The book "New Testament Commentary Survey" written by D.A.Carson give me a good guidence on how to select commentary on New Testament. I want to ask if there is a book on the Old Testament.
Thanks very much
Abraham
Yes...
https://www.logos.com/product/201458/old-testament-commentary-survey
https://www.logos.com/product/31954/old-testament-commentary-survey-5th-ed (newer edition)
The 4th edition is still on sale for a few more days.
The 4th edition is still on sale for a few more days. https://www.logos.com/product/201458/old-testament-commentary-survey
Note comments on bottom of 4th ed.'s page, saying there is a 5th ed.
The 4th ed. is copyright 2007.
EDIT: Logos 5th ed. is from 2013. Info is 11 years old.
good guidence on how to select commentary on New Testament. I want to ask if there is a book on the Old Testament.
Visit websites of Seminary Libraries like TIU/TEDS or Denver Seminary or Ligonier Ministries or Tim Challies recommends. I have compiled recommendations from these 4 to create my wishlist, then I check every month to see which ones have a discount greater than 40%
This is a good one too:
https://www.logos.com/product/52199/encountering-the-old-testament-3rd-ed
good guidence on how to select commentary on New Testament. I want to ask if there is a book on the Old Testament. Visit websites of Seminary Libraries like TIU/TEDS or Denver Seminary or Ligonier Ministries or Tim Challies recommends. I have compiled recommendations from these 4
Visit websites of Seminary Libraries like TIU/TEDS or Denver Seminary or Ligonier Ministries or Tim Challies recommends. I have compiled recommendations from these 4
Is it easy for you to share this list? Would be super helpful for others including me.
This is a good one too: https://www.logos.com/product/52199/encountering-the-old-testament-3rd-ed
That's a survey of the Old Testament itself. He's looking for surveys of commentaries, like the ones Ken & Roy listed.
I also have Commentaries for Biblical Expositors: An Annotated Bibliography of Selected Works by James E. Rosscup. It's almost 2 decades old, though, and doesn't appear to have been updated.
There is also a section at the back of How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (4th ed., from 2014) recommending the best two evangelical commentaries (one for general readers and one for advanced students) for every book of the Bible. Here's the Old Testament section.
Note comments on bottom of 4th ed.'s page, saying there is a 5th ed. The 4th ed. is copyright 2007. EDIT: Logos 5th ed. is from 2013. Info is 11 years old. Note comments on bottom of 4th ed.'s page, saying there is a 5th ed. The 4th ed. is copyright 2007. EDIT: Logos 5th ed. is from 2013. Info is 11 years old.
Be careful which one you buy if anyone is interested. On Logos, this one
is the 4th edition...
And this one
https://www.logos.com/product/31954/old-testament-commentary-survey-5th-ed
is the 5th edition...
For some reason, the venerable survey books of the past are not actively being updated.
Check this out if you aren’t aware of it
https://www.bestcommentaries.com/
My mistake; sorry everyone!
Thanks for the catch, Rosie.
I can understand why. There are so many new commentaries published every year, and publishing a book (e.g., a survey of commentaries) takes a relatively long time compared to having online resources reviewing them, so it is hard to keep up. Likely the way of the future is to rely on online reviews only. Just like nobody buys print-based encyclopedias anymore. The world of knowledge changes too fast to keep up with publishing those.
Not super easy because I have been buying resources and removing titles from my list for several years. My current list only has 24 volumes left because I have been purchasing from March Matchups, Publisher Spotlights, and Best Commentary sales.
TEDS OT recommendations - https://library.tiu.edu/c.php?g=1234426&p=9033555
TEDS NT recommendations - https://library.tiu.edu/c.php?g=1234426&p=9033553
Tim Challies recommends - https://www.challies.com/best-commentaries-on-each-book-of-the-bible/
Ligonier recommendations - https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/top-5-commentaries
Denver Seminary OT list - https://denverjournal.denverseminary.edu/the-denver-journal-article/annotated-old-testament-bibliography-2023/
Denver Seminary NT list - https://denverjournal.denverseminary.edu/the-denver-journal-article/new-testament-exegesis-bibliography-2023/
Best Commentaries website - https://bestcommentaries.com/
I tag my commentaries so that I can prioritize and create collections. As you can imagine there is a lot of overlap, here is my current ownership
Here are the 20 that made my list as recommended by Tim Challies:
Here are the 100 that made my list as recommended by Ligonier:
Here are the 227 on my list due to being Top 5 of each book in Best Commentaries:
After tagging them I have a collection of 281 "Best Commentaries" that I create with this rule: MyTag:TCRec OR MyTag:BCtop5 OR mytag:LigonierRec
Don't forget this one. Sale ends today I think.
https://www.logos.com/product/190255/a-guide-to-biblical-commentaries-and-reference-works-10th-ed
Is there some special way to use this? Looks to me like it's just a survey of other people's commentary..????
The 4th edition is still on sale for a few more days. https://www.logos.com/product/201458/old-testament-commentary-survey Is there some special way to use this? Looks to me like it's just a survey of other people's commentary..????
That's precisely what it is and how to use it. It's like BestCommentaries.com, a guide to help you decide what commentaries to buy. Maybe the word "survey" in the title is confusing to you, since that's also used for Old Testament and New Testament Surveys which are summaries of the Bible. But this is just surveying the landscape of commentaries that are out there and letting you know what are the differences between them, emphases, strengths/weaknesses, etc.
Following up on Rosie's point, Evans is like BestCommentaries.com, but better I feel. On BestCommentaries.com, there are reviews on individual books for sure, but not always. What Evans tries do is to highlight what is the best and worst part of the commentary. Here are his reviews of his recommended books (hence, the solid star)
MATTHEW
★ Carson, Donald. (EBCR) 2010. An updating of the 1984 EBC. Even after the appearance of France, this may still be the most generally useful commentary on Matthew for the pastor (650pp.). The adjective that comes to mind is “sure-footed.” Carson was allowed a great deal more space than other contributors to the series and used it well. There is mild redaction criticism. It was said of the EBC, “He has done his homework with great care, and regularly launches into very thorough explanations of particular exegetical, historical or theological points” [BSB 9/04]. I am delighted that Carson’s revision (EBCR) has given extended life to this commentary. [JETS 6/85; TJ Spr 85]. Pastors will also note Carson’s homiletical expositions of the Sermon on the Mount (see below) and Matthew 8–10 entitled When Jesus Confronts the World (1987). These expositions are essentially sermonic, but of a much, much higher caliber intellectually than the typical sermon. He also has one of the best Bible study guides: God with Us: Themes from Matthew (1995, 2009). ★ Davies, W. D., and Dale Allison. ‡ (ICC-new series) 3 vols., 1988–97. With painstaking work on the Greek text, the authors come to mainstream critical conclusions. These fat vols. must be consulted, but have been way too expensive. They listed for $468 in hb, but since 2004 have come available in less pricey pb ($170 on Amazon). I can recommend this for purchase, but only to advanced students and the most diligent and scholarly of pastors. Specialists value this magisterial and encyclopedic work as about the finest exegetical tool available (2400pp.). Compare with Luz, which along with the ICC is an authoritative reference set. Replaces Allen in the series. [JTS 4/92; JBL Sum 91; CBQ 10/91; Int 7/91; ExpTim 2/93; ThTo 47.1; EvQ 10/98; NovT 41.2; CTJ 11/91, 4/94; Bib 78.4; SJT 54.1; DenvJ]. There is also a 2004 abridgement by Allison [JTS 10/07; BL 2006; RelSRev 10/06]. Instead of Davies-Allison, the average pastor should choose another commentary such as Osborne, Evans, and Blomberg, or an exposition such as Doriani’s REC and Green’s BST. ★ France, Richard T. (NICNT) 2007. Those who anticipate forthcoming commentaries had a long wait for NICNT on Matthew. The late Robert Guelich, Blaine Charette, and Scot McKnight in succession had contracts. France delivered, building upon his TNTC gem (see below). This could be considered the top pick for the evangelical pastor—but be aware of some of the exegetically and theologically controversial positions noted by Agan [Presb Spr 09]. France (†2012) was one of the most respected evangelical NT scholars in the world, “a Matthean scholar par excellence” (Hagner), and he set out to “locate the individual parts of the gospel within the overall narrative flow of the whole” (xviii). One caution: you may not want to follow him in his argument that the “coming of the Son of Man” in 24:29–31 is not the parousia. [JTS 10/08; CJ Win 09; BL 2008; ExpTim 2/08; RelSRev 12/08; JETS 12/08 (Turner); BSac 10/08; Anvil 25.3]. ★ Keener, Craig S. 1999, (SRC) 2009. The first edition was a massive one-vol. work (721 + 300pp. of bibliography and indices), of real usefulness to both pastor and student. Keener chose to focus especially upon “the social-historical contexts of Matthew and his traditions on the one hand, and pericope-by-pericope suggestions concerning the nature of Matthew’s exhortations to his Christian audience on the other” (p.1). The new edition is a revision and slight expansion; I have not examined the 2009 edition closely, but the commentary complements Carson very well. Do not confuse this large pb with Keener’s much briefer IVPNT, which preachers will find much more accessible. [ThTo 1/00; Int 10/00; Them Aut 00; Presb Spr 00; ScrB 7/00; Bib 82.1; SwJT Spr 01; EvQ 1/04; JETS 9/01; TJ Spr 02; RelSRev 4/01; DenvJ]. See John and Acts. ★ Nolland, John. [ℳ], (NIGTC) 2005. As expected, Nolland has largely followed the research methods used in his 3-vol. WBC on Luke and produced a redaction-critical exegesis which is exceedingly thorough (nearly 1300pp. + 200pp. of bibliography). One difference is the more contemporary feel of Matthew, as Nolland gives greater attention to narrative criticism. I regard this as a better work for pastors than the earlier Luke because it is a little more focused on the text as we have it and spends much less time on the ins-and-outs of scholarly discussion. Contrariwise, some students might want more interaction with other exegetes. This is clearly one of the best commentaries on the Greek text, more accessible than Davies-Allison. The bibliographies are nearly exhaustive. Nolland wants to date Matthew prior to AD 70, yet thinks it “most unlikely” that the apostle Matthew authored the Gospel. [JTS 10/07; JETS 9/06; BL 2007; RB 1/08; NovT 48.4; RelSRev 10/06; BSac 7/07; ExpTim 7/06]. ★ Wilkins, Michael J. (NIVAC) 2004. The largest vol. in the series (over 1000pp.) and built upon a strong exegetical foundation. Wilkins develops the theme of discipleship, upon which he has written a monograph. The author completed his PhD at Fuller Seminary, has done pastoral ministry at a Presbyterian church, and now teaches at Talbot Seminary. As a preacher’s companion alongside the more exegetical works, Wilkins has a much fuller discussion (e.g. see the Beatitudes) than most preacher’s commentaries, but Green may be just as good a value for the money. Both are worth buying. [JETS 6/05].
He also reviews several other commentaries (but not with so much detail) and also reviews older works.
For what it is worth, as a layman, I found this book helpful (I don't have Longman's and Carson's). I use this and Robert Yost's and Nijay Gupta's books to get a better feel for the commentary landscape.
David, my man. Thank you very much for taking the time to do this. That is a lot of work. I can see the benefit though of creating a prioritized set of commentaries for each book.
Thank you all for the generous help.
Thanks!
Thank you, Rosie
