Thinking about purchasing SIL Exegetical Summary Series

[Tim Hall]

As the topic says, I am considering the purchase of the SIL ESS. I am a pastor with a basic knowledge of Koine Greek, and hardly any knowledge of Hebrew & Aramaic. So I was hoping there might be some preachers who own and use this module that would be wiling to give me insight as to whether it is useful or not. Of course, I will be happy for anyone's experience with the module, so if you not a pastor please feel free to chime in to.

 

Thanks and blessings!

[jlm]

I find it a useful summary of basic points from other commentaries. If I don’t have the time or interest to look into the arguments on a certain point, I can see what the majority of commentators I trust say. If I have time, I can follow the links to read their arguments.

 

The video gives a good idea of the content. I found the new volumes on Acts an outlier, in that they only discuss the meaning of key terms, and rarely or never deal with questions of interpretation.

 

It doesn’t call for much knowledge of Greek or Hebrew. Key terms in a verse are given in Greek or Hebrew, but in the context of a translation, and with the various ways each term is translated. Hebrew words are also transliterated.

[Tony Lawrence]

My experience with SIL has been extremely positive. In fact, if financial resources were limited this would be the one resource that I would choose. It is much more valuable if you own the sources it cites as they are hyperlinked. Working through a passage you get an identification of key terms, summary of the major commentaries and then some very helpful questions and answers. The latter can be real helpful in teaching and preaching.

[Tim Hall]

Thanks @jlmand @Tony Lawrence, I decided to go ahead and purchase. Your feedback was helpful!

[Nathan Parker]

Glad you purchased! I was willing to share a screenshot of a sample of content if you wanted to see it (I think I own it in Logos, I need to crossgrade it into Accordance).

 

It’s a useful series. When I need a quick summary of the other commentaries in a concise manner, it’s a great resource to consult.

[Dan Langston]

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I noticed that the Expositor's links to the 1984 series; I know some favor 1984 over the newer one. Does anyone know if there has been a discussion about updating the links to the newer Expositor's?