ESV Women's Study Bible (TruTone, Chestnut, Almond Tree Design): Holy Bible, English Standard Version Imitation Leather – March 20, 2025

A couple years ago, I bought the ESV Men's Study Bible, and I admit that I was curious to know what's different in the women's version of this study Bible.Both study Bibles are about 90% the same. It's the same ESV translation that I respect, with virtually identical footnotes, cross-references, character profiles, and maps. There are really only 3 differences worth calling out:1. Different mini-devotionalsBoth study Bibles have mini-devotionals sprinkled throughout. However, the Men's Study Bible features devotionals written primarily by men, and the Women's Study Bible features devotionals written primarily by women. Even then, the devotionals are rarely about "men's issues" or "women's issues". They are commentaries that help to highlight some aspect of the whatever section you're reading. That said, the predominantly female authors of these mini-devotionals certainly have a different perspective than the predominantly male authors of the Men's Study Bible, so it's reasonable to think their writing will speak more directly to women.2. Full page designs of versesUnlike the Men's Study Bible, the Women's Study Bible includes a selection of full page illustrations that take the text of a single verse a give it a very nice typographic treatment and add some visual design elements. I included an example picture of these full page designs.3. Other design elementsWhile the Men's Study Bible is relatively undecorated, the Women's Study Bible uses more visual design elements. For example, the title page of each book is richly decorated, and the mini-devotionals have little graphic flourishes as well. Not to mention the cover of this study bible is significantly more ornate than the plain brown cover of the Men's Study Bible.That's it! Otherwise, these are essentially identical study Bibles. As you may know, Crossway (the publisher) takes a very conservative view of the Bible. While they may want to provide a Bible that appeals more specifically to men and one for women, they didn't change anything in the actual content or translation of the text.Generally, I think this Study Bible is really nice! If you're a mature believer who wants to do a one-on-one Bible study with a new believer, it could be really helpful to give them a Bible like this one. It helps to explain and visualize many things that would not be apparent to a modern reader.My only criticism is that the paper used in this Bible is quite thin. Consequently, there can be some visual clutter where the text or illustrations on one page show through on the reverse side of the page.

This is a great Bible! A couple notes:-Nice heavy weight without being bulky. Certainly not compact or travel sized, though.-The cover is a really nice material, textured, has the beautiful design, and is really inviting.-The devotionals and notes are well spread out.-The art and chapter intros are great. They help me get excited to dig into each one.-The sturdy sleeve is helpful for it to maintain its shape on my bookshelf.-ESV is my favorite translation. It's a great place to start, if you haven't researched and tried them out.-I didn't really notice that it's overly strongly female oriented. The art and devotionals are lightly tailored, but it's mostly a nice balance. Not hot pink or overly girly. But could maybe be more customized for women.In all, for the money, you are getting a fantastic Bible to dig into and gain some extra insight. The beauty resonates and agrees with the Word. I am a fan.

This Study Bible looks stunning without seeming superficial. The list of contributors is also impressive. This is not a study Bible for those that want fluff. I would say it is mostly a "study Bible" with elements that are geared towards women.This is apparently based off of the ESV Study Bible and the ESV Women's Devotional Bible. I am familiar with the ESV Study Bible and can definitely see the influence. I would guess that the ESV Study Bible was somewhat used as a baseline and things were adapted from there. The ESV study Bible is one of the most trusted study Bibles out there.The book introductions are a few pages long. You get typical things like timelines, author information, themes, backgrounds, outlines, etc. The maps throughout the Bible are also good. Some of the pages are less than half filled with scripture because the notes are expansive. This is a reliable resource for serious Bible students.From skimming through, most of the "women" parts of this study Bible are a few of the articles/reflections (though not most), the cover art, the design at the beginning of the Bible book (check my pictures), and some of the designs around some Bible verses.I was impressed by the contributors. There are well-known theologians, Christians, leaders, speakers, authors, etc. The articles are varied. There are topics on adoption, children with disabilities (written by Joni Tada), prayer, emotional health, etc. These articles are around two or three pages long. The reflections throughout the Bible are all a single page long. These are nice concentrated commentary.I can imagine many people that would love this Bible. I would definitely recommend it for both its contents and physical build.