Longman III - Old Testament Commentary Survey

When I began this project many years ago, I thought it would take a minimum amount of time and serve a limited readership. Many of my students had asked for my opinion on commentaries, but one of them, Eric Bauer, kept pestering me to compile a list and to make it available in our seminary bookstore. I figured I could devote a few minutes each day to writing a brief review of the best commentaries I know on certain biblical books. To make a long story short, Allan Fisher, director of publications at Baker, caught wind of my efforts and asked me to expand the list into a counterpart to Don Carsons New Testament Commentary Survey . I did not realize how much work was involved, but now that it is over, I would like to express my appreciation to both Eric and Allan for their encouragement to write this guide. The second edition was produced under the editorship of Jim Weaver. My good friend Jim Kinney edited the third, fourth, and now the fifth edition. Brian Bolger and his team always do an excellent job preparing the manuscript for publication.

I have now taught at Westmont College for fourteen years after eighteen years at Westminster Theological Seminary. I dedicated the fourth edition to my close friends and colleagues in the Old Testament Department there: Alan Groves, Peter Enns, Doug Green, and Mike Kelly. Mike and Doug are still there; Pete is teaching at Eastern University. I am sad to report that Al died at an early age of melanoma soon after the publication of the fourth edition. We miss you, Al.

I would like to dedicate this edition to my present colleagues at Westmont College in the Religious Studies Department: Bill Nelson (OT), Bruce Fisk and Caryn Reeder (NT), Telford Work, Curt Whiteman, and Maurice Lee (Theology), Helen Rhee (Church History), and Charles Farhadian (World Religions). I could not ask for more collegial and intellectually stimulating people with whom to work.