So I have to ask. Has anyone used the New International Commentary and is it really worth the cost? For the Word it is currently $1095.68 for the entire set. But on Olive Tree its $799. Logos has it currently for $1864.99 (what?)

Going on 30 years now I've been using free resources. Back before computers I purchased a duffel bag full of research books. Lately I've wondered if these exorbitant priced tools are something I might want/need.

Is this set really any different than say Lange's or Cambridge or JFB? Which are all free on the Word? I just can't imagine the content is that much different, that much more relevant to justify the $800-$2000 price tag.

Thoughts?

Of course it's all up to you whether it's worth it. Pretty much anywhere you ask on the internet you're going to get all kinds of opinions and arguments over the worth of various works that I'll try to avoid here.

I haven't used Olive Tree or Logos, but I know that the formatting of such resources for theWord are more involved and usable than the same works for other software such as e-Sword (unless e-Sword has substantially updated its formats since the last time I looked). That to me is worth at least some extra cost.

If you want reviews for the set itself or the individual books, you're probably as well off looking at Amazon or Christian Books Distributors, or whatever. There is a short review of the set here: http://www.doctordavet.com/twpremiums.html

If you're interested I suggest you watch for sales at http://www.thewordbooks.com/. I've also gotten a monthly newsletter that list sales that you can sign up for at the same website. The savings can be substantial.

It'll most likely of course be a lot cheaper to buy the whole set if you want all the books, but if you want to get an idea of the quality of the books, you may want to watch for an individual book you're interested in to be on sale. You can then check out the background and doctrinal leanings of the author as they're not all the same (at least I like to know about the author so I know what to expect). Try at least one book like that and you should get the idea of the value of the set, keeping in mind that the quality may vary somewhat based on the author. I personally have bought a handful of individual books this way.

The set is naturally much more thorough than a one volume commentary, with lots of background, critical commentary, and such. It appeals especially to those who want the latest in modern scholarship. I think there is some value in that, at the same time I don't believe that modern scholars are necessarily more knowledgeable, intelligent, discerning, or godly than those who came before them (I don't believe we're evolving), though there may be cases where God makes clearer to us things such as the end times as they approach closer. It also may appeal to those who are concerned with studying about the Bible rather than just studying the Bible (evidences for the date and author, how God did or didn't preserve His Word and such, based a lot on their understanding of the evidence and how they think God must have worked; rather than just making practical spiritual application to what it says).

Hey Jeff,

Thanks very much for your point of view. I do agree it's all relative. Opinions will very greatly. I just wanted to get some idea since I can't get a look at the contents just yet. I did find a preview online of the Revelation commentary. It was an interesting read of the few pages I got.

I will sign up for the newsletter at the premium website. I've decided not to invest in Accordance (seems kind of buggy) or Logos (won't work on my computer), so I'm sticking with theWord, which has actually been the best bible software program I've ever used.

Price is also a factor, of course. I had to pick myself up off the floor when I saw an Accordance package going for $36,999. Not what it was "worth." That's what it actually cost. I mean, my house cost less than that price! Would the ROI really be worth that amount? I suppose if a professor is making $150,000 a year and his publish or perish requirements demand he be on the cutting edge of research, I could maybe see the justification. But still... The software would be worth exponentially more than the computer its running on.

And, for that cost, you still can't run Accordance from a flash drive. But, the $36,000 price does include the New International Commentary. The complete set. I checked.

And there also seemed to be quite a few free modules as well.

They offer a 20% Switcher Discount if someone is switching over from another software program. So, the price is now down to $29,599. Okay, my house did cost more than that price.

thewordbooks.com (the premium site) used to offer very substantial discounts on the commentary set. During that time I picked up most of the NT volumes and part of the OT, then ownership changed and the sale prices change substantially so I cannot pick them up like I used to. The volumes are very good and if the price ever drops again I will try and buy more. I cannot see spending over a $1,000 for them, but when I was getting them more reasonable prices it was worth it. The price purely depends on your desires and financial state, the quality of the commentaries is very good.

Darrel