I'm taking an adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah course, and purchased this as part of the syllabus. Although I already have both the Hertz (O'dox) and Plaut/UAHC (Reform) H.umashim [5 Books of Moses/Torah] with commentaries, it's nice to have the JPS version of same, as well as all the rest of the books in the normative Jewish canon - Prophets and Ketuvim (Writings, i.e., Psalms, Proverbs, Ruth, Lamentations, minor prophets, Chronicles, etc.) all under one roof.

My one critique is that it would've been nice to have some of the traditional (e.g., Rashi) or even Conservative Movement commentary included in the Torah part. Otherwise, a nice addition to a Jewish library (or to the library of someone studying Jewish texts).

In this handsomely bound volume, you get Hebrew on the right, and a great English translation (the new JPS) on the left. For those studying Hebrew at any level, it's nice to be able to read the language without the fear of getting 'stuck', as one can get provisionally 'un-stuck' (in matters of syntax, vocab, etc.) by simply looking at the English.

In case you don't know anything about Bibles: this volume is the Jewish Bible, a.k.a. the Hebrew Bible, a.k.a. the Tanakh, i.e., what Christians call the 'Old Testament', and comprises the first 2/3 of what Christians call 'the Bible'.

The only thing separating the text here and the 'Old Testament' of Christian Bibles is the arrangement of some of the books. The Hebrew Bible follows the following order: Torah (Law), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Kethubim (Writings). The Torah (or Pentateuch) is the same in Jewish and Christian Bibles, but in the Prophets, the Jewish canon does not put the book of Ruth right after Judges (as in the Christian Old Testament, where Ruth is classified as an 'historical' book), and the book of Daniel, for example, is placed among the Writings, near the end of the Bible (instead of right after Ezekiel, among the Prophets, as in Christian Bibles). The Christian Bible ends with the prophet Malachi, whose oracles seemed to provide a nice bridge to the figure of John the Baptist in the Christian New Testament (i.e., the part with Jesus in it), whereas the Hebrew Bible ends with I-II Chronicles (which, in Christian Bibles, are placed right after I-II Kings). But the words and stories and material in the books themselves is basically identical (pending the translation, of course).

From a scholarly perspective the two Prefaces are also quite nice, and give a simple history of the transmission of the Hebrew text throughout the millennia.

Again, I would highly recommend this version for those who want to access the Hebrew of the Bible but do not want to get stuck with a Hebrew-only text.

I purchased this book from amazon about a year ago when I was feeling some doubt about my faith in Messiah, and I wanted to see how Jews approached scripture in regards to certain key verses and passages. I must say now that I have had some time to read the "Tanakh" had it not been for two factors i.e. the fact that the original Hebrew was intact and the fact that I could now use their corruption to refute their dead religion, I would have burned this book!

What is contained in the English "translation" is not God's holy word, but is a forgery designed to steer the Jews and indeed all readers away from any truth regarding God's desire for a personal relationship with Him. One of the most damming bits of evidence against this translation is the fact that it almost universally translates the word salvation in Hebrew as "victory" and although in a sense salvation is God being victorious, it is the least likely translation of the word in all but three instances.

The translators of this book ignored context to such a great extent that even a six year old child doing comparison studies between any "Christian" translation and this one would be able to see the blatant disregard for the context of the original. What one will get when one buys this book is a latter day Pharisaical attempt to squeeze God and His holy word into the mold of Talmudic Judaism so that He appears to support their dead empty and very incomplete religious system.

I can't give a lower rating because my disappointment is probably at least partly my fault. When I bought a "student edition" of the Tanakh, I guess I was just expecting more. I think I was expecting something more like a study Bible. This one has no cross-references, few footnotes, no commentary, no introductory articles on the books, no maps, no charts, no tables, or anything. It has a preface explaining the translation and the history of transmission, but that's pretty much all it has. I thought I'd leave this review just in case anybody else, like me, mistakenly thinks this is a study Bible and is expecting a few extras.

Otherwise, it's great. It has the Hebrew alongside the English, it's comfortable, and it stays open when you lay it down. You have to read it from back to front (it follows the Hebrew rather than the English) which is taking me a little getting used to, but I'm happy with it. It smells good, too, and that's always a plus.

In a recent move from Mt Vernon, NY to Seattle, WA, I realized while shelving the few books I had taken, I lacked a modern Tanakh. As a retired librarian, and as the niece of Max L. Margolis who was editor-in-chief of the famous 1917 translation, I was fully cognizant of its merits and would never discard it; however, I needed a contemporary Tanakh with both Hebrew-English translation in modern language that was easier to read than the now antiquated but still relevant older edition. I find the new JPS edition fully fits my needs.

I have selected the Tanakh for gifts for the Confirmation class at our synagogue for the last three years. The format is excellent, easy to read and the book is beautiful and easy to handle.

The book came to my surprise brand New! Thank You Amazon!

I absolutely love reading this New JPS Bible. It is very easy to understand and has become my favorite Bible. I have every translation you can think of and this one is the best in my oppinion. I only wish it included the New Testament.

Nice cover and binding, clear font, easy to read modern English, and line references that make it easy to jump between languages. A great Tanakh for anyone, from students to converts to plain ol' observant Jews who just want some English to supplement the Hebrew in the text.

The English text is a little small, but not any worse than other Bibles, and it's in a nice clear font.

The book's design is very appealing and the letters are relatively large and easy to read, although it might be hard for a beginner to fully understand the context and find the meaning of difficult words. It's recommended to get a Hebrew bible Lexicon such as the The analytical Hebrew and Chaldee lexicon along with the book.

Helpful. The only problem with it is that it is way to big and fat. Also, there is more information in other Tanakhs.

Helpful. The only problem with it is that it is way to big and fat. Also, there is more information in other Tanakhs.

Shalom , everyone !
The JPS Hebrew / English Tanakh is a serious study Tool . This Tanakh is a fantastic Hebrew Bible to own. Serious Hebrew students and lay persons alike will find much to like about this Tanakh.

First of all , the design of this Tanakh is awesome. The Hebrew font is very legible. Just the right size. The English portion of the text is beautifully type set also.
The Hebrew and English Texts are represented together in seperate columns on each and every page. This dual format makes moving from Hebrew to English very easy. The verse numbers are in English in both the Hebrew and English Texts. This is a handy feature.
The color of this Tanakh is a pleasing blue with gold letters on the front.
This edition contains an intro to the Hebrew text, which is based on the Leningrad Codex. I especially like the footnotes that are included on almost every page . These are very useful indeed. The notes that are in Hebrew (with a glossary explaining the abbreviations )are a real bonus.

This is a seriously great Tanakh to have. NO COMPLAINTS HERE !

The Translation is not always word for word( but show me a Tanakh,Christian Bible that is ? ). What I believe that the translators tried to do was give you , the reader , an easily readable translation that is true to the flavor of the Hebrew Text. Their efforts are very commendable indeed.

This volume should hold up for many, many years to come. It is of solid construction.

A WORD TO THE WISE : LEARN TO READ HEBREW FOR YOURSELF. ANYTIME YOU READ A TRANSLATION , ANY TRANSLATION , YOU ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE TRANSLATORS. THE GREAT FLAW OF BELIEVERS IS THAT MOST CANNOT READ THEIR TANAKH'S / BIBLES IN THE TONGUE IT WAS WRITTEN IN. THIS ALLOWS TRANSLATIONAL BIAS TO CREEP IN TO READERS WHO ARE UNAWARE.

All in all , this truly a great Tanakh to have.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO MY JPS , I WOULD BUY ANOTHER ONE !

Shalom ,
L.L. MAYNOR
3/9/07

Shalom , everyone !
The JPS Hebrew / English Tanakh is a serious study Tool . This Tanakh is a fantastic Hebrew Bible to own. Serious Hebrew students and lay persons alike will find much to like about this Tanakh.

First of all , the design of this Tanakh is awesome. The Hebrew font is very legible. Just the right size. The English portion of the text is beautifully type set also.
The Hebrew and English Texts are represented together in seperate columns on each and every page. This dual format makes moving from Hebrew to English very easy. The verse numbers are in English in both the Hebrew and English Texts. This is a handy feature.
The color of this Tanakh is a pleasing blue with gold letters on the front.
This edition contains an intro to the Hebrew text, which is based on the Leningrad Codex. I especially like the footnotes that are included on almost every page . These are very useful indeed. The notes that are in Hebrew (with a glossary explaining the abbreviations )are a real bonus.

This is a seriously great Tanakh to have. NO COMPLAINTS HERE !

The Translation is not always word for word( but show me a Tanakh,Christian Bible that is ? ). What I believe that the translators tried to do was give you , the reader , an easily readable translation that is true to the flavor of the Hebrew Text. Their efforts are very commendable indeed.

This volume should hold up for many, many years to come. It is of solid construction.

A WORD TO THE WISE : LEARN TO READ HEBREW FOR YOURSELF. ANYTIME YOU READ A TRANSLATION , ANY TRANSLATION , YOU ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE TRANSLATORS. THE GREAT FLAW OF BELIEVERS IS THAT MOST CANNOT READ THEIR TANAKH'S / BIBLES IN THE TONGUE IT WAS WRITTEN IN. THIS ALLOWS TRANSLATIONAL BIAS TO CREEP IN TO READERS WHO ARE UNAWARE.

All in all , this truly a great Tanakh to have.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO MY JPS , I WOULD BUY ANOTHER ONE !

Shalom ,
L.L. MAYNOR
3/9/07

Hebrew-English Tanbakh Student Edition is an excellent bible. easy to read and easy to understand. Purchased this for my daughter and she is greatly pleased.

Hebrew-English Tanbakh Student Edition is an excellent bible. easy to read and easy to understand. Purchased this for my daughter and she is greatly pleased.

I purchased this item for my son who is studying in the ministry. He loves it. We received the book as promise by the date indicated.

The cover that came with the Tanakh, stated that it had
gold edged pages - it did not. However, the original
advertisement did not state that, so I am happy.

I like the book but the printing is a little too small and the English and Hebrew appear on the same page so it's difficult to read and translate comfortably. Otherwise it is a good book. I mean it is the Tanakh after all.

no need to resort to ramen noodles and have msg kill your brain;
get the ISBN 0827607660 hebrew-english bilingual POCKET edition.

20 list 14 postpaid, assuming you shell out 25 minimum per order

additional benefit of the POCKET-sized cheap edition is that you
can take it on a backpacking trip, and 'smuggle' it into nations
that frown on their citizens/subjects having a copy of Scripture

you could order two: one for the top of the fridge, and one that
rides inside your daypack or carry-on luggage. that'll make US25

Since others have described the contents of the JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh (ISBN: 0827606974) I will just say a few words about the incredibly poor binding of this book. Although the book is well-printed on excellent paper, it is being misleadingly touted as "leather bound." In fact, it is cased in PAPER-covered boards, comes with a cheap and nasty glued spine, and seems to have been designed to self-destruct after minimal use.

For a more durable bilingual Tanakh, and one with a much more interesting English translation, readers might take a look at the Artscroll Stone Edition Tanach (ISBN: 0899062695) which is also available at Amazon and is the edition I now wish that I had bought.

Too many publishers today are putting cheap glued paperbacks between cardboard covers, pretending that they are real books, and selling them at inflated prices. Hence the single star.

The JPS edition of the Tanakh has been in print since 1985 at which time this modern English translation replaced JPS's "Shakespearean" style translation. This translation has been well respected and stand's with the translation by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan of blessed memory, and the Artscroll translation known as the "Stone Edition." Originally, the JPS edition was published only in English but, they later added editions in Hebrew/English. What I like about this edition is that it is very usable if you wish to recite the trop (cantillations for chanting). This edition is large enough that the trop is easily visible. Often, a full Bible (Tanakh) or a Bible including just the Torah and Haftorah (Chumash) is compacted into a size that makes these trop symbols illegible. In using this edition, I am able to read the English in a comprehensible translation and also study the Hebrew using the trop. I can use it to recite a haftorah (but note, you have to find out of the full text the passages, which include the haftorah, since the haftorahs are not delineated as such).

I already have several other Tanakhs, including the hardcover English only edition of the JPS Tanakh. However, while I was away from home, I was reading a book on theology which required both a Jewish Bible and a Christian Bible for cross referencing. Wanting the Jewish Bible to be a translation done under Jewish auspices, rather than a Christian "Old Testament," I treated myself to this edition. As in the English only version, the text is footnoted with commentary. The footnotes are often cryptic, sometimes clarifying obscure or alternate meanings in the translation. However, I did not buy it for the commentary, but rather for a lucid translation from Jewish sources rather than a translation based on the Greek Septuagent (such as the Kings James Version).

Aestehetically, this edition looks like a Bible!! It has the biblical soft, bendible leatherlike cover and it has a rich, brown color. Therefore it looks great on the bookshelf, it is a good study aid if you wish to read the Tanakh in English, and it is an equally good study aid to read the Tanakh in Hebrew along with the trop. Although I bought it for the translation, I use the Hebrew text when I am studying parshot or haftorot. Because this is a very solid work, both in its substance, and in its physical presentation, this Tanakh serves as a wonderful gift for a bar/bat mitzvah or for anyone else who deserves a nice present. I also recommend the Living Torah by Kaplan (which only includes the haftorahs, not the entire Prophets and Writings) as well as the Stone Edition by Artscroll. All three are wonderful study aids and, I have used all three over the years. If commentary is your primary interest, I might lean slightly towards Artscroll or, the venerable Hertz Chumash. If you are interested more in the text than in commentary, all of these versions are supurb.

Whether you are a Jew, a Christian, a Muslim or none of the above, if you want to understand the bible then you must buy this book. You can read the scriptures in English, or, look at the Hebrew. If you have any doubts about the translation that the JPS came up with in this edition - the Hebrew is right there and you can make up your own mind. It's as simple as that. This is also why this book is good for people who know varying levels of Hebrew. If you don't know a lot, you've got the English right there. If you do know a lot, you've got the Hebrew right there. What a wonderful book to own!

I own several copies of the "New" JPS translation (it has been around for a few decades now). I own the original three volume edition, the full-size and the pocket size with and without Hebrew text. And despite the fact that I have a few other bibles (including the Judaica Press edition of various books and the entire Soncino Bible) this is the one that I refer to the most.

The translation is readable and accurate although not in the literal sense. When they stray from the literal meaning, it is included in a footnote, as good scholarship requires.

The Hebrew-English addition has the original text facing the translation, which is sometimes helpful if you want to improve your vocabulary, but only beware, the translations is not always word for word.

JPS' "Hebrew-English Tanakh: The Traditional Hebrew Text And The New JPS Translation" is the best Bible I have seen for the purpose of study. The translation is superior and when in doubt, the Hebrew text is right there, alongside the English, to compare. This edition was recommended to me when I began a two year course on Judaism and Jewish Life sponsored by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

This JPS edition of the Tanakh, composed of the Pentateuch, the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Kethuvim (Writings), was translated from the original authoritative Hebrew text into the modern idiom of English in three stages, representing the collaboration of academic scholars with rabbis from the three major branches of organized Jewish life in America. The Torah was published in 1962, The Prophets in 1978, and the Writings in 1982. The text preceding the Preface, and the Preface itself, include an excellent history of the Hebrew text.

I have read this edition through, and find it to be a most rewarding experience. The English translation is the closest to the original Hebrew that I have seen. The print is clear and easy to read and the notes are superior. The Hebrew font is large enough to read without eye strain, and includes vowels - which is a plus for me. And the book is beautifully bound. I continue to refer to it almost daily for study purposes and for my own personal edification. I think this is one of the best book purchases I have ever made.
JANA

After reading the JPS English Translation of the Tanakh alone, I was interested in reading the Tanakh in the Hebrew. I decided to get the Traditional Hebrew/JPS English Tanakh. I have some knowledge of Hebrew, but not enough to read it completely. Therefore, this Tanakh was a practical choice. Now I can read the Hebrew text and have the English translation close by when I need it.

The set up of the book is well done, the book opens from left to right, Hebrew is in the right column/English is in the left, and the print is clear. The hardcover leatherette version is a deep navy with gold lettering on the cover. There are gold page edges and a navy place holder. It is a treasure!