# Name embossed on Bible cover



## Jack K

As a side discussion to Wynter's question about how to have his name embossed on his new Bible, I wonder how many of us are comfortable with the whole personalized Bible cover thing in general.

My church recently gave me a nice gift: a leather Reformation Study Bible with my name embossed on the front cover. It's a handsome Bible, but I'm self-conscious about my name printed there. It feels just a wee bit ostentacious, and so I've seldom taken it out of the house. For purposes of making sure the Bible comes back to me if lost, it seems that scrawling my name and phone number inside would do just fine and look less uppity.

It goes without saying that in my case I'm being too concerned with what people will think. Nothing new there. But generally, do you like the idea of having your name printed on your Bible, or is it too showy?


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## OPC'n

i don't see a problem with it. I really hope that we don't judge each other this harshly or we have some serious problems!


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## FenderPriest

Is there a latin term for "Chill out"? I hardly think it matters. Personally, I think it's aesthetically gaudy in almost every case. But then again, I'm snooty about these sort of things. If someone gave me a nice Bible with my name on it, I'd flush my opinion and be grateful for their generosity. However, I don't think it's showy to have your name on your Bible - and in some cases (like a large family) it's probably a practical thing. There's 10 Bible's around, we gotta get out the door, and Johnny better have his this week! In that case, I think practical needs trump aesthetic preference.


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## Joseph Scibbe

I have my name on one of my Bibles; a plain brown leather ESV. I regret the decision, I like the way it looked before.


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## Zach

Like Sarah said, I don't think it is problematic to have our names embossed on our Bibles. Personally, I wouldn't want my name on my Bible because I like a plain cover and I can understand the self consciousness that you might feel about having it on there. Though, if I saw someone with their name embossed on it I wouldn't assume they were uppity (unless, of course, they acted uppity) but I would most likely assume that it was given to you as a gift. Most people I know who have owned embossed Bibles were given them.


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## JimmyH

From yet another point of view, I occasionally buy Bibles on ebay. If there is a name written on the dedication or the FEP I will still consider it. If the name is embossed on the cover it is a deal breaker for me. I have more Bibles than I can justify and not one of them has my name on or in it except for the two that I have had since 1986. Those have my name in ink on the FEP. I figure that I am a custodian of these until I go to meet the Lord. Then someone else will become the custodian.. 

OTOH, I see nothing 'wrong' with having your name embossed. It is just not for me. My pastor received a Bible as a gift from his children. It has "Pappy" emobossed on the cover and I think that is priceless.


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## Jack K

OPC'n said:


> i don't see a problem with it. I really hope that we don't judge each other this harshly or we have some serious problems!



Nah, I don't mean to judge it as something inherently right or wrong. I'm just asking if there's anyone else who feels personally a bit uncomfortable with it when it comes to their own Bible—and who likes it, and why.


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## OPC'n

Jack K said:


> OPC'n said:
> 
> 
> 
> i don't see a problem with it. I really hope that we don't judge each other this harshly or we have some serious problems!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nah, I don't mean to judge it as something inherently right or wrong. I'm just asking if there's anyone else who feels personally a bit uncomfortable with it when it comes to their own Bible—and who likes it, and why.
Click to expand...


idk i guess i've never thought about it. If i got a Bible with my name on it from someone who meant a lot to me, then I would love it...I wouldn't put my name on my own Bible myself.


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## Jerusalem Blade

Jack, I never gave it a second thought till I saw this thread. While in Cyprus I bought a Bible on eBay and took it to a good bindery there to have a soft leather cover put on it (it had been hard cover), and they asked if I wanted my name on it. It took me over a year to copy all of my notes into it (mostly cross and chain references) from my 40-year-old Bible which was becoming far too frail. It is the most valuable possession I have, my 13" MacBook Air next in line (which has my all writings – though I do have the most important backed up in the cloud, i.e., Dropbox, plus other back-up systems). In the event of a fire, after making sure my wife is safe, I'd look to secure these two above all else.

I don't really know why I like it, it just suits me.


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## GulfCoast Presbyterian

My positon or "custom" has changed on this issue. In rural Mississippi SBC culture where I grew up, most everyone had "embossed" bibles. Thus, even as an adult, I used to have a pile of bibles with my name on the cover. It was just "what you did" when you aquired a new(er) one. I lost the majority of my bible collection in Katrina when my house flooded. A couple that were pretty much unused remained on top of a 10 foot bookshelf and were not damaged. One day, shortly after the storm, I met a fellow who was suffering as so many were, he had lost literally everything, with not even a house to "gut out" remaining. This man was lamenting he lost his bible, too. I went to my house, and located an undamaged bible and gave it to him. I remember him looking at the cover, and saying "but this has YOUR name on it, are you sure?" Perhaps I should not have, but I just felt incredibly vain at that point standing in a muddy street. I have never wanted an "embossed" bible again, if it would ever be an impediment to just handing a bible to someone who needed/wanted one since I have many, still. This is not to say that I think it is wrong or ostentatious for anyone else to have an embossed bible. I do prefer the "non gilt" stamping like RL Allan versus the "filled with gold" style. It just looks more dignified to me.


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## Zach

I like what you said, Jimmy, about us being the stewards of our Bibles until we go to be with the Lord. Adopting that view certainly also justifies why I don't like to write in my Bible!


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## Curt

I have a nice leather-cover Bible with a name embossed on the front cover. The name is not mine, though. It was a gift from a family after a family member (an uncle I believe) died. I like is because it has humongous print.


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## Wynteriii

Thanks for starting this thread since mine went somewhat off topic. I think that writing you name inside, outside, or anywhere else on the Bible personalizes it. While there is some merit to being stewards of the Bible, can one say you aren't being good one if you have your name on it? 

I will probably get an Allan NASB in Crimson to ease my mind since I'm a Bibliophile. I plan not to write in it in order to leave my pasts thoughts and read the Bible like it's new every time. I was going to emboss my name until I read these verses today.

[BIBLE]1 Corinthians 10:23-24[/BIBLE]

If my name on my Bible is going to to cause problems to my neighbor. Then I would rather not have it. The issue is so small that I can not make it an issue if it means good to my neighbor.


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## Bill The Baptist

If you go to Lifeway, they actually have a section of Bibles where they messed up trying to put someone's name on the front. These Bible usually sell for half price or less, if you don't mind someone else's name on your Bible.


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## Mushroom

Have some that do, have some that don't. Never really thought about it, but Mark's story did give me pause.

And, uh... Jack... uppity is one word I would never have associated with you. The thought gave me a giggle.


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## Pilgrim

Shortly after my conversion, I received a Bible with my name embossed on the cover. I've never really had a problem with it and actually have always kind of liked it. However, for some reason I very much doubt I'd have it done myself with any future purchases. Perhaps it is some vague sense of ostentatiousness or unease that I'm wanting to avoid. I too like a more plain look nowadays and generally prefer for it not to have "Holy Bible" on the cover either. 

Moreover, for some reason in recent years, I've never even bothered to write my name inside the Bibles I've purchased! I think part of that is thinking that I might eventually give it away or sell it, which I have done with several Bibles in recent years. (I probably need to unload some more even though I can come up with some excuse as to why I should keep almost all of them!) But I'm thinking that I should at least write my name inside some that I know I will keep and will likely take outside of the house at some point lest I leave it behind somewhere and no one have any idea whose it is. Maybe a sticky note would be better than nothing. I never write inside (i.e. on the pages) of my Bibles anymore either and only did so a handful of occasions years ago. Perhaps this will change if I ever get a Wide Margin. 

With regard to buying used, unless it were something that was relatively rare and that I really wanted, I *might* consider going with one that has someone's name on the cover. But it would probably have to be at a relatively low price compared to any "clean" copies which might be available. 

As Bill the Baptist notes, Lifeway, other bookstores as well as outlets like Christian Book Distributors have deep discounts on Bibles (typically about 50% off) on which they have made embossing mistakes. (Although, frustratingly, some online sites will sometimes state "Slightly Imperfect" without telling you what the defect is.) Also, depending on the leather, embossing can cause damage to the cover and isn't recommended in those cases. I know that was the case with Nelson's Signature Series Calfskin.


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## reformedminister

My name is on most of my Bibles. It is just something I have always done, just as a sign of ownership, who's Bible it is. I do have two Bibles that do not. The reasons are different, one is small and the other has real soft leather and I didn't want to take a chance ruining it. I think it is a matter of personal preference and nothing more.


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## a mere housewife

My dad bought us all Bibles when we were young and had our names put on them. He wrote in the front of it in the presentation page, with a verse. He wrote a different verse for me than he wrote in my brothers' and sisters' bibles. He wanted our Bibles to be *ours*: it was very important to him. It started to fall apart a few years ago but I still have it and cherish the name gesture because it is part of that desire he had for his children to have a daily relationship with the word of God. I cannot say that all the ways he went about it have been wise -- indeed I've had to 'get over' some of them ; but it is something I have come to cherish about him. I learned from my earliest years that the most important part of the day was supposed to be the part spent not just generically but very personally with God. 

I didn't make notes in my Bibles or do much to personalise them until the last few years. Then I just couldn't help it anymore. Maybe my dad's genes took over. His Bible is all marked up. My Bible is beginning to be the same. There is scarcely room in the cover. The underlining is not even, I'm afraid. I'm half ashamed to open it in church if anyone is looking around. And yet, when my grandma died, the lady who got her Bible with her notes in it felt pretty blessed -- her love of the word of God was part of the gift, which this woman who had known my grandma cherished. I would hope that as a steward of my Bible, it will be even more precious to someone someday not because my notes are all that significant in themselves, but because it will be obvious that I loved my Bible, that I hoped in the words of it, that the most important part of daily life involves this book -- for I can't help thinking this is best legacy of usage we could give with our Bibles, even to a stranger. Lesson learned in part from name engraving on front of early bible .

I think that is probably due to perfectly understandable shyness though. I don't like to wear bright patterned clothing for instance -- not a theological scruple. It's not that I can't bear to stand out for I don't really care about trendiness in the clothes I do like. There are just some things that call attention in ways that are difficult for whatever reason.


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## N. Eshelman

I don't like it personally, but would not put someone under church discipline for doing it.


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## Unoriginalname

I would just mimic others here that while I do not like the aesthetic of it and find it sort of weird by no means do I see anything (ethically) wrong with it.


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## irresistible_grace

I feel somewhat odd carrying my "embossed" Bible around because it has my maiden name on it (especially since I dropped the maiden when I married). So, when my daughter told me how much she liked Mommy's Bible with my name on it, I made sure I didn't include her last name when I bought her an "embossed" Bible. Also, I purchased an AV translation with SUPER GIANT PRINT so she will still be able to read it when her sight starts to go (if the Lord wills that she live that long)! 

That said, I see nothing wrong with "embossing" but would never do it for my own Bible, if I were purchasing it for myself. And, when I see an "embossed" Bible, I tend to assume it was a gift rather than assume that the individual who is carrying it is uppity! 

PS: My daughter loves her "forever" Bible, as she calls it!


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## jandrusk

I would not do it for the same reason I would not purchase vanity license plates for my car; no one but the owner would actually care and the owner would most likely rarely look at it. I agree one's name anywhere in a bible should just be in case it's lost to return it to it's rightful owner and maybe for future family members to know how back they can trace ownership to.


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## J. Dean

I had one embossed for the simple reason that, if I were to misplace it, I'd like it to be brought back to me


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