Book Review: Zondervan Old Testament Illustrated Background Commentary

I recently received a new copy of Volume One of the Zondervan Old Testament Illustrated Background Commentary, the following is my review of that book.

When I first heard that Zondervan was planning to release a new illustrated background commentary, I thought to myself, “great, another run-of-the-mill resource that will be pumped out because it will have some cool photos and graphics.” Wow! Was I ever wrong. I must wholeheartedly recommend this product for the following three reasons.

First, the quality of the binding, pages, and overall design of the commentary is quite good. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a well produced product arrive at my door. The cover is solid and has sophisticated yet eye-catching graphics and images. The pages of the book are filled with helpful graphics, charts, illustrations and photographs. To say that the “illustrated” portion of this text is MORE than a gimmick is an understatement. More than any other illustrated background text I have seen, these illustrations prove helpful and unobtrusive.

Second, the scholars assembled for this volume are all experts in Bible background studies and are exceptional in their understanding of the Biblical text in each of their respective sections.  Further, Dr. John Walton acts as editor of this series ensuring a high level of academic value. Dr. Walton is second to none in the world of background studies pertaining especially to the book of Genesis but also to the Ancient Near East in general. The commentary provided throughout is thorough, helpful, and yet concise enough to be of value to the lay reader. This will prove valuable to pastors, professors, and Sunday school teachers alike!

Third, the price of this book makes it a must have. At just $49.99 a volume, one would be hard pressed to find a better or more useful background commentary for such a reasonable price. Zondervan is offering the entire commentary set in a nicely packaged boxed collection.

For more information please go to www.zondervan.com

I hope to post further reviews of additional volumes in this series in the near future!