Resource comparison (Your experience/Opinion) to aid purchase decision

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible vs. ISBE (price is almost the same)

Tyndale Commentaries (OT/NT) vs. UBS Bible Handbook series (UBS is three times more) I am comparing these as an additional scholarly commentary on the entire Bible that is short of cost of big ones like NICOT/NT. I have the Expositor's Bible Commentary in additon to everything else in the Platinum.

How do these compare in your opinion?

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Comments

Todd Phillips

Get the ISBE (I have further comments here: http://community.logos.com/forums/p/6648/51490.aspx#51490)

Tyndale and UBS handbooks aren't comparable. The UBS handbooks focus on translation issues almost exclusively. I'd say get the Tyndale commentaries now, and save your money for NICOT/NT later (which still doesn't cover the whole Bible, by the way). But it depends on what you want.

Levi Durfey

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible vs. ISBE (price is almost the same)

I have the Expositor's Bible Commentary in additon to everything else in the Platinum.

The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible is included in the Gold and Platinum editions of Logos, so are you asking if you should buy the ISBE in addition to the Baker?

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157671#Comment_157671

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible vs. ISBE (price is almost the same)

I have the Expositor's Bible Commentary in additon to everything else in the Platinum.

The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible is included in the Gold and Platinum editions of Logos, so are you asking if you should buy the ISBE in addition to the Baker?

Oh. The UBS Handbooks are in Gold and Platinum too. Do you really have Platinum, Greg?

Friedrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157672#Comment_157672

You may want to upgrade, depending on your package. Check with Jason (AT) logos (DOT) com for your best deal. Depending on where you are at package wise, that may be a great deal for you.

Having said that, I like ISBE far better than Baker--more complete, and more pictures.

Tyndale is a great set, too, and as mentioned, quite different in scope than UBS (which you might get if you upgrade)

Enjoy!

nicky crane

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157677#Comment_157677

I have, and use almost daily, both UBS and Tyndale. I turn to UBS first, partly because I need to translate into Albanian for unlettered Muslim villagers. I find UBS helps me get to grips with the text, and Tyndale is more of a commentary. Wish I had known about the upgrade option earlier - might have saved myself lots of money...[^o)]

Greg Corbin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157671#Comment_157671

Sorry, guys. I just realized from your comments that I indicated that I owned Platinum when in fact I have Silver. Don't know why I did that! Anyway, I don't have any of the resources I mentioned. Really the bigger issue that my payment plan is almost up for my upgrade to Silver and I am trying to decide between upgrading to Platinum versus buying some specific resources that I know I will use. In my opinion, the two biggest things I need in Logos are a top notch Bible Dictionary/Encyclopedia and another good solid multi-volume commentary on the entire Bible (feel that even the high end packages are week in OT commentaries). Hope this clarifies my questions.

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157685#Comment_157685

Sorry, guys. I just realized from your comments that I indicated that I owned Platinum when in fact I have Silver. Don't know why I did that! Anyway, I don't have any of the resources I mentioned. Really the bigger issue that my payment plan is almost up for my upgrade to Silver and I am trying to decide between upgrading to Platinum versus buying some specific resources that I know I will use. In my opinion, the two biggest things I need in Logos are a top notch Bible Dictionary/Encyclopedia and another good solid multi-volume commentary on the entire Bible (feel that even the high end packages are week in OT commentaries). Hope this clarifies my questions.

My original comments still stand. Get what I suggested and then upgrade to Gold or Platinum as your next step. Don't buy anything in the base libraries if you have plans to upgrade to them.

Mike Aubrey

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157685#Comment_157685

upgrading to platinum would probably be your better deal.

feel that even the high end packages are week in OT commentaries

This is actually true about commentary sets generally -- while there are several quality OT sets (NICOT, WBC, ICC), the number of Old Testament commentaries, just doesn't compare to what's available on the New Testament.

Platinum will give you the Baker Encyclopedia (which is notably more recent than ISBE) as well as the UBS Handbooks -- which while its true they focus on translation issues chiefly, questions of interpretation and translation have significant overlap and will give you plenty of helpful exegetical information. And because they deal with translation issues so much more thoroughly than other commentaries, they also tend to provide a lot of information that isn't discussed in other commentaries.

Friedrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157688#Comment_157688

It will be your decision. Obviously. I love Tyndale and ISBE (even if it is "notably" older [;)] than Baker), but I use the UBS a lot too--I gain much insight even though I am just translating for my english speaking American audience, and Baker is a fine set. But you get a lot more value with an upgrade, I would think.

With Platinum you get 8 volumes of high quality Baker Exegetical Comms, the Baker New Testament (hendrickson/kistemaker), other commentaries, the EDNT (a great resource for word studies), and many other resources.

Some may depend on the deal the salesman can offer you, and what you have in hand. Going with Tyndale and ISBE might be cheaper, and you will be getting two high quality resources that you will use over and over. Tyndale is especially good at rounding out OT commentaries.

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157688#Comment_157688

Platinum will give you the Baker Encyclopedia (which is notably more recent than ISBE)

ISBE was revised in 1979. Baker was released in 1988. Is there really that much difference? ISBE is notably larger.

Mike Aubrey

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157702#Comment_157702

ISBE was revised in 1979. Baker was released in 1988. Is there really that much difference? ISBE is notably larger.

If you peruse it, you'll see that many articles were virtually untouched in the revision.

More importantly though, I was simply emphasizing that Platinum is going to give you more bang for the buck than anything else would (not withstanding Portfolio).

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157986#Comment_157986

ISBE was revised in 1979. Baker was released in 1988. Is there really that much difference? ISBE is notably larger.

If you peruse it, you'll see that many articles were virtually untouched in the revision.

More importantly though, I was simply emphasizing that Platinum is going to give you more bang for the buck than anything else would (not withstanding Portfolio).

I completely agree about Platinum being the best option if one can afford it.

How
can you tell if an ISBE article wasn't updated (I don't have the original)?

Important articles that I looked up had "recent" dates (60s & 70s) in the bibliographies: Baptism, Pentateuch, Jericho, Qumran, Pauline Theology.

I
haven't used Baker much, since I only just got it with Platinum. But I have found ISBE to be very useful and I haven't felt that it seemed to be dated: I often get topic hits in ISBE that I don't
get in other resources, including Anchor and Baker, since it has the most entries.

Mike Aubrey

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/158017#Comment_158017

How
can you tell if an ISBE article wasn't updated (I don't have the original)?

Important articles that I looked up had "recent" dates (60s & 70s) in the bibliographies: Baptism, Pentateuch, Jericho, Qumran, Pauline Theology.

I
haven't used Baker much, since I only just got it with Platinum. But I have found ISBE to be very useful and I haven't felt that it seemed to be dated: I often get topic hits in ISBE that I don't
get in other resources, including Anchor and Baker, since it has the most entries.

You'd need to have both editions to compare. Bibliographies tend to be the first thing updated in revisions, so I wouldn't be surprised to see more "recent" dates. Also, because ISBE was revised over the course of two decades, the revisions of volumes 1-2 are more out of date than the revisions of volumes 3-4.

One good example is the developments in Dead Sea Scrolls research. Its on topics like that where you're going to see the most development between ISBE and Baker -- not only in the DSS articles themselves, but also in the articles covering topics influenced by the scrolls. For example, OT textual criticism, Hebrew language or the Essenes, which ISBE doesn't even have an article on.

With all of that said, I would advocate having all three ISBE 1, 2, and Baker. A. T. Robertson's article on the Greek language in the original edition is superior to the articles in the other two versions.

Greg Corbin

Hello all, I just wanted to thank you for your helpful comments and let you know what I decided to do. This week, I upgraded from Silver to Gold - this gave me access to the UBS Handbook series and NIGTC - two scholarly and expensive sets. I also went ahead and purchased the ISBE - meaning that I now have both the Baker Encyclopedia and the ISBE. Given the absolute great deal that Dave Kaplan got for me, I felt that, all things considered, this decision gave me the most bang for my buck. I now have two excellent encyclopedias and will probably use any Christmas money I receive to purchase the Tyndale Commentary set - meaning that by the end of the year, I will have greatly rounded out my library.

On another note, I absolutely LOVE the UBS Handbook commentaries. I have found them to be very helpful in my study and preparation this week. Our church hosted a Camp Logos back in July and Morris Proctor told us how they had become one of his most useful/favorite commentary sets in recent years. I can see why. Keep studying all and may the Lord Jesus be glorified in each of us!

Jerry Bush

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/166462#Comment_166462

The Tyndale set was the third-best Logos purchase I made. #1 was Logos itself. #2 was the IVP Collection, followed closely by the Tyndales. Great stuff for the money.

Jerry

Jerry Bush

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157682#Comment_157682

I have, and use almost daily, both UBS and Tyndale. I turn to UBS first, partly because I need to translate into Albanian for unlettered Muslim villagers. I find UBS helps me get to grips with the text, and Tyndale is more of a commentary. Wish I had known about the upgrade option earlier - might have saved myself lots of money...

Nicky -

Wow.

I am humbled thinking about the work you are doing, and amazed at what God is doing through people all around the world!

Cool stuff you are doing there...

Jerry

Greg Corbin

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/166464#Comment_166464

Jerry,

The IVP set has been highly recommended to me by more than one person. What do you find most valuable in it?

Mark Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/166466#Comment_166466

The IVP set has been highly recommended to me by more than one person. What do you find most valuable in it?

Top of the pick:

Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels

Dictionary of Paul and His Letters

Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments

Dictionary of New Testament Background

The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery

New Dictionary of Biblical Theology

Third:

New Dictionary of Theology

Some of the rest is OK. A few (New Bible Commentary, Hard Sayings) have little value to me,

The top three are worth the price IVP wants, the rest is like getting free lobster with your steak (and some dessert).

Jerry Bush

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/166466#Comment_166466

Jerry,

The IVP set has been highly recommended to me by more than one person. What do you find most valuable in it?

Greg -

I agree with Mark's top picks, but I also find Hard Sayings of the Bible very useful. Also, I really like the two Bible Background commentaries. I use those all the time. One is on the OT and one on the NT. Good stuff.

I don't use the "Pocket" titles, but maybe I should check them out. But overall, and excellent use of your money. I encourage you to call Logos sales directly. They often can give you a much better price than what is listed on the site.

Jerry

Edwin Bowden

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/157685#Comment_157685

Really the bigger issue that my payment plan is almost up for my upgrade to Silver and I am trying to decide between upgrading to Platinum versus buying some specific resources that I know I will use.

Although the Pillar Commentaries are not complete and only on the NT, were one of the reasons I upgraded to Platinum. There are probably other works of great value in the upgrade that you may be overlooking.

The upgrade discount is available now as part of the MAC promo and will not last. The other titles can always be added later.