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The Bible –– sacred scripture, literary classic, historical document. No matter how it is viewed, it remains the basis of much of Western culture. This fully revised edition of the HarperCollins Bible Commentary is the most up–to–date reference book of its kind for understanding and interpreting the meaning of the Bible. The accessible and highly readable format sets a new standard for excellence.

The Commentary covers all of the Hebrew Bible, as well as the books of the Apocrypha and those of the New Testament, and thus addresses the biblical canons of Judaism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. its innovative format covers the books of the Bible in three ways:

• General essays setting the literary, cultural, and historical context for the entire Bible

• Articles introducing major sections of the Bible

• Commentaries on the individual books themselves by the finest contemporary biblical scholars

Every section of the Commentary offers concise and authoritative guidance that will enable the reader to return to the text equipped to understand and appreciate the Bible more fully. Each of the eighty–three contributors to this splendid volume is a leading expert in his or her field and a member of the Society of Biblical Literature. They have produced a volume that belongs in homes, schools, houses of worship, and libraries –– wherever there is a Bible.

General editor James L. Mays is the Cyrus McCormick Professor of Hebrew and the Old Testament Emeritus at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He has served as president of the Society of Biblical Literature and is a widely respected author and editor.

Average Customer Rating:

Devoted meets 'scholarly'...briefly

Customer Rating:

In my old age i am on mainline to Jesus. I read about this but it took reading into NRSV Fully Revised & Updated (unreadable print set)- The Harper Collins Study Bible (2006), associated with Commentary and Dictionary to it, to realise what 'liberalised' neo-palaeontology 'scholars' are all about. Enjoying enormously reading devoted Bible commentaries written by believers, I got shocked to see 'some' Church bosses flogging shamelessly at the back 'a wind from God (Ge 1:2)' and 'the (unmarried) young woman is with child' (Isa 7:14)' of NRSV. Not surprising Geneva Bible and King James Version is my favourite. And NRSV bundle goes Gehenna. ... The book thou liberalise shalt bite you...

Great condition	Customer Rating:
The product came right on time and sooner than I expected! It was in great condition and was packaged properly. Thank you!

Worth My Money

Customer Rating:

I've read the Bible using both the Harper Collins Study Bible, and the JPS Study Bible, in addition to getting my degree in Religious Studies and the fact that there was still new and interesting information that illuminated my reading in almost every section is a testament to how much is contained in this book. It is extremely scholarly, but is still reverent to Christian & Jewish traditions. The essays in the introduction are wonderful, especially the one about how there is both diversity and unity in the Bible which is often overlooked by source & historical critical methods. It also finds the right balance between being deep enough for serious scholars and being written in a style that is approachable for the average person.

One of the Best Commentaries Available

Customer Rating:

I have a number of reference books that I use rather frequently for scripture study. Without a doubt, the two volumes I refer to most are THE HARPER-COLLINS BIBLE DICTIONARY and HARPER BIBLE COMMENTARY. I find these two volumes to be the most helpful tools for Bible study and homily preparation. The commentary is set up by biblical book and is divided into three sections: The Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha. Each book of the Bible has its own short commentary, based on chapter and verse of scripture. This volume also has short articles placed throughout the commentary on various subjects in the Bible. Each commentary and/or article is written by a biblical scholar and many of the authors are among the best known names in Biblical studies. Many of the entries also have small bibliographies so that readers can get more detailed information if need be. The Harper-Collins Bible Commentary is an indispensable tool for students of Biblical studies, people involved in preaching and teaching of scripture, and anyone interested in a more in depth look at the Bible. Of all the commentaries available, the Harper -Collins is probably the most ecumenical. The scholars who contribute to the volume represent not only the best in Biblical scholarship, but a number of different faiths. The information is rather straightforward and does not represent any one faith tradition, but the information presented could easily be used in any denomination.

This is one of the best

Customer Rating:

I have loads of Bible commentaries, and this one is absolutely fantastic, and totally worth the price. It is different from many commentaries in its approach, in that the various authors focus almost exclusively on the texts as literature, an approach which, particularly in the Old Testament, yields hundreds of interesting and enlightening insights which just are not present in others, and frankly, which never would occur to you or me otherwise. I used it as a resource while teaching an Old Testament class last year and I quickly came to regard it as indispensable. It does not delve into historical or contextual issues much (for that, you should get the sister volume, the Harper Collins Bible Dictionary, which is also amazing, or perhaps the IVP Bible Background Commentary by Craig S. Keener), but is fantastic in its own unique way. Some Christians are reluctant to purchase commentaries that are not written explicity from a "faith-perspective", but I have to say that although this is a scholarly work, I do not regard it as incompatible at all with a devout faith in the inspired nature of the writings discussed. It is true that the writers use the NRSV translation for their Biblical text and this is usually a big turn off for some folks, but if you can overlook that, you'll get a lot out of it. For the devout student looking to assemble a great resource library, this book might be coupled with a more theological, faith-based commentary (the AMG Concise Bible Commentary by Don Fleming is an excellent choice), and of course the HC Bible Dictionary I mentioned above. And while I'm on the resource library thing, I might as well also recommend that serious Bible students check out the English Standard Version translation of the Bible. Anyway, the HC Bible Commentary is an invaluable, thoughtful, and penetrating analysis of The Bible. You'll never read The Bible the same way again.