Afrikaans 1983 Reference Bible does not contain the actual text of the Bible

Gerhard Venter
Gerhard Venter Member Posts: 7 ✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

I've just bought the Afrikaans 1983 Reference Bible. I am SO disappointed! It does not seem to contain the actual text of the Bible -- just the references. Either that, or I'm unable to find the text. Please don't tell me this "Reference Bible" consists only of the references, and not the text itself! In that case it is UTTERLY useless, and, in fact, a hoax. I have never ever heard of a "Reference Bible" that is only reference and no text. This is preposterous.

In case I'm wrong and the text is buried somewhere, it's even worse. If the user interface is so badly designed that one cannot find the Bible text in a Bible, I still want a refund.

By the way, I picked up to typos in the few minutes I looked at it. Two obvious typos in a Bible? That's unusual. What's going on here?

I guess I'm saying: "Buyers pasop!" Daar is iets groots verkeerd met hierdie "verwysingsbybel!" (Ons het dit al die jare 'n naslaanbybel genoem, maar nou ja. Of miskien is 'n naslaanbybel die een wat actually die teks bevat.)

Gerhard Venter

Comments

  • Graham Criddle
    Graham Criddle MVP Posts: 33,286

    I've just bought the Afrikaans 1983 Reference Bible. I am SO disappointed! It does not seem to contain the actual text of the Bible -- just the references. Either that, or I'm unable to find the text. Please don't tell me this "Reference Bible" consists only of the references, and not the text itself! In that case it is UTTERLY useless, and, in fact, a hoax. I have never ever heard of a "Reference Bible" that is only reference and no text. This is preposterous.

    I don't know the details behind this particular product - I don't read Afrikanns - but Logos Study Bibles don't contain the biblical text just the study notes and associated reference material. That enables them to be used with different translations.

    From the product page I assume:

    Does that make sense, help clarify what is going on?

    In case I'm wrong and the text is buried somewhere, it's even worse. If the user interface is so badly designed that one cannot find the Bible text in a Bible, I still want a refund.

    If you aren't happy with this, Faithlife do offer a 30-day refund policy. You would need to contact their Customer Services department.

    By the way, I picked up to typos in the few minutes I looked at it. Two obvious typos in a Bible? That's unusual. What's going on here?

    The first thing to look at is whether those typos are present in the original, hard-copy version. If so then that is what would appear in the Logos version as they are not permitted to change it. If the typos were not present in the original it indicates an issue in the conversion process. Do you have access to a hard-copy versions to check this?

  • Sarel Slabbert
    Sarel Slabbert Member Posts: 551 ✭✭

    Hi Gerhard,

    I own "Die Verwysingsbybel" in Hardback as well as in Logos. In the Printed version the references are printed as footnotes and not in the Biblical Text itself.   

    Here is a Screenshot from the Printed version


    This is quite easily replicated by placing the Verwysingsbybel beneath the Afrikaans Bybel and linking the two.

    Like this

    This is also true of the "Bybel in Praktyk" where the notes are footnotes in the printed edition and only the footnotes are contained in the Logos version

    The Logos Version does however have a lot more functionality than the printed version, for example hovering the mouse over a link shows the reference in a box.  I think your conclusion of it being "UTTERLY useless, and, in fact, a hoax" is perhaps premature.

    Regarding ther typos: Typos is always a possibility.  There is however an option to report typos in resources. This will help Logos find and correct typos.

  • Gerhard Venter
    Gerhard Venter Member Posts: 7 ✭✭

    Sarel, I thank you for taking the time to post this very useful reply. What bothers me I that I don't own an Afrikaans Bible for Logos. So when I decided to buy one, I thought "Mmm, one with lots of references is always better than one without them." So now I have to go and buy a second Afrikaans Bible just to make it work. There is no good reason not to include the Afrikaans text. And they should warn you that you need an Afrikaans Bible in addition. Think of it: isn't it preposterous to strip out a book's footnotes and sell them separately? What if I bought The Golden Bough by Frazier, reference edition, and received only the footnotes?

    Most important, you confirmed that I have manged to buy only the bottom half of the pages. [:S]. Thanks for the info, and God bless.

  • Sarel Slabbert
    Sarel Slabbert Member Posts: 551 ✭✭

    Ah, I understand your frustration now. I already owned both 1933/53 and 1983 Afrikaans Bibles, so the "missing text" never bothered me.

    If you could purchase the Afrikaans Bible ($12.99) the advantages of Die Verwysingsbybel will become apparent quickly. $12.99 seems expensive but I remember I paid a lot more for the printed copy than the 1983 Bible and the Verwysingsbybel cost together at Logos.