Customer Reviews

The One Volume Bible Commentary

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Isn't that the way it always goes?

You spend a lifetime seeking a simple, compact commentary on the word of God. You find it in the form of a dusty, duct-tape bound volume setting on the back shelf of your favorite used book store. Inside it are the underlined and highlighted results of queries by untold numbers of former readers. This compilation of commentaries, by various authors, is glorious in its revelation - a looking glass into the soul of the Bible. It's worn to a frazzle and damaged by time, but you find it compelling and take it home.

"A Commentary on The Holy Bible - by various writers", edited by The Rev. J.R. Dummelow M.A. and published by The Macmillan Company, was in its 17th printing when my copy was produced in 1951. The original copyright dates back to 1908.

"A Commentary on The Holy Bible" was specially written to meet the wants of the ordinary Bible reader. The Bible is the inspired record of God's gradual revelation of Himself. Yet, it is often forgotten that over 1800 years have lapsed since the last pages of the Bible were written. This 1100 page one-volume commentary is an attempt to provide, a brief explanation of the meaning of the Scriptures, in a convenient form.

"A Commentary on The Holy Bible" will lead its reader into a perusal of many of the books of the Holy Scripture which are too often left unread, in spite of their rare literary charm and abundant usefulness for the furtherance of the spiritual life.

I find this commentary to be the most useful and compelling reference book I've found on the Holy Bible in 40-years of searching. I only wish it was still being published. But, ...isn't that the way it always goes?

My 1975 printing of this great tome sits, along with my Smith's Bible Dictionary, at the choice spot on my reading table. As interesting as the commentary itself are the 150+ pages of "articles," or essays covering subjects from "Hebrew History to the Exile" to "Bible Chronology." The motivating sentiment of the authors was, as stated in the "General Introduction," that "[t]he Bible is the source as well as the result of inspiration... Every detail regarding it therefore is interesting." In the minds of the commentarians, then, there's no such thing as "Bible minutiae," a de jure oxymoron.

The commentary enjoys a balanced feel between the contextualist (generally Catholic) and literalist (flavors of Protestant) schools of Bible thought, and is a great source for throwing a little extra light on some of those obscure passages. I use this commentary with Josephus' Antiquities to really help me on understanding some parts of the O.T.

I have been using this commentary for about 30yrs. My copy was falling to pieces. I was in the process of getting quotes for re-binding, when I came across this one for sale. I'm so stunned by the quality of this new (Old book) that I am still using my original one! It really is one of the best commentaries on the bible and stands the test of time. If you like the NIV you will be fascinated with this. It would be difficult to be offended by this book. Must be worth the £10 I paid for this one including postage.