This post contains affiliate links
I received a copy of the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls from Zondervan (HarperCollins Christian Publishing) for this review. This post is sponsored by Zondervan.
The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls is a fun addition to the growing trend of journaling Bibles. Prior to receiving this copy, I had never owned a journaling type Bible. I love that throughout the Bible, there are beautiful illustrations for coloring and lines for journaling or taking notes. I like the title NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls because it indicates that as we spend time in Scripture, we will walk away seeing Christ as more beautiful.
One of the aspects I appreciate most about this Bible is how it is designed to appeal to girls. I plan to gift my copy to my oldest daughter once she is older because I know this a resource she will use and love. I believe that spending time coloring in illustrations with Bible verses will help her to memorize Scripture which I’m excited about.
As far as translations go, the NIV isn’t my personal preference but I do believe it offers merit especially for younger Bible readers. The NIV is more of a thought for thought translation than a word for word translation. I prefer word for word because it tends to give readers a closer idea of what was expressed in the original Biblical texts which were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. However, the NIV does seem to communicate Scripture in a way that may be easier for younger readers to understand.
Zondervan, the publisher of the NIV Bible, received much backlash years ago when they opted to update the text of the 1984 NIV that many American Christians were familiar with to a version called Today’s New International Version (TNIV). When this translation was initially introduced, there was an uproar amongst many Christians against the gender-neutral terms it contained.
Changing the terms that were used in the 1984 edition also changed the meaning of some Biblical texts which is troubling considering that God has chosen to reveal Himself to us in His Word (John 1:1, Revelation 19:13), He doesn’t change (Hebrews 13:8), and we are not to add to His word (Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, Proverbs 30:6, Hebrews 1:1-2, Revelation 22:18).
Amidst the backlash, Zondervan decided to do away with the TNIV. I decided to look up some verses in the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls and it appears to be free of the changes that were included in the TNIV. The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls contains a copyright date of 2011 so it won’t be the same 1984 translation that many are familiar with. Since it does appear to be free of the changes included in TNIV, I am comfortable with my daughter reading it.
The illustrations in the Bible are beautifully hand lettered. I am grateful to Zondervan for including an Index at the back of the Bible which lists the artists who created the illustrations.
Some aspects of journaling and coloring Bibles that ought to receive consideration are appropriateness and placement. The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls contains an illustration for Revelation 8:11 with a mermaid’s tail which struck me as odd considering the Bible is real and true and mermaids are not. Revelation 8:11 (ESV) states, “The name of the star is Wormwood.
A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.” The illustration for this verse only contains the words, “A third of the waters turned bitter. . . “. While the illustration is cute and fun the verse is about people dying so the illustration has the potential to be misleading. A few pages over, there is an illustration with a dragon for Revelation 12:9. This didn’t seem as odd to me since this particular verse mentions a dragon in reference to Satan.
Overall, I really like the NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls. I believe this edition of the NIV Bible is great for young girls because it will help them see Jesus as beautiful. I believe that this side of eternity, we are able to enjoy and appreciate beauty as we understand that it points us back to Jesus, the One who is truly beautiful. The NIV Beautiful Word Coloring Bible for Girls is beautifully crafted and makes a great Christmas gift for young ladies desiring to know more about God.
