Do not open the commentary immediately. Read your Old Testament text (e.g., Genesis 15) in several translations (NIV, NRSV, ESV). Note your questions: Why does God use a smoking firepot? What is a "covenant of pieces"?
Let’s address the elephant in the sanctuary. Search engine data shows thousands of monthly queries for "IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament PDF." Why?
However, there is a major problem. InterVarsity Press (IVP) is a publisher that relies on sales to fund future academic works. As of this writing, there is no legal, free PDF of the complete commentary distributed by the publisher. ivp bible background commentary old testament pdf
Any website offering a downloadable PDF of the full, recent edition (2008 or later) is almost certainly a pirated copy. Piracy hurts Christian scholarship. Furthermore, many "free PDF" sites are traps for malware, spyware, or pop-up viruses.
Honestly? No.
This is not a novel you read once. It is a tool you keep within arm's reach of your desk for decades. When you are preaching Malachi or teaching Sunday School about the conquest of Canaan, you need to grab the book, flip to the page, and see the map.
A grainy PDF on your phone won't serve you in a moment of teaching crisis. Do not open the commentary immediately
If you want, I can:
Without cultural background, Abraham looks like a modern nomad. The IVP commentary explains: However, there is a major problem