My bibles actually look like this, not because I was trying to impress anyone but because I liked to highlight my favourite passages. During my Christian teenage years it was also the ‘thing’ where at the end of summer camp we would all write in each others bibles wherever we could find space with little messages of friendship, support and suggestions on what verses to read. Even though I’ve fallen out of the faith I like to go back and read. Brings back memories of some good times.
OT though: When my Grandpa (or my father, can’t recall which) saw that I had written in my bible I got a stern lecture that it wasn’t the thing to do, because it defaced the bible. Of course I didn’t see it like that and it never came up again but it startled me when it happened.
I do hope people don’t associate a worn Bible with self-righteousness. Sure, it happens, but is not necessarily so.
Back when I was more active in my Church, I did not want to ruin my Scriptures so I bought a lesser-quality edition of the Scriptures within which I marked, underlined, colored, etc. In my Church, this marking up of the Scriptures is something that is encouraged (especially amongst the youth), and this shocked me at first. I believe that people who don’t replace their worn out copy of the Scriptures don’t want to loose their notes and mark-ups, and may, additionally, have an emotional attachment to the worn volume(s).
Amongst Muslims, making any sort of marks in the Qur’an is considered desecration. I remember the only mark we would make was filling in the circle that marked the end of a sentence so that we and our Qur’an-teacher (a man who teaches kids how to read the Qur’an (but rarely what it says)) would know where we ended for when we would begin the next day.
I do not know how tikkunim (a tikkun is a book with the Torah’s text with vowels and trope on one side, and the text without them - as they appear on the Torah scrolls - on the other side; they are used to learn how to read portions of the Torah) are treated, although since they contain Hebrew text (and more than that, the Torah), I do suppose they’re treated with respect at the very least.
I know Christians who do treat their physical Bibles differently than other books. I would suppose those who are into any kind of worship or adoration of physical things might look upon the physical volumn in a superstitious way.
As far as I’m concerned, there should be no spiritual significance attributed to the paper, ink and cover. I’ve gone through six Bibles over the last 18 years. Out of those six one was lost, and the others were simply worn out from use. All my Bibles are full of my margin notes, with key passages underlined and highlighted.
The book is meant for constant use, study and consultation, not as an adornment or relic.
We had one of the big “coffee table” Bibles when I was growing up. It staid in perfect condition because no one ever read it. The Bible will only benefit people who read it and consider what it says.