Word Biblical Commentary to be $399.99 this weekend
Just got this in an email tonight:
Coming Soon: WBC for $399.99
We don't want you to be caught off guard this weekend. Starting Friday August 30 and lasting only through September 3, the Word Biblical Commentary series will be over 65% off—which means you'd save a staggering $800.
This is a great deal and as low as I think we've seen it in a long time. Regardless of how long its been, this is a great price and well worth it for those who want another solid commentary that covers virtually the entire Bible.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
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I got it on 5/22/17 for that price according to my order history. Pretty sure hasn't been that low since then. Bet they’ll be busy!
preachertony.com — appletech.tips — facebook.com/tonywalker23 — twitter.com/tonywalker23 — youtube.com/tonywalker23
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Thanks for the heads-up, Mark. I have had this on my wishlist for some time but never pulled the trigger. I am a pastor without the benefit of a theological education so I am not sure if this set would be of use to me.
Do you have an opinion on it? I cannot read Greek or Hebrew so would this commentary be beneficial?
Macbook Air (2024), Apple M2, 16gb Ram, Mac Sequoia, 1TB storage
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Jerry Bush said:
Do you have an opinion on it?
It really depends on how you use scripture.
If you take an academic approach to your use of scripture, the set is worth the money at this price. If you are more exegetical and have a more traditional view of scripture (inerrant, inspired, etc.), you can do much better for the money. If you are in a fundamentalist church, stay the heck away from WBC. [:D]
WBC has always had a bit of a bad reputation for the organization of the text. Moving that to Logos makes it worse (according to some) or improves it (according to others). I own about four or five WBC volumes which IMO, were some of the best ones in the set. I would not buy the entire set, even at this price, as some of the volumes are pretty bad (IMO).
If you are a professor, you'll need the set just for citation purposes (even though it is starting to be a bit dated).
You'll see both those who love it and those who hate it, along with a few of us in the middle who find parts of it useful and parts not so useful. It's your $400, and your decision.
Eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a van down by the river.
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Agree with Doc B. And for any other wonder-ers.
WBC sort of sits in the middle. It's claim to fame is affordability, and not too technical. A bit more conservative, Lenski. Then the NIC series (conservative, good quality, but a bit more $$). Moving left, ICC (older, technical ), then Hermeneia (loosey-goosey, but more coverage).
My guess, if conservative, if I compromised on WBC (affordable), I'd be starting over on NIC later.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Doc B said:
If you are in a fundamentalist church, stay the heck away from WBC.
im a full time staff at an IFB church, lol. The only commentary I ever hear is from ‘the good ol days’
preachertony.com — appletech.tips — facebook.com/tonywalker23 — twitter.com/tonywalker23 — youtube.com/tonywalker23
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Is there a good acid test that you could look for to quickly know how a set leans? If one isn’t familiar with the scholarly names, maybe one or two passages to check and it’ll quickly give away what to expect as a whole?
preachertony.com — appletech.tips — facebook.com/tonywalker23 — twitter.com/tonywalker23 — youtube.com/tonywalker23
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Jerry Bush said:
Thanks for the heads-up, Mark. I have had this on my wishlist for some time but never pulled the trigger. I am a pastor without the benefit of a theological education so I am not sure if this set would be of use to me.
Do you have an opinion on it? I cannot read Greek or Hebrew so would this commentary be beneficial?
Jerry. I'm a lay pastor with no formal training, but 20+ years of preaching, etc. I've found the ZECNT series far more satisfying if you want a technical commentary, which is also user friendly, up to date and has application pointers. The Greek and Hebrew in the volumes don't seem to get in the way of understanding the commentaries in the ZECNT/OT series. The New Testament volumes aren't complete though and the ZECOT Old Testament series is only just getting going. Another big plus is that you'll be able to pick up the volumes on Ruth, James and 1, 2, 3 John for $6.98 from 1st September.
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Tony Walker said:
Is there a good acid test that you could look for to quickly know how a set leans? If one isn’t familiar with the scholarly names, maybe one or two passages to check and it’ll quickly give away what to expect as a whole?
A quick way to winnow would be to check the Pentateuch and see what they do with the documentary hypothesis. (WBC, incidentally, seems mostly for it.) But I've never understood the practice of only reading works that you know in advance that they already agree with you...
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Thanks to all of you! I appreciate each of you taking the time to give input.
Macbook Air (2024), Apple M2, 16gb Ram, Mac Sequoia, 1TB storage
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Tony Walker said:
Is there a good acid test that you could look for to quickly know how a set leans?
There are several websites directed at commentary set reviews and such. These are usually worth consulting.
These forums are usually (not always!) helpful, depending on who sees the post. Trying to get an objective description without starting theology battles can be trying at times, but when cooler heads prevail, there is a LOT of knowledge here in the forums.
Knowing the background of the authors is also helpful. These can usually be found by google searches.
I also agree with Sean's comment about how certain (controversial) issues are handled. Pick a few that you care about (age of the earth, Jonah, Isaiah authorship, documentary hypothesis, NT use of the OT, Bultmanian de-mythologization, and so on) and take a gander.
I would also add that just because a commentator takes a stand with which you don't agree shouldn't necessarily rule out the rest of his work as useful. Certainly, a first-order gospel issue would disqualify someone (i.e., Jesus is not divine, non-trinitarian, universalist, etc.), but questions about lower-level issues should not eliminate otherwise helpful commentary or authors, IMO.
YMMV, and others will likely disagree. And FWIW, I chose the parenthetical list based on my own views which you may not share. (There are non-trinitarians on these forums who would be offended by my list. [:O] ).
Eating a steady diet of government cheese, and living in a van down by the river.
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Jerry Bush said:
Do you have an opinion on it? I cannot read Greek or Hebrew so would this commentary be beneficial?
Opinion: The Best Commentaries site shows WBC volumes in the top 5 for each volume most of the time. In other words, using their system of rating, you will add a lot of their top volumes on books of the Bible all at one time for a very reasonable price with this sale.
In the NT (which I've used more), the volumes on Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon, the Pastoral Epistles, and the Epistles of John are all ones I've used with profit. Lane on Hebrews is supposed to be quite good, but I have not used it enough to have an opinion.
In terms of stance, these volumes are broadly evangelical. They are scholarly so there is interaction with more liberal theories and you will find authors you disagree with.
Greek or Hebrew needed? No.Greek and Hebrew is also translated into English.
Format: My favorite quote about the WBC comes from D. A. Carson, who says something to the effect the the WBC format will exercise one's sanctification.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
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Tony Walker said:
Is there a good acid test that you could look for to quickly know how a set leans? If one isn’t familiar with the scholarly names, maybe one or two passages to check and it’ll quickly give away what to expect as a whole?
DA Carson's New Testament Commentary Survey for the New Testament and Tremper Longman's Old Testament Commentary Survey (which I do not like quite as well) are both valuable resources for this. For each book of the Bible, they give a rating and brief review of each commentary. Buying whole sets is not usually the best way to get started, except when doing so gives a substantial discount.
I have both of the survey books in Kindle, but Logos is probably worth the extra money to be able to search and navigate quickly and easily. I am not sure if the entries are linked to the commentaries in Logos, but if they are, that would be a nice bonus. When I get ready to preach a new series, I always read through the relevant chapter to get a feel for the different commentaries.
The Exegetical Summaries series or the Lexham Bible guides are also helpful, since they summarize the various commentaries positions on each verse, letting you see who falls where.Using Logos as a pastor, seminary professor, and Tyndale author
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Hey Jerry,
Like Doc B said, it depends on how you read and use Scripture.
If you are one who believes in the inerrancy of God's Word, then WBC might not be the best of use to you, because while some authors in the series do believe in inerrancy, it is quite clear that some of the authors are of the more liberal camp and do not hold strongly to inerrancy. Personally, I am a pastor too, and I believe in the inerrancy of God's Word. But I plan on getting this series because it is nevertheless a great resource but I will use it with caution because of some to the stances of the authors.
If you are one who wants to truly exegete and explain the meaning of God's Word and want to read authors who have a stronger stance on inerrancy, the commentaries I would recommend for the NT: The Pillar Commentary Series, The Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (BECNT), and the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (ZECNT). For the entire bible, I would recommand the New American Commentary (NAC). I would would also highly recommend the MacArthur Commentary for the NT if you are one would would agree with his interpretations.
I hope this helps.
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What an INCREDIBLE price for a great resource. I bought this set in print in 1994 and then again in Logos a few years back. It is extremely valuable.
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Sale is live with dynamic pricing:
https://www.logos.com/product/53935/word-biblical-commentary-wbc
http://www.TrinityExamined.com
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I would like to throw in my penny (my opinion is probably not worth 2), and say that one area that I have felt that I have grown in with my Theological studies is to be brave enough to engage with works that do not align with my own positions. I am VERY conservative, and reformed in my Theology. And in my earliest years of going deeper, I stayed with those whom I would agree with. However, as I have grown, I have come to appreciate the daunting task of listening to the positions and reasons of those who do not agree with me. Let me give some quick reasons:
1. It helps me examine my position to identify any weaknesses (holes, even). Iron sharpens Iron- this does not happen if you are not "battling" some with other views.
2. It helps me understand why others do not believe the way I do- so I can interact with those who differ from me in a more civil way. For example, I don't shut the door on the Jehovah's Witness that knocks on my door- because I understand what they believe, and I attempt to politely conversate with them... dialog is much better when you understand others, and also understand your own position... Know What You Believe, and Why You Believe It.
3. People are fallible, so there are times I can be taught something. Maybe I learn that there actually is another viewpoint that COULD be just as valid as mine. Sometimes what we are taught is a rigid doctrinal viewpoint turns out not to be as rigid. Maybe tradition has given a view more authority than the actual Scriptures do. So, I have learned there are actually some gray areas that I was taught was black or white. This could not have occurred if I did not consider other viewpoints.
But at the end of the day, I have taken the counsel of Best Commentaries, DA Carson, Challies and Ligonier when evaluating which commentaries to buy for each book of the Bible. I have seen the wisdom of not getting whole sets (unless they are cheaper to buy the set versus buying the individual books that I would buy based on the previous recommendations).
I hope this helps, and is encouraging to you to allow other viewpoints into your study.
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The set at $399.99 is a good deal.
If you are going to buy individual books based on the ranking at bestcommentaries.com, the total is as follows, based on the regular prices:
- Top 1 only - $499.87
- Top 2 only - $279.93
- Top 3 only - $173.95
- Top 4 only - $501.87
- Top 5 only - $385.90
- The rest - $506.87
- Total = $2,348.39
If you are only buying WBC Top 1 & 2 books at 50% off (like during the last Best Commentaries Sale), the total would be around $389.80. Add $10.19 more, you'll get the complete set. [:)]
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Mark Smith said:
Format: My favorite quote about the WBC comes from D. A. Carson, who says something to the effect the the WBC format will exercise one's sanctification.
Liking the format and organization of complex material is very much related to personal preferences (and perhaps personality preferences), field of study and time in that field (one gets comfortable with the format over time), among other things.
For me, the WBC format makes perfect sense and is comfortable to use. The format makes it easy to focus in on the specific area of interest when the article has many pages. Digital format makes this process even faster.
Perhaps almost four decades of reading and evaluating lab reports has done something to my brain! [:D]
Shalom,
Joseph
Joseph F. Sollenberger, Jr.
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Michael S. said:
I would like to throw in my penny (my opinion is probably not worth 2), and say that one area that I have felt that I have grown in with my Theological studies is to be brave enough to engage with works that do not align with my own positions.
I understand your point, Michael. Let me assist in sharpening your iron.
- The bulk of belief is tradition. Folks' parents, friends, etc. It's social. No one researches the world's religions for the prior 4,000 years to find the right one (except MJ).
- Christian-wise, most denominations anchor pretty decently in the writings (OT, NT). I can argue for the validity of Catholic and I can argue the same for Mormon/LDS. Calvin and Luther. The anchors are all there in the text. Just pick your favorites. It's why the denominations stick around.
- Books have literally been written on dating the Parables of Enoch. There's only 4 clues, all bad. Both the OT and NT are similar. Well meaning churchmen just have to pick.
That's why I'm a big believer in arrange your Bible study for your beliefs. Catholic? Find the best darn software for Catholic (Verbum, of course). Baptist? Mormon? Montanist (oops, no heretic software allowed).
Explore away, but you'll be back.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Denise said:
No one researches the world's religions for the prior 4,000 years to find the right one (except MJ).
Next you're going to tell me that others' college friends weren't mainly Jewish-Catholic-Buddhists until the administration insisted we proved there was an actual service we could have been attending. Something about excused and unexcused absences . . . as if the JCB crowd would unethically stretch the rules. More seriously, there was a small group in the late 60's/early 70's who did very seriously consider many threads of that 4,000 years. You are now benefiting from their work even in small ways such as the series Classics of Western Spirituality which was initiated to keep the group from all turning to the East.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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MJ. Smith said:
... keep the group from all turning to the East.
Mystics will always have the edge over boring tired old logic! And trees with little ropes are especially cute (Shinto ... or was that Asherah).
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Denise said:MJ. Smith said:
... keep the group from all turning to the East.
Mystics will always have the edge over boring tired old logic! And trees with little ropes are especially cute (Shinto ... or was that Asherah).
Wow. Hearing all that and reading the last few posts on here fried my brain more than it already is friend.
I'm just going back and forth on whether or not to pull the trigger, so to speak, on the WBC set for this price, $381 dynamic pricing, for me.
Pastor, Mt. Leonard Baptist Church, SBC
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Jonathan Bradley said:
I'm just going back and forth on whether or not to pull the trigger, so to speak, on the WBC set for this price, $381 dynamic pricing, for me.
If you are not familiar with the WBC set, read a section of a volume or several volumes in Google Books. I now use previews as a first step in helping me decide whether or not to make a purchase.
Shalom,
Joseph
Joseph F. Sollenberger, Jr.
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Joseph Sollenberger said:
For me, the WBC format makes perfect sense and is comfortable to use. The format makes it easy to focus in on the specific area of interest when the article has many pages. Digital format makes this process even faster.
[H]
Gold package, and original language material and ancient text material, SIL and UBS books, discourse Hebrew OT and Greek NT. PC with Windows 11
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Jerry Bush said:
Thanks for the heads-up, Mark. I have had this on my wishlist for some time but never pulled the trigger. I am a pastor without the benefit of a theological education so I am not sure if this set would be of use to me.
Do you have an opinion on it? I cannot read Greek or Hebrew so would this commentary be beneficial?
You could always pull the trigger, see how you like it and if you don't like it put that slug back in the chamber with a 30 day return.
Dead languages are my mid-life crisis
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Jeremiah said:Jerry Bush said:
Thanks for the heads-up, Mark. I have had this on my wishlist for some time but never pulled the trigger. I am a pastor without the benefit of a theological education so I am not sure if this set would be of use to me.
Do you have an opinion on it? I cannot read Greek or Hebrew so would this commentary be beneficial?
You could always pull the trigger, see how you like it and if you don't like it put that slug back in the chamber with a 30 day return.
This is actually an amazing idea. Thank you! I hadn't thought of that!
Pastor, Mt. Leonard Baptist Church, SBC
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This is a great series equal or better in some respects than NICOT/NT in my opinion. Don’t be put off by the inerrancy statements, it’s still extremely useful for digging deeper into God’s Word.
Besides, at the $399 sale price it’s a steal!
👍😁👌
DAL
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Besides the 30 day refund policy, I would look at it as (on a 12 month payment plan) roughly $1 a day to have this set in your library. When the Yale Works of Jonathan Edwards hit 399 a couple of years ago that is the way I looked at it. Am I willing to pay about $1 a day to have a $1300digital/$3400printed set in my library? Easy answer
preachertony.com — appletech.tips — facebook.com/tonywalker23 — twitter.com/tonywalker23 — youtube.com/tonywalker23
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I literally just finished my last payment this month and this has to come along! I've been watching the sale for the past few days and know today is the last day. Blessed is the man that endures temptation so I'm trying to endure here but man this is a great offer!!
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I can't see the payment plan options since I have it and it is grayed out. What is the longest number of months and monthly rate they let you draw it out to?
preachertony.com — appletech.tips — facebook.com/tonywalker23 — twitter.com/tonywalker23 — youtube.com/tonywalker23
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I'm sure for most people putting this on a credit card and paying interest would be more economical than a Logos payment plan. Those are usually better only for much larger purchases.
Tony Walker said:I can't see the payment plan options since I have it and it is grayed out. What is the longest number of months and monthly rate they let you draw it out to?
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Tony Walker said:
I can't see the payment plan options since I have it and it is grayed out. What is the longest number of months and monthly rate they let you draw it out to?
I signed out and then went to the WBC page and this is what showed up. Notice the $240.10 down payment, typical of Zondervan products due to royalties.
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DAL said:
I signed out and then went to the WBC page and this is what showed up. Notice the $240.10 down payment, typical of Zondervan products due to royalties.
What is that ... slightly short of 50% loan charge?
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Denise said:DAL said:
I signed out and then went to the WBC page and this is what showed up. Notice the $240.10 down payment, typical of Zondervan products due to royalties.
What is that ... slightly short of 50% loan charge?
Meanwhile, if you have a credit card with 14% APR and pay $35 a month, you'll pay it off after 13 months with about $32 total in interest--and that's with no down payment.
Logos payment plans are probably sometimes useful, but you really should do the math before pulling the trigger on them.
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Payment plans for larger purchases are worth it or even some smaller ones that don’t include Zondervan products.
DAL
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