Do You Write in Your Bible?

[bookslover]

Take the poll and post your comments.

What kind of notes do you take? Are they the kind that still helpful five years later, or do you look at a note and ask yourself, "why did I write that down?

 

[brymaes]

I have a wide margin Bible for preaching and sometimes I pencil my outline right on the page.

 

[Scot]

No need to make notes if you get yourself a Scofield Bible.

 

[turmeric]

No need to make notes if you get yourself a Scofield Bible.

 

[staythecourse]

Saw Spurgeons Bible

He referenced his sermons in the margin.

 

[JonathanHunt]

I USED to underline things. But you could underline the whole text. Generally I just make pencil marks to indicate the groupings of texts which are obscured by modern versification, and also if there is a more helpful rendering of a word, I will mention it.

JH

 

[SRoper]

If there was an option for having never written in a bible I would have picked that.

 

[AV1611]

Actually my Scofield has most of my own notes in as well but a wise piece of advice an elderly brother in the Gospel Hall I attended gave to me was to buy a Bible and make no notes in it to use for study so that you come to the verse fresh without previous thoughts already cluttering up the pages. So now I have my "posh" KJV which I use for study which is untouched and other Bibles which is chock a block full of my own notes and key verses highlighted (my Scofield).

 

[Calvibaptist]

If my friend BaptistInCrisis were here, he would tell you that he often takes notes. He has looked back fondly on the notes he took while a flaming Dispensationalist at Word of Life and laughs his head off.

Personally, I don't take many notes in my Bible. I like Jonathan Edwards' practice of tearing the pages out of the binding and rebinding them with a blank page in between so he could take copious notes next to the text. Haven't tried that yet, though.

 

[larryjf]

I used to write in the back of my Bible passage references that i found particularly helpful on different doctrines or ideas. But then i found re-copying them to be tedious. So i typed and printed them out. Now i just put that paper of notes in the back of my Bible.

 

[Kaalvenist]

If there was an option for having never written in a bible I would have picked that.

I don't write in any of my books; but I like it when I borrow books from others who do write in their books, to see what they found interesting.

 

[Chris]

Mine looks like a child's coloring book.

 

[kvanlaan]

If there was an option for having never written in a bible I would have picked that.

Chris, do you make notes in crayon?

 

[Gesetveemet]

.

I have a wide margin

I lightly highlight

I use a sharp #2 pencil it doesn't smear and you can erase it






.

 

[3John2]

I'm like Chris. I have red, yellow, blue, green highlights & some notes on the sides. If you have a bible you can't write on throw it away (well give it away!) & find one you CAN!!!

 

[Augusta]

I use post-it notes, the 3x3 size. I write my thought or whatever and I write on the end of it what the thoughts are generally about and let it stick out like a tab. Then I can turn right to that spot if I want. My bible does look kind of funny since the post-its I had recently were hot pink. My bible is bristling with hot pink tabs. I keep that one at home anyway.

 

[C. Matthew McMahon]

I have found that I "wrote" in my bible. Everything you could imagine was written and posted and highlighted and underlined and, etc... in my first Bible. I translated all my notes to my second and third Bible, and then fourth and then...well you get the picture. After a while, the things you write down will stick in your head.

I don't write in them anymore, unless I have to correct a word or phrase.

 

[matthew11v25]

I highlight verses, and make notes with a blue pen (so there is a clear distiction between my writing and the black font on the page). It is kinda of a gauge that I use when reading through scripture, i.e. if it is not highlighted then I read through it to make sure it becomes highlighted. When my Bible becomes completely highlighted and marked with notes (and usually fairly worn), it goes on the shelf and I start over again.The cycle actually entertains me and feels refreshing. Maybe I am weird but I enjoy the visible interaction with the letters on the page, and then the physical interaction with making notes. Plus, I am to lazy to keep a seperate journal.

 

[Puddleglum]

I used to do a lot of underlining, and sometimes write stuff . . .

Then I started realizing that most of it was more distracting than helpful when I went back to that section later.

So now I've stopped pretty much - I think I've written one comment in my current Bible (which I've had for a year and a half) - it was a translation comment made in a sermon which made the passage make a lot more sense, and I didn't think I'd remember it otherwise, so I broke down and wrote it.

I've underlined a few passages in the Bible I have in my backpack (which goes to work & school) - mainly because I don't use it as often, but when I do pull it out, I tend to spend a lot of time looking for the same few passages over & over again.

 

[JM]

Not for a while, not anymore.

 

[Peccant]

I always allow the Holy Spirit to "highlight" words or verses for me.
He doesn't use a pen or highlighter.

 

[Reformed Baptist]

I make Greek/Hebrew notes, meanings and defs. I put in my own cross references, and I re-title any chapter headings the bible puts in that are wrong.

 

[caddy]

Yes...

I'm a Huge "Noter" and "quoter" of ideas--mostly from my reading on those passages, but occasionally from sermons as well....

 

[caddy]

I have 2 Bibles I do NOT note anything in, my Geneva Bible and My Archeological Study Bible. My others look like road maps--Spirit of Reformation Study Bible and Reformation Study Bible and my MacArthur Study Bible. I also have a NIV\Message Parallel that I have heavily noted up.

I used to do a lot of underlining, and sometimes write stuff . . .

Then I started realizing that most of it was more distracting than helpful when I went back to that section later.

So now I've stopped pretty much - I think I've written one comment in my current Bible (which I've had for a year and a half) - it was a translation comment made in a sermon which made the passage make a lot more sense, and I didn't think I'd remember it otherwise, so I broke down and wrote it.

I've underlined a few passages in the Bible I have in my backpack (which goes to work & school) - mainly because I don't use it as often, but when I do pull it out, I tend to spend a lot of time looking for the same few passages over & over again.

 

[jawyman]

I do sometimes when I am working with Greek or Hebrew.

 

[jenney]

I write a date by a passage if it stands out to me really significantly.

I write references to related verses in the margin that fill out or highlight a certain point. especially where there is a common misunderstanding.

I used to underline or highlight but then whenever I read the passage I'd sort of skip the non-highlighted part and focus only on the highlighted part. It drew my attention too much! So I don't write on the text at all anymore.

 

[Chris]

Chris, do you make notes in crayon?

Orange, blue, green, pink, and yellow highlights, with red, blue, and black ink, plus the occassional pencil mark.

Some purple highlights - where I had a verse highlighted in pink, then later went through with the blue highlighter (blue = Sovereignty/DoG/Covenant passages) and re-marked over the pink.

I started out with just a pink highlighter, then started writing notes in black ink, then throughout time I've found myself in a hotel room wtihout a black pen, and had to use blue/red/pencil, and after that first year or so of pink highlighting, I wanted something to differentiate 'old' highlights from new ones.

 

[edb19]

I do take notes in my Bible - both during personal study and during sermons/talks.

I've often thought that a "loose leaf" Bible would be a good idea (along the lines of the Jonathon Edwards idea) - then one could just keep adding pages where needed. It would be an interesting way to see one self grow in wisdom and understanding.

 

[IanWatson]

I usually do not

 

[~~Susita~~]

Going through the Gospel and I often write in the OT verses/prophecies that Jesus quotes/fulfills.