The Work
William Barclay's Daily Study Bible is a 17-volume commentary on the entire New Testament, published by Saint Andrew Press (Edinburgh) between 1953 and 1959. Barclay began the series as part of his work as a lecturer (later Professor) of New Testament Language and Literature at Trinity College, Glasgow. Each volume covers a New Testament book and follows a consistent format: the Greek text is divided into short passages, each given a fresh translation by Barclay, followed by notes on language, background, and application. The series has sold millions of copies in English and has been translated into numerous other languages, making it the best-selling Bible commentary series ever published.
Biblical Engagement
Barclay's commentary is distinguished by his exceptional gift for making Greek lexicography accessible to non-specialist readers. He regularly provided word studies that brought out the nuances of Greek terms, drawing on classical Greek, Hellenistic papyri, and Septuagint usage.
His treatment of John 1:1 ("In the beginning was the Word") is famous. Barclay explains the range of meanings of logos in Greek philosophical tradition (from Heraclitus through the Stoics to Philo of Alexandria), in Jewish wisdom literature (where logos and sophia overlap), and in the specific Johannine context. He argues that John chose logos precisely because it was a word with resonances in both Jewish and Greek thought, enabling the gospel to speak to both audiences -- a point of remarkable hermeneutical sensitivity.
1 Corinthians 13 receives some of Barclay's most celebrated treatment. His word study of agape, which he carefully distinguished from eros (romantic love) and philia (friendship), drew on Hellenistic papyri that showed how rarely agape was used in ordinary Greek. His paraphrase of each attribute of love in terms of concrete human behavior made the chapter accessible in a new way: "Love is patient" became "Love is long-tempered" -- the Greek makrothumia, long-suffering toward persons (as opposed to hupomone, endurance under circumstances).
Romans 8:28 ("And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose") receives a characteristically accessible treatment. Barclay surveys the Greek textual variants (some manuscripts add "God" as the subject: "God works all things together for good"), examines the range of meanings of sunergei (works together), and applies the verse to the experience of suffering and providence in human life.
Matthew 5:3 ("Blessed are the poor in spirit") is analyzed through a careful word study of makarios (blessed) and the Greek ptochos (utterly destitute, crouching beggar) as opposed to penes (merely poor). Barclay's point -- that spiritual poverty in the Beatitudes means total emptiness of self-sufficiency before God, not mere modesty -- became one of his most-cited insights.
Author and Context
William Barclay (1907-1978) was born in Wick, Scotland, and educated at the University of Glasgow and Trinity College, Glasgow. He was ordained in the Church of Scotland and served as a parish minister in Renfrew before joining the Trinity College faculty in 1946. He became Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism in 1963. He was also a prolific broadcaster, best known for his BBC radio programs in which he made biblical scholarship accessible to a mass audience.
Barclay's theology was liberal in the Presbyterian tradition: he held historical-critical views of the New Testament (accepting, for example, that the Pastoral Epistles may be pseudonymous), questioned the literal bodily resurrection and the Virgin Birth in ways that generated controversy, and expressed openness to universalism (the view that all will ultimately be saved). These positions caused significant controversy within the Church of Scotland and among evangelical readers, yet they did not substantially diminish the sales or influence of the Daily Study Bible, whose practical and expository value was widely recognized across theological differences.
His personal life included profound suffering: his daughter Barbara drowned in a sailing accident in 1964, together with her fiance. Barclay's response to this loss -- his ability to continue his work, his willingness to address questions of suffering and providence with pastoral rather than theoretical depth -- was noted by many readers as giving his later writing an increased gravitas.
Critical Reception
The Daily Study Bible received immediate and enthusiastic popular reception. Preachers, teachers, and laypeople found it indispensable. Academic biblical scholars noted its lack of original research and its use of secondary sources, but acknowledged its extraordinary accessibility and pedagogical effectiveness. Evangelical critics expressed concern about Barclay's liberal theological positions but often recommended the commentary for its word studies while cautioning against its theological conclusions.
The series has been revised and updated since Barclay's death by the Westminster John Knox Press and Saint Andrew Press.
Theological Significance
Barclay demonstrated that popular biblical commentary could achieve both scholarly integrity and mass accessibility -- that rigorous engagement with Greek lexicography and historical background did not require obscure jargon or academic distance. His model has influenced the design of numerous subsequent popular commentary series. His willingness to state plainly where his interpretations were controversial, rather than disguising his liberal positions as neutral scholarship, is a form of intellectual honesty that earned him respect even from those who disagreed with him.
Legacy
The Daily Study Bible remains in print and in use worldwide. Its influence has been particularly significant in English-speaking Protestant churches, where it has served as the default popular commentary for ministers and laypeople for over sixty years. Barclay's word studies have entered the permanent vocabulary of popular preaching: his explanations of agape, makarios, and logos continue to be retold by preachers who may not know they are quoting Barclay.
Reading Alongside Scripture
Readers will find Barclay's commentary most rewarding alongside the texts he treats with greatest care: John 1:1-18 (the Logos), 1 Corinthians 13 (love), the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Romans 8 (life in the Spirit), and Philippians (joy in adversity).
Further Reading
- Clive Rawlins, William Barclay: The Authorized Biography (1984) -- the standard biography. - J. Martin, William Barclay: A Spiritual Autobiography (1975) -- Barclay's own account of his faith and theology. - Victor Paul Furnish, The Love Command in the New Testament (1972) -- provides scholarly depth on the agape vocabulary Barclay so influentially popularized.