One Volume Commentaries
What are your favorite one volume commentaries? When do you typically use them?
Comments
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Michael Kinch said:
What are your favorite one volume commentaries?
The Africa Bible Commentary.
Michael Kinch said:When do you typically use them?
When the writers are likely to be presenting scripture from the worldview of a different culture.
tootle pip
Mike
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Believer's Bible Commentary. It provides a solid amount of verse-by-verse commentary in just one volume.
My MAIN use of it is on my mobile devices as it is one of the core resources I have downloaded to always have available.
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My favorite one volume commentaries are actually study Bibles....MacArthur Study Bible, Zondervan NIV Study Bible, ESV Study Bible, and the Jeremiah Study Bible (sadly, not available in Logos). All four of these are more valuable than any single volume commentary I have found.
It's two volumes but the Bible Knowledge Commentary (OT and NT volumes) is an excellent basic commentary.
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Greg Corbin said:
It's two volumes but the Bible Knowledge Commentary (OT and NT volumes) is an excellent basic commentary.
It is one volume (a single resource) for this purpose. It is excellent, and my go-to commentary. I consult other commentaries like EBC, NAC, TNTC/TOTC as needed.
Dave
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NIB is considered one resource in Logos. I also like Africa Bible Commentary for the different insights it offers. BKC is another must have
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I've always like the New Bible Commentary. I have it in hardback and electronically. Very solid.
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NIB if you called it so would be the best one without doubt... but going with the spirit of the question... While there are numerous good one and two volume works. In my mind Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible is without compare. This volume constantly seems to offer great insight and for more verbose commentary than you normally get in a one volume. And several times I have found much great and more in-depth comments in this one volume work than a multivolume commentaries I have consulted. I will mention a second one as well, Fortress Commentary on the Bible (2 vols.) offers a less consistent quality work. It is a fine work but often it bites of chunks too large to cover in an adequate manner. That said it is very good in offering commentary on the ancient context the text, interpretive tradition, and contemporary discussion. This 3 fold approach offers an invaluable resource that I usually find most useful. These 2 works are both more in the critical method of study but both feel very reverent in their treatment of the text.
-dan
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William McFarland said:
I've always like the New Bible Commentary. I have it in hardback and electronically. Very solid.
Let me give a second shoutout for the New Bible Commentary. This is a great resource for getting the big picture of how a verse fits into its larger context of a paragraph, chapter, section, etc. Its contributors are some of the biggest names in evangelical scholarship over the last 50 years (e.g., D. A. Carson, R. T. France, John Goldingay, Donald Guthrie, Derek Kidner, I. Howard Marshall, Doug Moo, Leon Morris, J. A. Motyer, Bruce Waltke, Gordon Wenham, etc.). It also has helpful articles on what the BIble is, interpreting the BIble, biblical history, poetry in the Bible, overview of the Pentateuch, Reading the Gospels, etc. I often go to this when studying a Bible verse. I highly recommend it.
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Mike Binks said:
+1. This is my go-to one-volume commentary. The very fact that the ABC is from a different culture from my own means that it often draws out points and applications that I miss because I am a tighty-whitey middle-class westerner. :P.
NBC and KBC are good too.
Michael Kinch said:When do you typically use them?
I tend to use them as my first port of call when I need to find out something (non-technical) about a passage. Also when preparing studies, sermons, talks, etc. I tend to go to my one-volume commentary after having made my own notes on the passage. This helps to A. check that I've accurately recognized the thrust (main point) of the passage, B. that I understand the flow (the progression of the story, argument, etc.) of the passage, C. ensure that I'm thinking correctly about the ethics (application, implications, etc.) of the passage. I find it useful to do this before moving on to more technical/single volume commentaries and often find that one-volume commentaries are better for this.
Carpe verbum.
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I differentiate between study bibles and one-volume commentaries.
My main one-volume go-to's are: Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC) and the Moody Bible Commentary (MBC). I do like the Believer's Bible Commentary as well though I have it in print... I'd buy it in Logos but it never seems to go on sale... not sure why.
My main study bibles are: MacArthur Study Bible and ESV Study Bible (with a tie for third using the Faithlife Study Bible, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, and Zondervan NIV Study Bible).
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I will second Eerdmans and Moody’s Bible Commentary. I can’t believe I forgot to include them! 👍😁👌
DAL
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Brevity is the soul of wit.
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NIB - is it this one? https://www.logos.com/product/5409/new-international-bible-commentary
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Michael Kinch said:
What are your favorite one volume commentaries?
If I were only allowed one 'single volume' commentary and no other commentaries at all, I'd choose the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It is longer and therefore offers more than some of the others mentioned here.
Michael Kinch said:When do you typically use them?
I no longer do.
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Michael Kinch said:When do you typically use them?
I find them useful for identifying in advance of a small group Bible Study what issues might come up. They tend to comment upon what a "new" Bible reader will find puzzling.
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Veli Voipio said:
NIB - is it this one? https://www.logos.com/product/5409/new-international-bible-commentary
DAL was making a joke as the 12 volume set of New Interpreter’s Bible downloads into Logos as One resource. But Zonervan‘s NIBC is a most wonderful resource. As are most all the ones that have been mentioned here in my mind.
-dan
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Veli Voipio said:
NIB - is it this one? https://www.logos.com/product/5409/new-international-bible-commentary
No that one, this one: https://www.logos.com/product/8803/new-interpreters-bible
NIB has a one volume commentary and also a Study Bible, but, unfortunately, they’re not available in Logos. “A” company has them.
DAL
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New Bible Commentary
IVP Bible Background Commentary - Technically two but I look at it as single volume in these sort of questions.
Bible Knowledge Commentary
Eerdmanns Commentary of the Bible
ESV & Zondervan Study Bibles are also useful in some situation.
For a single volume Devotional Commentary Wiersbe’s With the Word is short but insightful.
I use custom grouping of commentaries in Desktop PG so I prioritise these first so they come up first when I run PG on mobile app on phone when I’m looking for a short study of key points in a passage. Also useful to look at when preparing for a group bible study.
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Although focused on one particular angle, I'd say that the only one-volume commentary I have use for is the Commentary on the Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament.
I know that newbies would like to be able to have one volume they can turn to on a regular basis, but one better learn early that excessive dependence on one commentary will make one vulnerable to its interpretive and theological biases. And of course, the ground covered is limited. One would hope that a newbie would want to outgrow such a resource quickly although I realise many never do.
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doc said:
New Bible Commentary
IVP Bible Background Commentary - Technically two but I look at it as single volume in these sort of questions.
Bible Knowledge Commentary
Eerdmanns Commentary of the Bible
ESV & Zondervan Study Bibles are also useful in some situation.
For a single volume Devotional Commentary Wiersbe’s With the Word is short but insightful.
I use custom grouping of commentaries in Desktop PG so I prioritise these first so they come up first when I run PG on mobile app on phone when I’m looking for a short study of key points in a passage. Also useful to look at when preparing for a group bible study.
This made me think of another one... Wiersbe's Outlines. There are two resources (one for OT and one for NT) but super helpful and function very well as a quick commentary w/ application
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Francis said:
I know that newbies would like to be able to have one volume they can turn to on a regular basis, but one better learn early that excessive dependence on one commentary will make one vulnerable to its interpretive and theological biases. And of course, the ground covered is limited. One would hope that a newbie would want to outgrow such a resource quickly although I realise many never do.
Though not a newbie I would consider myself informed. I use several one-volume and (some two-volume) commentaries to inform myself of the general issues with the text then I review some of my more technical and exegetical commentaries to glean more technical insights of the text. I do this after spending extensive time in devotional and prayerful contemplation of the text.
E.g. I was in Ac3.1-26. I consulted in order BKC, IVP Bible Background Commentary, MBC, Eerdmans Commentary, NBC, Fortress Commentary, ABC, NAC, Tyndale, NICOT/NT, and SIL. Based on the recommendation found in this thread I may add Believer's to my library.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
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Beloved said:
Though not a newbie I would consider myself informed.
I did not mean this pejoratively and apologise if it came across as such. I am not discounting any use of one volume commentaries. MJ has also pointed to one way such volumes can be useful. Nevertheless, I think the point I made could be useful to others who read this thread and may read in recommendations a vote of confidence for over-reliance on one, typically limited in depth by space constraints, volume. Interesting that the OP asked not just about one, but which ones are good and for what use.
I recognise that newbies may find more extensive commentary overwhelming and may need to feed on milk for a while before getting meat.
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Francis said:
Interesting that the OP ask not just about one, but which ones are good and for what use.
In keeping with this question, my answer would be BKC it gives good general coverage of the major elements of the text and it's affordable (on sale now!). The other recommendation I would add would be to consult IVP Bible Background as it presents general social issues that may be absent from the commentaries. And Francis, I rarely answer to engage in disputes on the forums so I took no offense to your post and was just giving my view on the issue from someone who is definitely not an expert or an academic.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
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I think there’s two types. One, a top-level cut (eg BKC), good for many type uses (me, mobile in Bible class). And the other, specialty types (eg the African).
The latter I definitely like for perspectives. JSB. Jerome’s. Oxford. I have more from Kindle, since Logos is user-constrained.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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Denise said:
The latter I definitely like for perspectives. JSB. Jerome’s. Oxford
So sad that of your list the only left for purchase in FL stores is the Jewish study Bible, I greatly value my Jerome Biblical Commentary and Oxford Bible Commentary but alas for users wanting them it is not an easy task to track them down. I do understand the issue with the publisher not wanting to make JBC available in electronic format but it has always boggled my mind as to why Faithlife has never pursued the OBC which is a fine critical work offering a solid view. I have often thought these smaller commentaries often have great value for scholars and students who do not wish to invest in whatever vain be it critical/evangelical/catholic, etc but do not mind investing a few dollars to get another viewpoint.
-dan
PS:It should be pointed out the OBC was never an in-house LOGOS product but an external product, but that said i am fairly sure other external books did eventually find their way into the Logos catalog.
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Thankful I have both of these commentaries.
Dan Francis said:Denise said:The latter I definitely like for perspectives. JSB. Jerome’s. Oxford
So sad that of your list the only left for purchase in FL stores is the Jewish study Bible, I greatly value my Jerome Biblical Commentary and Oxford Bible Commentary but alas for users wanting them it is not an easy task to track them down. I do understand the issue with the publisher not wanting to make JBC available in electronic format but it has always boggled my mind as to why Faithlife has never pursued the OBC which is a fine critical work offering a solid view. I have often thought these smaller commentaries often have great value for scholars and students who do not wish to invest in whatever vain be it critical/evangelical/catholic, etc but do not mind investing a few dollars to get another viewpoint.
-dan
PS:It should be pointed out the OBC was never an in-house LOGOS product but an external product, but that said i am fairly sure other external books did eventually find their way into the Logos catalog.
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I like the Evangelical Commentary of the Bible, but also use BKC and NBC.
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Dan Francis said:
the only left for purchase in FL stores is the Jewish study Bible
Although I do not own it, I have it in my wishlist. It is another instance of a specialised commentary that only exists in one-volume format. Other examples would the IVP background commentaries, though it's two volumes (OT and NT).
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Mattillo said:
My main one-volume go-to's are: Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC) and the Moody Bible Commentary (MBC).
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I like the notes from the NET Bible as a "Study Bible" resource.
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I noticed that the Bible Knoledge Commentary and the New Bible Commentary are both part of the Logos 7 Fundamentals package. That may be a good option for picking them up depending on what else you have. Dynamic pricing is available and, for me, I can get both essentially the price of one plus a few other resources. Something worth looking into I think.
https://www.logos.com/product/156257/logos-7-fundamentals
The Collegeville Bible Commentary is also a good one that includes the deuterocanonical books.
https://www.logos.com/product/29111/collegeville-bible-commentary
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Very surprised Logos doesn't have Thomas Scott - it's a classic!
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My current favorite is the Oxford, which I was lucky enough to pick up on disk on close out about a decade ago. I have also used the NBC, The Bible Guide, and for their specialized perspectives, the Jewish Study Bible, and the Women's Bible Commentary.
As for when I use them? General ones I use when I am curious about really basic information about a passage. At best, it gives me some basic information about how to shape questions to ask when studying the text...
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I use the old Matthew Poole commentary for my regular Bible reading when I have questions about a difficult text. It’s phenomenal! I don’t think I’d be exaggerating if I said that I find answers to the questions I’m looking up about 9 out of 10 times! Better than anything else out there in my mind!
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Liam said:
I use the old Matthew Poole commentary for my regular Bible reading when I have questions about a difficult text. It’s phenomenal! I don’t think I’d be exaggerating if I said that I find answers to the questions I’m looking up about 9 out of 10 times! Better than anything else out there in my mind!
Thank you, Liam,
I have this in my library and was unaware of its excellence! Thanks so very much for pointing it out.
Meanwhile, Jesus kept on growing wiser and more mature, and in favor with God and his fellow man.
International Standard Version. (2011). (Lk 2:52). Yorba Linda, CA: ISV Foundation.
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Dave Hooton said:Greg Corbin said:
It's two volumes but the Bible Knowledge Commentary (OT and NT volumes) is an excellent basic commentary.
I agree with these this 1 volume commentary, and find it extremely helpful in Bible Study groups (when using a tablet and the logos app), also the Believer's Bible Commentary, which I've given to new believers who ask about using a Commentary. Simple and to the point, and then using other more intense commentaries for questions that were raised in the group, which would be too difficult to go to for an hour and 1/2 study.
The Logos or Faithlife apps for the tablet have grown more useful from when they first began, very useful indeed, thanks Faith life!
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Avi Lebedev said:DAL said:
I will second Eerdmans and Moody’s Bible Commentary. I can’t believe I forgot to include them! 👍😁👌
DAL
The Moody’s Bible Commentary is on sale this month, would you guys recommend buying it if I already own and using BKC and NBC?
I would recommend. IMHO Moody is better than NBC and it would supplement your BKC better.
DAL
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The breadth of authors makes me think MBC on sale is a good compliment to BKC within the same theological tradition.
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David Thomas said:
The breadth of authors makes me think MBC on sale is a good compliment to BKC within the same theological tradition.
I agree
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DAL said:
I would recommend. IMHO Moody is better than NBC and it would supplement your BKC better.
Just doing a few quick comparisons NBC still feels better. It is true that Moody is a closer theological fit to BKC but the NBC is still done by relatively conservative evangelical scholars and it speaks to me more than moody... But as with DAL it is just my most humble opinion and we are all quite different. And I must say I am a bit surprised that no one has championed Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary as it too seems a natural companion to BKC albeit again conservative evangelical scholars and not necessarily as uniform in theological views as MBC/BKC. While often Nelson products can feel slightly sub par (great ideas but not quite executed at a level to make them a stellar resource) the NNIBC for the most part is a very pleasant surprise with its top quality... But from a similar vain I myself still prefer the The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary Edited by Gary M. Burge and Andrew E. Hill (which is a revision/expansion of the Evangelical Commentary on the Bible Editor Walter A. Elwell which Logos of course does carry).
-dan
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Beloved said:Liam said:
I use the old Matthew Poole commentary for my regular Bible reading when I have questions about a difficult text. It’s phenomenal! I don’t think I’d be exaggerating if I said that I find answers to the questions I’m looking up about 9 out of 10 times! Better than anything else out there in my mind!
Thank you, Liam,
I have this in my library and was unaware of its excellence! Thanks so very much for pointing it out.
Hope you find it helpful Beloved!
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Thank you everyone for contributing to this thread. I have received some very helpful suggestions. I think other people have benefited from your suggestions as well. Some I already have in my library and a few to add to my shopping list.
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I like to start with, With the Word Bible Commentary, then the Summarized Bible for the New Testament and the Summarized Bible for the Old Testament for a quick, comprehensive overview, at the beginning of a Bible study. If anyone knows of other good, brief, comprehensive overviews, please let me know.
After a comprehensive overview, I move on to the New Bible Commentary, the Bible Knowledge Commentary, the Believer's Bible Commentary, the Moody Bible Commentary, and The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Abridged, to get a thorough grip.
If I need detailed, in depth comments, I may consult Lenski (bought the hardcover edition in Bible College) for the New Testament, or buy an individual volume of the Word Biblical Commentary. Keil and Delitzsch are also pretty detailed (but dated) for the Old Testament, and you can get it for free on many Bible programs.
Most of these commentaries are affordable ($50-ish or less).
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DIsciple II said:
I use custom grouping of commentaries in Desktop PG so I prioritise these first
How do you do all that?
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This thread made me wonder: how many 1 Volume Commentaries do I own. I bought quite a lot of Packages through the years, but I never took note of the individual commentaries that could be considered 1 or 2 volume commentaries.
Is there an easy way (rule set) that will show only the 1 or 2 volume commentaries in my library?
I currently use this rule
type:bible-commentary ANDNOT series:* AND (((subject:"Bible—Commentaries" ANDNOT subject:"Bible—Commentaries—Collected works") OR (subject:”Bible. O.T.--Commentaries” AND subject:”Bible. .N.T.--Commentaries”) OR subject:"bible handbooks" OR subject:"bible introductions") OR mytag:commentary-one-volume) ANDNOT title:volumes
But I am not sure if it shows ALL possible one or two volume commentaries in my library0 -
Y’all realize this is a 2018 thread, right? 😂 time sure flies!
DAL
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Hahaha. Yeah, but the thread made me think. I have a rule for some 1 volume commentaries, but I never considered 2 volume commentaries
So it may be old.... but for me still relevant [:P]
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DAL said:
Y’all realize this is a 2018 thread, right? 😂 time sure flies!
DAL
It sure does. Nice to see it resurrected. It has been very helpful for me..
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Sarel Slabbert said:
I currently use this rule
It is overly complex as type:bible-commentary AND subject:"Bible—Commentaries" will get one-volume commentaries. If you do have many exceptions (the ANDNOT's) then tag the relevant ones with mytag:commentary-one-volume.
(subject:”Bible. O.T.--Commentaries” AND subject:”Bible.N.T.--Commentaries”) may get a couple of commentaries, but not two-volume ones!
(subject:”Bible. O.T.--Commentaries” OR subject:”Bible.N.T.--Commentaries”) is closer, but you cannot "pair" OT and NT volumes without tagging them e.g. mytag:commentary-two-volume. And it is conceivable that some may not be split as OT + NT volumes.
Dave
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