Best one-volume commentary - to start study
In my education the focus for the sermon always was: 'text, text, text', so when I start my sermon preparations, I prefer to start with the original texts, lexicons etc. Only later, when I have been to the text, I pick up a commentary to read what others have thought and where I have to be alert for etc.
But now I am looking for something new in the proces. Sometimes I do need a commentary, just to determine the pericope or get a sense of the structure of the bible book etc etc. For this I would like to use a shorter commentary, not extensive pages, but a compact en structered start.
So what is your favorite compact and one-volume commentary?
Comments
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I would recommend the ESV study bible or the Bible knowledge commentary (technically 2 volumes)
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Much of the answer to that question depends on your theological persuasion. That being said, I would also recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary, which is dispensational. As an alternative, you could also consider the New Bible Commentary edited by Carson who is not dispensational.
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Jack Caviness said:
Much of the answer to that question depends on your theological persuasion.
Bingo. In the absence of that knowledge, I have no suggestions.
“The trouble is that everyone talks about reforming others and no one thinks about reforming himself.” St. Peter of Alcántara
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One of my favorite "go to" books for orienting the text I am working on within it's book is "How to Read the Bible Book by Book" by Douglas Stuart and Gordon Fee. These two guys wrote Old Testament and New Testament Exegesis and some top notch commentaries, so I think they probably know their way around the old cannon. I like the layout of the book which treats every book of the bible. So say I'm studying a text in Galatians and I want to see where it fits in, they will start with "Orienting Data for Galatians- author, date, audience. Next is an "Overview of Galatians" which gives a synopsis of the book. Then they give a section called "Specific Advice for Reading Galatians". And finally is a "Walk Through Galatians" which gives a synopsis of every section of the book. I like it because it is organized better then a study bible and is streamlined better then a one volume commentary with the information you need. I am not saying it replaces those books. I use it like the picture of a puzzle on the box top- it helps me wrap my brain around that contrary piece of puzzle that I need to see where it fits in.[:D] If "How to Read the Bible book by Book" doesn't fit what you're looking for, Logos has a generous return policy. Take advantage of it.
https://www.logos.com/product/5439/how-to-read-the-bible-book-by-book
As for pericopes, compare the headings in your bibles. I find that usually I'm not preaching a whole unit but a sub unit. When I preach the whole unit I find I'm helping people see the whole forest and not just one tree. I know that headings are subjective but it gives me a good place to start.
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You might want to check out this thread https://community.logos.com/forums/t/171630.aspx
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SineNomine said:Jack Caviness said:Much of the answer to that question depends on your theological persuasion.
Bingo. In the absence of that knowledge, I have no suggestions.
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Thanks guys, those are some helpfull tips.
As far as my theological leaning is concerned. I find it difficult to articulate. The whole dispensationalist debate for example hardly plays a role in the Netherlands. I think I am not dispensationalist, but I know some writers I like who I think are.
Anyways, I am protestant. Merry evangelical or reformed or a wee bit charismatic. In myy own country I tell people I am "vrolijk orthodox" (merry orthodox). Makes sense in the Netherlands, it means you believe the bible is true (also at a historical level), but you are not going to church wearing black tie (or black socks as we say).
I don't know, basically I am the guy Logos is compiling there standard line of BP for...
Whow, heavy question. But fun to answer. Does this help?
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Looking at my order of priorities, I see that I place Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible and The New Bible Commentary at the top.
Joseph F. Sollenberger, Jr.
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Discussed it in the link above but still find
Fortress Commentary on the Bible (2 vols.)to be best recommendation for a starting point. For your stated needs-dan0 -
Moody Bible Commentary is one I’ve been using a lot lately: https://www.logos.com/product/121682/the-moody-bible-commentary
DAL
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JC54 said:
"vrolijk orthodox"
Shalom J.!
I invariably wear black socks so I would rather call myself a "vagebonder" (Dutch for "vagabond" - conservative reformed but not quite puritan).
My favourite commentary for quick reference is in German: die Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel. In Logos this resource is tagged as a commentary but it is actually more of a study bible. The notes are written from a moderately historical critical perspective and most of the time I use it alongside a more devotional commentary (e.g. the Life Application Bible which is only available in Spanish in Logos). The first edition of the Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel appeared in 1992 and although there has been a revision it is still based on the old 1984 Lutherbibel.
The English commentaries that I use most have already been mentioned: the New Bible Commentary (or Nuevo Commentario Bíblico) and the ESV study bible.
The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible is also a good (critical) commentary but I never use it for quick reference (either too much or too little information).
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DAL said:
Moody Bible Commentary is one I’ve been using a lot lately: https://www.logos.com/product/121682/the-moody-bible-commentary
DAL
Is that still the case DAL? It's on sale and was in my wishlist, although I'd set a target price of $7.99.
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Paul Caneparo said:
It's on sale and was in my wishlist, although I'd set a target price of $7.99.
Thanks for bringing the sale to my attention. I had wanted this commentary but have no idea why it wasn't in my wishlist.
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Jack Caviness said:
you could also consider the New Bible Commentary edited by Carson who is not dispensational.
I also like this commentary of when one-volume commentary is specified.
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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Veli Voipio said:Jack Caviness said:
you could also consider the New Bible Commentary edited by Carson who is not dispensational.
I also like this commentary of when one-volume commentary is specified.
Agreed. Many well regarded commentators.
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Paul Caneparo said:DAL said:
Moody Bible Commentary is one I’ve been using a lot lately: https://www.logos.com/product/121682/the-moody-bible-commentary
DAL
Is that still the case DAL? It's on sale and was in my wishlist, although I'd set a target price of $7.99.
Yes, I still use it along with other one volume commentaries and study bible collections I have. Nice to read the simple version instead of reading too much jargon contained in the more advanced commentaries.
DAL
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My top go-to one volume commentaries:
- Amazon.com: The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century: Third Fully Revised Edition: 9781474248853: Collins, John J., Hens-Piazza, Gina, Reid OP, Barbara, Senior, Donald, Francis, Pope: Books
- South Asia Bible Commentary: A One-Volume Commentary on the Whole Bible | Logos Bible Software
- Africa Bible Commentary | Logos Bible Software
- ESV Global Study Bible (Bible and Notes) | Logos Bible Software
- Fortress Commentary on the Bible (2 vols.) | Logos Bible Software
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary | Logos Bible Software
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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I use the Moody Bible Commentary as my go-to reference. I even bought one in Logos for my wife after getting her a print copy a couple of years ago. It's much better than a single volume commentary deserves to be. It's that good.
The mind of man is the mill of God, not to grind chaff, but wheat. Thomas Manton | Study hard, for the well is deep, and our brains are shallow. Richard Baxter
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Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible
—Solly
Joseph F. Sollenberger, Jr.
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Here's a sample from Romans. I think I'll pass on this occasion as I have $80 of prepubs due to release this month. The detail in Romans doesn't look as extensive as some of my other one volume commentaries.
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One of my favorites is The Nelson New Illustrated Bible Commentary.
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Thanks Michael Kinch for bringing this to my attention.
I realized I actually own it! But had overlooked it.
I shall give a closer look from now on.
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