20. What valuable aids did the first edition of the New World Translation contain in its (a) footnotes, (b) marginal references, and (c) forewords and appendixes?

²⁰ Among the Bible study aids in the six-part first edition of the New World Translation was the invaluable collection of textual footnotes, giving background to the renderings. In these notes powerful arguments in defense of the Scriptures were made available.

²³ A second revision of the New World Translation was released in 1970, and a third revision with footnotes followed in 1971. At the “Kingdom Increase” District Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses, held in 1984, a revised reference edition was issued in English. It includes a complete updating and revision of the marginal (cross) references that were initially presented in English from 1950 to 1960. Designed for the serious Bible student, it contains over 125,000 marginal references, more than 11,000 footnotes, an extensive concordance, maps, and 43 appendix articles. Also in 1984, a regular-size edition of the 1984 revision, with marginal references but without footnotes, was made available.