Bible Commentaries

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the variety of commentaries available for Bible Study. There are five main types of Bible commentary, each of which has a unique emphasis. Which commentary you choose depends on your personal and academic needs.

 Thrift library provides access to a variety of types to ensure that you have access to the information you need when you need it. 

Exegetical Commentaries

Also known as Critical Commentaries, these are intended for advanced study with significant consideration of the original languages and engagement with other scholarly writing., often offering a systematic explanation of the texts. They're ideal for understanding the human author's intended meaning of the text, while also providing extensive explanation for problem passages and interpretive debates.

Examples: 

• The International Critical Commentary on the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments - T. & T. Clark
• Erdman's Critical Commentary - Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Expositional Commentaries

These are intended to explain the meaning of the text and help the reader make personal applications. They're ideal for preaching and teaching and are often used by pastors for sermon preparation.  While these commentaries contain some scholarly content, and can be useful for academic papers, they are also written in simple language and are accessible to most readers, regardless of prior knowledge.

Examples:  

• The Bible Exposition Commentary - Warren Wiersbe
• The New Testament Library - Westminster John Knox Press

Cultural/Historical Commentaries

These are intended to help the reader understand key cultural and historical information surrounding the biblical text. They may also explain social or rhetorical features of the text. They're ideal for understanding the background of the text, especially regarding its original recipients and authors. 

Examples:

• The IVP Bible Background Commentary - Intervarsity Press
• Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary - Clinton E. Arnold

Theological Commentaries

These commentaries highlight doctrinal and theological concepts and can vary based on the beliefs of the authors/contributors. They often focus on the relationship between passages (intertextuality) and can cite extra-biblical texts such as the apocrypha and the writings of Church Fathers. They are useful in studying the theological differences between various religions and Christian denominations.

Examples: 

• Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible - Westminster John Knox Press
• Anchor Yale Bible Commentary - Yale University Press

Devotional Commentaries

These are written in a non-scholarly tone and often intended for use by individuals during their personal devotions/Bible study. They are intended to assist the reader in the personal walk with the Lord and emphasize personal application. While these are included in library holdings and can be a helpful tool for personal study, they are not recommended for academic research and citation.

Examples: 

• Focus on the Bible Series - Christian Focus Publishing
• The Bible Speaks Today: Bible Themes Series - InterVarsity Press

There are a variety of ways to find Bible Commentaries within the Thrift Library Holdings. Depending on your specific needs, consider trying one of the following: 

1. Open the Thrift Library catalog then enter Commentary, and the biblical book in question. Select "Books" from the Resource Type filter on the left to remove irrelevant results. 

• Commentary AND Ecclesiastes
• Jonah Commentary (System assumes AND)

2. Select Advanced Search to the right of the search bar, set the first line to "any field" (default) and enter Commentary, then set the second line to "Title" and enter the Bible book in question. Set the Material Type to Books before searching to save time later. Your search string should read "Any field contains Commentary AND Title contains Bible Book"

3. If you have a commentary preference or an instructor recommended a specific series, enter that name along with the Bible book of choice. If the series has more than one word, put quotation marks around the exact title phrase.  

• "Tyndale New Testament" AND Colossians
• "Beacon Bible Commentary" AND Amos

4. Try an advanced search for either commentary or commentaries, then a specific kind of commentary (homiletical, preaching, expositional, devotional, exegetical, historical, critical, theological, Christ-centered, dispensational, reformed, etc.), and then set a search for Title as your Bible book. You can add additional lines to your advanced search using the Add a New Line button. 

Note - Some older commentaries are available on free Bible resources sites such as StudyLight.org. Many of these are helpful for devotional use, but they are not recommended for use academically. Thrift library provides many quality resources for your use. For more information about the library's holdings, visit the library or email the Christian Studies Liaison Librarian, Meghan Curtis (mcurtis@andersonuniversity.edu).  

Bible Commentaries can be confusing to cite but are most often classified into one of the following categories: 

• A Book in a Series
• A Chapter in an Edited Book in a Multi-Volume Work
• Book (If none of the others seem applicable, cite the work as a book or consult the appropriate style guide for additional guidance.) 

A Book in a Series (eBook)

Example: Pillar New Testament Commentary Series

A Book in a Series (Print)

Example: The NIV Application Commentary Series

A Chapter in an Edited Book in a Multivolume Work

Example: The Expositor's Bible Commentary

Note: See the appropriate Style Guide for Book citation examples. Remember to vary your citation based on you access method (Print vs. Web).