As we are finishing our Sunday school series on biblical interpretation and preparing to begin Pastor Jason’s series on inductive bible study, it would be wise to consider the use of commentaries in our study/interpretation. As someone who studies hours per week, I wouldn’t dare go without commentaries, but I’m very careful about how I use them.
What are commentaries?
A Bible commentary is a written series of explanations of Scripture. In other words, a commentary involves a non-inspired author saying, “Here is how we should understand this particular passage of Scripture.” Commentaries can be stand-alone volumes of a single biblical book, covering the material verse-by-verse. Commentaries can also come in sets, covering multiple books, all composed by one author or composed by numerous authors.
The notes at the bottom of the pages of our study bibles also contain commentary, explaining a section, verse, or even a single phrase in the text. In a sense, study bibles have a built-in commentary.
Why should we use commentaries?
First, we might want to use commentaries for quick information on a passage we are not actually studying. For example, if we were studying Matthew 2, which makes several Old Testament quotations and allusions, we might use Old Testament commentaries to get a quick feel for how those quotations should be understood in their original context.
Second, for passages we are studying, we should use commentaries out of humility. We can’t possibly know every helpful detail of historical and background information needed to understanding a given passage. Likewise, there is the possibility that in our diligence we have missed connections with other passages in Scripture, misunderstood the usage of particular words, or overlooked elements of the context. By using commentaries, we are admitting, “I’m not an infallible student of the Word.”
Third, we should use commentaries to avoid innovative interpretation. Commentaries will help us to discern if we have inadvertently arrived at a novel understanding of a given passage. If I have done all my study and arrived at an interpretation, but none of my commentaries agree with me, what should I conclude? My personal conclusion is that I’ve got something wrong and I need to do more study. What are the odds that in the 2,000 year history of the church, I’m the first to interpret this passage correctly? Novelty/innovation are deadly in biblical interpretation.
Which commentaries should I use?
There are different levels/kinds of commentary. Technical commentaries will deal directly with the original languages and usually require the reader to have some knowledge of those languages. Exegetical commentaries may or may not deal with the original languages, but will be very detailed about the meanings of words and how phrases work together and function. Technical and exegetical commentaries can be difficult for the lay person to use as they do not usually explicitly express an interpretation of a whole passage. Rather, they explain the words and phrases that make up the sentences and paragraphs.
Expositional commentaries are essentially collections of sermons that give clear interpretations of whole passages and even build a bridge toward application. These are great for the lay person, but may not provide detailed analysis of individual words and phrases.
When studying a book, I try to use commentaries from each of the above categories. Two great resources for discerning which commentaries would be right for you are Old Testament Commentary Survey by Tremper Longman and New Testament Commentary Survey by D.A. Carson. These books rate the major commentaries on the market by biblical book, noting whether a given commentary is best for a layperson, minister, or scholar.
I don’t recommend purchasing an entire series of commentaries; for example, all volumes of the Word Biblical Commentary series. Some commentaries in the series will be quite good, while others will be very weak, given that they are all written by different authors. Also, when buying entire sets, you could be spending money on commentaries you may never use. If you’re studying Isaiah, it’s better to find all the best commentaries on Isaiah and use your money on them.
I also don’t recommend only purchasing the commentaries of one author; for example, only using the MacArthur New Testament Commentary series. Checking your work against only one person defeats the whole purpose. At the end of your study, all you’ll be able to say is that you agree with one pastor/scholar. That should be little comfort if your goal is to be as accurate as possible in your interpretation.
When should I use commentaries?
We should first study a passage without reference to any helps—including those notes at the bottom of our study bibles. After writing down our interpretation, we should then consult commentaries for the purposes mentioned above. In other words, reading commentaries should be the last thing we do. We may find upon reading commentaries that our interpretation needs some adjusting, at which point we can return to our study and make that adjustment.
If we read commentaries first, before doing our own study, the thoughts of those commentators will be the lens through which we see the biblical text. It is almost impossible to begin with commentaries and then arrive at an uninfluenced understanding of the passage. When we do this, we rob ourselves of the joy of discovery!
May the Lord bless you as you study!
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