Disclaimer:  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  This post contains affiliate links.  Thank you for your support!

If you read CatholicMom.com, you may have seen my love for the new Didache Bible (NSRV). If not, no worries. The Midwest Theological Forum sent me a copy of the NABRE version of the Didache bible, too.

Didache Review at Happy Little Homemaker

The NABRE edition of The Didache Bible has all the features I adored in the NSRV:

  • Hardcover
  • Ribbons for marking pages for easy reading
  • A summary of the content in each book of the bible
  • Chronologies of the old & New Testament
  • 20+ Full color maps
  • The APOLOGETICS PAGES (yes, they deserve all caps. I will not apologize.)
  • Indexes of said apologetics pages by subject and title
  • References to the biblical text as it relates to the catechism of the Catholic Church
  • References from dozens of other church documents & encyclicals

Didache Bible Maps

Before I get too carried away with my (type A) methodical stats & features, let me tell you why I love The Didache Bible.

I am a mom. Of littles. And a book worm. The kind of person who actually considered getting a dozen divergent associate degrees because there were so many interesting things to learn.

Do you see the problem?

Small children are intensely needy. This is not the season of my life for in-depth bible studies or outside classes. Heck, I am just trying to remember to pray and be thankful on a regular basis and read more than the Sunday mass readings!

NABRE Features

I love that one single book contains everything I need to dig deep into God’s work without me having to have a table and extra books. The NABRE version has two features that help you dig a little deeper that the NSRV doesn’t.

Scriptural references

Certain passages in the bible (a verse about Noah & the flood, for example), are mentioned in other places. In the example above, it’s mentioned in the books of Job, Matthew, and 2 Peter. The scriptural references tell you where to find them all.

Didache Version Comparison

Footnotes from the NAB

I happen to have a copy of the NAB (St. Joseph edition). It’s not the revised edition, but I was able to make a few comparisons. The introductory material for the old & new testaments as well as each book are included and are formatted much better than in mine. The footnotes are also there, but there are equally as many additions as deletions. I’m guessing those are due to my having the NAB and this being the NABRE.

In some cases there are also additional footnotes relating to the Catechism of the Catholic Church and their biblical significance or origin.

2015-06-25 21.07.41

Which to pick?

If you are in need of a new bible (or even if you aren’t ;D), I would totally recommend the Didache bible. But which version?

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Both are authentically Catholic Bibles. The NABRE translation is owned by the USCCB, making it ideal for keeping up with the bible readings. The NSRV translation is owned by Ignatius & is in a more conversational tone. Both translations of the bible itself hold the imprimatur & nihil obstat, ensuring that it’s suitable for use by faithful Catholics.

Each edition has pros and cons.

NSRV pros

– easy to understand wording
– smaller

Didache Features

NABRE pros

– more information about books
– additional references to the Catechism and church documents
– scriptural cross-references
– same translation as lectionary (Mass readings)

In summary, The Didache Bible is my favorite bible. I have looked at dozens of bibles, both Protestant and Catholic. For extra study, history, and the fullness of Catholic teaching, The Didache Bible is a fabulous resource. Honestly, if you only have one bible in your home, I would pick this one.

Which translation would you pick?

Jen S.

1 Comment on A Comprehensive Bible with References from the Catholic Catechism and more!

  1. J Rivas
    19 July 2018 at 12:29 AM (6 years ago)

    I hope you can help me. I have the Didache Bible and at one time I knew how to enter a URL to find the references from the Bible to the Catholic Catechism. But when I moved to my new apt I lost the notes I had to make the cross references. Would you know how to do that. As an example at the foot of the page for Genesis 47:14 there is a note (CCC2150-2155).
    So I am trying to look that up in the Catechism but I don’t remember how to enter the url when I am on the Catchism web site.
    Thank you for your hope for assistance.
    Peace

    [Reply]

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