Not infrequently, the Amplified Bible uses a traditional translation of an obscure word such as “firmament” but then offers a rendering that will be easier for modern readers to grasp: “[expanse]” (Gen 1:7). That’s helpful. Take as an example the Greek word pisteuo, which the vast majority of versions render “believe.” That simple translation, however hardly does justice to the many meanings contained in the Greek pisteuo: “to adhere to, cleave to; to trust, to have faith in; to rely on, to depend on.” Consequently, the reader gains understanding through the use of amplification, as in John 11:25: “Jesus said to her, I am [Myself] the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on) Me, although he may die, yet he shall live.” Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Charts show things like covenants, dates, people, between the testaments, parables of Jesus, miracles of Jesus, archaeological finds, etc. They are placed throughout the text. There aren’t a lot of them but those that are here are helpful for study. The topical index of one of the best study tools in this Bible. It’s great for personal study and sermon prep.

Grasp the full meaning behind the original Greek and Hebrew texts with the first-of-its-kind Amplified Study Bible, featuring verse by verse study notes and the text of the newly revised Amplified translation. Perfect as an introduction to reading a study Bible, this Amplified Bible guides you in discovering new ways of understanding God's word. A reliable first step on your journey with God.Grasp the full meaning behind the original Greek and Hebrew texts with the first-of-its-kind Amplified ® Study Bible, featuring verse by verse study notes and the text of the newly revised Amplified translation.

A topical index provides an alphabetical listing of key words and study topics and their related passages Traditional translation methods aren’t “concealing” meaning except at very subtle levels—places in which, for example, the number of a second-person pronoun simply can’t be expressed except through context (because you can be singular or plural in English). In particular, “the key words in the original text” don’t have “full meanings” that our modern translations are somehow obscuring. The word “conceal” vastly overstates the limitations of traditional Bible translations. Now the updated Amplified translation is even easier to read and better than ever to study and understand. It includes more amplification in the Old Testament and refined amplification in the New Testament. Additionally, the Bible text has been improved to read smoothly with or without amplifications, so that the text may be read either way. It's the same study material that Amplified readers love, now with even clearer wording for deeper understanding. I’m not saying that words can mean only one thing; words can indeed have various senses. I’m saying what respected evangelical linguist Moisés Silva says (quoting another scholar): “The best meaning is the least meaning.” Silva recommends that Bible interpreters (here he again quotes another scholar) define a word “in such fashion as to make it contribute least to the total message derivable from the passage where it is at home.” ( Biblical Words and Their Meaning, 153–154). It also includes an index to maps. I’m glad this is included because it makes finding locations much easier.I mentioned this request to an astute friend and diligent Bible student, a grandmother who works full time as a writer-editor. Super sharp. A day later I received this: When Your Knowledge of the Original Languages of the Bible Is Limited and You Don't Want to Lose Anything in the Translation. In 1998 I hadn’t taken any linguistics courses, any Greek, or any Hebrew. If I read this preface, I don’t recall it raising any red flags. But now, after years of studying and compulsively thinking about language—particularly Greek, Hebrew, and English, and their relationship in Bible translation—I’m afraid the red flags wave madly when I read the Amplified Bible’s explanation of itself. Every line shows linguistic misunderstandings, and my critical thinking skills won’t let me say it more nicely.

Someone in your Bible study group sitting around your living room should have the Amplified Bible up on his or her iPad. Just skip the preface. I suggest that you view the Amplified as an efficient study Bible, the fruit of deep dedication to the text of Scripture, an interesting oddity of American evangelicalism that puts one of the movement’s healthiest impulses on full display: the desire to understand Scripture. Related articles Footnotes-provide concise historical and archaeological information and devotional insights, plus hundreds of references to select sources and authors. Because it isn’t there. Our conventional translations have already told us what Exodus 4:19 says. Better in practice than in theory Bibliography and Glossary-give you a handy list of the sources cited in the study notes and the most frequent amplifications in the text.I don’t think I ever stopped to ask myself in Genesis 1:14, “Signs and tokens of what?” The Amplified Bible forces me to ask that question by answering it: the sun, moon, and stars are signs and tokens of God’s providential care. And that looks to me like a good answer. Even if that answer is in no way hidden in the Hebrew, it’s a genuine Bible study help.