Accordance currently has the OT/NT Library series on sale for over fifty percent off. In this post, I want to highlight four things I love about the Old Testament Library series:
- It covers the entire Old Testament.
- The format is straightforward.
- The series strikes a nice balance between brevity and thoroughness.
- Buying the entire series is affordable (especially with Accordance’s payment plans).
Check out this previous post on the New Testament Library in Accordance.
Covers the Entire OT
It is really nice to have a fully-fledged commentary on each book of the Old Testament. Here is a list of the most recent volumes for each bliblical book:
When a question arises in your daily reading, you can be sure the Old Testament Library will show up in your info pane. One click, and the commentary opens to the correct place alongside your text.
Straightforward Format
When I want to read the commentary more extensively — say for an entire pericope or chapter — I open a separate saved workspace dedicated to the OT/NT Library series.
Let’s take a look at the structure of an entry in Adele Berlin’s Lamentations commentary.
The first portion of the entry is the author’s translation and notes on the translation.
The notes are hyperlinked and easily accessible by long-holding on the hyperlink or clicking to jump to the actual footnote.
The next section provides an overview of the pericope or chapter:
Finally, we come to the verse by verse commentary:
That’s it. Three main movements: translation, overview, verse-by-verse commentary. I love it.
Balanced Scope
The Old Testament Library series strikes a great balance between brevity and thoroughness. As an example, the entire section on the first chapter of Lamentations is about twenty pages. This is, roughly, what you can expect for a chapter-length section in other volumes as well. You get much more depth than what you would find in a study Bible, but you don’t dread turning to it and having to wade through the wordy, dense prose characteristic of some longer commentaries.
The Series is Affordable
Owning an entire set of an academic commentary is quite often not possible for many. The OT/NT Library is, however, much more affordable during these Accordance sales:
- OT/NT Library (46 volumes) – $449 ($999 regularly)
- OT Library (31 volumes) – $349 ($699 regularly)
- NT Library (15 volumes) – $199 ($399 regularly)
The best value is the entire collection that includes the older classic OT volumes as well as companion volumes for both testaments. The Everything Bundle (68 volumes) is $649 ($1,726 regularly).
Accordance also has a very reasonable payment plan system. They charge a one-time $5 payment plan fee and allow you to spread out the your payments interest-free for up to a year.
Conclusion
The OT/NT Library series is a fantastic value in Accordance. It is one of the first series I turn to because of its easy to follow format and focused but thorough commentary.
This sale ends on January 24. Check it out, and if you are interested in the NT Library, check out this post.
Brian W. Davidson 