The Alpha of Omegas
Crossway’s Omega Thinline Reference Bible has appeared in many forms, and this one is the best.
For the past few weeks, I have been reviewing ESV premium reference editions that are large (at least 6” x 9”). This is perhaps one of the most competitive areas in the world of Bible publishing, and the examples I’ve shown you from Schuyler, Cambridge, and Allan are all excellent Bibles.
Now it’s time to include Crossway in the conversation.
The English Standard Version has become one of the most popular Bible translations in the world, and that’s in large part because Crossway (the original developer and publisher of the translation) has done an excellent job of creating unique editions of the Bible that people enjoy using. The Bible I’m showing you today is the Omega Thinline Reference Bible, a special premium edition of the Large Print Thinline Reference Edition that Crossway first introduced in 2013 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of their parent company, Good News Publishers.
The Omega has appeared in various forms over the years (one of the maddening things about Crossway is that it can be difficult to keep up with the myriad formats and editions they release), and the one I’m using in today’s review if my favorite… the Alpha of Omegas, if you will. It’s an exclusive edition that Crossway released in partnership with the good folks at EvangelicalBible.com, and it’s stunning.
ESV Omega Thinline Reference Bible – Overview
The Omega is essentially an ESV Large Print Thinline Reference Bible with premium upgrades. As mentioned above, the Omega has appeared in various forms since it was first released in 2013, but each edition of the Omega features a goatskin cover, high-quality Bible paper, and art gilding on the page edges. Each one also has a 6.125” x 9.125” trim size and comes complete with cross-references, a concordance, and maps.
One of the reasons the Bible you see in these photos is my favorite Omega is because of the cover. This limited edition Vintage Brown goatskin is absolutely stunning and incredibly soft and supple. If you can find a gently used copy of one of these EvangelcialBible.com exclusives for less than $200, you should snatch it up.
I also love that this Bible is only 1.2” thick. This is significantly thinner that the Bibles in its class from Schuyler, Cambridge, and Allan… without a drastic difference in font size (it’s definitely worth noting here that the newest edition of the Omega is printed on thicker paper, which makes it a thicker Bible).
FEATURES
• Smyth-sewn binding
• Edge-lined goatskin cover
• Two ribbon markers
• Red-under-gold art gilding
• Raised spine hubs
• Double-column format
• Black letter text
• Cross-references
• Concordance
• Bible Maps
• 6.125” x 9.125” trim size
• 1.2” thick
• 10pt type size
The Omega Way
As you can see from the photos, the page layout on the Omega is simple, clean, and comfortable to read with a two-column format and a 10pt type size that is line matched on opaque paper. The only thing I’m not wild about with this Bible is the cross-references, which appear at the bottom of the right column of the text on each page. In addition to being small, the placement makes using these cross-references an exercise in visual gymnastics. That said, if you’re not an avid user of cross-references, this format keeps them out of the way for the most part and frees up the main text of the Bible to fill the page and take center stage.
You can check out my video review (keep scrolling) to see how the concordance and maps look at the back of the Omega, but suffice it to say that they are just as simple and clean as everything else about this Bible.
An Understated Option That Shines
I hope I don’t sound underwhelmed by the Omega, because I’m not. It’s a lovely Bible that does everything you need it to do in an understated yet thoughtful way. This is the kind of Bible that you can carry around with you and it’s likely that no one will notice how nice it is… and that’s pretty cool in my book.
I know I’ve said this once already, but it’s worth repeating: the edition you see in these photos is an exclusive collaboration between Crossway and EvangelcialBible.com that is no longer in print. That said, it is BY FAR the best edition of the Omega that exists. You can find one if you look hard enough, and I hope you will.
NEXT WEEK: a side-by-side look at all four Bibles from this series of reviews: the Schuyler Quentel, Cambridge Topaz, Allan New Classic Reader, and Crossway Omega
Keep scrolling to watch a video review of this Omega.
