In the summer of 2014, I compiled several lists of recommended commentaries for diligent Bible students. I created these lists partly to provide advice for the library at Faith Builders (a conservative Anabaptist educational institution), but also to guide me as I built my own biblical studies library.
These lists reflected the advice of about a dozen scholarly books and websites rather than my own experience, but most of the 100-plus volumes I've purchased from these lists have proven useful. Though these lists are now about a decade old, they remain useful if compared with more current lists, such as those published annually by Denver Seminar (see below).
You can download these commentary recommendations, with detailed descriptions of my intended audience, purpose, and sources, here:
Bible Commentary Recommendations
In my church tradition (conservative Anabaptist) there is some understandable hesitation about using Bible commentaries. If you share this hesitation, I encourage you to read my short article explaining "Why I Use Bible Commentaries." If used wisely, commentaries help the Spirit-guided Church rightly handle God's word and faithfully follow Christ.
For a more up-to-date perspective on recommended Bible study helps, I recommend the lists published annually by faculty members of Denver Seminary. Their biases do not always match mine, but I recommend comparing them with what I have shared here.
Denver Journal Annotated Old Testament Bibliography
Denver Journal New Testament Exegesis Bibliography