D. Edmond Hiebert (1910–1995)

This book is an excellent verse-by-verse work on the book of James. Verse by verse may not even be the right way to say that. Perhaps it is better to say it word by word. That is the level of detail in writing. It is very in-depth. I enjoyed that aspect, though it is heavy at times.

My one knock on the book is the author’s approach to the text of the Bible. He utilizes the ASV as a base version and frequently speaks against the KJV or TR readings. Some will not care about that, but it was show more a negative aspect of the writing.

I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a deep exegetical look at Biblical texts and any preacher or teacher wishing to teach from the book of James. Though the book can be read cover to cover, it is also an excellent reference volume. show less

In my mind, Hiebert oftens overplays the Greek (tenses especially) to give a meaning that he is happy with. Overall, however, he does a good job of laying out the text. He does not go into great detail about various interpretive issues. When there is a difficulty, he may or may not mention all the options, but he does choose one, often without in depth analysis as to why. His work is well footnoted, though, and further study is not hard to find for those who are looking. Not my favorite show more commentary of James, but not my least either. For someone looking for an introductory look at the issues and text, this will do ok. show less

In my mind, Hiebert oftens overplays the Greek (tenses especially) to give a meaning that he is happy with. Overall, however, he does a good job of laying out the text. He does not go into great detail about various interpretive issues. When there is a difficulty, he may or may not mention all the options, but he does choose one, often without in depth analysis as to why. His work is well footnoted, though, and further study is not hard to find for those who are looking. Not my favorite show more commentary of James, but not my least either. For someone looking for an introductory look at the issues and text, this will do ok. show less

I was not a huge fan of Hiebert. He was wordy and seemed to talk about issues longer than I felt he needed to. I felt he would take facts about the text (e.g. tense of a verb) and build more off of it than could be substantiated.

He is helpful to see the Thessalonian epistles from the Premillennial perspective and has some good insight here. In the end, I usually consulted Hiebert last and only for the more difficult passages.