Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible

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Written by world-class Bible scholars, the ECB encapsulates in nontechnical language the best of modern scholarship on the sixty-six biblical books plus the Apocrypha. The only one-volume Bible commentary to cover all the texts (even including 1 Enoch) regarded by one or more Christian churches as canonical, the ECB provides reader-friendly treatments and succinct summaries of each section of the text that will be valuable to scholars, students and general readers alike.

The primary objective of this work is to clarify the meaning of each section of the Bible. Rather than attempting a verse-by-verse analysis (virtually impossible in a one-volume work), the ECB focuses on principal units of meaning narrative, parable, prophetic oracle, section of argument, and so on highlighting their interconnectedness with the rest of the biblical text. The volume also addresses and answers major issues including the range of possible interpretations and refers readers to the best fuller discussions. Beyond providing reliable, informative commentary, this hefty volume also includes thirteen introductory and context-setting articles that do justice to the biblical documents both as historical sources and as scriptures.

The sixty-seven contributors to the ECB come from a wide variety of backgrounds and are acknowledged leaders in the field of biblical studies. Their contributions stand out either for their fresh interpretations of the evidence, or for their way of asking new questions of the text, or for their new angles of approach. While the translation of choice is the New Revised Standard Version, many of the contributors offer their own vivid translations of the original Hebrew or Greek.

Cutting-edge, comprehensive, and ecumenical, the ECB is both a fitting climax to the rich body of interconfessional work undertaken in the latter part of the twentieth century and a worthy launching pad for biblical study in the twenty-first.

Special features of the ECB * The only one-volume commentary to cover all the texts (including the Apocrypha and 1 Enoch) regarded as canonical * Thirteen major essays that introduce each section of Scripture and its study * Encapsulates in nontechnical language the best of modern scholarship * Includes superb bibliographies and an extensive subject index * Written by sixty-seven first-rate Bible scholars * Designed for use by scholars, students, pastors, and general readers

My general practice is to disapprove of reliance on one commentary only. For depth and breadth of interpretation, one really needs to consult many different treatments of texts. However, for many, the limitations of time and finances prevent having a number of separate commentaries on individual biblical books, much less a range of commentaries on each one. I think that the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible will be a good investment for those looking for insight and interpretation but who do not have the cause to invest in individual commentaries on each book of the Bible. It is best coupled with a Bible dictionary; fortunately, Eerdmans produced just a few years prior to this commentary a high-quality Bible dictionary, also, which would be a good companion.

The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible claims to be the most complete one-volume commentary - actually, it claims to be the only one-volume commentary to include all canonical texts (which is a claim that depends upon your definition of canonical). It includes all 66 of the traditional Protestant Bible arranged in typical Christian order, with the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha, and the Pseudepigraphic text of I Enoch. There are essays introducing each broad area of textual type or division:

Pentateuch
Prophetic Literature
Pseudepigrapha
Gospels
New Testament Letters
New Testament Apocrypha
Dead Sea Scrolls and the Hebrew Bible
Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament

There are also more general essays on each of the testaments dealing with tradition, history, literary, and other considerations. These give brief but helpful histories of the development of the canon, the history of interpretation, and other context-setting information.

This work does not attempt a verse-by-verse explication of the biblical text; such would be beyond the scope of a one-volume commentary generally. It instead breaks the biblical text into sections of natural meaning (pericopes) and works to clarify each, also relating it back to the rest of the wider text. When there are subjects that beg for further clarification but are beyond the scope of this work, the authors include key questions or topics as well as suggestions for further readings.

Among the more useful features of the text are wonderful, up-to-date bibliographies at the conclusion of each book or essay, general essays on various topics throughout the text, and a very extensive index making subject referencing easy to do. One suggestion would be the incorporation of more maps and diagrams; particularly when talking about texts that relate to each other (the Joshua-Kings history vs. Chronicles; the synoptic gospels, etc.) a more graphical layout occasionally could help. While this text is the work of nearly 70 biblical scholars of note, it has a well-done common readability and engaging style, a credit to the editors.

The primary translation as the basis for this commentary is the New Revised Standard Version, but most scholars contributing used original language texts as a primary source for their analysis, so many ideas will be fresh and new, unique to this volume.

This text will be useful to students, pastors, scholars and interested laypersons. The language is primarily non-technical without being lacking in informative power. The interpretations presented include traditional and modern views, and the commentators are generally fair at presenting the strengths and weakness of all views presented.

This is a good text to have on one's shelf, and I already find myself reaching for it on a regular basis to supplement my other commentaries, or for quick overviews for insight and clarity.