Favorite Commentaries

For those of you who have multiple commentaries...what would be your top five choices? I personally like John MacArthurs, Preachers Commentary Series, J Vernon McGee, Bible Knowledge Commentary, and Wiersbe's Expository Outlines. Would like to get Boice's commentary but not in the budget at this time...what would be the commentary that you would most highly recommend?

blessings,

danp

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Mark Smith

Dan,

Judging from what you like already I'd recommend the new Tyndale Old and New Testament Commentary release in Logos format. It is less expository and a bit more exegetical that what you like and prefer, so might balance those out a bit.

steve clark

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/77798#Comment_77798

For an overview (something like mini sermons) i like

Old Testament Survey Series

the Be series (i.e. Be Decisive, Be Available, etc)

i sometimes share excerpts of these with my other Bible study group during the week prior to our study.

When studying i use various verse by verse commentaries.

Dan Pogue

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/77811#Comment_77811

Mark...great sugesstion...the cost is almost half of what it take to upgrade to the platinum...which would I like better...hmmmm...WAIT>>>WAIT>>>REALITY just kicked in...I dont have the funds for either one! [:'(]

blessings,

danp

Blair Laird

For those of you who have multiple commentaries...what would be your top five choices? I personally like John MacArthurs, Preachers Commentary Series, J Vernon McGee, Bible Knowledge Commentary, and Wiersbe's Expository Outlines. Would like to get Boice's commentary but not in the budget at this time...what would be the commentary that you would most highly recommend?

blessings,

danp

Those are some excellent choices. For me I use Baker exegetical, Pillar, New Bible commentary, Ivp commentary, and most of all I use the treasury of scriptural knowledge. That is probably my # 1 commentary, although it is really a cross reference.

Dan Pogue

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/77816#Comment_77816

Hey Blair,

Yes Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is a first for me also before hitting the commentaries! I just recently went through some schooling that taught me the finer aspects of exegisis and hermenuetics! So much too learn....so little time!

blessings,

danp

Pastor Don Robertson

Dear Dan Pogue:

I would highly recommend the Boice Commentary set. Boice writes with clear and thoughful exegetical and pastoral insights. It is written from a Reformed perspective. It has been a blessing in my sermon preparation. Anything by D. A. Carson, Leon Morris, F.F. Bruce should also be bought. These brothers provide tremendous scholarship that is assessible but yet very respectful to the text. You can never go wrong with Calvin's Commentaries. Calvin's expositional approach was foundational to much of the expositional commentaries produced today by conservative evangelical scholars. He also gives historical comments that protestants today simply don't address in regards the existing theological problems with Roman Catholic Theology. In other words, there is fire in his bones for the Lord and he is not willing to compromise the holy Scriptures for the sake of being politically correct.

Saved by grace,

Rev. Don W. Robertson

Peter Jonas

For exegetical detail and historical background, you can't beat the Hermeneia series published by Fortress Press.

Peter Jonas

Arcadia, WI

Allen Browne

Given that you don't want huge-budget academic commentaries, you might like to consier the Bible Speaks Today series (John Stott as general ed.)

New Testament only, you can find it for $59.95 if you shop around. I have some of the larger series, but I still use the BST regularly.

Mike Priest

For those of you who have multiple commentaries...what would be your top five choices?

It's difficult to say a top five. But, if they cover the book I'm preaching from, five I always try to read for sermon prep are:

1. Preaching the Word (Kent Hughes)
2. Boice Commentaries
3. Pillar NT Commentaries
4. IVP NT Commentaries
5. MacArthur Commentaries

Doug Lye

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/78537#Comment_78537

There are some great suggestions here. You can also check out this web site for a ranking of the best commentaries. I have used this when I am considering purchasing a commentary set.

www.bestcommentaries.com

Doug

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/249078#Comment_249078

My library priorities currently has 2 commentary series in my Top 5 Bibles: United Bible Societies Handbooks and Tyndale Commentaries.

For a Bible, Thankful for many NET Bible footnotes (e.g. # 84 in John 19:28).

Thankful when a Logos 4 tab is focused on a commentary, can click "+" to open new tab => list of commentaries on right side with verse (in Library prioritized order).

Wiki has Commentaries resource review pages, including UBS New Testament Handbook Series and UBS Old Testament Handbook Series

If would like a commentary sample, please ask.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Paul

In answer to your first question (my top five)...they would be Word Biblical Commentary (more extensive but less conservative), Expositor's Bible Commentary (good all around conservative), New International Greek Commentary, Baker Exegetical Commentary, and the NIV Application Commentary. I also like the Social-Rhetorical Commentary Series. If I had the money (which of course if I did I would probably be in a different profession ;-) I would love to add NICOT and NICNT. However, the above differ pretty significantly from your list so I wouldn't necessarily recommend them for you (although you may like the NIVAC). I second the statement about the NET Bible...it's like having Hebrew and Greek cliff notes.

Allen Browne

For those of you who have multiple commentaries...what would be your top five choices?

Hi Dan. You probably realize that the answer to your question depends on what you are trying to do (devotional, sermon preparation, teaching, academic, ...) and whether you read Hebrew/Greek, but I'll chip in what I do.

For a quick survey in the NT, I will normally start with the Bible Speaks Today series. Not in any of the base packs, but really good value for 22 NT commentaries.

Then if I want to go deeper, I'll turn to these (which used to all be in Platinum):

Baker Exegetical: solid, no nonsense, addresses good questions.
UBS Bible Studies: designed for translators, these are really good for word studies.
New International Greek Testament Commentaries: solid, very good, but assumes knowledge of Greek.

After that, I'll check these (typically in this order):

Pillar NT commentaries
Socio-Rhetorical series
Word (WBC 59-volume)
Tyndale NT/OT Commentaries

The Commentary on the NT use of the OT is also useful for passages with an OT quote/allusion.

If I had to choose a single-volume commentary, it would be the New Bible Commentary. I think I got that as part of the OT Reference Collection (which is of en on special at 3rd part stores.)

Hope that's of some use.

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/249140#Comment_249140

Then if I want to go deeper, I'll turn to these (which used to all be in Platinum):

Baker Exegetical: solid, no nonsense, addresses good questions.

UBS Bible Studies: designed for translators, these are really good for word studies.

New International Greek Testament Commentaries: solid, very good, but assumes knowledge of Greek.

Observation: UBS Handbook Series are still part of Scholar's Gold and up => http://www.logos.com/comparison

After that, I'll check these (typically in this order):

Pillar NT commentaries

Socio-Rhetorical series

Word (WBC 59-volume)

Tyndale NT/OT Commentaries

Pillar New Testament Commentary (10 vols.) is included in Scholar's Platinum.

Keep Smiling [:)]

Steve Caswell

I like the Be Series Commentaries for both the Old and New Testaments by Warren Weirsbe. It is both devotional and applicational. He covers the relevant issues fairly well. The Bible Knowledge Commentary is also quite good for a concise answer. The Believers Bible commentary is also good. The NICOT and NICNT are good for technical information althought they favour the amil position and I am premil. I have these in print form but not on my Logos 4. I can't justify spending $1,500 after I already have them in print form.

Steve Caswell

Ron

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/249184#Comment_249184

Observation: UBS Handbook Series are still part of Scholar's Gold and up => http://www.logos.com/comparison

So is NIGTC

Keep Smiling 4 Jesus :)

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/249238#Comment_249238

Observation: UBS Handbook Series are still part of Scholar's Gold and up => http://www.logos.com/comparison

So is NIGTC

Thanks + Apologies: perhaps time to have my eyes examined [:$] Also noticed footnote # 3 for "The New International Greek Testament Commentary (13 vols.)" => One or more new volumes have been added to this collection with the release of Logos Bible Software 4; looking in my Library found 14 NIGTC resources (13 volumes plus an expanded paraphrase).

Thankful for The Essential IVP Reference Collection Version 3 (some commentaries plus many useful dictionaries).

Keep Smiling [:)]

Mike Childs

My favorite commentaries are:

1. Word Biblical

2. NICOT / NICNT

3. Ancient Christian Commentary

4. Tyndale

5. Pillar

I also value Barclay's Daily Study Bible (old version), Preacher's Commentary, New International Application, Cranfield on Romans in ICC, John MacArthur New Testament Commentaries. I wish I had all the ICC.

I guess that means that I like them all. Honest, I do not just rely upon commentaries in my Bible Study. Inductive method first.

Judy Berisford

"BE" Series-2 Vol. Set-Warren Wiersbe

The Bible Knowledge Commentary- John Walvoord-2 Vol. Set

The New Bible Commentary-can't remember author's name...sorry [:$]

"Opening Up" Series of Commentaries-again...the author name escapes me!

The Bible Exposition Commentaries a bit scholarly, but primarily for is Greek and Hebrew fast-find definitions!)[:D]

Commentaries by Bob Utley-plain-english, enjoyable and easy to read![:)]

If I am getting the exact titles incorrect, forgive me, they are not immediately in front of me, so I haven't got the titles memorized

Juanita

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/393193#Comment_393193

John Fallahee's recent webinar on Mastering Commentaries answered many questions I had and some I had not thought of yet regarding which ones and how to use commentaries in L4. FWIW