Spend a little time with The Moody Bible Commentary, and you may just have found your new favorite one-volume commentary. If you’ve ever seen this volume in print, you know it’s not a quick take on the Bible. At over 2,100 pages in print, written by a team of over 30 contributors from Moody Bible Institute’s undergraduate school and seminary, this is not your average Bible commentary. In fact, it’s been billed as having “a team of 30 Moody Bible Institute professors helping you study the Bible.” That’s no exaggeration.
I first held the print version of The Moody Bible Commentary in my hands in 2015. I tagged along with my wife to a library conference she was attending in San Francisco. There were lots of publishers in the exhibit hall, so I was making my rounds. Moody Publishers was represented at the conference, and I struck up a conversation with the Moody rep. I mentioned to him that Accordance users had already been asking us to add their new commentary to the Accordance Library. He was even kind enough to offer me a complimentary copy of the commentary to take with me.
Click/tap the image above for a larger look at The Moody Bible Commentary in Accordance 12 (NASB text available separately).
Such a generous offer, but I was so torn! It was a beautiful volume, and I had already read a number of solidly-written sections while standing in the Moody exhibit. But that book was so big and heavy! It would be much later that night before I’d be back and my hotel room, and it just seemed like too big of a book to carry with me all day. In the end I opted not to take the free copy of The Moody Bible Commentary, not because of the quality of the content, but only because it was so massive. Having declined the Moody rep’s generous gift, I was more hopeful than ever that we would one day have this commentary in Accordance. And today’s that day!
Filled with scores of maps, charts, and tables, The Moody Bible Commentary was developed “to help laypeople and pastors alike grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and understand how its timeless principles apply to life today.” The commentary is based upon the original language texts of Scripture, but most Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible. Any references to Hebrew and Greek words are transliterated.
As described in the Foreword…
Each book of the Bible is skillfully introduced, providing the reader with an understanding of the historical setting, the author, the audience, and any interpretive issues. An outline for each book is provided, allowing you to trace the argument or story line of the book. This outline is then incorporated into the text of the commentary so that you can continue to follow the progression of thought in each Bible book.
The comments on the text are concise but insightful. Writing from a conservative, evangelical perspective that reaches across denominational lines, the authors tackle the knotty issues as they emerge in the text. Difficult passages are not ignored. Debated topics are honestly discussed, and, when scholarship yields no clear consensus as to meaning, the authors do not artificially create one. In addition, contemporary issues addressed by the Bible are clearly noted. Thus, in reading, you will find a wonderful weaving of biblical scholarship, theological insight, and practical application.
Click/tap the image on the right for a larger look at The Moody Bible Commentary in Accordance Mobile (NASB text available separately).
The Moody Bible Commentary is the exact kind of resource you want to have with you in Accordance. Rather than having to carry a 2,100+ page book around, you can have all of that scholarship and insight on the Bible right in the palm of your hand, on your laptop, or desktop computer for quick access. In fact, one-volume commentaries make excellent “go to” commentaries for mobile devices because they don’t take up as much space as multivolume sets. And The Moody Bible Commentary is so massive, you may just forget that you’re not using a multivolume commentary!
The Moody Bible Commentary
Regular Price $49.90