ESV Clarion Reference Bible, Black Edge-lined Goatskin Leather, ES486:XE Black Goatskin Leather

IntroductionLast Sunday, I inadvertently left my Bible behind while visiting a sister congregation. A couple who saw it later asked me why I chose this particular Bible out of the numerous editions available. I responded I did not overthink the choice. It simply checked most boxes at this stage of my life. I didn’t elaborate, but promised to follow up. They thought my perspective was helpful enough to share.The philosopher Voltaire wrote in his poem, La Bégueule, “In his writings, a wise Italian says the best is the enemy of the good” meaning that those who not only strive but insist on perfection become their own worst enemy. Measurable progress makes a more significant difference than perfection, which usually ends up with nothing at all.It is not uncommon for Christians to say they are looking for a Bible that contains the following attributes: inexpensive, premium materials, master craftsmanship, large print, featherweight, fine opaque India paper, waterproof, tear-proof, beautiful leather binding, comprehensive notes in Hebrew, Greek, and English, yet compact enough to fit in your back pocket? Good luck finding that unicorn. Now let's discuss reality.A Practical ApproachIt’s important to define various approaches to the subject before proceeding. I forge kitchen knives as a hobby. Western European chefs typically prefer one large and one small knife to cover their tasks. By analogy, many pastors find that having one large Bible for study and one compact one for travel meets their needs. Eastern Japanese chefs favor a variety of specialized blades. Similarly, some pastors use multiple translations in their daily study. I generally stick with the original languages and one translation (ESV). If you are not sure what you are looking for in a Bible, it is wise to experiment with trial systems before making an investment.Some desire simple features, while others require specialized attributes. To illustrate, when my son left for military duty, I gave him a Bible I would ordinarily not recommend to anyone for study. Since he would live in field conditions as a combat engineer, I gifted him a tear-resistant waterproof ESV that uses nautical paper for $25.00. It meets his needs admirably and he has a more suitable Bible for study back at the barracks.The All-Encompassing "One & Done" BibleCambridge, the world's oldest publisher (1534), has been crafting premium Bibles for half a millennium, twice as long as America’s existence. There are many excellent Bible publishers, but R.L. Allan, Schuyler, and Cambridge are considered the "big three.” Their products are a joy to use and have a reputation for outlasting their owners. In my judgment the Cambridge Clarion stands out as a potential "one and done" Bible for minimalists. It is compact, well-designed, and built with exceptional craftsmanship, making it suitable for study, travel, teaching, and even preaching. Not a unicorn, but close.Design and Materials: Utility and AestheticsThe Clarion’s design brilliantly balances utility and aesthetics through thoughtful planning that appears plain and unimpressive to the untrained eye. An 8.75-point font enhances readability without compromising portability. The Clarion has a unique 12–14 words per line, which scientific studies commissioned by Cambridge show is the ideal length for the human eye to process new information. Line matching enhances reading by reducing bleed-through on India paper by aligning print on both sides of the page. Its single-column format permits long, uninterrupted reading sessions, like a novel.The interior design, however, is where the Clarion shines. Bram de Does' Lexicon No. 1 font is known as the world's most expensive typeface at $5000.00, ensuring supreme legibility. References are neatly tucked into the outer margins, minimizing distraction from the text. Every detail of the interior design testifies to the Clarion’s harmonious blend of form and function.The well-disciplined 80,000 cross-reference system comes from a combined team of Oxford and Cambridge scholars. Some proponents of reader edition Bibles with no references rely on electronic technology exclusively to look up information. But there have been many instances in my ministry where there was no cell coverage or batteries that the old school approach prevailed.The Clarion contains an extensive concordance of 3,000 words and 14,000 Scripture references, as well as fifteen high-quality maps. The words of Jesus are in black, a preference for scholars who view red letter distractions as a marketing gimmick that has caused tremendous confusion about the authority of Scripture by suggesting two tiers of inspiration even though the apostles are the ones who recorded every word of Jesus.Premium materials and craftsmanship promote enhanced durability. The India paper from Papeteries du Leman, France, minimizes ghosting. The Royal Jongbloed Group of the Netherlands then prints and binds it by sewing each page to the leather. This provides strong retention, so the Bible lies flat for study, even when reading Genesis or Revelation.Craftsmanship & Cost: A Worthwhile Investment?The Cambridge Clarion ESV comes in three tiers: budget calf-split leather for $100; mid-range genuine calfskin for $150 reviewed here; and premium goatskin for $200. These prices are typical for premium Bibles.The budget version cuts costs with glued rather than sewn binding but serve well for the Bible student who only spends several hours a week in the Word. The mid-range version in calfskin has sewn binding and an identical text block as the premium goatskin, balancing performance and value. A quality text block allows for future rebinding if you insist one day on having a personalized hot pink rat-skin cover.The sticker shock the uninitiated express regarding fine cutlery and premium Bibles have much in common. Those who understand neither will gasp at any price higher than what they see at Walmart. A $100-$200 price tag will certainly seem steep for those whose idea of weekly time in the Word is confined to the back of their bulletins on Sunday morning. Their surprise reveals more about themselves than about the time, planning labor and expense in producing a quality product. Premium Bible publishers have little interest in the nominal market.If, however, you are a serious student of Scripture, is when the math gets interesting. A mass-market, mid-range $50 faux leather Bible typically lasts for less than one year of daily use before falling apart and losing any annotations you made forcing hours of time-consuming recopying. Fifty adult years of replacing mediocre Bibles that fall apart and strain the eyes would cost $2500.00. Or you can invest $100-200 in a premium Bible that is a joy to use daily, will outlast you, and can be passed down as an heirloom. For serious Christians it is a no-brainer.Conclusion: A Tool for Serious StudyThe Cambridge Clarion is a minimalist, elegant, reliable Bible offering a unique blend of craftsmanship, durability, and aesthetics. Bible design matters, but it is not of primary importance. What matters is the transformative power of the living Word of God it contains (2 Tim, 3:16-17). If, however, you require a compact daily Bible with balanced attributes that facilitate undistracted interaction with the Triune God free from human interference, notes, or commentary, then the Cambridge Clarion may serve that role admirably. Disclosure: If you would like a better sense of the premium Bible market, I recommend browsing EvangelicalBible.com of Richmond, VA. I have no affiliation with Amazon or any publisher mentioned in this review and the Clarion Bible was purchased from personal funds.

Somehow this Bible seems to get everything almost completely right, from the binding to the cover to the page design. I love it. Sure, it's expensive, but to me it seems quite worth it.First a brief description: It uses the ESV text in the 2011 revision. Single column, black letter, cross references on the outer margins. Brief concordance (roughly 100 pages) and basic maps. No book introductions or study notes. The size (measuring the outer edges, not just the text block): 7.5 in. x 5.75 in. x 1.6 in., roughly. That makes it about an inch shorter and half an inch wider than a typical medium size text Bible (e.g., a pew Bible or a gift/award Bible). Also maybe half an inch thicker. I haven't weighed this Bible, but it's heavier than Bibles of similar size due to the extra very thin pages. This Bible is about 2100 pages long, and the pages have a reddish gold edging ("art gilt").The publisher has used a font, font size and page design that are ideal for reading. Though there's not a lot of extra white space on the page, the line and letter spacing give the text room to "breathe" -- it feels comfortable, not cramped. In addition -- and this may be purely subjective -- somehow the overall impression I have while reading is that I'm holding a classic, or an antique, but at the same time something completely modern. I'm reminded of those classic Cambridge KJV Bibles from the 60s and before, but only in an impressionistic way. The details are all quite different. When I was younger I never owned one of those old Bibles, but reading this ESV Clarion I almost feel like that tradition is present before me, evoking memories of a childhood I never actually had. Part of this sense comes from the page edging visible while reading -- art gilt is a classic style, though I don't think brown calfskin is, let alone single column text.And the ESV translation seems perfectly suited to this treatment: no, it isn't perfect; it uses language sometimes derided as "archaic" and a few of the attempts at modernizing are awkward. I can see the value of self-consciously "contemporary" translations like the Common English Bible or the New American Bible (to name two good ones). But the ESV is clearly in the KJV tradition and evokes that tradition continually, while still relying on current scholarship and replacing completely archaic words with modern equivalents. So it's a mix that forces the reader to read slowly, and it stirs the memories of anyone exposed to the KJV early in life, because it retains as much of the beauty of the KJV as one could hope for in a modern translation. And this is exactly what the Clarion edition does in its design: it's both classic and modern. Simply holding it gives one the impression of participating in a long history of readers, interpreters and preachers, people who loved the word and who can still inspire us to love it as well.A few minor caveats: the paper is very thin and there is some "ghosting" -- I don't think this presents any great difficulty, but some might. I suspect the only way to eliminate this problem would have been either to use paper that would double the thickness of the book, or cram more text on the page so as to use fewer pages. The thinner paper was worth it to avoid those alternatives, in my opinion. Another small problem is that a few pages tend to curl excessively when the book is opened; a minor annoyance. And I would have preferred fewer section headings, preferably ones that reflected the actual structure of the text, or none at all, and to have those placed on the page outside the main text (cf Crossway's recent single-column paragraphed text edition).But those complaints are quite trivial. This is the most beautiful Bible I've ever owned, and I hope to be reading it for years to come.

After researching high quality personal-size single-column reference bibles, I landed on this one. I'm sure glad I did.The bible feels top notch in every category. The goatskin is soft, the bible fits great in the hand, and I find the paper to be superb. I'm having no problem with curling or ghosting (beyond what one might expect of think bible paper). For my use the weight and opacity are just fine. All physical components are top quality: art gilt, sewn binding, sewn (vs tooled) outer edge, edge lined, etc. To me, this bible feels worth the price, because it feels like something that will last a lifetime if taken care of. I'm also a fan of the typeface, which is very easy to read and the sizable concordance. This is a bible that makes you want to pick it up, hold it, and then "take and read."Overall, the "theme" of the Clarion seems to be quality, readability, and study. My hope is to use the Clarion as a bible I can read all the way through, Genesis to Revelation, and enjoy the experience.