The 1987 edition of the Amplified Bible was published by the Lockman Foundation. The Amplified Bible takes both word meaning and context into account in order to accurately translate the original text from one language to another. The translators have done this through the use of explanatory alternate readings (rendered in parentheses) and amplifications [in brackets] to assist the reader in understanding what Scripture really says. The rich accumulation of alternate readings and amplifications in this translation produces a strong faith-response in the reader, which is one reason why many Christians love the Amplified Bible and read it regularly.

Others, though they may not use it for regular reading, find this translation to be a useful resource for finding significant alternate readings of selected portions of Scripture. Indeed, two vital aspects of the Amplified Bible make it an outstanding reference tool: these are its numerous cross references and its frequent citations of works by various biblical scholars, including Vincent, Wuest, Thayer, Moulton and Milligan, Trench, Cremer, and many others. In this electronic version, such references and citations are included in a notes file with hyperlinked cross references, all of which open up handily in a second window.