Exploring Proverbs: Proverbs 19:6-31:31 (The Exploring Series)

Rating:
Summary: The Complete Guide to the Book of Proverbs is better.
Review: Exploring Proverbs goes systematically through the book of Proverbs giving interesting but lengthy stories to illustrate Solomon's witty observations on human nature. Unfortunately the commentary is marred by errors, guilt and narrowmindedness. "Christian Science members are deluded victims of cults who are totally blind" (page 20). "Masons are a cult" (page 43). We are all "poor sinners... in this dark world of sin" (page 336). Phillips quotes the King James version which is the hardest to understand and least accurate. He not only fails to correct the KJV mistranslation of "Sheol" or "death" as "Hell" in Proverbs 15.11 (a New Testament concept), but then proceeds with a lengthy discertation on Hell. Yahweh is mistranslated as Jehovah on pages 196 & 554. Although today's Bible scholars are unanimous that Ecclesiastes was written 700 years after Solomon died, Phillips attributes Ecclesiastes to Solomon (page 199). For a more up-to-date and accurate commentary on Proverbs read THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones (1999). Five modern translations are included in parallel to the KJV to improve accuracy and understanding. The comments are interesting and very readable and put things into a historical setting. It includes many historical drawings and photos to give you a sense of the culture of the time.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent outlines and easily understood commentary
Review: I have found Phillips commentary not only easy to read and understand, but devotionally inspiring as well as doctrinally sound. His excellent outline of each chapter is worth the price of the volume. It certainly makes preaching and teaching through the Proverbs a joy. I sometimes use it for my morning devotional study. Every Christian would profit from reading this volume.

Rating:
Summary: John Phillips work is excellent devotionally
Review: John Phillip's work is excellent devotionally. I bought Cody Jones' work on Proverbs and it was a total waste of money. Apparently Cody Jones is using the reviews on Amazon to blast other writers and to praise his own work. That should tell you what work you want to explore (M. Fox's work on Proverbs 1-9 is one of the finest today).