The International Critical Commentary
On the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
EDITORS' PREFACE
There are now before the public many Commentaries,
written by British and American divines, of a popular
or homiletical character. The Cambridge Bible for Schools, the Handbooks for Bible Classes and Private Students,
The Speaker's Commentary, The Popular Commentary (Schaff),
The Expositor's Bible, and other similar series, have their
special place and importance. But they do not enter into the
field of Critical Biblical scholarship occupied by such series of
Commentaries as the Kurzgefasstes exegetisches Handbuch zum A. T.; De Wette's Kurzgefasstes exegetisches Handbuch zum N. T.; Meyer's Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar; Keil and
Delitzsch's Biblischer Commentar über das A. T.; Lange's
Theologisch-homiletisches Bibelwerk; Nowack's Handkommentar zum A. T.; Holtzmann's Handkommentar zum N. T. Several
of these have been translated, edited, and in some cases enlarged
and adapted, for the English-speaking public; others are in
process of translation. But no corresponding series by British
or American divines has hitherto been produced. The way has
been prepared by special Commentaries by Cheyne, Ellicott,
Kalisch, Lightfoot, Perowne, Westcott, and others; and the
time has come, in the judgment of the projectors of this enterprise,
when it is practicable to combine British and American
scholars in the production of a critical, comprehensive
Commentary that will be abreast of modern biblical scholarship,
and in a measure lead its van.