The Pentateuch: ESV Reader's Bible, Volume I

ESV Reader's Bible, Six-Volume Set #1

by Anonymous

The ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set stems from the conviction that the Bible is of immeasurable value and should therefore be treasured—and read in the most seamless way possible. Constructed with materials carefully selected to reflect the beauty of God’s Word, the ESV Reader’s Bible, Six-Volume Set is a unique collection designed for those desiring a cleaner, simpler Bible-reading experience. Printed on European book paper with smyth-sewn binding and packaged in an elegant slipcase, this edition features single column text that is free of all verse numbers, chapter numbers, and footnotes, as well as most section headings—resulting in a unique Bible-reading experience that helps readers encounter and delight in the beauty of God’s Word.

The Pentateuch: ESV Reader's Bible, Volume I
Historical Books: ESV Reader's Bible Volume II
Poetry: ESV Reader's Bible Volume III
Prophets: ESV Reader's Bible Volume IV
Gospels & Acts: ESV Reader's Bible Volume V
Epistles & Revelation: ESV Reader's Bible Volume VI
ESV Reader's Bible, Six-Volume Set

Genres: Christian, Religion, Theology, Scripture, Nonfiction, History, Old Testament

518 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2016

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Russell Randolph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta give it five stars but it’s hard to read. God is good and powerful and scary for sure

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the BIble — I’m certainly not going to quibble with the author.

As for the publisher of this particular version, I really enjoyed the Readers edition of the Pentateuch. While I would not want to read exclusively from a version that had removed the chapter and verse numbers, there was something to the simplicity of the format. Overall, the production of the volume itself was well done with a beautiful hard binding and attractive page format. I’m looking forward to starting volume two next.

[Abby Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the Bible without chapter and verse is actually really amazing. It's not as conducive for looking things up or having discussions, but I felt like I understood the flow of thought and got through different sections much better than normal. I very much enjoyed this.

[Cassandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's still difficult to read through all of the laws and the history of Israel. But it's easier reading it in paragraph form. I am happy to be done with volume 1 and am looking forward to starting volume 2.

[Lauren Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel funny rating the Bible lol, but this version is so wonderful to read in long chunks. It’s a beautiful copy and would def recommend to anyone who wants to read the Bible as a story - no headings, no numbers, no commentaries - just the best story of all time!

[Eric Durso · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a different reading experience to go through Scripture this way. Some positives. Some things I miss about my usual Bible.

[Lolli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, it’s the Bible (and a proper translation) so it’s an immediate win, 5 stars, 10/10. This edition though! Wow. For the first time, I am truly engulfed in the the story of the Bible (granted, this is my first time making it through Exodus so that’s just on me lol). The formatting makes for a smooth reading experience, and I find myself reading to the end of a story or series of events, instead of just to the end of a chapter. Because the font/pages are formatted like regular books, it makes the sheer amount of reading less intimidating because I can better know what to expect (it’s satisfying to read a large portion and see the bookmark move as you would expect it to vs. the thin pages and closely spaced text of a standard Bible). If you’ve wanted to read the Bible cover-to-cover but never have, I highly recommend this edition.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant translation and a beautiful presentation.
These volumes continue to be incredibly helpful in reading big portions of Scripture. While there are parts of the Pentateuch that can be difficult to understand and read through quickly (and deeper verse-by-verse study is indeed necessary), the format of this volume helps one get the meta-narrative told.

[Cassie Sneed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading the Bible in this format. I was shocked at how many chapters I could read in 1 sitting without all the chapter breaks. I was able to notice more things going at this faster pace as well. I loved it and am excited to start the next volume tomorrow!

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Layout of this version is absolutely perfect for reading the Word in large portions in one sitting.

[Greg Reimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 for the quality of this hardcover edition and for the format. Highly recommend reading the Bible in a reader's edition as it makes the Bible read more as a novel. The way they've set up the Bible in this edition by grouping books together, brings out the truth that the Bible is literally a library of works, not all written by one author, but unified in revealing the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Highly recommended.

And now for a review/summary of the Pentateuch as a literary work:

Starts off with a bang, the author of Genesis sets up the backdrop for the story to follow by introducing the creative and purpose-endowing power of a God on page 1. Page 2 you are made aware this God is Jehovah, God of Israel, and he hand picks a man and a women to represent humanity by being co-rulers with him, cultivating and spreading a lavish garden across the wilderness of the world. But things quickly spiral into chaos on page 3 as a mysterious crafty character slithers on the scene. This serpent deceives the woman into disregarding the one rule Jehovah had made for his garden. With her husband, rather than ruling over the beast of the field, they listen to its words, and eat of the forbidden fruit of wisdom, knowing good from evil. And so begins the fall of men...

Jehovah calls out the man and woman from their hiding place, and rather than punishing them with the death they deserve, he curses the ground and the womb of women, so that in pain and sweat will they be fruitful. He also curses the mysterious serpent to the dust, promising that a child of the woman will arise and in spite of a blow to his heal, he will crush the head of the serpent. Jehovah drives Adam (Humanity) and Eve (Life) out of the garden so Humanity and Life can no longer eat of the tree of life to sustain their mortal bodies and live for ever.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you give fewer than five stars to the most important book(s) ever written? It can be a challenge when pushing through Leviticus and parts of Numbers, but Genesis and Exodus contain some of the most incredible stories ever told and remain foundational to three international religions.

This edition of the Bible I’m reading is divided into six volumes and laid out like a novel (no chapters or verses) and it’s a great way to experience these writings.

[Eric Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ESV reader's edition is a fantastic printing of a solid English translation of the Bible. The paper of these volumes is high quality and the binding is tight. Each book has a ribbon marker. My only complaint is that I can still faintly see some of the text on the other side of the page. It's a small distraction, but the purpose of this edition is to give the reader a distraction free reading experience.

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like all the rest of the books in this set, this volume was a real pleasure. Set up to be read like a piece of literature (no chapter or verse numbers and minimal headings), it was delightfully easy to lose myself in the reading. The size of the book made it easy to hold and the heavier paper instead of the typical onion-skin pages gave it the feel of a book as well.

[Joshua Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, loved going through the pentateuch with no chapters/verses and seeing the flow of the story more. Paper feels great, typeface is great; overall a very positive reading experience.

Seems odd giving a rating/review for Holy Scripture, but I suppose the format its presented in is what is rated for this volume, not its content.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the reader’s set!

[Neysa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ESV Reader’s Bible is perfect for my easily distracted brain.

[Monte Hickingbottom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic translation. Easy to read and very close to KJV’s poetic flow.

[Alexander Rolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This format really pulls you along, and I like the ESV translation.

[Tahlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading the Bible this way! A total gamechanger. I found this structure to be a lot easier of a read than typical bible layouts.

[Gary Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Restored my joy in reading the Bible

[Krolby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read the ESV Study Bible, but that one isn't seperated in different volumes like the Reader's Bible so I'm going to write my review of the Pentateuch here.

It was very interesting to actually read the Pentateuch (or Torah) instead of just hearing about it. Genesis was definitely the best book, since it contained a lot of the famous stories like Adam and Eve, The flood and Abraham.

The other books weren't necessarily bad, since they told a lot about the way the Israelites lived and which laws governed their enormous camp. It was just boring to know in what way an animal was supposed to be offered and how unlawful it is to eat unleavened bread. I guess it was important for them, but it wasn't necessary to mention the same thing 10 times in one book.

As I told, Genesis was my favourite. The part I enjoyed the most was when two angels come to check out how perverted the people of Sodom really are. When they rest in Lot's place, the house gets surrounded by a mob that wants to see the angels (to rape them?). Lot offers his own daughters (who even does that?) but the mob doesn't want them, so it tries to attack Lot instead. Very funny and well written, like a lot of other stories in the Pentateuch.

I would definitely have been stoned if I was an Israelite in those times: "If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die." Deuteronomy 21:18-21

[Scott Meadows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logging for OT Survey reading.

[Gipson Baucum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe the best Bible I have ever owned. Volume 1 is the Pentateuch. This hardback edition has nice thick pages. The font is beautiful and the formatting makes for perfect reading. No chapters and verses (though there is a chapter index in the back indicating which pages begin individual chapters). The formatting helps for reading the text as a unit. Keep your other Bibles for research so you can quickly reference passages. This format is for those who want to read the text without distractions. It accomplishes the goal very well.

[Kolt Marquardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazingly refreshing take on how we read the word of God. The book is beautiful inside and out. Of you're looking to sit in a comfy chair for an hour or 10, go ahead, pick this up and enjoy the ride!

[Jason Kanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Reader's Bible is a different experience then most Bible readers will be accustomed to. No chapters, no verse numbers make it read much more like A novel. I think this can be intimidating at first, but with time, it draws you into the story.