Cambridge ESV Aquila Wide Margin Reference Bible, Black Goatskin, Red Letter

11 reviews for Cambridge ESV Aquila Wide Margin Reference Bible, Black Goatskin, Red Letter

1. Rated 3 out of 5

   Eric James – June 1, 2021

   This is a beautiful Bible in almost every way.

   The floppiness of the cover and flexibility of the binding combined with the extra width make for a unique aesthetic experience.

   The paper is very opaque and perfect for writing. Yet somehow, Cambridge is able to achieve a thinness that most other wide-margin Bibles do not. Quite a feat.

   The goatskin cover is a perfect balance between being soft and supple, yet deep-grained and durable.

   The typeface is clear, legible, and easy to read.

   This Bible also smells wonderful. I’m not sure if it’s the paper, the goatskin, or a combination thereof, but it’s a delight.

   The reason I’m giving it 3 stars, however, is due to the fact that the red-letter text is significantly misaligned with the black-letter text. I don’t care for red-letter Bibles to begin with, because I find the color distracting, but this exacerbates that effect dramatically. The red-letter text is about half a line lower than the black, and in some cases the letters even touch the line below.

   I emailed Cambridge about this, and they indicated that “this imperfect alignment is a characteristic of the printing process. This is generic and will not vary from book to book by much so a replacement, in this case, would likely have the same characteristics.” In other words, it’s considered normal.

   Perhaps my standard as to what constitutes normal and acceptable on a $200 Bible is too high, but given that far less expensive Bibles do not suffer from this issue, I find this answer from Cambridge disappointing.

   Interestingly, my wife has a Cambridge Wide Margin ESV in the 2011 printing, purchased in 2016, and this effect is far less pronounced in hers.

   I hope Cambridge will work with Jongbloed to rectify this in future editions.

2. Rated 5 out of 5

   Ethan Yong – August 24, 2020

   My first premium bible. Super high quality and the delivery was fantastic and smooth in amongst the global issues. Absolutely stellar…

3. Rated 5 out of 5

   Bob Beaver – September 23, 2019

   I have owned this exact Bible since May of 2009. I must say that this Bible is excellent in every way! The black goatskin looks and feels wonderful. Nice and floppy– it was Matthew Everhard who nicknamed this Bible “The Eagle.” He has numerous video reviews on this very Bible (i.e, the 1,2,3,4 year crash test).

   The paper is of great quality. I use the Pigma Micron .005 pen for writing in this Bible. No bleed-through whatsoever. I have had absolutely no problems concerning the overall structural quality of this Bible. The goatskin still looks brand new. And the paper has held up really well–virtually no signs of wear and tear. Here’s some of the features that I particularly like in this Bible:
   1. It has a very nice concordance (way better than most)
   2. There are 32 pages of lined paper in the back for writing personal notes.
   3. It also had unlined paper in the back that has a half page for every letter in the alphabet–great for having topical notes or quotes or whatever.
   4. There are 15 pages of high-quality maps (along with a “map index”).
   And finally, this Bible has held up remarkably for all the writing and highlighting that I have done over the years–I mean, this thing is now filled with notes! I would die if this Bible ever got lost or destroyed. But hey, “once-saved, always-saved.” LOL

   The print size is 7.9 font somewhat small but even with these worn-out eyes I can read I it just fine–as long as I have my readers. And by the way, I also have the Pit-Minion which has the same pagination as this, its true “big brother.”

   Needless to say that I would 100% recommend this Bible for anyone who wants to develop their very own “Study-Bible.” It will only become more treasured and valuable with the passing of years.

4. Rated 5 out of 5

   Thelma English – May 1, 2018

   I’ve had mine for quite a few years now. My title page is beginning to separate from the rest but I treat it carefully. I’m okay with that. I love the cover, the paper, and the note pages in the back, but there is a typo at Job 7:1: “Has not man r a hard service on earth,”
   There is a random “r” in the text!

5. Rated 5 out of 5

   matty – February 8, 2018

   I received this bible as a gift for finishing up seminary. I grew up reading and being taught with the ESV and our church uses the ESV as their main translation, so I was looking for something that would last for a decade or so of ministry, growing and note taking. If you are able to get around the footprint (I feel like after carrying it around with me and getting used to the size I was able to) it really is a gorgeous bible and as the previous commenter noted, a real work-horse. This bible was meant to be used and abused (though it is paper and leather, so take care of it!!). the paper is 38 gsm, the thickest I know of. It isn’t coated which is nice for the note taking and there isn’t any glare while reading.
   I’ve had a NIV pitt minion for some time and used that as my go-to bible for the past few years, so transitioning to the ESV wide margin was easy as I was used to the narrow leading between the lines and the smaller font. It could be harder for those who use a thinline, clarion, or another format that has a more generous leading. I think it’s pretty easy to get used to if you’re willing to manage and compromise a little.
   I’m not a fan of red-lettering in any bible, more because it just breaks my concentration while reading and sometimes those places where translators make red letters or not appear are not always clear passages which can be hard. its just one more thing a translator has to do that the reader doesnt. I’d rather just have black letter but low and behold, it seems to be an american ideal to have red-lettering. the red letter text is the ESV 2011 text (i don’t know how long it will be til they transition to the 2016, but with only 29 words updated, its not significant enough for me to care) the black letter text is the 2007 text still from what I have been told (200+ verses updated i believe between the 2007 and 2011, could be wrong, so fact check me?) the red-letter is dark and bold enough that it is more than readable (but still distracting)
   leather is gorgeous, ribbons are average (i put my own in) and it really is an all-around lovely and workable bible! I would encourage anyone who wants something to record notes, insights or whatever into their bibles to get this bible. it will last and I’m looking forward to the years to come of use!

6. Rated 5 out of 5

   Drew – August 5, 2017

   I have been using the Crossway Heirloom Legacy for a few years now. I love that Bible, but the paper is thinner than the original Legacy. So I never felt comfortable writing notes in it. I ordered the Cambridge ESV Wide Margin for note taking. I have only had the Bible for a couple of days, and I love it! It is everything I wanted and more! The leather and paper are every bit as elegant as advertised. I was surprised by the “work horse” feel of the Bible. It is sturdy and ready to be read and written in.
   I have to brag on Evangelical Bible. This is the first time I have bought from them, and they did not disappoint. They had the best price I could find on this Bible, and my Bible arrived several days early. I would recommend them to anyone! Thanks guys!

7. Rated 5 out of 5

   Joseph – November 30, 2015

   I recently bought of one these. I would echo all the praise that other reviewers have put forward. But I will note that mine has the updated 2011 text. I was expecting the older text, so I was very pleasantly surprised.

8. Rated 5 out of 5

   Justin Foster – June 9, 2014

   I received my Cambridge ESV Wide-Margin Bible recently and I immediately fell in love with it. I will be honest, I have never been a fan of black leather… until this edition! The goatskin leather is beautiful. It is soft, it is high quality, and it is wonderful feeling in your hands. The font size is very readable, this is important to me as I teach and preach. Also, the wide margins are great for note-taking. I cannot recommend this Bible enough. If you are looking for a high quality Bible that is both gorgeous and very functional, please get this Bible.

9. Rated 5 out of 5

   Christopher Dumais – August 31, 2012

   The paper is brilliant white and nearly completely opaque. I have tried writing in it with Pima microns and it has almost no bleed through (unless you hold the pen for quite some time on the page). I think there is something to be said for the typical use of a wide margin and this one delivers. I have to admit the goatskin feels almost dry and not as soft and silky feeling as RL Allan’s highland goatskin. Fact is, if I could have the RL Allan goatskin with the Cambridge paper in it, I would have the perfect ESV. Overall though a complete win! 5/5

10. Rated 5 out of 5

    Kevin O’Neill – April 19, 2012

    DO NOT BUY THIS BIBLE!!!!! Unless you plan on absolutely falling in love with it! I purchased this because I simply ran out of room for notes in my other Bible and everything was so cluttered that I had such a hard time finding anything. I love the wide margin because of this in order to keep everything very clean and organized. I also enjoy the huge section of lined paper in the back that I mostly use for quotes, and then there’s an alphabetical guide to notes just before that which is extremely helpful. I definitely struggled with justifying the price but ultimately, it is God’s Word and I want to protect and treasure it. It feels and looks amazing, but the most important thing no matter how big or how great a Bible is is how much of it do I apply to my life. This Bible has so far proven to be an amazing aid to applying God’s Word to my life because it is capable of being poured into and still being an amazing reference for me.

11. Rated 5 out of 5

    Isaac Johnson – November 17, 2009

    I received the ESV wide-margin in Goatskin as a replacement of the NASB I had. The NASB had a problem were the adhesive that held the cover down would come apart. I asked to replace the NASB with the ESV because the problem was corrected in ESV because Cambridge put a line of stitching along the edge of the bible were the adhesive is. This was a wonderful move that took nothing away from the beauty of this wonderful edition. I also want to say that the customer service from Baker Books ( The US headquarters for Cambridge Bibles) was awesome. They kept me informed through the whole process.
    The goatskin edition of the ESV Wide-Margin is amazing! I have had it since January of 2009 and the cover has gotten better with time. This is a statement that is worth keeping in mind because brand new out of the box it is buttery soft! The goatskin cover is leather lined which causes the bible to flow out of your hand when holding it. It is like the bible is organic; it is like the cover flexes and moves with a mind of its on! Another stand out feature of the bible is the art guilt pages. It give this bible a look of sophistication that can’t be trumped. In a church gathering this bible is the talk of the party”. The paper is of the highest quality the best I have seen in any bible. It is thick a white which makes the text bold and visible it also cut down bleed through to a very minimal level. The margins are very generous on every side of the text; north south east and west! In addition to wide margins there are also lined paper in the back for taking notes! I know that there is no perfect bible however there are bibles that get a lot right. The ESV Wide-Margin in goatskin is one of those bibles. If you are looking for a wide -margin bible this is the one to have. You will not be sorry if you make this purchase. I PROMISE! Be Encouraged Isaac C. Johnson Isaac C.”””