NCLA Review - N.T. Wright's popular The New Testament for Everyone series is now followed by an ambitious project, John Goldingay's The Old Testament for Everyone. These are commentaries written with a lay audience in mind, integrating personal stories and contemporary illustrations with exegesis of the Biblical text. Goldingay wisely devotes two full volumes to Genesis, and then finishes up his commentary on the Pentateuch with two other volumes, Exodus and Leviticus for Everyone, and Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone. Because Goldingay intends to write commentary on the entire Old Testament, libraries may want to wait and purchase all the volumes as a single set (a format that is now available for N.T. Wright's commentary on the New Testament, ISBN 9780664228514). On the other hand, churches that lack commentaries designed for lay readers may want to purchase these immediately, because they are certainly some of the best work out there written for a lay audience, and would be incredibly useful for small group bible study, personal devotions, and other contexts. Rating: 4 —CS ( )