The Oxford Bible Commentary

Book Overview

Whether you see the Bible as the living word of God, or as a highly significant document from the ancient world, or as one of the classic works of world literature, The Oxford Bible Commentary will put in your hands everything you need to study and understand the biblical text.

Here is a monumental, line-by-line critical commentary on the Bible, covering all the books that appear in the NRSV. An essential reference work, this definitive book provides authoritative, non-denominational commentary written by an international team of more than 70 leading scholars from various religious backgrounds. Incorporating the latest research, the contributors examine the books of the Bible in exhaustive detail, taking a historical-critical approach that attempts to shed light on the scriptures by placing them in the context in which their first audiences would have encountered them, asking how they came to be composed and what were the purposes of their authors. The Commentary includes a general introduction, extensive introductions to both testaments and the Apocrypha, and briefer introductions to the particular books, plus an essay with commentary on important post-biblical Jewish and Christian literature. Each article concludes with a bibliography that points the reader toward the most important supplemental works in English, including major reference works, introductions, and so forth.

A truly stunning work of biblical scholarship, The Oxford Bible Commentary will be an invaluable resource for pastors preparing a sermon, for students, for those in study or discussion groups, and indeed for anyone--whether Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox Christian--who seeks a clearer perspective on a text that has been held in reverence for thousands of years. The OBC features a Logos Library System CD-ROM that, once unlocked, gives the reader access to its text and that of the New Revised Standard Version Bible. The CD is fully compatible with all Logos products.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199277184
• ISBN13: 9780199277186
• Release Date: September 2013
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 1412 Pages
• Weight: 5.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.0" x 7.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

An impressive work

I was looking for a source of detailed biblical information that is scholarly, and without nuance towards any particular persuasion. This commentary has met my needs admirably. While it may have been written with the needs of the practicing clergyman in mind, for a lay person like myself it's not difficult to read. Indeed for me it has provided a totally new level of biblical insight. I've been most impressed and can recommend it to anyone who wants to extend their biblical knowledge.

Excellent: highly recommend.

What do you expect when "Oxford" is in the title of the book?This is a large, heavy and intimidating book. However, this is its only drawback. It is a wealth of information; it contextualizes the scripture in a concise format and presents a multitude of expert scholars' opinions in a verse-by-verse format. This is an authoritative reference: I highly recommend this for anyone interested in a modern commentary of canonical books. Well researched, well written, with a wide range of scholars input.

More coverage than some commentaries

I sat in the real-world bookstore several hours before deciding that the two one-volume commentaries I wanted were this one and the New Jerome. The Oxford simply devotes more space to its analyses than did any of the other commentaries I looked at, including New Jerome and HarperCollins. You get a more in-depth treatment. My spot-checking noted, for ex., that Oxford includes some comments on the "woman taken in adultery" story in John. Some commentaries merely sniff that the passage is a late addition and don't comment on it at all. Oxford at least includes some textual and exegetical remarks in an appendix.The Oxford's virtue is its vice, of course, in that its devotion to covering the text means less extraneous material. The New Jerome, in classic Catholic fashion, won't let its 1000 pages of commentary go by without 300 pages on theology, papal pronouncements, hermeneutics, etc., so as to "frame" the commentary. But since I love that kind of stuff, whatever the motive, the NJ is the other one I decided to get.So: Oxford for objective academic treatment, & NJ for a more dogmatic (tho very sharp intellectually) treatment. I'll put them on my desk with my Bible & let them fight it out.

An excellent commentary on the Christian Bible

The Oxford Bible Commentary is a concise, expert commentary, providing useful verse-by-verse explanation of the Christian religious book.The commentary encompasses all books recognised as canonical in any of the western churches of Christianity, and also includes excerpts from books in other canons. The advanced Bible scholar may additionally wish to refer to more specialist textbooks for detailed insight into specific topics or individual biblical books.This is among the most authoritative Bible commentaries available. The reader will appreciate the expertise of the distinguished contributors, their concise verse explanations, thorough verse cross-references, and critical approach. The book is intuitively structured throughout and, despite the large size of this volume, easy to navigate.It is a helpful aide toward informed reading of the Bible for any reason - religious, theological, historical, literary, or general interest. An extensive bibliographic resource and relevant maps complement the text.A good Bible commentary such as this is highly enlightening. Each verse in the Bible suddenly makes much more sense in the light of expert explanation. In reading the Bible without the benefit of well-informed commentary, essential considerations such as the historical context, and relationships between verses, are almost certainly overlooked. While opinions expressed in this commentary are objective, they are frequently conservative and tend to be representative of the mainstream consensus.The OBC is a huge, high quality reference textbook, with a proportionate price-tag, and I fervently commend it to anyone with a serious interest in the Christian or Hebrew scripture.

An excellent commentary on the Christian Bible

The Oxford Bible Commentary is a concise, expert commentary, providing useful verse-by-verse explanation of the Christian religious book.The commentary encompasses all books recognised as canonical in any of the major churches of Christianity, and also includes excerpts from books in other canons. The advanced Bible scholar may additionally wish to refer to more specialist textbooks for detailed insight into specific topics or individual biblical books.This is among the most authoritative Bible commentaries available. The reader will appreciate the expertise of the distinguished contributors, their concise verse explanations, thorough verse cross-references, and critical approach. The book is intuitively structured throughout and, despite the large size of this volume, easy to navigate.It is a helpful aide toward informed reading of the Bible for any reason - religious, theological, historical, literary, or general interest. An extensive bibliographic resource and relevant maps complement the text.A good Bible commentary such as this is highly enlightening. Each verse in the Bible suddenly makes much more sense in the light of expert explanation. In reading the Bible without the benefit of well-informed commentary, essential considerations such as the historical context, and relationships between verses, are almost certainly overlooked. While opinions expressed in this commentary are objective, they are frequently conservative and tend to be representative of the mainstream consensus.The OBC is a huge, high quality reference textbook, with a proportionate price-tag, and I fervently commend it to anyone with a serious interest in Hebrew or Christian scripture.