Comparison of Baker Illustrated Ref Collection & Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary s

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with these two reference sets. If so, would you consider sharing your thoughts regarding such things as their target audience, intended purpose, level of detail?

Also, if you'd like to share your personal perspective on their usefulness/value relative to their price, that would be great.

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Doc B

would you consider sharing your thoughts regarding such things as their target audience, intended purpose, level of detail?

Also, if you'd like to share your personal perspective on their usefulness/value relative to their price, that would be great.

[y][y]

Dan Francis

WELL here is a look at Baker commentary vs ZIBBC

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King David was old (1:1). A comparison of dates given in 2 Samuel and 1 Kings indicates that David is well over seventy years old as he lies on his deathbed, much older than the average lifespan in the first millennium b. c.
Abishag, a Shunammite (1:3). Biblical and ancient Near Eastern sources give special attention to the status of women in the royal court. The size and makeup of the king’s harem was a measure of his power and prestige. In this case the beautiful Abishag slept next to the king but was never added to his harem. Yet, as a consequence of this intimate association with the king, any interest in marrying her would be interpreted as a challenge to the throne (see 2:13 – 25). It is noteworthy that Abishag was from Shunem in Galilee, not far from Nazareth. Her selection may have been a way to maintain strong ties between the Judean monarch and the rival northern tribes.
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Assyrian king in chariot is accompanied by entourage in front and in back. Todd Bolen/www. BiblePlaces. com

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“I will be king” (1:5). Because Adonijah was the next in line after Absalom’s death, his statement was in keeping with the customs of Israel and its neighbors. Legal documents dating to the second millennium b. c. from places such as Mari, Nuzi, and Assyria stipulate that the oldest surviving son always received the privileged position. Likewise, the Israelites were expected to give the firstborn son a double portion of property and to establish him as the head of the household. This practice, which was the norm for households and royal courts alike, served to preserve family resources and regulate generational transitions. Rank and status were assigned by societal norms rather than the father’s love for a particular wife or son. Many biblical characters did not adhere to this tradition, but examination of the passage’s ancient context clearly shows that Adonijah and some of the king’s advisors anticipated David would.
So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him (1:5). Chariots are well attested in archaeological excavation. When their remains are combined with textual and iconographic references, chariots can be reconstructed with a high degree of accuracy right down to the smallest fittings. They can be grouped according to the number of passengers and by the size and number of spokes in the wheels. Typical Israelite chariots were manned by an archer, a shield bearer, and a driver holding a spear. They were not only strategic weapons but also symbols of power and authority (Gen. 41:3; 2 Kings 10:16). The runners represent a royal guard independent of the regular army. They may also have been advisors to the king (see 1 Kings 18:46). Runners are depicted alongside chariots in the second millennium wall reliefs of temples at el- Amarna and Karnak in Egypt and are described in the annals of Assyrian kings (“those who run at the wheel of my lord”).
They gave him their support (1:7). Two factions emerged in the court because of David’s failure to follow cultural norms and announce a successor when he became incapacitated. The failure of David’s special guard to join Adonijah’s followers was a clear indicator that David had yet to act. Adonijah’s entrance with chariot and a royal guard not only increased the tension between the king and traditional institutions, but also represented a premature appeal to power by force that violated religious and cultural protocols. David’s inaction therefore emboldened both parties and created a national crisis with rifts in the military, the priesthood, and the prophets.
Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel (1:9). The religious pretext for the sacrifice is unclear, though it likely was intended to initiate a feast that would seal an alliance between those gathered. Near Eastern hospitality in antiquity, as today, implied loyalty and friendship. Adonijah achieved such relations with the Israelite aristocracy by inviting them to his gathering (see 1:25). Conversely, he did not invite his own brother Solomon or the opposing prophet, priest, and commander (Nathan, Zadok, and Benaiah) lest the age- old customs of hospitality prevent him from opposing them at a future time.
En- Rogel was a spring located in the Kidron Valley, on the border between Judah and Benjamin, a short distance from Jerusalem (Josh. 15:7). This location was a broad, lush area with adequate space and resources for a large gathering. It also allowed for a slightly lower profile than the city itself, and its southern orientation expressed Adonijah’s affinity with his Judean base of support. The Zohelet stone was a landmark whose local significance is unknown, though the word’s meaning, “serpent,” may hint at religious activity in this location.
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En Rogel, which is only about 250 yards south of the convergence of the Kidron and Hinnom Valleys. The view here is to the south from the southern tip of the City of David. The En Rogel spring is about in the middle of the picture just to the right of the red roofs. Todd Bolen/www. BiblePlaces. com

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The Zondervan one continues on in the like manner with 6 photos total in 1 Kings 1

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A. Accession of a younger son (1:1–53). First Kings begins with a point of contrast:back in 1 Samuel the young David is introduced as a man of action and seemingly boundless energy; now, his aged condition creates a situation in which Israel’s king is more acted on than acting. The opening scene (1:1–4) reveals that the servants of David have implemented a search for a young maiden whose body heat will increase the king’s waning temperature. It is unlikely that the servants are proposing a medicinal remedy; on the contrary, this rather appears to be a cover story either to prove the aged king’s virility to a doubting constituency or to produce an heir to the throne. Despite a plethora of offspring, at this point in the story David has not explicitly named his successor. The servants’ political motivation is evident when Abishag is found, from the village of Shunem, in Issachar—a nice union of north and south. The servants’ plan, however, is foiled as the king (literally) “knows her not,” and thus the reader concludes that the successor to David’s throne can only be one of his (surviving) sons.
If there is a power vacuum, Adonijah is determined to step into it (1:5–10). As the oldest son of David—after the untimely deaths of his older brothers—Adonijah enlists the support of key allies (Joab the military commander, plus Abiathar the priest) and holds a feast for leading dignitaries. Like Absalom before him, Adonijah flaunts his royal pretensions with an entourage of chariots and runners, and also like Absalom he receives very little paternal discipline from David. Factions are apparent in the Davidic court:some officials are invited to join Adonijah, while others (including Nathan the prophet and the younger brother Solomon) are not. The comparison with Absalom—despite good looks and popularity—is an ominous sign for Adonijah’s stately ambitions.
One gets the feeling that this is a dangerous place of political maneuvering, an impression enhanced in the next scene (1:11–14), featuring Nathan’s conference with Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. After outlining Adonijah’s recent activities—boldly stating that Adonijah has “become king”—Nathan instructs Bathsheba to pose a question to King David regarding Solomon’s accession:“My lord the king, did you not swear [an oath] to me your servant:‘Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me... ’?” (1:13). No such oath is recorded in 2 Samuel, and a reader may have expected that such a momentous oath would have been mentioned if it was sworn. A slight irony will emerge here:Bathsheba is instructed to ask David about an (alleged) oath- swearing, and her own name means “daughter of swear an oath”! But still, the question remains as to why Nathan would counsel Bathsheba in this manner. We recall that Nathan has had dealings with David and Bathsheba before. In 2 Samuel 12:25, Nathan is sent by God to bring a new name for baby Solomon; in the book of Genesis a change of name involves a change of destiny, so Nathan may well infer—reasonably enough—that Solomon is destined to be his father’s successor. Time is of the essence, given that Adonijah is simultaneously hosting a feast with his powerful cadre of associates.
Bathsheba (1:15–21) is duly granted an audience in the king’s private chamber, with Abishag in the room, a presence that foregrounds the rivalry of succession. Yet instead of asking the king a question (as Nathan directs), she utters an emphatic statement (“ you yourself swore [an oath],” 1:17) and explains about the feasting of Adonijah. While she is concluding her story, as if on cue, Nathan arrives (1:22–27) and asks a set of questions of his own about the succession. Whether or not David ever did swear an oath about Solomon now becomes immaterial:he claims that he did and gives orders that Solomon is to be crowned in his stead (1:28–31). The anointing ceremony (1:32–40) is supervised by the trio of Nathan, Benaiah, and Zadok, with Zadok deploying the horn of oil in the midst of considerable pomp—loud enough to make the earth quake.

Four- horned incense altar from Megiddo (1000–586 BC). Clinging to the horns of the altar, as Adonijah did (1 Kings 1:50), indicated a wish for amnesty for those who feared retri

The tremors can be felt as far away as Adonijah’s banquet, an event taking place simultaneously with Solomon’s anointing ceremony. Jonathan son of Abiathar (of the line of Eli and thus acquainted with rejection!) brings the crushing news (1:41–48) to Adonijah, exhaustively detailing the accession of Solomon. This breathless report disperses the guests and sends Adonijah to the horns of the altar, setting the stage for a confrontation between the two brothers (1:49–53). Throughout the entire transaction leading up to his enthronement, Solomon has not lifted a finger, so to speak, and certainly has not been allocated any direct speech. In the final scene of the chapter, this is poised to change. With limited options, Adonijah asks for an oath of amnesty, rather ironic in light of the earlier “oath” issues with Nathan and Bathsheba. However, Solomon does not give any kind of oath to his older brother; instead, he offers conditional terms, to the effect that if Adonijah shows himself to be a worthy man all will be well (but if not, he will die). One assumes that the freshly crowned Solomon will be the judge of whether or not Adonijah acts in a worthy manner. Solomon’s first words are important for his characterization:the speech to Adonijah shows a glimpse of his wisdom, but one wonders to what ends this wisdom will be used.

As you see the Baker is much more concise and contains only one photo for the entire chapter.

Over all Zondervan is nice for it's extensive selection of photos but I find the commentary very elementary for the most part. Baker is a much smaller work but often gives quite a little insight for a one volume commentary. I feel commentary wise the IVP 2 volume background commentaries offer more insights into the background. Personally either set feels over priced to me... but I do not own the other 5 volumes in the baker set. All in all I can recommend the purchase of the Baker commentary because i have found over the years it is occasionally insightful. I have loved the quality of the photos in Zondervan but the text of this set always felt weak to me. I got the Zondervan set very cheaply years back at Olivetree, for myself personally had I bought it from Logos I am fairly sure I would have been returning it. This has just been my experience and perhaps if you have no other commentaries or ones that neglect background completely it may be a good purchase. But you can always return it it within 30 days if you don't like them.

-Dan

Rick Ausdahl

Thanks, Dan. [:)]

To me, Baker's presentation has a smoother, more natural flow to it -- at least in your example. That's important to me because I'm trying to add a few things to my library that might prove interesting and useful to a family member down the road when it comes time to transfer my license.

At the moment, no one in either my immediate or extended family would be willing to invest the financial resources needed for Logos, and with Faithlife forbidding anyone other than the license holder to even use the software, it's not exactly easy to peak anyone's interest. That is perhaps my biggest grievance with Faithlife/Logos. I've had many software purchases that limit the number of machines upon which the software can be loaded, but never who could use the software. So while I'm alive, I can't offer to let my wife (or even one of my children who is having questions/doubts about spiritual matters), use Logos, but I can let them use every other application I own. That's a bitter pill to swallow. [:(]

But I've digressed. So thanks again. I'm guessing the Baker set may be a little more appropriate for someone who's just testing the waters and/or beginning their journey with Bible Study resources.