great post and amen.

Looking forward to any other book recommends you have outside of the commentary and reference section!

My wife may well be sending you an e-mail in which she calls you a tempter

Books always fit, always match my decor of other books and are always in season. They’re my favorite gift.

Indeed, I’ve sent books half way around the world for this Christmas!
My preference is hard-back. Remove the jacket and sort on shelf by colour. Decoration and Knowledge!

As always thanks for this!
And I love the gift suggestion for…myself!
I’ll do that this year, I remember you telling
us about this last year.

“And I love the gift suggestion for…myself! ”
Only us book fanatics can appreciate that!

Books are always great presents.

“We don’t need multi-volumed commentaries on the Gospels.”
For me the classic example of disproportionate commentary length is Raymond Brown’s Anchor Bible on The Epistles of John. It’s 812 pages long, which works out to a little over 100 pages of commentary for every page of text. Sorry, but I don’t want to know that much about 3 John!!
By the way, my only exception to your comment on Gospel commentaries is Dale Bruner’s two-volume commentary on Matthew. I know it’s quirky, somewhat padded, and some of his comments have to be taken with a grain or two of salt, but he manages to include a lot of thought-provoking material, especially for a preacher!

Scot,
Good suggestions, but what commentary on Mark do you recommend for people whose Greek is less than rudimentary? I’ve heard good things about Eugene Boring’s OTL volume. Have you checked it out?
Also, my impression from skimming through the new ESV Study Bible that many of their commentators are from the Baker series, and so I’ve been thinking I could get crib their “take” from that (though so far, I’m not comfortable with so conservative a critical apparatus…)

“Your Name” #10…
Joel Marcus
M Eugene Boring
Morna Hooker
Collins (Hermeneia) …
Those would be my top four of the sort you are looking for. Yes, Stein and France are conservative.

Scot I’m moving through Holmes text right now and loving it. I appreciate the fresh translation though to be honest I haven’t retained enough to fully appreciate the difference. The critical introduction was very helpful and the greek side is very legable.
Are there any good overviews out that could supplement his critical intro on Apostolic Fathers, sort of giving a more in depth historical setting to the writings that you would suggest?

Scot I’m moving through Holmes text right now and loving it. I appreciate the fresh translation though to be honest I haven’t retained enough to fully appreciate the difference. The critical introduction was very helpful and the greek side is very legable.
Are there any good overviews out that could supplement his critical intro on Apostolic Fathers, sort of giving a more in depth historical setting to the writings that you would suggest?

Tony,
Try the books by Jefford.

Goldingay’s work on the Psalms is magnificent. I have purchased each volume as they became available and was waiting for vol 3. Can’t say that for most commentaries. The Intro in Vol 1 is a goldmine.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine

What about a commentary on Job? Anybody?