--- product_id: 29132377 title: "ESV Pitt Minion Reference Bible, Black Goatskin Leather, Red-letter Text, ES446:XR" price: "R4719" currency: ZAR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/29132377-esv-pitt-minion-reference-bible-black-goatskin-leather-red-letter store_origin: ZA region: South Africa --- # ESV Pitt Minion Reference Bible, Black Goatskin Leather, Red-letter Text, ES446:XR **Price:** R4719 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** ESV Pitt Minion Reference Bible, Black Goatskin Leather, Red-letter Text, ES446:XR - **How much does it cost?** R4719 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.za](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/29132377-esv-pitt-minion-reference-bible-black-goatskin-leather-red-letter) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The English Standard Version is a literal translation from the original Bible texts, firmly rooted in the tradition of Tyndale and King James but without their archaic language. First published in 2001, it is closest in style to the Revised Standard Version and is well suited to public reading and memorization. The first Cambridge ESV Bibles are presented in the slimline Pitt Minion format. Like Cambridge's Pitt Minion Bibles in other translations, they are characterized by an elegant text design using a font that is compact, yet clear and easy to read. This Bible has red-letter text and includes cross-references, a concordance and maps. It features India paper with art-gilt edges and like all Cambridge Bibles is Smyth-sewn. It is bound in black goatskin leather. Review: Perfect combination of bibles complete - Earlier this year I decided to make an addition to my translation library which consisted of ... wait for it ... just the KJV. I grew up with the King James bible and love the elegant flow of the old English. I also enjoyed the vast resources built around the study component centered on the KJV text. After doing a lot of research about different translations I came to love the ESV. I still read and study from the KJV, but wanted to include another translation that was faithful to the manuscripts they translated and the ESV was it. The purpose of the review isn't to discuss translations, but bible formats and there purpose in absorbing the word of God. My plan was to build a library of bibles and resources, i.e., study bibles, commentaries, concordances, translations, bible types, etc... Since my KJV library was fairly well established I began the search for the perfect combination for the ESV. My wish list included bibles for reading, on the go, and personal home study. During my research I found several iterations of the ESV translation that I thought would work but nothing really stuck for the three purposes I was looking for. Since this was the first time I had spent more than $30 on a bible I didn't feel comfortable going completely nuts and buying a $200 bible (I thought I would dip my toe first). When I saw the Pitt Minion and it's corresponding partner in the wide-margin I knew this is what I was looking for. So I purchased the Pitt Minion in calf split and wide-margin in hardcover. I couldn't be happier with my choice. I know they are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality of covers in their category, but to be honest I don't think I forfeited anything with this combination choice. I feel better about the money spent and if I were to do it all over again I would choose the same covers. The calf split Pitt Minion has softened up a lot ... the bible opens flat in all places with ease! The grain feels so good in the hand! The print is unbelievably readable for its size. The hardcover wide-margin is actually (IMO) better than the soft cover options, because my sole intention for the bible is to use it for personal study. The bible doesn't come to bed with me (often) and is mostly used on the coffee table. Also, it opens flat in all places. The selling point was the fact that the pages correspond with each other. This is perfect for me because I have a visual memory. Now this left me with one more aspect of my search for the perfect combination of bibles. I needed a bible for long periods of reading. Well, lucky for me, Cambridge fulfilled that desire as well in the recent released Clarion. I purchased the calfskin this time because it was only $10 more at evangelicalbible.com than the calf split. To be honest, I like the cover, but would've been fine with the calf split. The one nice thing that may maintain my first decision is the red under gold gilt edges (they are really nice!). I plan to never write in this bible ever ... it's just for reading. That's why I have the wide-margin. I can not begin to tell you how perfect the layout, text and size of this bible is. It is literally a perfect reading bible for me. The font really appears much larger than 9 pt. The pages do curl in the middle of the bible, but I think with time the problem will go away. If not, it won't matter because the rest of the bible is perfect! If they used thicker paper the bible would've been twice as thick (wouldn't work!). It's the compromise you make when looking for the best reading bible on the market. So that concludes my ESV library ... for now. The Cambridge Pitt Minion (calf split), Wide-Margin (hardcover), and Clarion (calfskin). You will love any one of these bibles in isolation and could easily get away with just one. If that is was what you are planning to do ... my order of preference would be (1) Clarion, (2) Pitt Minion, and (3) Wide-Margin. If you want to take notes and only want the Clarion or Pitt Minion you can always buy a notebook. Know that each of these editions will last you a very, very long time! Go, enjoy the word of God, and share your experience with others! Review: The best compact Bible on the market. Period. - Update/Addendum: For more on this Bible, see my blog post: [...] By the numbers: 1) The font: This font is very readable, yet compact. It's amazing how clear and easy to read the font is. 2) The paper: India paper. Outstanding. Some bleed through, but not enough to be distracting. 3) The maps: This is where this edition really stands out. This feature seems to be overlooked by most reviewers of most Bibles. I would say two things to this effect--a) If you're seriously studying the Bible, you need to start paying attention to its geography. Period. How can you follow the narrative flow of the Biblical story if you're not paying attention to geography? b) Except for study Bibles, the Pitt Minion has far and away the best maps I've ever seen. Shoot, this little Bible's map arsenal rivals that of many study Bibles. 15 maps with a complete map index! I have never seen anything like this in a compact Bible before. 4) The casing/cover: Beautiful brown leather! *Goatskin* leather! The ESV edition is a bit stiffer than the others (NASB, NIV, etc.) for some reason, but I really don't think this is a down side. The cover becomes very flexible with use. And, with a compact Bible this size, having a sturdy rather than floppy cover can be a plus. 5) The page edges: Art gilt (red dye under gold). The gilding, as I understand it, is real gold leaf (not the spray on stuff). These page edges will be protected for years. I've seen gold-leaf gilt edged books over 100 years old and the gold still glistens. The red under the gold adds an extra layer of protection. The art gilt edging gives you another reason to buy the brown edition, rather than the black edition, because the red-under-gold produces a sort of reddish-brownish-gold hue to the page edges, and this goes brilliantly with the brown leather. 6) Overall sturdiness and durability: Honestly, it takes at least two years to really be able to assess how well a book or Bible holds up, and I've not had mine for that long. That being said, I and my wife (I gave this Bible to her after I saw how much she liked it) have given this Bible some pretty bad beatings, and it has taken them all very well. We've thrown it in purses, pockets, brief-cases, etc. And it is still in very good shape. The text block is completely attached to the cover, and I can't see it coming undone any time soon. There is no separation between any of the pages. This one has held up very, very well. 7) The spine/binding: This one is, of course, smythe-sewn, but that's just the beginning of the story. The text block has a "springiness" that I've never seen before. It opens flat out of the box, with absolutely no coaxing. When you open it, it lies completely flat, whereas many Bibles and books, even smythe sewn ones, form a sort of arch as the papers curve back into the spine. Not the Pitt Minion. 8) Size: I'm a big guy, and I can put this in my somewhat sizeable pockets. Maybe most people can't fit it in their pocket, but you can carry it with you in your hand easily. It can fit in compartments in briefcases and backpacks easily. And it is very slender. All in all, if you want one Bible to take with you for the long haul, one that you can trust to hold up to abuse, one that has plenty of good helps in the form of cross-references and maps, and one that you can carry with you anywhere--this is it. In fact, I think that I'd sum up my review this way: If a soldier or chaplain were to ask me if there was a good Bible that they could take with them into a war zone and still count on it to hold up for life, I'd tell them that they want this Bible, the ESV Pitt Minion, preferably in brown goatskin. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #226,069 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #3,329 in Christian Bibles (Books) #3,681 in Christian Bible Study (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 220 Reviews | ## Images ![ESV Pitt Minion Reference Bible, Black Goatskin Leather, Red-letter Text, ES446:XR - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41bhptHIqXL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Perfect combination of bibles complete *by J***5 on July 19, 2012* Earlier this year I decided to make an addition to my translation library which consisted of ... wait for it ... just the KJV. I grew up with the King James bible and love the elegant flow of the old English. I also enjoyed the vast resources built around the study component centered on the KJV text. After doing a lot of research about different translations I came to love the ESV. I still read and study from the KJV, but wanted to include another translation that was faithful to the manuscripts they translated and the ESV was it. The purpose of the review isn't to discuss translations, but bible formats and there purpose in absorbing the word of God. My plan was to build a library of bibles and resources, i.e., study bibles, commentaries, concordances, translations, bible types, etc... Since my KJV library was fairly well established I began the search for the perfect combination for the ESV. My wish list included bibles for reading, on the go, and personal home study. During my research I found several iterations of the ESV translation that I thought would work but nothing really stuck for the three purposes I was looking for. Since this was the first time I had spent more than $30 on a bible I didn't feel comfortable going completely nuts and buying a $200 bible (I thought I would dip my toe first). When I saw the Pitt Minion and it's corresponding partner in the wide-margin I knew this is what I was looking for. So I purchased the Pitt Minion in calf split and wide-margin in hardcover. I couldn't be happier with my choice. I know they are the bottom of the barrel when it comes to quality of covers in their category, but to be honest I don't think I forfeited anything with this combination choice. I feel better about the money spent and if I were to do it all over again I would choose the same covers. The calf split Pitt Minion has softened up a lot ... the bible opens flat in all places with ease! The grain feels so good in the hand! The print is unbelievably readable for its size. The hardcover wide-margin is actually (IMO) better than the soft cover options, because my sole intention for the bible is to use it for personal study. The bible doesn't come to bed with me (often) and is mostly used on the coffee table. Also, it opens flat in all places. The selling point was the fact that the pages correspond with each other. This is perfect for me because I have a visual memory. Now this left me with one more aspect of my search for the perfect combination of bibles. I needed a bible for long periods of reading. Well, lucky for me, Cambridge fulfilled that desire as well in the recent released Clarion. I purchased the calfskin this time because it was only $10 more at evangelicalbible.com than the calf split. To be honest, I like the cover, but would've been fine with the calf split. The one nice thing that may maintain my first decision is the red under gold gilt edges (they are really nice!). I plan to never write in this bible ever ... it's just for reading. That's why I have the wide-margin. I can not begin to tell you how perfect the layout, text and size of this bible is. It is literally a perfect reading bible for me. The font really appears much larger than 9 pt. The pages do curl in the middle of the bible, but I think with time the problem will go away. If not, it won't matter because the rest of the bible is perfect! If they used thicker paper the bible would've been twice as thick (wouldn't work!). It's the compromise you make when looking for the best reading bible on the market. So that concludes my ESV library ... for now. The Cambridge Pitt Minion (calf split), Wide-Margin (hardcover), and Clarion (calfskin). You will love any one of these bibles in isolation and could easily get away with just one. If that is was what you are planning to do ... my order of preference would be (1) Clarion, (2) Pitt Minion, and (3) Wide-Margin. If you want to take notes and only want the Clarion or Pitt Minion you can always buy a notebook. Know that each of these editions will last you a very, very long time! Go, enjoy the word of God, and share your experience with others! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The best compact Bible on the market. Period. *by J***K on March 25, 2010* Update/Addendum: For more on this Bible, see my blog post: [...] By the numbers: 1) The font: This font is very readable, yet compact. It's amazing how clear and easy to read the font is. 2) The paper: India paper. Outstanding. Some bleed through, but not enough to be distracting. 3) The maps: This is where this edition really stands out. This feature seems to be overlooked by most reviewers of most Bibles. I would say two things to this effect--a) If you're seriously studying the Bible, you need to start paying attention to its geography. Period. How can you follow the narrative flow of the Biblical story if you're not paying attention to geography? b) Except for study Bibles, the Pitt Minion has far and away the best maps I've ever seen. Shoot, this little Bible's map arsenal rivals that of many study Bibles. 15 maps with a complete map index! I have never seen anything like this in a compact Bible before. 4) The casing/cover: Beautiful brown leather! *Goatskin* leather! The ESV edition is a bit stiffer than the others (NASB, NIV, etc.) for some reason, but I really don't think this is a down side. The cover becomes very flexible with use. And, with a compact Bible this size, having a sturdy rather than floppy cover can be a plus. 5) The page edges: Art gilt (red dye under gold). The gilding, as I understand it, is real gold leaf (not the spray on stuff). These page edges will be protected for years. I've seen gold-leaf gilt edged books over 100 years old and the gold still glistens. The red under the gold adds an extra layer of protection. The art gilt edging gives you another reason to buy the brown edition, rather than the black edition, because the red-under-gold produces a sort of reddish-brownish-gold hue to the page edges, and this goes brilliantly with the brown leather. 6) Overall sturdiness and durability: Honestly, it takes at least two years to really be able to assess how well a book or Bible holds up, and I've not had mine for that long. That being said, I and my wife (I gave this Bible to her after I saw how much she liked it) have given this Bible some pretty bad beatings, and it has taken them all very well. We've thrown it in purses, pockets, brief-cases, etc. And it is still in very good shape. The text block is completely attached to the cover, and I can't see it coming undone any time soon. There is no separation between any of the pages. This one has held up very, very well. 7) The spine/binding: This one is, of course, smythe-sewn, but that's just the beginning of the story. The text block has a "springiness" that I've never seen before. It opens flat out of the box, with absolutely no coaxing. When you open it, it lies completely flat, whereas many Bibles and books, even smythe sewn ones, form a sort of arch as the papers curve back into the spine. Not the Pitt Minion. 8) Size: I'm a big guy, and I can put this in my somewhat sizeable pockets. Maybe most people can't fit it in their pocket, but you can carry it with you in your hand easily. It can fit in compartments in briefcases and backpacks easily. And it is very slender. All in all, if you want one Bible to take with you for the long haul, one that you can trust to hold up to abuse, one that has plenty of good helps in the form of cross-references and maps, and one that you can carry with you anywhere--this is it. In fact, I think that I'd sum up my review this way: If a soldier or chaplain were to ask me if there was a good Bible that they could take with them into a war zone and still count on it to hold up for life, I'd tell them that they want this Bible, the ESV Pitt Minion, preferably in brown goatskin. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A great entry into the world of premium Bibles *by J***N on May 6, 2020* Cambridge has produced a fine, quality Bible that will surely last me for many years to come. I will be reviewing the ESV Pitt Minion in black goatskin leather, red letter edition. It is a real treat to hold and read. A few notes. 1) The font is 6.75 Lexicon No. 1, which means it's small. It is a compact Bible, so that's to be expected. The print quality is exemplary. I don't have any trouble reading it for long stretches of time, even though I have notoriously bad eyes that require rather thick glasses to correct. The print remains legible and readable, likely due to the high-quality printing techniques used by Royal Jongbloed in the Netherlands. The layout, done by Blue Heron Bookcraft in Battleground, WA, is very traditional: double-column paragraph format with center-column references. The references appear to be the same ones found in any ESV reference edition currently available. One minor quibble: the red letters are okay, but sometimes they do not line up exactly with the text surrounding them. This is unfortunate and distracting. Next time I think I will opt for whichever edition uses black-letter text throughout. 2) The paper is very high-quality, quite smooth to the touch compared to my Crossway edition. It is not completely opaque, but the show-through is minimal and easily ignored. The text appears to be line-matched. 3) The ribbons (there are two in this edition, though some editions evidently only have one) leave a little to be desired, but they are altogether functional. I used a lighter on the ends to prevent fraying. 4) The goatskin is just so luxurious. Since this is my first so-called "premium" Bible, I have nothing to compare it to except bonded leather and TruTone™, but compared to both of those options, the goatskin is a real treat. I've seen some reviews mentioning that the cover is stiffer on the ESV than other editions; I cannot attest to that. What I do like, though, is that the boards they used give the text block a bit of extra support for easy one-handed reading. Perhaps limpness is desirable on larger Bibles, but for a small one like this, I do not feel as though I am lacking anything. While we're on this topic, let me just mention my favorite part: the smell! I've often found myself sitting and reading for a while and every so often catching a whiff of the Bible and just going "ahhhhh" on the inside. The smell of goatskin leather is wonderful. I've never had a smelly Bible before. 5) With a little breaking in, the Bible now lays flat from Genesis to Revelation. It will only get looser with time. 6) One last honorable mention: the maps! Cambridge's collection of 15 maps makes an appearance at the rear of the volume, complete with a map index. They are printed on slightly thicker paper than the main text, but not cardstock, which is nice. I've often bemoaned the fact that my previous Bible didn't contain any maps. Having them now is wonderful. Cambridge makes a fine product. They've achieved something very difficult: creating a full-featured Bible laid out in a traditional format in a slim, compact volume. You'd be forgiven for thinking it was only a New Testament at first glance. I'm looking forward to purchasing some of their other options if the occasion arises. For now, though, this Pitt Minion has become my everyday carry and I just could not speak more highly of it. Thanks, mom and dad, for such a wonderful birthday gift. ## Frequently Bought Together - ESV Pitt Minion Reference Bible, Black Goatskin Leather, Red-letter Text, ES446:XR - ESV Aquila Wide Margin Reference Bible, Black Goatskin Leather Edge-lined, Red-letter Text, ES746:XRME --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/29132377-esv-pitt-minion-reference-bible-black-goatskin-leather-red-letter](https://www.desertcart.co.za/products/29132377-esv-pitt-minion-reference-bible-black-goatskin-leather-red-letter) --- *Product available on Desertcart South Africa* *Store origin: ZA* *Last updated: 2026-06-03*