What commentary is a good straight through read?
Can anyone recommend a good non-technical commentary as a good straight through read (giving both the series and specific volume) and why.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Comments
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Are you looking for a commentary on a specific book?
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I started to read the Tyndale commentaries series (the paper version) about 10 years ago, and I am half-way through, alternatively reading the NT and OT volumes.
https://www.logos.com/product/8593/tyndale-commentaries
In my opinion, this is a good starting point, then I am ready to meet any theological views and I can ponder additional interpretations, historical background information and original language details
Gold package, and original language material and ancient text material, SIL and UBS books, discourse Hebrew OT and Greek NT. PC with Windows 11
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Bible Speaks Today are excellent for this, IMO. If you want something more Expository, then the Preach the Word series, or the Reformed Expository Commentary Series are both also excellent.
But the very best 'read-through' IMO is Dale Ralph Davies' six commentaries from Joshua-2Kings in the Focus on the Bible series. They can't be beat.
This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!
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Good Suggestions. Also consider Warren Wiersbe's "Be" Series.
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I recommend Tom Wright's 'for everyone series' for the New Testament and Goldingay's for everyone series for the Old Testament.
Both these are formidable scholars with a way of writing that is clear yet profound.
For a different slant on quite a few sections of the Bible (and hence a challenge to preconceptions) you could try the Africa Bible Commentary.
I am reading through he Wright and Goldingay series this year against the M'Cheyne reading plan.
I used the Africa Bible Commentary last year.
tootle pip
Mike
Now tagging post-apocalyptic fiction as current affairs. Latest Logos, MacOS, iOS and iPadOS
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The only "commentary" I have read straight through is the Four Fold Gospel, and I'm not sure it would really classify as a commentary. I did find it helpful and interesting. It can be bought separately, but is included in many base packages.
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Mike Binks said:
I recommend Tom Wright's 'for everyone series' for the New Testament and Goldingay's for everyone series for the Old Testament.
I agree with Mike. If you are just looking for a commentary to read through, it's hard to beat this series IMHO.
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Have joy in the Lord!
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tootle pip
Mike
Now tagging post-apocalyptic fiction as current affairs. Latest Logos, MacOS, iOS and iPadOS
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For the New Testament, Reading the New Testament series
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Ryan B said:Mike Binks said:
I recommend Tom Wright's 'for everyone series' for the New Testament and Goldingay's for everyone series for the Old Testament.
I agree with Mike. If you are just looking for a commentary to read through, it's hard to beat this series IMHO.
I agree with both Mike and Ryan. I am almost done with Wight's NT series and will then move on to Goldingay's OT series.
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John,
Here are some I think fit your criteria:
Dale Ralph Davis: Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1& 2 Kings in Focus on the Bible Commentary. Good writing and thinking.
Karen Jobes: Esther in NIV Application Commentary. From a former Sunday School teacher turned seminary professor. Has thought through a lot of the ethical issues in the book and practical application. (I haven't used her BECNT volume on 1 Peter enough to comment on that.)
Timothy George: Galatians in the New American Commentary. As D.A. Carson states this commentary is sui generis. One of the best models of commentary writing I've ever experienced. My only regret is that George hasn't written others.
Gordon Fee: D.A. Carson states "Fee couldn't be boring if he tried." His commentaries on 1 Corinthians, Philippians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians in NICNT are highly readable. His shorter IVPNTC contribution on Philippians is good, too.
I agree with others that many of the BST volumes are highly readable.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
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While I rarely read a commentary from cover to cover, I can say the the following were some of the ones I found to be quite enjoyable:
George Guthrie, Hebrews (NIVAC): In my opinion this is the best commentary in the whole series. It is the perfect blend of scholarly and practical, and it more like a monograph and less like a commentary.
Gordon Fee, Philippians (NICNT): This commentary is a bit more technical than Guthrie's. Nonetheless, you cannot find a more passionate commentator! Fee is the gold standard for how to write a NT commentary without having read like a lexicon or encyclopedia.
Peter O'Brien, Hebrews (PNTC): Much like Fee, O'Brien has mastered the art of commentary writing. I have yet to find him dull or dry, and his Hebrews commentary is probably the best volume in the Pillar New Testament series—with his Ephesians volume following closely behind!
Cliff
My Blog: Theological Musings
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Cliff,
while you are here: how about the readability of Spiq?
(And when can we try at it for ourselves?)
Have joy in the Lord!
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NB,
Thanks for the question regarding Spicq. This is a technical commentary, filled with Hebrew, Greek, and German. It is not for the faint of heart, but like anything difficult the payoff is great!
As to your second question, I unfortunately do not have an answer to that right now. I will see what I can find out.
Cliff
My Blog: Theological Musings
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Believer's Bible Commentary by MacDonald, William, Farstad, Arthur L.
Thomas Nelson 1995
https://www.logos.com/product/1186/believers-bible-commentary
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The Boice Commentary Series.
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I, as a conservative Baptist, still enjoyed reading through the JPS Torah Commentary on Numbers.
Using Logos as a pastor, seminary professor, and Tyndale author
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Mark Smith said:
Karen Jobes: Esther in NIV Application Commentary. From a former Sunday School teacher turned seminary professor. Has thought through a lot of the ethical issues in the book and practical application.
Ooh, yes. This is superb. One of the best commentaries on any book of the Bible I have ever read.
This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!
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Veli Voipio said:
I started to read the Tyndale commentaries series (the paper version) about 10 years ago, and I am half-way through, alternatively reading the NT and OT volumes.
https://www.logos.com/product/8593/tyndale-commentaries
In my opinion, this is a good starting point, then I am ready to meet any theological views and I can ponder additional interpretations, historical background information and original language details
Thanks [Y]
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Mark Barnes said:Mark Smith said:
Karen Jobes: Esther in NIV Application Commentary. From a former Sunday School teacher turned seminary professor. Has thought through a lot of the ethical issues in the book and practical application.
Ooh, yes. This is superb. One of the best commentaries on any book of the Bible I have ever read.
You'd also enjoy George on Galatians if you haven't read him, yet. You can appreciate his writing even if you don't agree with all he has decided.
Jobes makes me think that non one should be allowed to write a non-technical commentary who hasn't already spent a few years teaching adults in a church setting.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
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Lots of good feedback here. I'd just like to throw in that I read through Welwyn on Job: The Storm Break: Job Simply Explained by Derek Thomas, and really enjoyed it. I suspect other Welwyn commentaries would be similar.
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Clifford B. Kvidahl said:
While I rarely read a commentary from cover to cover, I can say the the following were some of the ones I found to be quite enjoyable:
George Guthrie, Hebrews (NIVAC): In my opinion this is the best commentary in the whole series. It is the perfect blend of scholarly and practical, and it more like a monograph and less like a commentary.
Cliff
Guthrie's introduction alone is worth the price of the volume. It is the best I have ever read for any commentary.
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Wow!!
Thanks so much for all of your suggestions. I had no thoughts as to any specific book, just a commentary about a book that had been enjoyable and rewarding when read through from beginning to end. When I wrote the post I was sitting the the waiting area of our local hospital (my wife who was waiting to have routine tests) looking at my tablet and the riches of my Logos library. I was thinking that there was so much there that must be worth reading as a book and not just as a 'look up' to a bible passage. I now have plenty of suggestions to work from (most of which I already have).Thanks again!!
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JohnB said:
Can anyone recommend a good non-technical commentary as a good straight through read
Barber, Cyril J. Job: The Sovereignty of God and the Suffering of Man. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2013 was a super read. I especially liked his Something to Think About comments at the end of each section.
Job is one of those book where you can become so fascinated with the trees that you lose sight of the forest. Barber does a good job of keeping things in perspective (the play on words was unintentional [:P])
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I'm enjoying the new-covenant-commentary-series. So far I've finished the ones on Ephesians and Colossians.
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If your looking for an easy read, the Holman New Testament Series doesn't get any easier and is still a good read.
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I've only ever read two commentaries straight through, but I would recommend both of them:
Peterson, Eugene H. First and Second Samuel. Westminster Bible Companion. Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.
Waltke, Bruce K., and Cathi J. Fredricks. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan, 2001.
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Any commentary from John J. Davis would be excellent to read through.
Here is his bio: http://drjohndavisministries.com/bio.htm
Here are some of his books:
Prison to Paradise: Studies in Genesis
Moses and the Gods of Egypt: Studies in Exodus
Conquest and Crisis: Studies in Joshua, Judges, and Ruth
Israel from Conquest to Exile: Joshua - 2 Kings
If you would like to see John J. Davis' work in Logos....visit this Logos suggestion thread and give it a thumbs up!
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Thanks Mark for the recommendation—I started reading Davies on Joshua after you posted this, and I must say, excellent reading!Mark Barnes said:But the very best 'read-through' IMO is Dale Ralph Davies' six commentaries from Joshua-2Kings in the Focus on the Bible series. They can't be beat.
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Rosie Perera said:
I've only ever read two commentaries straight through, but I would recommend both of them:
Peterson, Eugene H. First and Second Samuel. Westminster Bible Companion. Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.
Waltke, Bruce K., and Cathi J. Fredricks. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan, 2001.
The entire Westminster Bible Companion Series series is fantastic although I have not read any fully yet. Years ago I read Pocket Bible Commentary by William Neil and NIV Compact Bible Commentary by John H. Sailhamer. Both were extremely enjoyable and very insightful, Neil's was actually originally published in 1961 as Harper's Bible Commentary. Over the years I have also read entire Biblical books out of the The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (EBC) (insightful but occasionally a bit dry in some areas) and the New Interpreter’s Bible (indeed one day I hope to read all 12 Volumes cover to cover, it by far my favourite series and offers great scholarship and deep theological reflections).
-Dan
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Integ said:
Thanks Mark for the recommendation—I started reading Davies on Joshua after you posted this, and I must say, excellent reading!Mark Barnes said:But the very best 'read-through' IMO is Dale Ralph Davies' six commentaries from Joshua-2Kings in the Focus on the Bible series. They can't be beat.
Glad you're enjoying it [:)].
This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!
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I started reading NICOT's Isaiah 1-39 & Isaiah 40-66 as a technical commentary, but from almost the beginning of its nearly 1800 pages, I ended up in a devotional space. Even though the technical is there if I wanted it, the devotional attitude continued all the way through. By the end, my understanding of the OT's support for Jesus as Messiah was transformed.
Blessings!
Grace & Peace,
Bill
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BillS said:
I started reading NICOT's Isaiah 1-39 & Isaiah 40-66 as a technical commentary, but from almost the beginning of its nearly 1800 pages, I ended up in a devotional space. Even though the technical is there if I wanted it, the devotional attitude continued all the way through. By the end, my understanding of the OT's support for Jesus as Messiah was transformed.
Thanks for the recommendation, Bill.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
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Through the Bible Day by Day: A Devotional Commentary (7 vols.) This is also a possibility that I did not think of till noticing it is shipping in a few days... I have not used it but it might offer a very arrofbable set on the entire Bible not as cheap as when in was in community pricing but still a decent savings.
-Dan
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BillS said:
I started reading NICOT's Isaiah 1-39 & Isaiah 40-66 as a technical commentary, but from almost the beginning of its nearly 1800 pages, I ended up in a devotional space. Even though the technical is there if I wanted it, the devotional attitude continued all the way through. By the end, my understanding of the OT's support for Jesus as Messiah was transformed.
Blessings!
Wow. On Bill S's recommendation, I just started reading NICOT Isaiah. It is captivating.
The hearts of those oppressed by Assyria leapt up and revolts broke out anew. Sargon was dead; perhaps his successor would be a weakling. In Babylon the perennial war-horse, Merodach-baladan, once again emerged. It is unclear whether it was at this time or at some time prior to 710 that his envoys had visited Hezekiah (Isa. 39:1). At either time their purpose would have been the same: encouraging a fellow opponent of the Assyrian machine.
For whatever reason Hezekiah rose to the bait on this occasion. He became the moving force in a new coalition composed of Philistia, Judah, Edom, and Moab. The Philistines were evidently reluctant to join, so following the very same policy Israel and Syria had tried on Judah thirty years earlier, Hezekiah attacked them, deposed their king, and installed a man who would take his orders. Behind this policy one discerns the hand of Egypt, promising help and support. Isaiah was bitterly opposed to the entire proceeding: Egypt was worse than useless and Assyria could be left to God. The secret politicking and conniving were a bold-faced affront to God that could only bring disaster (cf. 22:5–14; 29:15–16; 30:1–18)....
But Rowley does make an additional observation that is not without significance. Where North sees something of a straight-line progression from the collective to the individual in Isaiah’s total treatment of servanthood,23 Rowley sees a great fluidity in moving back and forth between the collective and the individual. This perspective seems to accord best with the data. The straight-line point of view would seem to suggest that the prophet slowly abandoned the idea that the people could ever become God’s servants and replaced this with the idea of an individual servant who would be what the people would not or could not be. But careful study of chs. 40–55 indicates that this is not the case. Instead of abandoning the idea of the people’s becoming true servants, he rather asks, and answers, the question of how they can become such servants. How can the broken, sinful Israel ever be the servants of God as he has promised? The answer is “the Servant.” Because he will be what they could not, and indeed will be that for all people, they can become what God has promised: his servants who can reveal his redeeming light.
John N. Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), 51–52.
Using Logos as a pastor, seminary professor, and Tyndale author
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Dan Francis said:Rosie Perera said:
I've only ever read two commentaries straight through, but I would recommend both of them:
Peterson, Eugene H. First and Second Samuel. Westminster Bible Companion. Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.
Waltke, Bruce K., and Cathi J. Fredricks. Genesis: A Commentary. Zondervan, 2001.
The entire Westminster Bible Companion Series series is fantastic although I have not read any fully yet. Years ago I read Pocket Bible Commentary by William Neil and NIV Compact Bible Commentary by John H. Sailhamer. Both were extremely enjoyable and very insightful, Neil's was actually originally published in 1961 as Harper's Bible Commentary. Over the years I have also read entire Biblical books out of the The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (EBC) (insightful but occasionally a bit dry in some areas) and the New Interpreter’s Bible (indeed one day I hope to read all 12 Volumes cover to cover, it by far my favourite series and offers great scholarship and deep theological reflections).
-Dan
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Thanks for the recommendations Dan [Y]
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I think the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentary would be a good one - I mean if i could afford to buy it here someday.
I have the printed NT copies.
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