[Editor’s Note: We just welcomed David to our marketing team, and asked him to plunge right in with a blog post as a newbie.]

Cornerstone_Gen Today I installed Accordance 11 Essential Collection, and the complete Cornerstone Biblical Commentary by Philip W. Comfort, General Editor (Tyndale House Publishers). This acclaimed 20-volume set, based on the New Living Translation, retails in print for $666.80, but is available from Accordance Bible Software for only $199 (introductory price, regularly $399).

As a brand-new Accordance user, I decided to see what Cornerstone has to say about Scripture passages featuring Jewish women in three very different conditions: esteemed, scandalized, and abhorred.

First, George M. Schwab (Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary) writes about the esteemed (virtuous) woman, who is misunderstood by many contemporary Bible readers. After the full text of Proverbs 31:10-31, Schwab presents 45 detailed Notes. Each Note addresses a specific word or phrase in this famous passage, which I already had studied at length, but now understand in important new ways.

Cornerstone Commentary

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Best of all? Schwab’s Commentary. It is not enough to know a plethora of fascinating facts. Schwab offers substantive meaning to each aspect of this acrostic poem, including its different placement within the Septuagint and Masoretic manuscript traditions. This latter discussion finally answers two burning questions I have had for years. This within 20 minutes of downloading. Amazing!

Second, Grant Osborne (Ph.D., University of Aberdeen) writes about the scandalized (adulterous) woman, who is dragged before Jesus as he teaches in the Temple early one morning. After the full text of John 7:55 – John 8:11, Osborne presents a single very detailed and lengthy Note about this excursus. It is not enough to know that most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include this riveting narrative. Osborne lays out the evidence and convincingly offers two important conclusions.

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In his Commentary, Osborne begins by asking and answering the pressing question: How does one teach or preach on a text that very well may be true, but almost certainly is not canonical? He then unpacks the narrative’s setting, context, and timing (the woman probably was detained overnight, which only intensifies her plight).

Osborne goes on to analyze the motives and misstatements of her accusers, describes what Jesus does and suggests why he does so, and summarizes a range of scholarly theories about what he writes in the dust. Osborne concludes by unpacking what Jesus means (and does not mean) when he speaks to the woman herself in this passage’s last two verses.

Third, Allison A. Trites (D. Phil., Oxford University) writes about the abhorred (deformed) woman, who was perpetually doubled over, suffering excruciating pain for 18 years. After the full text for Luke 13:10-17, Trites presents three detailed Notes. Each Note helps the reader see this particular passage within the broader scope of the four gospels.

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Then Trites offers his Commentary. The first and larger paragraph sheds light on the five distinct features of this narrative, which appears only in Luke’s gospel. By the end, I could almost see Jesus touching the poor woman’s back, healing her, bringing her to an upright position, and honoring her before all who were present. If I had not been inspired and deeply moved by this biblical passage before, I certainly am now.

So far, I have read what this 20-volume set says about only 40 of the 31,180 verses from Genesis to Revelation in the NLT. Then again, I am hooked and plan to use it frequently from here on out. My writing, teaching, and preaching will never be the same.

Again, the complete 20-volume Cornerstone Biblical Commentary retails in print for $666.80, but is available from Accordance for only $399.

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