People often ask me what type of Bible they should buy.  When they ask such a question, they are usually talking about a study Bible.  There are a large number of Bibles on the market.  There are several excellent study Bibles and there are some that you need to stay away from because of a particular bias which can result in confusion or theological error.

Let me mention a few that I have found helpful.  These are in no particular order

The English Standard Version Study Bible is brand new.  It uses the English Standard Version translation.
It is very well organized.  The articles, maps, and notes are very well done.  The list of contributors is impressive and it has an online version.  One possible drawback is that it is so extensive.  It is very large and is not something that you may enjoy carrying around.  It is published by Crossway.

The Life Application Study Bible has been around for a while.  It is probably the best-selling study Bible.  It can be found in a number of good translations.  The notes tend to be more practically oriented, hence the name.  It is easy to use and is an excellent tool.

The Holman Apologetics Study Bible is also relatively new.  I have not used it extensively but I have spent enough time with it to be impressed.  It is designed to help the Bible student understand and be able to defend the faith.  It uses the Christian Standard Version.  It addresses very effectively many common questions about the Bible.  A person who has a special interest in defending faith will find it to be a very valuable tool

The MacArthur Study Bible is another popular tool.  The general editor is John MacArthur.  Most of the notes are taken from his writings so you do not get quite as broad a perspective.  The reviews are good and there are many who like his format.

In my view all four of these are very reliable.  There is no perfect tool.  The scripture itself is infallible but we must always remember that everything else is either man’s interpretation or opinion.  Once you have settled on a couple of reliable choices, it comes down to personal preference and which one is the easiest to use or seems to be more helpful.

The greatest need that we have is to get more deeply into the Word of God.  In a culture that is becoming more secular and is filled with confusion it is imperative that we be students of the Word.