Scholars? Who decides who is a scholar? I can acknowledge that your list has many good scholars ... but let's face it ... even among your list of scholars, their views would not be completely congruent. Where they diverge where do you drop the label of scholar for one of them? Scholars disagree all the time.
I decide for me. And when I find a scholar who proves reliable, I generally assume his recommendations of the scholarly are valid, and so on.
Who decides for you?
>>>I can acknowledge that your list has many good scholars, but let's face it ... even among your list of scholars, their views would not be completely congruent.<<<
Scholars rarely agree on the Bible. I have commentaries galore, and on the tough passages I go to them to see if they can shed any light. Some major "successes" were with Daniel 9:24-27, and Daniel 11 and 12; and even then 10 out of 9 commentators didn't agree with each other! LOL!
>>>Where they diverge where do you drop the label of scholar for one of them? Scholars disagree all the time.<<<
When I am absolutely convinced they are wasting my time, I move them to the bottom of the list.
LOL! Just kidding. I am certain you are just like I am. I tend to rely on some, more than others. Maybe their doctrine confirms my belief more than others, or maybe with some, like Moses Stuart, I get the occasional eye-opener. Some are boring as heck, and just as unorganized: but I rely on them, like Matthew Henry. I also like John Gill and Adam Clarke. I don't agree with everything they write, but even that knowledge is beneficial more often than not.
One of my favourite authors, Philip Mauro, did not have the normal credentials of a biblical scholar. But his writing is very clear and well-founded in the scripture.
By the way, I excluded Mauro and Gentry from the list. They are also early-daters.
Philip