I use the IVP Bible Background Commentaries almost every week. The Old Testament volume is a verse-by-verse reference to the cultural, historical, geographic, and social world behind the text, drawing on ancient Near Eastern evidence to explain customs, institutions, images, and practices that modern readers can easily miss.
Scripture was written for us, but it was not written directly to us, and this commentary helps close that gap by giving context the original audience would have understood instinctively. Details about household structures, honor and shame, marriage customs, agriculture, worship, travel, and community life can completely change how a passage lands.
What I appreciate most is that it helps me cultivate a more faithful imagination of the text without turning speculation into certainty. It does not replace careful exegesis, but it often helps me see what I might otherwise miss. For anyone teaching or studying the Bible regularly, this is one of the most practical tools you can keep within arm’s reach.