Born in Dublin, he moved to England where he was ordained in the Church of England in 1947. He continued in parish ministry until 1989.
In his career he authored many books but was perhaps best known for his work as series editor of Bible Speaks Today (BST) - one of the most widely used Bible commentaries.
Speaking last year about finishing the series, which began in 1968, he told Premier it was "a great relief" to have completed it.
"I'm happy to say we're ending on a remarkably high note. The last four volumes [Ralph Davis on Daniel, Chris Wright, Jeremiah and Lamentations and David Firth, Joshua] have been right at the top of the tree," he said.
Tributes from all around the world are being written on social media.