The Cambridge Clarion KJV Reference Edition is the first new Cambridge KJV reference Bible in 50 years. It is designed with many of the features that modern readers are longing for: single-column paragraph format, modern font, black-letter text, references on the outside margins, and a sewn binding that opens flat. With all of this, the Clarion still has a few surprises that make this Bible one of the most unique and desirable editions in many years.

Here are the major features:

- Single-column text

- Paragraph format

- Side-column references

- 8.75 Lexicon 1 font

- Black letter

- Lightweight paper

- Art gilt pages

- Translators to the Reader

- Reader's Companion

- 16 pages of Maps with index

- 2 ribbon markers

- Sewn binding

- 3 cover styles- black goatskin, black calfskin, brown calfskin

- Presentation page

- 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.5

Paragraph Format

What sets this Bible apart is the single-column paragraph format. This is the format we've been waiting for in a high-quality KJV. The verse numbers are small and can be difficult to find when searching for them, but it is nice for reading because they do not get in the way. Poetry is set in a different format, which makes it easy to identify quickly. I'm very glad to see this format in a KJV. It will make a nice reading Bible.

Font

The 8.75 font looks much larger due to the modern font-style and white space surrounding the font. It is Lexicon 1- a digital font designed for easy reading, and it is very readable. The Clarion does not have self-pronouncing text. The added words are in italics so you can easily identify the supplied words.

Paper

The Clarion uses India paper. It is thin and lightweight. It's not as opaque as I expected, but it could be much worse. I don't think my pens (Pigma Micron) or color pencils (PrismaColor) would bleed-through too bad, but I'm not sure I want to write in this Bible any time soon. I may just keep it nice and clean for reading (something this Bible would excel in). If I do want to write in it, there is plenty of room between the lines for underlining and there is some space at the bottom of the page and between the references. The paper has a very slight cream tone, which I like very much.

References

The references are placed along the outer margin of the page. There are also translation notes for Greek and Hebrew, and alternate readings (something I really like in Cambridge KJVs). The references are slightly smaller than the Bible text, but they are still larger than other Cambridge editions (Cameo, Concord) and there are plenty of them. The references and notes are keyed to the text with letters and numbers. Due to their style and size they are not noticeable while reading, so you can read without the text feeling interrupted.

Binding

The binding is Smyth sewn, allowing the Bible to lay flat. You can open the Bible to the first page right out of the box and it will stay open with no trouble at all. This feature is a must and the Clarion does it well.

Cover

This edition is in brown calfskin. It is very soft, but slightly stiff. I'm sure it will become more flexible with use, but I actually like it the way it is. The goatskin of my Cameo can be a little too flexible while holding the Bible in bed. The stiffness of this cover seems to solve that 'problem' for me. I can lie on the bed with the Clarion in my chest and it keeps its shape nicely. It feels great. For me it's just the right amount of flexibility and softness. It has no trouble with yoga poses. The grain is smooth and looks nice. It is edge-lined.

Ribbons

The brown calfskin edition comes with 2 brown ribbons. They are more than long enough. They are 5/8 inches wide, which feels perfect for the size of the Clarion.

Maps

There are 16 pages of full-color maps. They are the same maps as the Cameo and Concord Bibles.

Translators to the Reader

I'm glad to see the Translators to the Reader in KJV editions. For me, it is an important document that gives the reader the thoughts of the translators on the translation of the KJV and Bible translation in general. I like that it is included because it shows the difficulty of the work of translation and the purpose and need of other translations and updates.

Reader's Companion

What? No concordance? Don't worry, the Reader's Companion provides more than what you would get from just a concordance. It serves as a concordance, topical index, and dictionary, all in one. The Reader's Companion combines these features in a single place. It includes the prominent proper names, words that have changed meaning and their definitions, unfamiliar words, customs, occupations, background information, social, legal, and religious concepts, the books of the Bible, literary forms, the original languages, non-biblical literature from ancient times, translation information including the KJV and other derived translations, key words, and more. There is a list of verses for each entry (except book names) and 144 pages of entries. This is much better than a concordance. You don't get the small clipping of the verse like you would in a concordance (it's just the references), but with the awesome information in the Reader's Companion, this is a trade I'm willing to make.

Size

The size of the Clarion is interesting. It's slightly larger than the Cameo at 7.5 x 5.5 x 1.5, making it a hand-size Bible. However, it doesn't feel small on the inside. For me it's the perfect size- both inside and out.

Conclusion

Cambridge has just upped the ante for KJV Bible formats. They've given us a single-column paragraph format, nice readable font, side-column references, and a very nice reader's companion. The Clarion is the perfect update to the KJV format and the perfect Bible to celebrate the KJVs 400th anniversary.

Baker Publishing provided this Bible free for this review. I was not required to give a positive review- only an honest review.

I was looking for the best possible bible I could get. I bought six of the nicest ones I could find. Three were some of the most expensive one could buy. The others were good only I wanted the best possible bible money could get. I became obsessed watching hours of You Tube videos for days. I now understand what the word bibloultery means. Making the physical bible an idol.

Goatskin, Lambskin, Calfskin and any other exotic cover one could buy was what I was looking for. Thinking the more expensive the cover the longest it would last. True expensive covers last longer only do they have to be supple or have the smoothest leather? What about the paper? Does it really make a difference if it's bible or indian paper, bible being thicker. Or gold or silver guilding? I think I got carried away. First the content and which version does the bible have is more important than anything else, not cosmetics.

I heard online this certain bible was the Rolls Royce of such a book. The bible is a book. Not jewelry or like a car. That's what I wanted a Ferrari or a jewel in the form of a bible. Talk about being a Pharisee. I was turning into one. Not good. Well bottem line. Yes good bibles are expensive and you usually get what you pay for. Only do your homework.

Get what you can honestly afford. Not buy several different bibles only to find out what you thought was the perfect bible like me. If you want my opinion from all my research and experience of owning one. I say my favorite is the Clarion. Well built and small enough to be comfortable yet not too small for the print to easily be read at 9 point font. And most important bold type print.

You read the bible with your eyes not your hands. The Clarion is one of the best bibles one could get. I know this because the first company that printed The King James Bible still does. Making Cambridge the most experienced experts in this field. The best possible bible at any price. The Clarion.

I received the Cambridge KJV Clarion Reference in Goatskin from a friend the other day and I feel compelled to express my thoughts...

If I only had one world that I could use to describe this Bible, that one word would be "PERFECT"!

1st. The Goatskin cover is simply amazing! Everything that is true about the Cambridge Wide-Margin covers is true about this one; it is super flexible, limp and amazingly grainy. Honestly, in my opinion Allan's goatskin offerings aren't better, just different than that of Cambridge. You can take the Clarion cover, roll it up like a scroll only to have it roll back into place as if nothing ever happened.

2nd. The layout, font choice and font size makes this KJV stand out in a crowd. Most KJV's use an antiquated font, so the modern font makes everything feel fresh. Chances are that the passer by would mistakingly assume this Bible was something other than the KJV at first glance. The single column setting also aids in giving this KJV a "youthful makeover". IMO, the size of the font is perfect for the size of the text block; it's not too big and not too small.

3rd. Cambridge hit a home-run with the dimensions of the Clarion. The Bible just feels perfect it your hand; it doesn't matter if it is open or closed, it just feels right. I can hold it with with one hand without getting tired because of the size. Also, because the footprint is not huge, there is no need to hold up the page you are reading with what would have been your free hand. There is also no need to fold the cover over on it self in order to hold it with one hand (although you easily could). This Bible even works perfectly while one is sitting in bed and reading; it just does well in most any situation you find yourself in.

4th. The paper is exactly the way it needs to be. With the primary purpose for this Bible is reading, the paper is not really thick. That is because this is not a wide-margin Bible made for taking notes (which should easily be noticed because of lack of margin space). Also, the paper being thinner helps to keep the size in check to give us those perfect dimensions. This begs the question of whats so great about the paper. Well, the paper is really white (which Cambridge is really good at doing) and the text is dark which causes the text to jump of the page.

Conclusion: Cambridge did a wonderful job with this edition. It is no doubt the best Cambridge Bible I have ever owned, and in the discussion of being one of the best Bibles of all time. A must have in any persons Bible library.

Perfect!

thanks,

Be Encouraged:-)

The paragraph organization in single column is useful.

The print job is excellent and the binding is neat and well done. It is delightful to have this carry size as I first obtained the hardback which is large.

My only compliant would be is that the paper is an ivory hue, and not bright white. Old eyes appreciate a very white background with distinctive black type. Most wouldn't notice.

The ink is applied evenly and there are not light pages where the pressman took a nap.

I'm a traditionalist when it comes to Bibles. I'll admit it. If it ain't broke, why fix it? I was a big fan of the Cambridge Concord. Then a friend showed me a Cameo. Man was I hooked - this was a KJV that, while the typeset was first blocked in the 1920s, looked like it could have been a Civil War Bible. This truly was the KJV of my grandfather's grandfather.

And while many I know hop onto the "toss the KJV to the curb, it's not as accurate and it's hard to read" bandwagon, I disagree. Yes, the ESV is good. It has its place. So does the NASB. Neither beats the original Greek and Hebrew, but who wants to lug around both a BHS and an NA28 with them wherever they go? Sometimes you want a Bible that doesn't have a critical apparatus, a Bible that you can just get lost in for hours. The ESV is nice, the NASB is nice, but neither has the poetry and the sheer beauty of the KJV. Many passages bring me to tears.

Sometimes you just need a Bible translation that makes three of the Four Horsemen of the Atheism stop in their tracks. Daniel Dennett has been known to say that he loves the KJV (while not believing in it). Richard Dawkins said that every British school ought to have a copy of the KJV, and every native English speaker ought to read it, because of its beauty and impact on the English language. The late Christopher Hitchens said that no other modern translation could match the beauty and poetry of the KJV.

If the KJV has moved three of the world's most outspoken atheists and anti-Christians to such love of it, how much more can its beauty and poetry speak to Christians?

No, it's probably not the most accurate translation. No, it's not based on the oldest manuscripts we now have. No, it can't replace the Hebrew and Greek.

But boy is it beautiful. Boy is it great. And boy, did it lead countless generations to and preserve countless generations in the faith.

So how then can Cambridge improve on the Cameo? On the Concord? On the beloved Pitt Minion?

By making the greatest single-volume single column Bible ever published. Granted, the multiple volume ESV Reader's Bible has it beat for casual reading solely because it scrapped all chapter and verse numbers, returning the text to its original form without unnecessary distractions of later divisions (interestingly enough, they still divided the text into paragraphs - a unique, if misguided, choice). However, the ESV Reader's Bible is terrible to use for anything but casual reading, as it's useless for a Bible study, and the strength for reading and understanding the text as it existed originally, the lack of a chapter and verse system, makes it a pain to navigate if you need to look up a particular section of text.

Thus, the Clarion is the best of all possible worlds. The text is the right size, neither too small nor too large (though some older individuals might benefit from using reading glasses), and the font is crisp, clear, and readable.

The bleedthrough is there, but just barely, and next to nonexistent. The Goatskin cover is extraordinarily supple.

The single column style lends itself to continual, heavy reading, and the size is perfect for such a task. The setting of poetry is beautiful.

This isn't a Bible that you need a table to set on, and it won't crush your legs sitting on them or snap your arms trying to lift it up.

My only two beefs, and they're minor at that, are that (a) OT references and quotations in the NT aren't set aside [what can I say, the NASB ruined me], and (b) the cover interior lining is synthetic and not leather.

But if those are the only two detractors to the single KJV Bible that has eclipsed my traditionalist tendencies for an old cluttered typeset that fulfills my repristinationist desires, replacing it with a sleek, easy to read, tastefully conservative modern formatting, then there's really nothing to complain about.

If you've gotten this far into the review without giving up, heed my advice: if you can afford this Bible, it is the best KJV you'll ever buy.

The price is steep, but it'll last a lifetime or four.