What, in your opinion, is the best all-around Logos commentary set currently available?
This would be my conclusion too. Interestingly enough, even though I have thought this for some time I have not been able to afford it until this past weekend when I purchased it from another forum user at win-win price. Thanks Elnwood!
I agree on NICOT/NICNT
I would say NICOT/NT.
I agree
For me it has to be the Expositor's Bible Commentary.
If I could own just one commentary set, I'd like to hang on to NICOT/NT.
I would say that the best value all-round commentary available from Logos would have to be the Expositor's Bible Commentary. A Revised edition is also available on Logos at a higher price and which I have no experience of. The NIVAC series is excellent and definitely worth a look: it contains serious exegesis as well as application. WBC and NICOT/NICNT are good in-depth series but too technical to be considerad in an 'all round' category.
The best series for you really depends on your biblical/theological training and the purpose the commentaries would be used for e.g. some commentary series assume knowledge of the biblical languages and some don't, some commentaries are so technical that they may not be helpful to the time and energy limited pastor who is expected to crank out three sermons a week or the individual simply looking for devotional reflections on a text.
A great feature of Logos is that you can try resources for up to 30 days and return them if you wish.
Lord bless and happy hunting!
I agree with James. 'Best all around' for me would be the IVP Background Series (eg quick all around answer), and then an in-depth commentary depending on the question. I've had lots of 'all arounders' ... don't use them and refunded several. Instead I head for JPS or Continental for the Penteteuch, AYB for the rest of the OT, WBC for the NT, and Hermeneia for the Fathers/apocrypha.
I appreciate all the input. I plan on making a significant expansion to my Logos library before the end of the year (surplus of professional expense allowance), and was initially thinking of upgrading my base package. I then thought of adding a significant commentary set instead, since I use them the most of all the resources types in Logos.
I do have a little training in Hebrew, and much more training in Greek. As many pastors however, I haven't used it significantly since I received my master's degree nearly 30 years ago. I also have a doctorate degree, but it is more leadership oriented rather than academic.
I've refused to buy NICOT/NT. In my opinion there is no one best commentary (as others have stated), but NICOT/NT isn't in the running in any category. I have ICC, AYB, Hermeneia, Continental, JPS, WBC, NIGTC, Cambridge and some of the classic volumes such as Swete on Revelation. A commentary is actually the LAST place I go when studying a passage. I don't need no stinkin' NICOT/NT.
[Y]
A commentary is actually the LAST place I go when studying a passage.
I agree that a commentary should be the last place you go after a thorough study on your own. Certainly it is tempting to go there first but I don't think this is the best way.
I don't need no stinkin' NICOT/NT.
Wow, that is harsh.
I do have a little training in Hebrew, and much more training in Greek. As many pastors however, I haven't used it significantly since I received my master's degree nearly 30 years ago.
I was in a similar situation with medium Greek skills and very rusty Hebrew skills which I had originally gained in Bible College and Seminary over 30 years ago. Logos has helped me recover to regain what I had lost and gain new ground. Now I read my Greek NT through each year and I'm growing in my Hebrew skills. I would encourage you to make the investment of time and be encouraged at how quickly the skills might return for you.
Sounds like based on this approach I'd be better served by a base upgrade than a single commentary upgrade. I would like to get back into the Greek again, and possibly even the Hebrew. (I always loved Greek but never really "took" to Hebrew.)
I've refused to buy NICOT/NT. In my opinion there is no one best commentary (as others have stated), but NICOT/NT isn't in the running in any category
Hey George,
I don't own this set, but I was wondering how you reached this conclusion? Just curious. Cheers.
ChelseaFC
Like a few others of you, I cringe a bit whenever I hear someone ask about the best commentary set. As others have pointed out, in order to answer this at all, you have to ask "for what". They vary on their intended audience, among other things. In addition, I was taught to use commentaries AFTER I had done my exegetical work... And as time goes by, I have grown to value good encyclopediae/lexica as a first "go to" on things, since those articles can show me how concepts fit in with the rest of scripture and the biblical world...
With regards to the NIC, the only volume I have really used is Fee's 1 Cor volume. It is pretty good, but tries to be too many things, IMHO. That said, it is worth consulting...
SDG
Ken McGuire
I've refused to buy NICOT/NT. In my opinion there is no one best commentary (as others have stated), but NICOT/NT isn't in the running in any category Hey George, I don't own this set, but I was wondering how you reached this conclusion? Just curious. Cheers. ChelseaFC
This is a series which has much old scholarship. Some of the contributors are reasonably good while others are not so good. The saying is that you are judged by the company you keep. In this instance one of the contributors was one of my professors in seminary, and I can state without fear of contradiction that he was committed to an old theological view of the text without regard for evidence to the contrary.
I neglected to mention that I also have FOTL which is quite good (edited by my mentor in graduate school).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts George! [Y]
This is a series which has much old scholarship. Some of the contributors are reasonably good while others are not so good. The saying is that you are judged by the company you keep. In this instance one of the contributors was one of my professors in seminary, and I can state without fear of contradiction that he was committed to an old theological view of the text without regard for evidence to the contrary. Thanks for sharing your thoughts George!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts George!
I might add that this professor of whom I spoke was a good person despite being theologically ossified.
This is a series which has much old scholarship. Some of the contributors are reasonably good while others are not so good. The saying is that you are judged by the company you keep. In this instance one of the contributors was one of my professors in seminary, and I can state without fear of contradiction that he was committed to an old theological view of the text without regard for evidence to the contrary. I neglected to mention that I also have FOTL which is quite good (edited by my mentor in graduate school).
You cant judge George the whole set based on one contributor.
On http://bestcommentaries.com/topseries/ NICOT/NT has 28 out of its 44 books ranked #1 or 2, and 18 are ranked with #1. I wouldnt call it "stinkin' NICOT/NT"
stinkin'
George, thanks for that "3 Amigo's" [etc] movie reference--made my Monday! [:)]
You cant judge George the whole set based on one contributor. On http://bestcommentaries.com/topseries/ NICOT/NT has 28 out of its 44 books ranked #1 or 2, and 18 are ranked with #1. I wouldnt call it "stinkin' NICOT/NT"
I'm not judging George (why would I do that?).
That depends on who is doing the ranking. Ask a Democrat to rank Republicans—do you expect a good result? I might note that this contributor's volume in the series is ranked 1 or 2 in their ranking.
I just checked the price of the Word Biblical Commentary -- its about 1/3 of the price of the NICOT/NICNT. It is also gets high marks on the best commentaries site.
For that very reason I first purchased the Word Commentaries. They are excellent too.
edit: whatever route you go I'd encourage you to contact customer service and ask them for the best price they can offer. Many times they can do better than what is on the website.
I'm not judging George (why would I do that?). That depends on who is doing the ranking. Ask a Democrat to rank Republicans—do you expect a good result? I might note that this contributor's volume in the series is ranked 1 or 2 in their ranking.
My last two pennies. This volume has many of my favorite scholars like:
Gordon J. Wenham, Bruce K. Waltke, John N. Oswalt, Leon Morris, F. F. Bruce, Douglas J. Moo, Gordon D. Fee, I. Howard Marshall...
I hope this contributor is not on this list [:P]
I'm not judging George (why would I do that?). That depends on who is doing the ranking. Ask a Democrat to rank Republicans—do you expect a good result? I might note that this contributor's volume in the series is ranked 1 or 2 in their ranking. My last two pennies. This volume has many of my favorite scholars like: Gordon J. Wenham, Bruce K. Waltke, John N. Oswalt, Leon Morris, F. F. Bruce, Douglas J. Moo, Gordon D. Fee, I. Howard Marshall... I hope this contributor is not on this list
I hope this contributor is not on this list
In order to set your mind at ease, no, he isn't on your list.
Very few sets that have some/many dated volumes, are worth buying. None of the ones that have been discussed so far get a recommendation for this purpose from neither me nor Unix, we don't have any volumes from those sets, except Hermeneia, Continental and ICC - but those are technical for the most part, I know the Hermeneia volume on 2 Cor 8-9 is not.
If time allows, would put some effort into it and find individual volumes, such as:Believers Church Bible Commentary: Ecclesiastes
Believers Church Bible Commentary: Mark
Eerdmans Critical Commentary: The Gospel and Letters of John, volume 2: The Gospel of John
Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament: Romans
1 Corinthians by Pheme Perkins (I don't know how long it will take for the volume to be broken up from the set, probably not long.)
First and Second Peter by John Painter and David A. deSilva for 1 Pt (I don't know how long it will take for the volume to be broken up from the set, probably not long.)
Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude ... we don't read 2 Pt though.
A new, theological, set that Unix fairly recently discovered, is: Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible (7 vols.)
Another one is: The Church’s Bible (4 vols.) ... the $99.55 offer ends today!!
If You negotiate the price with sales I believe You would get all of the above for $343.11 including the pre-pub (excluding 1 Cor by Pheme Perkins and 1-2 Pt by Painter and deSilva as those are currently not available individually), if You act today regarding the pre-pub. This setup would cover most of the New Testament + a few OT books. You would not be in any immediate need to complement later regarding any of the books covered, except perhaps Isaiah.
David,
Perhaps I have a little different perspective - although I do agree that the "best" commentary set can vary widely according to many factors for the individual minister. I noticed that you said you have funds for a significant expansion of your Logos Library in coming weeks. As a pastor who prepares multiple messages each week (and who has done so for 20 years now), here is my personal take on commentaries for sermon preparation...
First, I believe that the minister should build a solid library of commentary sets, thus acquiring solid resources that cover the entire Bible. I would recommend that Expositor's Bible Commentary, Tyndale Commentaries, Word Biblical Commentaries, and the New American Commentary be the first commentaries purchased. If you catch things right, you could almost get all of these for not much more than the price of the NICOT/NICNT - as good as those volumes are. I would also add the Bible Exposition Commentary for the NT, and the New Testament Commentary, as well as Keil & Delitch for the OT. Having these sets will give you a very solid foundation for the study of any book of the Bible.
Once acquiring this foundation, I then recommend that pastor's pick up individual volumes of the books they are studying. I always buy two or three of the top rated commentaries on any book I preach through in addition to the commentaries in the sets I already have. In short, build a solid foundation and then add to it brick by brick. Hope this helps.
I agree that the NICOT/NICNT is an excellent set, but it is quite expensive and (with any set) there is significant difference in usefulness between volumes. Personally, I am more willing to put up with that when I am buying a far less expensive set. I have selected volumes of the NICOT/NICNT but do not plan to purhase the entire set. Now, they have broken up the set in Logos, which means I don't have to buy them in print any more.
In short, build a solid foundation and then add to it brick by brick.
Hey Greg,
You offer some good practical advise on building a library. Sometimes it's easy to feel like that I 'have to have it now' and I'm thankful for your reminder.
I agree that the NICOT/NICNT is an excellent set, but it is quite expensive and (with any set) there is significant difference in usefulness between volumes.
I like your point here. Even if you have a great set or library and you don't use it, then it's almost useless. I suppose I need to get reading what I already have. [:)] Thanks for your tips and reminders.
Cheers,
Someone once encouraged me, "Milk a lot of cows, but churn your own butter." [:D]
Greg gives some good advice.
Personally, I think the NICOT/NT is by far the best overall set. (Opinions vary about that, of course.) I agree that it is expensive, and it might be best to pick the best individual volumes. I would strongly recommend that you get the two volumes by John Oswalt on Isaiah in the Old Testament and Revelation by Mounce in the New Testament from the NICOT/NT. I don't think there are any commentaries better on those particular books.
I really do appreciate everyone's input. I took the plunge yesterday morning and purchased:
Enjoy[:)]
I took the plunge yesterday morning
I'm sure that you will be blessed by this.
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