Preferred Commentary: Advice?

Bill Carroll said:

I was wondering if the 'community' had any recommendations on which 'preferred commentary' should be listed first in one's library.  Granted that's going to come down to personal preference.  But I'm hoping to glean some tips and recommendations to help me make that decision.

Theologically, I'm in the Protestant, Evangelical, Reformed section of Christianity. 

I was thinking it might be good to select a single volume or set that covered the entire Bible, so that when I'm first getting started, it would be consistent.  Currently, I have the Bible Knowledge Commentary set as the first 'preferred commentary' but I'm wondering if there are suggestions for something better?

I guess one of my favorites and go to's is: New American Commentary.  That covers the entire bible I believe (at least I don't think it is missing any) though if you want single volume stuff another good one is the Moody Bible Commentary or a study bible might be of us too (MacArthur Study Bible or ESV Study Bible).  After that will be all preference.  Like Keep Smiling mentioned, every book has its own set of recommended commentaries so it might be better to pick and choose as time goes on and you see what you like.  Some of my favorites are: MacArthur New Testament Commentary, NICOT/NICNT, BECNT, ZECNT, EEC, Tyndale)  I'm sure I forgot a few but those are the ones I usually go to first.

I’m similar to others. I prioritize the commentaries that cover (almost) the entire Bible first and then the newer works on the NT follow. Hence, my top 10 are:

1. NICOT/NT

2. WBC

3. UBS Handbooks

4. College Press OT/NT

5. Tyndale OT/NT

6. EBC original edition 

7. Understanding the Bible Commentary OT/NT

8. BECNT

9. PNTC

10. NIGTC

The rest of my list is set up from younger to oldest commentaries. I have a separate collection for my Study Bibles and One Volume Commentaries for quick reference. 

DAL

Ps. Me, I keep it simple, I am a Christian 👍😁👌

scooter said:

DAL said:

I’m similar to others. I prioritize the commentaries that cover (almost) the entire Bible first and then the newer works on the NT follow. Hence, my top 10 are:

1. NICOT/NT

2. WBC

3. NAC

4. UBS Handbooks

5.  College Press OT/NT

6.  Tyndale OT/NT

7.  EBC original edition 

8.  Understanding the Bible Commentary OT/NT

9.  BECNT

10.  PNTC

11. NIGTC

12. Exegetical Summaries (great series!) 

13. Lexham Guides (great series also!)

The rest of my list is set up from younger to oldest commentaries. I have a separate collection for my Study Bibles and One Volume Commentaries for quick reference. 

DAL

Ps. Me, I keep it simple, I am a Christian 👍😁👌

NAC: may I ask your opinion of it??

Sorry, (List revised), I omitted NAC somehow. It sits at number 3. I like it and it’s very useful, more than some people want to give it credit for. I go to it a lot. Right now, since I just got the NIC series, I’m trying to use it as much as I can. So far so great 😀 

DAL

If you have them....

1.   NICOT/NICNT

2.   NAC

3.   WBC

4.   EBC

5.   Tyndale

6.   UBS Handbooks OT/NT

7.   Tom Constable Notes (don't be fooled, this is a commentary on the entire Bible)

8.    Baker NT Commentary

9.    Pillar NT Commentary

For New Testament I always start with the Exegetical Summaries. They basically summarize what the major commentaries say on a verse-by-verse basis. I also like the available Lexham Bible Guides for similar reasons. Although they're not verse by verse they boil down what the  commentaries say on major words and issues.

Dan Francis said:

I always like to start of with New Interpreters Bible. Fairly consistently good and informative always feels like it delivers more to me than many multi volum works. It’s 12 volumes covers the entire Alexandrian canon so it is great for Catholic and Protestant alike. I have said it before and will happily again, I wish ever Christian could own a copy. After over 20 years of use I still find it is still extremely helpful. 

-dan

It’s there and I missed it too. My NIB sits at #4 and then the list goes on. Psalms is awesome! Along with Romans by NT Wright 👍😁👌

Bill Carroll said:

Theologically, I'm in the Protestant, Evangelical, Reformed section of Christianity

This is only moderately helpful to choose a good commentary. A good commentary is one that extracts meaning from the text and hopefully this is where theological positions should come from rather than the other way around. I don't know the denominational background of most of the authors whose commentaries I use. I only care to see how they treat the Scriptures and whether what they do with it is helpful and fair. I have found some commentators from other persuasions to be better commentators than some whose confession is closer to my own. 

Put differently, a commentator who does the job right will be helpful to anyone who seeks to understand (and apply) the Bible better. Commentators who superimpose a heavily slanted hermeneutical grid to make Scriptures say what they want it to say are bad commentators. This being said, denominational distinctives tend to be more discrete in technical and academic commentaries and more pronounced in popular ones. 

So, if I may suggest so, the leading questions are what you need the commentaries most for (academic, ministry, personal) and what level you are at (original languages? biblical education? beginner?). From these considerations, it is easier to recommend this or that series. 

DAL said:

 Along with Romans by NT Wright 👍😁👌

Not friendly for Reformed folks though...

If you are from a Protestant, Evangelical, Reformed section of Christianity (which I am too),

and you want a commentary series that covers the old to the new,

Then the New American Commentary is probably the best for you.

1. It's very conservative (more than NICOT/NT and much more conservative than WBC), meaning the authors have a high view of inerrancy.

2. It's almost COMPLETE. It covers every book except for Psalms and Ephesians (whiel the others have 3 or more volumes missing.

3. It's also acclaimed by scholars (especially the OT volumes).

4. Also, if you are a premillennialist, then this series is especially for you. For it is premil almost consistently

Bill Carroll said:

I was wondering if the 'community' had any recommendations on which 'preferred commentary' should be listed first in one's library.  Granted that's going to come down to personal preference.  But I'm hoping to glean some tips and recommendations to help me make that decision.

The ACCS should be up there. It provides perspectives unique among the many commentary sets sold by FaithLife. It draws heavily from the very best in early Christian scholarship without losing pastoral applicability.

Why doesn’t NAC not have psalms and Ephesians?

Not written, or not in Logos as yet.

Someone from FL will have to coment on this as I do not know if they are doing it, one would hope so.

Denise said:

Normally, I'd agree.

But if you park an Explorer panel nearby, you can mouse and scan your top 5 choices. At verse level, often it's all she wrote.  I rarely get past my top 5.

Good rebuttal! 

Oh boy,  I’m going to have to revise my list. I didn’t include MacArthur’s NT Commentary, Hermeneia, Interpretation series, New Testament Library series, Lenski, REC, PtW and others. I might end up with a top 20 prioritized list.

DAL

Don't listen to us - figure it out for yourself. [[unless you are using 'our' advice on what to buy next]]

How do you figure that out?  Do two short studies - One each OT & NT.  Use every resource in your Logos library.  Let your library tell you which to use.