Journal: Journal for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Volume: JBMW 02:2 (Mar 1997)
Article: Two Entirely Different Study Bibles For Women Reviewed
Author: Anonymous

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Two Entirely Different Study Bibles For Women Reviewed

A Complementarian Study Bible

The Woman’s Study Bible: Opening The Word Of God To Women, Ed. Dorothy Patterson (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995; $39.99). Reviewed By Karen O’dell Bullock: Reprinted By Permission From Magazette Vol. 7, No. 4 (1996): 3-4.

Just as the original translators of the 1611 King James Version sought to “promote the common good’’ by their effort to “make a good [translation] better,’’ the collaborators of the Woman’s Study Bible offer a new and useful tool for hungry students of the Bible.

Spanning a production process of more than five years, and involving more than 80 women of ethnic and denominational diversity, the volume speaks clearly to Christian women standing on the brink of the twenty-first century. Women comprising the editorial team, headed by Dorothy Kelley Patterson, general editor, are professors, homemakers, artists, counselors, corporate executives, pastors’ wives, missionaries, medical personnel, and authors. Some are grandmothers; others are singles, wives, and mothers. All are actively involved in ministry leadership, and almost one-third hold earned theological degrees.

Eminently practical, the Woman’s Study Bible serves a wide range of purposes; however, its overarching theme is to be a “unique tool for opening God’s Word to women through a comprehensive study of Scripture prepared by women for women on subjects important to women.’’ The Woman’s Study Bible uses the New King James Version and includes the “Word from the Translators of the New King James Version,’’ which follows the text and speaks to the reader concerning purpose, “complete equivalence’’ in translation, style, format, notes on decisions concerning Old and New Testament manuscript usage, and explanations of textual footnotes. These helpful and critical discussions remind readers of the King James Version to ask why the 1611 translators’ notes have rarely been printed since 1821. What translators have to say to their readers is vitally important.

Stated guidelines provided the parameters for this study tool prior to research and/or manuscript preparation as follows:

“A distinctive exegesis pulls out the meaning of the text instead of reading into the text personal whims.’’

“Intuitive scholarship combines the discernment of intuition with the discipline of scholarship, bringing a new dimension to evangelical interpretation.’’

“Nurturing sensitivity brings new and exciting ways to encourage and inspire.’’

“Mentoring friendships undergird spiritual bonding, finding more common ground than polarity in a quest to understand and interpret Scripture.’’

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