The Barbour Bible Study Companion is a Study Bible without the text of the Bible, thus allowing it to be used with the reader’s preferred translation. The book is a reprint of an earlier title, The Layman’s Concise Bible Commentary, originally published in 2013. No explanation is provided for the change in title, even though the book is being reprinted by the same publisher.

The notes include brief introductions to each book which discuss the book’s theme, its author, and the occasion of its writing. The notes themselves are similar in quality to that found in most one volume commentaries - not a great deal of depth, but aimed to help the general reader appreciate the Bible’s major history, teaching, and application. At nearly 500 pages, there is plenty of content for the reader to mull over as he or she reads the Scriptures. The commentary is essentially evangelical in its interpretation, though estimated dates are omitted for significant events such as the Exodus.

Published with an imitation leather cover, the book has an attractive feel and appearance. It would make the perfect gift for someone needing a well-done Study Bible, but who already has a good translation. It would also make for an inexpensive addition to a student’s Study Bible or Commentary library.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions are mine alone.

This is the perfect study guide for those who are not scholars of the Bible.  I had been looking for a Bible Commentary and this one is perfect for me.  It is easy to understand and contains vocabulary appropriate to those with a high-school education.  This study companion has proven very beneficial for me as I've been reading my Bible daily.  My only complaint was the fact that not every verse is included.  The book includes historical information for each book, authorship, dates and to whom each book of Bible is addressed and for what purpose.  
I've even taken my kindle with this downloaded book to share with the Sunday School class I teach for 4th through 6th graders and they found it helpful to better comprehend the scripture verses included in our lessons.  The notes created great discussion among students which thrilled me. I would highly recommend this to other seekers, Bible study leaders and those who are reading the Bible for the first or the 100th time. The book is designed to be used with any Bible translation.  I believe this guide will allow readers to learn new things about their Bible.
I am rating this book 5 stars.   I received a copy of this non-fiction Christian book from netgalley and Barbour Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Barbour Bible Study Companion is a wonderful book that takes books in the Bible and it is like an accompaniment to it. What the authors do first is give you the introduction to the book. Then the authors give you their own point of view in like one to two sentences. Next they write the occasion, which is like why they wrote the book. Lastly the authors go verse-by-verse in that book and it tells you why that verse was written. What is important is that they backed up everything with Scripture. It not only tells you why it also gives you information on the book. It explains the verse. I love this book.

This is one of several commentaries I use regularly when doing my Bible study. This was written for the average Bible reader and isn't difficult to understand or in the "scholarly" class.

The notes are succinct, but generally answer any questions I have about a verse or passage. The notes may discuss Hebrew or Greek words, a little cultural history, a bit of geography or archaeology, along with interpretation of the verse or passage.

As the book I received from the publisher for review purposes was in electronic format, I'm unable to speak to the characteristics of the physical book - binding, text size, etc.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to the Bible student who wants a little more information without feeling overwhelmed!