# The notes Geneva Bible notes in the Reformation Study Bible



## cris (Apr 2, 2010)

Hi my friends
I got the Reformation Study Bible (ESV) but I am still confused. Does it or doesn't it contain the notes of the Geneva Bible?
Someone explained it to me that it is pretty much the same Bible, but I am not really convinced (the clerk wasn't really convinced herself)
Can someone clarify this for me?

Thx a lot
Cristian


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## AThornquist (Apr 2, 2010)

Mine sure doesn't have the Geneva notes. Unless they are hiding.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Apr 2, 2010)

You are probably referring to what Ligonier called the Geneva Study Bible and later changed its name to the Reformation Study Bible. So no the notes in the Sproul edited item are not the notes that appear in the 1599 Geneva Study Bible that you can purchase here:

1599 Geneva Bible Bonded Leather

A sample from the 1599 Geneva Study Bible is available here:
http://www.tollelegepress.com/downloads/1599_Romans.pdf

AMR


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## cris (Apr 2, 2010)

I see
Thx for the reply, Patrick
I guess, in that case, that Ligonier shouldn't have called this Bible "Geneva Bible", too
I guess what the lady told me is that the Reformation Bible is pretty much the same as the Ligonier Geneva Bible.
Which is not the Geneva Bible I was looking for (the Bible of the puritans, with the "famous" annotations)


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## toddpedlar (Apr 2, 2010)

Cristian -

That's why Ligonier called it the "New Geneva Study Bible". 

The Geneva Bible is in print, though, and can be bought through Tolle Lege Press


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## sastark (Apr 2, 2010)

As Todd said, the Ligonier Bible was originally called the NEW Geneva Study Bible and subsequently changed its name to the Reformation Study Bible. This makes confusing it with the 1599 Geneva Bible less likely, but at the same time makes it easier to confuse with the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible. 

And, in my humble (and unrequested) opinion, the notes in the Reformation Study Bible (Ligonier) and far inferior to the notes in the 1599 Geneva Bible, but better than the notes in the Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible.


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## Dewi Sant (Apr 2, 2010)

cris said:


> I see
> Thx for the reply, Patrick
> I guess, in that case, that Ligonier shouldn't have called this Bible "Geneva Bible", too
> I guess what the lady told me is that the Reformation Bible is pretty much the same as the Ligonier Geneva Bible.
> Which is not the Geneva Bible I was looking for (the Bible of the puritans, with the "famous" annotations)


 
Dear Cristian,
And to further complicate things, the NGSB is a NKJ translation and the RSB is ESV. I have both, as well as the 1599 Geneva Bible from Tolle Lege Press. Of the three, I prefer the 1599 GB for its notes and a sweet translation - I just like the way it reads. Ligonier et al weren't trying to copy the 1599, they were following in the same path - offering specifically reformed comments to help the reader of God's Word study. Having said that, it would be well to remember that the men who produced the Geneva Bible, first did so between 1557 & 1560. They translated it from the original languages, not from the Latin Vulgate. They also referred to Tyndale's 1526 work (for which he was strangled and burned in 1536) as well as the work of continental reformers. Calvin was still alive in Geneva when these men were refugees there from the reign of "Bloody" Mary Tudor - escaping persecution & death for their reformed, protestant views. So also was John Knox and Miles Coverdale. The King James version came 51 years later and only superceeded the Geneva Bible because the latter was suppressed in favor of the King's Authorized Version (he didn't much care for these pilgrims either). It has been claimed that there was a copy of the Geneva Bible on every Christian hearth in America - right next to Matthew Henry's Commentary. This is it, this is the one - Read It & Weep.

Your brother in Christ,
Kris


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## E Nomine (Apr 2, 2010)

What is even MORE confusing is that Ligonier re-renamed the NKJV! It was originally the New Geneva Study Bible. Subsequently, it was re-titled the Reformation Study Bible (identical notes, layout and format). Recently, they've reverted back to the original title of New Geneva Study Bible for the NKJV and kept the Reformation Study Bible title for the ESV. 

All New Geneva Study Bibles are NKJV.
Reformation Study Bibles can be either NKJV or ESV.


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## cris (Apr 5, 2010)

Thank you Todd, Seth, Kris, SW, for your comments and links
Until now I had MacArthur's study Bible, and I think Ligonier's is better, but I think the 1599 Geneva is even better (based on what you guys write)
for Seth: the "unrequested" remark was funny 
I'll get the Geneva Bible, too


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## Osage Bluestem (Apr 5, 2010)

Does anyone know if the Geneva bible is accurate? I haven't spent much time with it. I have the notes on E-Sword and a friend of mine brings the Geneva bible to our Thursday morning study group and I have looked through his, but I haven't really gave it a lot of looks as a translation.


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## toddpedlar (Apr 5, 2010)

E Nomine said:


> What is even MORE confusing is that Ligonier re-renamed the NKJV! It was originally the New Geneva Study Bible. Subsequently, it was re-titled the Reformation Study Bible (identical notes, layout and format). Recently, they've reverted back to the original title of New Geneva Study Bible for the NKJV and kept the Reformation Study Bible title for the ESV.
> 
> All New Geneva Study Bibles are NKJV.
> Reformation Study Bibles can be either NKJV or ESV.


 
I was not aware Ligonier was printing either NGSB's or RSB's with the NKJV again... that's great! I've needed to replace my origina NGSB in the NKJV for a while - the old hardcover cover finally detached itself after 15 years of use. Cool


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## jfschultz (Apr 5, 2010)

DD2009 said:


> Does anyone know if the Geneva bible is accurate? I haven't spent much time with it. I have the notes on E-Sword and a friend of mine brings the Geneva bible to our Thursday morning study group and I have looked through his, but I haven't really gave it a lot of looks as a translation.



There are differences in the notes. The E-Sword, and a number of other version on the web have a number of notes that have been revised to reflect a credo-baptist position while the original is clearly peado-baptist.


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