Theology

Commentaries are resources that provide explanations of passages in the Bible. They typically appear in many volumes and are often broken up by book of the Bible. They usually offer translations as well as analysis of the historical and literary contexts of a given passage, as well as a verse-by-verse discussion.

There are different categories of commentaries, used for different purposes. Below you can find an overview of the different types available to you, as well as an accompanying list of suggested commentaries as a reference point. Suggested resources were chosen to represent a broader variety of wildly respected materials and are only intended as a starting point.

These commentaries offer in-depth analysis of the biblical text in its original language and assume advanced reader knowledge. They explore detailed exegetical issues, scholarly debates, historical context, and textual development, often focusing on grammar, syntax, and literary setting.

These commentaries focus on close readings of larger sections of the biblical text, often addressing literary and theological themes. While they refer to the original language, they assume only limited reader familiarity. These resources present thoughtful approaches to the text but tend to offer less in-depth discussions of complex scholarly debates than more advanced commentaries.

These commentaries are written with a pastoral/devotional context in mind. They may reference the original language, but focus more on preaching applications and theological insights. For academic study, they should be used alongside more text-critical commentaries that contain deeper analysis.