Kevin Becker
This resource is great for surveying the interpretive landscape quickly and can point you toward differing views so you can go to those commentaries and read the reasoning behind the views. ... These commentaries ask the question, what do commentators say about a passage. They tell you conclusions, not rationale. ...I value the SIL mostly for identifying exegetical disagreement that may or may not be discussed by the commentators I do read in more depth. If it’s a quick study I ignore the SIL summaries, but if it’s detailed exegesis I make certain to consult with them.
nicky crane
What attracts me is that it summarises the various conclusions scholars have reached, and in which commentaries, so you can then go direct to the commentary concerned if you want more detail. And it seems to go more thoroughly into the text, word by word, phrase by phrase than even the UBS, which is normally the first commentary I consult. ...this SIL summary, for those parts of the Bible it covers, goes into much more detail that you can explore if you want, both linguistic and exegetical, and brings up and suggests answers to relevant questions about the text.
Randy O’Brien
I would affirm their value – especially if you own many commentaries. On the other hand, even if you don’t own many of the cited commentaries, it is very helpful to see what they would say if you had it. In that sense it could be very useful on its own. I use the SIL as a sort of “cliff notes” to the various viewpoints and positions. It is an easy way to spot interpretive issues and link to the sources....I use them more for in-depth study rather than the casual work....I use them in pastoral work as well as academic research. I think of them more as a commentary tool than a commentary set.