Sower Study Bibles

This study Bible is the fruit of several years of work by a committee bringing together around ten theologians teaching in the main French-speaking evangelical institutions in Europe ( see the list of collaborators ). It is based on the Sower 1 version of the Bible for which the study Bible was specially designed. Thus, for example, we will find in the notes the exegetical justifications for the choices of interpretation made in the text of the Bible of the Sower. Furthermore, the technical vocabulary (repentance, redemption, propitiation, etc.) was reintroduced to facilitate the more classical study of Scripture and, in accordance with the philosophy of translation which guided the development of the Bible of Sower, section notes have been added to the more usual study Bible notes in order to highlight the progression of thought of different biblical authors. For the meaning of the words of Scripture is always linked to the context in which they are used.

Features

This study Bible includes the following:

1. Introduction

  • a general introduction to the canon of Scripture, the Word of God;
  • particular introductions to certain large groups of books which make up Scripture (Pentateuch, prophetic books, synoptic gospels, letters of Paul);
  • introductions for each biblical book , which raise, among other things, questions of author, circumstances of writing, date and structure, and attempt to clarify the scope of the teaching of the writing.

2. Notes

  • the information or explanation notes offer historical, geographical or archaeological information, evaluate the different ways of understanding and therefore translating a verse, provide information on discrepancies in the manuscripts or provide quick summaries of scriptural teaching on a biblical theme;
  • the section notes highlight the essence of the section's teaching and highlight the evolution of the author's thinking in the book.

Note: Footnotes are not marked within the text. For easier identification, we have used the reference (chapter and verse) in bold letters and color, then we have indicated the corresponding passage of the verse in color, bold letters and italics.

3. Parallels

The biblical references located between the biblical text and the notes make it possible to find parallel passages, either to the word, or to the expression, or to the entire verse, indicated by the colored letters a , b , c , located in the text. Blue dotted lines indicate the change of column in the biblical text (see diagram below). Each column begins with a letter “a”.

4. Illustrations and boxes

There are fifty-three of them (see list on page xii). The corresponding page is indicated at the end of the line.

5. Color maps

These cards (twelve in number) are placed at the end of the Bible. To facilitate the search for the different names of the places mentioned on the color maps, use the index p. 2292-2294.

6. Indexes

  • The index has three sections: 1) the first groups the scriptural themes according to the major theological subjects: God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, creation, humanity, sin and redemption, the Church, the ethical issues, the Christian life, the end times; 2) the second section groups together in alphabetical order the names of the main characters, people and places; 3) the third section lists different themes in alphabetical order, detailing them.
  • An index of main notes makes it easy to find notes developing an important biblical theme.
  • An index of the maps showing each place listed on each of the colored maps.

7. The sign |

One of the particularities of the Bible of the Sower is to have given the poetic texts a more refined form, akin to poetry, in the translation. The solution that seemed possible is the adoption of a certain rhythmic regularity: although we cannot always have the same number of syllables per verse for the same poem, we have at least an even or odd syllabic rhythm. The texts are thus divided into free verses, which often do not correspond to the segments of Hebrew. The layout of the text reveals the lines of the original, and the division into French free verse is indicated by the sign |.

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