Books to Help You Understand the Bible

I really appreciate the fact that a guy like Mark Driscoll will tell you his recommendations for various categories of books. Here's his recommended list of books to help you make sense of the Bible.

Manners and Customs

• Edersheim, Alfred. Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
• Edersheim, Alfred. Sketches of Jewish Social Life in the Time of Christ
• Gower, Ralph. The New Manners & Customs of Bible Times
• Ryken, Leland, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III. Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
• Walton, John H, Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
• Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

Commentaries

• Glynn, John. Commentary and Reference Survey: A Comprehensive Guide to Biblical and Theological Resources
• Longman, Tremper, III. Old Testament Commentary Survey
• Carson, D.A. New Testament Commentary Survey

Bible Difficulties

• Geisler, Norman, and Thomas Howe. When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties
• Kaiser, Walter C. Jr. Hard Sayings of the Bible
• Archer, Gleason L. Jr. New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties

Systematic Theology

• Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine
• Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology
• Gordon R. and Bruce A. Demarest. Integrative Theology