ESV: A tremendous new study Bible

I received today my first copies of the long-awaited ESV Study Bible. I am blown away. I've been awaiting this Bible since I first found and fell in love with the English Standard Version translation when it was first released in 2001. The translation strikes an ideal balance between readability, eloquence, and a faithful literal translation. It's based on the best currently available ancient manuscripts.

As I've only had the study Bible for about an hour, I have much reading and evaluating to do, but my first impressions are quite positive. It's beautifully bound, both in the leather and hardcover editions. Both editions seem to be identical except for cover and gilding.

The study Bible is printed in full color throughout, with full color maps included with the text as well color plates in the back; it also has a tasteful light green highlight used where appropriate, including in table rows and section headers.

The complete study Bible is available online at no charge to all who purchase a printed edition; a code required for account creation is included with each Bible. It is a very well done online implementation.

I hope to post further thoughts as I read more, but at this point I'm quite impressed.