Commentaries

Commentary & Reference Survey – John Glynn
Available in print.

An Annotated Guide to Biblical Resources for Ministry – David R. Bauer
Available in print.

Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries / New Testament Commentaries
Evangelical/Semi-technical. Includes sections on literary genre and structure. Written for theological students and pastors, but also works well for upper-level college students.

Anchor Yale Bible
Emphasizes philology and history. Includes an introduction, new translation, linguistic and exegetical notes, and occasionally detailed exposition, but only includes limited theological details. Authors come from a variety of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish backgrounds. Appropriate for advanced readers

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
Each section of the biblical text (RSV) is followed by newly translated excerpts of commentary by early church fathers such as Augustine, Origen, and Jerome. Editors of this series come from Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Orthodox traditions.

Ancient Christian Texts
Translates full-length commentaries by church fathers such as Cyril of Alexandria and Origen.

Apollos Old Testament Commentary
Each volume includes background information about dating and authorship but also examines theology and contemporary application from an evangelical viewpoint. The writing style is accessible,  and each section looks at form and structure, exegesis, and exposition.

Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms
Coming from an evangelical viewpoint, this series emphasizes theological issues but also includes linguistic, canonical, and historical information written in an accessible style. Each volume includes the author’s own translation of the text.

Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
Evangelical/Semi-technical. Includes transliterations for the Greek. Translates foreign languages. Aims for readability. Tries to combine exegesis with theology

Believers Church Bible Commentary
Expositional. A cooperative project of Brethren in Christ Church, Brethren Church, Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Brethren Church, Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada.

Berit Olam
Literary and narrative analysis of the Old Testament. Commentary for every genre-type of the Hebrew Bible, with diverse theological and theoretical perspectives in each volume.

Bible Speaks Today
Evangelical/Application/Non-technical. Widely acclaimed for accurate exposition, contemporary relevance, and readability.

Black’s New Testament Commentaries
Semi-technical. Does not require detailed knowledge of Greek.

Blackwell Bible Commentaries
Focuses on the Bible’s reception, history, and cultural influence.

Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible
Theological focus/Non-technical. Commentators were chosen for their knowledge of and expertise in using the Christian doctrinal tradition.

Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture
Non-technical. Implements the exegetical and theological principles taught by Vatican II for interpreting texts in light of the whole of Scripture and the Church’s faith. Written for preachers, teachers, and lay Catholics interested in studying the Bible. Shows the relationship of Scripture to Catholic doctrine, worship, and daily life.

Church’s Bible
Focus on early church writings. Similar to Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, but slightly more technical. Not complete.

Communicator’s Commentary Series
Blends scholarship with applications and illustrations for real life and outlines for lessons and sermons.

Eerdmans Critical Commentary
Designed to be accessible to scholars as well as serious general readers. Authors represent a broad range of backgrounds. Each volume includes the author’s own translation, critical notes, and commentary on literary, historical, cultural, and theological aspects of the text.

Expositor’s Bible Commentary
Evangelical/Expositional. Updated and revised edition of the original Gold Medallion Award–winning commentary series.

Hermeneia
Critical/Technical. Pays attention to parallel texts. Provides translations of Greek and Latin. Includes apocryphal and pseudepigraphical works. Includes philology and history, textual criticism, genre analysis, etc.

Holman Old Testament Commentary / New Testament Commentary
A complete series. Coming from a Southern Baptist perspective, this commentary series focuses on providing teaching material for pastors and Bible study leaders. Based on the NIV, it includes discussion questions, prayers, teaching outlines, and life application.

International Critical Commentary
Critical/Technical. Many volumes are dated, but new volumes are beginning to replace the old. Greek and Latin are not translated.

Interpretation
Full interpretations of the biblical text, combining historical scholarship and theological purpose. Each commentary deals with whole portions or sections of text that are used in teaching and preaching rather than with individual verses and words. Exegetical study and hermeneutical reflection are integrated into one readable expository essay.

IVP New Testament Commentaries
Evangelical/Expositional. Designed for preachers and teachers.

JPS Bible Commentary / JPS Torah Commentary
Written by Hebrew Bible scholars, published by the Jewish Publication Society. Integrates classical and modern sources.

New American Commentary
Evangelical/Expositional. Baptist perspective. Written for pastors and laypeople.

New Cambridge Bible Commentary
Semi-technical. Extensive use of rhetorical criticism, narrative criticism, and social-scientific tools. Fairly accessible

New International Biblical Commentary
Based on the NIV, this commentary is meant for general readers, although it works for students and pastors as well. Each volume includes introductory background at the beginning, and each section highlights key terms and phrases, with all Greek transliterated. Technical notes are included at the end of each section.

New International Commentary on the Old Testament / New Testament
Evangelical/Semi-technical/Conservative/Critical

New International Greek Testament Commentaries
Incomplete series. Focuses on exegesis of the Greek text, which is not always transliterated or translated because its primary audience is Greek students. Uses historical-critical and literary methods to arrive at  theological interpretations, although it is more accessible than fully critical commentaries, and it does not contain practical application.

New Interpreter’s Bible
Theologically diverse series. Includes the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books. Contains detailed, critical Commentary and Reflections (a detailed exposition growing directly out of the commentary).

Old Testament Library / New Testament Library
Critical/Technical. Commentary, exegesis, and literary criticism.

NIV Application Commentary
Pastoral/Non-technical. Accessible. Three sections for each passage: Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts, Contemporary Significance. Exegetical, literary, and grammatical summaries, along with contemporary applications.

Paideia
Approaches each text in its final, canonical form, proceeding by sense units (pericopes) rather than word-by-word or verse-by-verse.

Pentecostal Commentary Series
Pentecostal. New series.

Pillar New Testament Commentary
Evangelical/Semi-technical. Seeks interact with the most important, informed contemporary debate yet avoid undue technical detail. Blends rigorous exegesis and exposition, scholarship and pastoral sensitivity, with attention to biblical theology and the contemporary relevance of the Bible.

Preaching the Word
Expository commentary derived from actual sermons and edited for written presentation.

Reformation Commentary on Scripture
Compiles commentary from the Reformers.

Reformed Expository Commentary
Reformed/Expositional. Provides biblical, doctrinal, redemptive-historical, and practical commentaries.

Sacra Pagina
Catholic. Written by an international team of Catholic biblical scholars. Includes new translations and modern expositions.

Teach the Text
Expositional/Non-technical. Sections dedicated to effectively teaching and illustrating the text help pastors prepare their sermons. Contains a concise summary, main theme, illustrations, and interpretation for each passage.

Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary / New Testament Commentary
Theological/Non-technical. Not complete. Analyzes theologically in sections rather than in verse by verse.

Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries / New Testament Commentaries
Evangelical/Expositional. Section-by-section examination of the text. Introduction to authorship, date, and historical background for each book. Some volumes have been rewritten.

Word Biblical Commentary
Technical/Exegetical/Academic. Offers new translations, covers exegetical and literary/critical concerns, contains extensive bibliographies.

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
Evangelical/Pastoral/Non-technical. Treats the literary context and structure of the passage in the original Greek. Provides summaries of main ideas, exegetical outlines, verse-by-verse commentary, and theology in application.