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COMMENTING ON COMMENTARIESA Reference Guide to Buying the Best Books
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
"New commentaries on the Bible abound, but often the cutting edge is dull. With few exceptions, the old works are better by far. Spurgeon's Commenting and Commentaries is invaluable for identifying the best works of past generations, many of which have been reprinted in our day." - Dr. Robert P. Martin
"In this catalogue Spurgeon lists and evaluates some 1400 commentaries on Books of the Bible. All is done with inimitable Spurgeonic frankness, wit and wisdom. Of one poor commentator he writes, 'The proverbs themselves are plainer than this author's exposition of them.' On another writer he comments, 'Does not err in excessive spirituality.' A delight to go through to get honest evaluation and common sense." - Maurice Roberts
"Commenting and Commentaries is a guide for buying and using Bible commentaries of many kinds, made entertaining by the pungent good humor of the author, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. It is an invaluable resource for ministers and theological students, as well as all Bible students, introducing them to the riches of the best of what has been written about the Bible in past generations. Let Commenting and Commentaries be your key to unlock the world of pre-twentieth-century evangelical Bible commentaries. You will find the key tried and true!" - Joel Beeke
The student or pastor with a small but growing library, as well as the pastor possessing an extensive one, will welcome the opportunity to secure this reprint of Spurgeon's catalog of Biblical commentaries and expositions. Once you begin to dip into this volume it will become a faithful friend by your side. Pure gold!
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Additional Information
• Preface
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Even for those who have been reading for decades, Commenting and Commentaries continues to be a reliable guide for older, minor titles that may escape one's memory. Spurgeon's helpful placement of the author's name in boldface type, when connected with the most important commentaries, as well as placing the less important entries in two sizes of lightface type, to indicate lesser levels of importance, helps us see at a glance the approximate value of each book.
If there is any danger involved in using Commenting and Commentaries, I suppose it is that of treating Spurgeon's assessments as incontrovertible. Publishers may be prone to do this most of all, for few publishers will take on a reprinting project of an old commentary disparaged by Spurgeon. If Spurgeon had rated The Dutch Annotations, translated by Theodore Haak, for example, according to its just deserts, perhaps it would have been reprinted several times during the twentieth century! Spurgeon himself, no doubt, would have written Commenting and Commentaries a bit more carefully at places had he known how scrupulously many publishers and ministers would use his book to guide them in publishing and purchasing books.
That said, we do marvel at Spurgeon's overall reliability of assessment and his ability to say so much in so few words, and with such flair. This book reflects a master student of Scripture at work, and confirms what others have said as to how much reading went into Spurgeon's preparation of sermons.
The opening lectures in this book should not be passed by. "A Chat about Commentaries" is by far the most valuable, succinct treatment of sets of commentaries ever written. "On Commenting" is a powerful chapter promoting a brief exposition of a Bible chapter as an important aspect of pulpit ministry. Most of what Spurgeon says in this chapter can be applied to full-length sermons as well. A minister of the gospel would do well to read this chapter every year and examine his preaching in light of it.
Let Commenting and Commentaries be your key to unlock the world of pre-twentieth-century evangelical Bible commentaries. You will find the key tried and true!
Joel R. Beeke
Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary
Grand Rapids, Michigan
