A Guide to Biblical Commentaries & Reference Works

With thousands of commentaries on the Bible available, including dozens and sometimes hundreds for individual books, it can be difficult for students and pastors (and even many academics) to keep track of the options. How do the different series and authors approach the Bible? What commentaries are critical and/or more theologically liberal in their interpretation? Which writers share a given theological approach (e.g., Reformed, Wesleyan, etc.)? Without help, students and pastors could waste precious time and money searching for the tools they need to aid their study. Now in its 9th edition, Dr. Evans's guide is a comprehensive survey and bibliography of resources that is one of the most thorough and detailed aids available to help pastors and theological students sort through the many volumes of commentaries and reference works that are available to them. Evans surveys the vast majority of commentary series, individual commentaries by book, and other resources directly related to exegetical research and biblical interpretation. In addition, Evans includes recommendations for: a "Bare-Bones" library of essentials; an ideal pastor's reference library; and a suggested "ultimate reference library". Regularly updated, A Guide to Biblical Commentaries & Reference Works is one of the very few works of its kind to be conversant with recent releases. It is also the largest of its kind, and one of the few single-volume surveys that covers the entire Bible.

John Frederick Evans is a lecturer at the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology in Nairobi, Kenya.

A native of North Carolina, Dr. Evans grew up the son and grandson of Presbyterian pastors. He completed his Bachelor of Arts at Calvin College, a Masters degrees in Divinity and Theology at Covenant Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Theology at the Universiteit can Stellenbosch. He himself served as an ordained Pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) before moving onto the mission field in Zambia in the late 1990s. He served in Zambia until 2007, then for one year in Namibia before moving to Kenya in 2009.

Dr. Evans and his wife Elizabeth have three children: Martyn, Beth, and Daniel. He enjoys music, running, playing tennis, and wildlife photography.