ICC/Anchor/NICOT & NICNT?

I have a quarter of the volumes from the AB series, volumes  that are those I consider to be good contribution in the AB series and all the volumes from the NICOT/NICNT

As such, my recommendation is not motivated by a fear to interact with the people I disagree with but it is a reflection of what might give you the best value during and after your PhD studies

I personally prefer the NICOT/NICNT series because it is more comprehensive in its coverage of issues that a commentary should deal with. The AB set is more technical but is also more narrowly focused as it mainly deals with philology, historical background, and exegesis of the text with less attention to theology and the message of the book. NICOT/NICNT series are  more rounded and deal with the issue above including theology and the message of the text and has a better interaction with the entire spectrum of scholarship (from liberal to conservative, while the AB does not generally spent much time entertaining evangelical scholarship. As such the NICOT/NICNT series is better as giving a survey of the variety of scholarly views. The NICOT/NICNT is useful beyond the academic realm, the AB has little usefulness (and purposefully so) beyond the classroom. It does help that the series and I are in the same theological ballpark.

I also think that as a set, the AB is more dated than the NICOT/NICNT and quality wise, NICOT/NICNT has a greater percentage of good to great entries than the AB

My advice is to get the NICOT/NICNT set and use your school’s library to borrow the AB volumes that you need or buy individual volumes of the AB if Logos offers them in the future.

My rational for the above is that no matter what concentration you choose in biblical studies, you will not be a specialist in all 66 books of the Bible. The solid foundation you need (as a generalist) is without a doubt better provided by the NICOT/NICNT. If you specialize in a book or in a collection of books such as the Pentateuch, the gospels and so on, it would then make sense to purchase all the good individual commentaries and works on the given books.

Look at it this way, instead of spending $1,700 (academic price) on the AB set, spend $1000 on the prepub of the NICOT/NICNT and use the $700 to pick select  print volumes of the AB series and you should have enough money left to buy select volumes from Hermeneia and even get the whole Pillar series in Libronix

For me it is a no-brainer

Alain

I recommend AB and Hermeneia series for scholarly work

What do you think about the classification of commentaries on this web site?  http://www.bestcommentaries.com/

Especially their list of the Best 2 for each book of the Bible. Do you know the list? Or better one? It looks to me that ideal would be to be able to choose the individual commentaries for the individual Bible books. Will Logos allow this? Surelly not in Pre-pub. I know. I am trying to make a collection in Logos of chosen commentaries for each book of the Bible.

For the discussed series: I don't know AB, I use and very much value WBC and am really looking forward to NICOT/NICNT. Looks to me almost a *must* for an evangelical pastor. That is when you have to choose just one. The best would be to have all of them [:)]

Have a great day

Alain Maashe said:

What I recommend is to look at various recommendations for commentaries:

It looks they use in the list I mentioned previously some of the resources by those authors you recommend, as a basis for their lists. Thanks a lot for your advice.