

I bought a set of six Pigma Micron pens with a very fine tip. So far I am quite pleased with them. The fine point allows me to write very small and avoid a cluttered look in my Bible. I will underline a text and then make notes in the margin next to that text. Because I have six colors in this set I came up with a color coded system for my notes:

Brown - Historical notes and notes on the text
Green - Notes on science & creation
Blue - Notes on prophecy & End Times issues
Black - Notes on theology, the spirit realm & notes on the notes in my study Bible
Purple - Notes on God, Jesus & The Holy Spirit
Red - Notes on sin and slavation

[Tod Twist]

Here's a few thoughts if your find yourself wanting to get into the marking text frenzy but find yourself hesitant to put pen to (expensively bound) paper. Alternatively, you may be putting off getting the benefits of study directly on text because you're waiting on the publication of a new edition that (like me and the Wide Margin ESV from Cambridge).

1) Consider buying a less expensive hardbound version of the text setting that your enjoy for use as a practice tool. It's cheaper and you can develop a marking system as you go. A good deal of the benefit of being able to mark on the page is the heuristic value of the process, but the notes that come after that initial observation process are usually more helpful in the long run.

2) Along the same lines (but even cheaper), a large-print text Bible (like a pew Bible) can give you some inexpensive pages with a little room to mark through before you start in with marking a more expensive edition.

3) Consider making your own loose-leaf edition or adapting yourself to an exisiting loose-leaf edition as an intermediate step. Many Bible software programs allow you to export text to word processing programs; plus, you can find electronic text of some versions online, too. You can pick a nice weight paper to print on and go at it with regular old cheap highlighters and pens.

4) Check out Crayola twistable pencils for highlighting:
http://www.crayolastore.com/product_detail.asp?T1=CRA+68%2D7408
Cheap. No bleedthrough. Scads of colors. No sharpening needed. You can give the ones you don't like to your kids.

Anyway, just some thoughts. Don't sit on the sidelines on this one. Wide margins make study a lot of fun. Find a way to get some text you can live with and have at it.

-Tod Twist

[Lou Condon]

I have found that the Zebra Zebrite Highlighter works best for me. I use the Fluorescent yellow, it has a medium and a fine line marker.