Review: Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible
I am a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG2). As a #BibleGatewayPartner, I have received a copy of the “Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible – NKJV Translation” published by Thomas Nelson Publishers at no cost to me in exchange for an honest review here on the Adonai Shalom USA blog. #BG2
“Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible” (NKJV Translation)
Book Review and Description
The Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible – NKJV contains the entirety of the Scriptural text in the New King James Version Bible translation along with devotional passages drawn from Matthew Henry’s commentaries, which are interspersed throughout the text.
The introduction to this devotional Bible gives detail about Matthew Henry’s life. According to the introduction written by Philip Nation, Henry was a 17th century Presbyterian pastor in England. Nation shares background about some of Henry’s struggles, such as frequent childhood illness, loss of his wife and four of his infant children. Henry consistently turned to God’s Word as a source of comfort, making this devotional appropriate to any who likewise seek to draw encouragement and comfort from the Holy Scriptures.
Matthew Henry is well known to many for his numerous and thoughtful commentaries on Scripture. Many of us have relied on his thoughtful analysis of Scripture whether as students or as pastors. Because of my familiarity with Matthew Henry’s commentaries, I assumed this Bible would contain commentary, rather than devotional material – more of a “study Bible.”
The devotions in the Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible relate to the passage on the corresponding page, and they are dated for anyone who would enjoy following a devotional reading plan.
You will find the next day’s devotion listed at the bottom of the page, so you can place one of the two satin bookmarks there, ready for the next day, if you would like.
With this format, one could easily find another interesting passage to read along with the day’s devotional, so I actually like the fact the devotions are spread throughout the Bible rather than arranged in a more traditional format. This allows the reader to spend time prayerfully in the Word and invite the Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit) to truly guide one’s reading and devotional time.
A Devotional Bible
Given the exhaustive nature of Matthew Henry’s verse-by-verse six volume commentary on the whole Bible, I did expect to see more Matthew Henry devotionals in this particular Bible edition.
For anyone interested in a “devotional” introduction to Matthew Henry, this Bible will be very appropriate. It is less scholarly than jumping straight into his Bible commentaries. I could see this being an excellent gift for a young person going off to college or someone considering vocational ministry.
It is important to note that the Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible is aptly named and is not a Bible commentary nor a Study Bible. It is strictly intended as a devotional Bible.
The Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible can encourage any of us to put away the study Bibles for a moment and just focus our attention in a devotional format. With all the apps and electronic means of accessing the Scripture, having an actual book to hold and look through can help us slow down and focus on our personal devotional life with our Heavenly Father rather than studying all the time! The devotions in this Bible are Scripturally-based and free of distraction.
My recommendation:
★★★★★
Rating: 5 out of 5.
My initial reaction was to give the Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible 4 out of 5 stars, but the more I thought about the purpose of this non-study Bible, I decided it is worth 5 out of 5.
This Bible does not purport to give commentary nor to serve as a study Bible. It is intended as a devotional Bible, and it serves that purpose very well. I highly recommend this Devotional Bible to anyone seeking a devotional that can be used all year, and reused every year if desired.
Pastora Jennifer Mieliulis Fuentes, M.Div., Duke University
Book details
Title: “Matthew Henry Daily Devotional Bible – NKJV”
Author: Compilation
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: 10/18/2022
Genre: Bibles/New King James Version/Devotional
ISBN-13: 978-0-7852-4655-8
PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | FaithGateway Store
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If you are looking for other wonderful Scripture resources, check out my reviews of “Spurgeon and the Psalms: The Book of Psalms with Devotions from Charles Spurgeon” and “Eternity Now: The New Testament Series” (NET) also published by Thomas Nelson.
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