List of Old Biblical Commentaries
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2016 - July 2022 index-topical-hb

So long as the current and patchily applied system of copyright survives, works from about 1926[1] will continue to be more widely and obviously[2] available than works from after that date.

When it comes to in-depth, language-oriented biblical commentaries, this has created a situation where most of the 1927-2022 academic work on the Bible is restricted to one degree or another, while a bunch of older stuff is widely available.

Below is a list of old biblical commentaries.[3] I may cite some of these commentaries, when I refer to them, in abbreviated form -- just using the author's name and maybe a date.

The List
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Torah
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[4] Genesis: Driver (1916), Dillmann (on chapters 1-11, 1897), Murphy (1873), Skinner (1910).
Exodus: Murphy (1881), Driver (1918).
Leviticus: Driver (1898).
Numbers: Gray (1903).
Deuteronomy: Driver (1896).

Former Prophets
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Judges: Moore (1918).
Samuel: Driver (1890), Driver (1913), Smith (1899).
Kings: Montgomery (1951).

Latter Prophets
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Isaiah: Driver (1909), Gray (on chapters 1-39, 1912).
Jeremiah: Driver (1906).
Ezekiel: Henderson (1870).

The Twelve
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Hosea: Harper (1910).
Joel: Bewer (1911),  Driver (1901).
Amos: Driver (1901), Harper (1910), Bulkeley (2005).
Obadiah: Bewer (1911).
Jonah: Bewer (1912).
Micah: Smith (1911).
Nahum: Smith (1911).
Habakkuk: Ward (1911).
Zephaniah: Smith (1911).
Haggai: Mitchell (1912).
Zechariah: Mitchell (1912).
Malachi: Smith (1912)

The Writings
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Psalms: Briggs, Volume 1 (1906), Briggs, Volume 2 (1908).
Proverbs: Toy (1899).
Job: Driver and Gray (1901). Song: Delitzsch, translated by Easton (1891). Harper (1902).
Ecclesiastes: Barton (1908).
Esther: Paton (1908).
Daniel: Driver (1922), Montgomery (1927).
Ezra-Nehemiah: Batten (1913).
Chronicles: Curtis (1910).

New Testament
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Matthew: Allen (1907).
Mark: Gould (1896).
Luke: Plummer (1914).
John: MacEvilly (1902).

Acts: Gloag, Volume 2 (1870).

Romans: Sanday and Headlam  (1902).
2 Corinthians: Plummer (1915).
Galatians: Burton (1920).
Ephesians: Abbot (1909).
Colossians: Abbot (1909).
Thessalonians 1, 2: Frame (1912).
Philippians: Vincent (1902).
Timothy 1, 2: Lock (1924).
Titus: Lock (1924).
Philemon: Vincent (1902).

James: Ropes (1916).
John 1, 2, 3: Brooke (1912).
Peter 1, 2: Bigg (1903).
Jude: Bigg (1903).

Revelation: Charles, Volume 1 (1920), Charles, Volume 2 (1920).

  1. I'm speaking from the perspective of an American. As of 2022, works from 1926 and before are in the public domain, while works after 1926 often fall under copyright. It is often difficult to tell whether a given work is under copyright, but for books published before 1978, the maximum term of copyright is 95 years. New works fall into the public domain on public-domain-day, January 1st.↩︎
  2. I say 'obviously' because a great mass of copyrighted material is available but only from pirate libraries which are legaly frowned upon. Are they illegal? See here. ↩︎
  3. Not every single commentary on this list is older than 1927, but then again not everything after 1926 is copyrighted. There exists a large zone between 1927 and 1964 in which only certain works -- due to the vagaries of the copyright registration process -- are copyrighted. For any work I list here after 1927, I do so only if the book is openly available on archive.org, a reputable site recognized as a public library by the State of California.↩︎
  4. This list follows the Hebrew Bible's order of books.↩︎
Table Of Contents

List of Old Biblical Commentaries

The List

Torah

Former Prophets

Latter Prophets

The Twelve

The Writings

New Testament