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COLLECTIONS
Commentaries, Word
Studies, Devotionals, Sermons, Illustrations
Old and New Testament. |
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BIBLE
COMMENTARIES
Updated March 23, 2015 |
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Spurgeon's Advice Regarding Consulting the Commentaries
The "prince of
preachers" Charles Haddon Spurgeon in his work "Commenting
and Commentaries" declared to his
students that...
"we should heartily
subscribe to the declaration, that more expository preaching (Type of preaching in which an extended passage of the Scripture,
especially a book, is explained and interpreted over a number of weeks) is
greatly needed, and that all preachers would be the better if they were
more able expounders (implies a careful often elaborate
explanation to make something clear and understandable) of the inspired
Word.
To render such a
result more probable, every inducement to search the Holy Scriptures
should be placed in the way of our ministers, and to the younger brethren
some guidance should be offered as to the works most likely to aid them
in their studies. Many are persuaded that they should expound the Word,
but being unversed (unfamiliar,
unstudied) in the original tongues
(Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) they can only fall back upon
the help of their English Concordances, and are left floundering about,
when a sound comment would direct their thoughts. True, the Holy Spirit
will instruct the seeker, but He works by means. The Ethiopian eunuch
might have received divine illumination, and doubtless did receive it, but
still, when asked whether he understood the Scripture which he read, he
replied, "How can I unless some man shall guide me?" The guiding man is
needed still. Divines who have studied the Scriptures have left us great
stores of holy thought which we do well to use. Their expositions can
never be a substitute for our own
meditations, but as water poured down a
dry pump often sets it to work to bring up water of its own, so suggestive
reading sets the mind in motion on its own account. Here, however, is the
difficulty. Students do not find it easy to choose which works to buy (nor
which of an endlessly and rapidly proliferating list of offerings on the
internet to make good use of), and
their slender stores are often wasted on books of a comparatively
worthless kind. If I can save a poor man from spending his money for that
which is not bread, or, by directing a brother to a good book, may enable
him to dig deeper into the mines of truth, I shall be well repaid. For
this purpose I have toiled, and read much, and passed under review some
three or four thousand volumes. From these I have compiled my catalogue,
rejecting man, yet making a very varied selection. Though I have carefully
used such judgment as I possess, I have doubtless made many errors; I
shall certainly find very few who will agree with all my criticisms, and
some persons may be angry at my remarks. I have, however, done my best,
and, with as much impartiality as I can command, I have nothing extenuated
nor set down aught in malice. He who finds fault will do well to execute
the work in better style; only let him remember that he will have my
heifer to plough with and therefore ought in all reason to excel me.
I have used a degree of pleasantry in my remarks on the Commentaries, for
a catalogue is a dry affair, and, as much for my own sake as for that of
my readers, I have indulged the mirthful vein here and there. For this I
hope I shall escape censure, even if I do not win commendation.
To God I commend this labour, which has been undertaken and carried out
with no motive but that of honoring his name, and edifying his Church by
stimulating the study of his Word. May He, for His Son's sake, grant my
heart's desire." (and this
writer humbly agrees)...
It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit
reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to
others. My chat this afternoon is not for these great originals, but for
you who are content to learn of holy men, taught of God, and mighty in the
Scriptures. It has been the fashion of late years to speak against the use
of commentaries...A respectable acquaintance with the opinions of the
giants of the past, might have saved many an erratic thinker from wild
interpretations and outrageous inferences. Usually, we have found the
despisers of commentaries to be men who have no sort of acquaintance with
them; in their case, it is the opposite of familiarity which has bred
contempt. It is true there are a number of expositions of the whole Bible
which are hardly worth shelf room; they aim at too much and fail
altogether; the authors have spread a little learning over a vast surface,
and have badly attempted for the entire Scriptures what they might have
accomplished for one book with tolerable success...who can pretend to
biblical learning who has not made himself familiar with the great writers
who spent a life in explaining some one sacred book?
Spurgeon comments on specific
writers beginning with Matthew Henry...
First among the mighty for general
usefulness we are bound to mention the man whose name is a household word,
Matthew Henry. He is most pious and pithy, sound and sensible, suggestive
and sober, terse and trustworthy. You will find him to be glittering with
metaphors, rich in analogies, overflowing with illustrations,
superabundant in reflections. He delights in apposition and alliteration;
he is usually plain, quaint, and full of pith; he sees right through a
text directly; apparently he is not critical, but he quietly gives the
result of an accurate critical knowledge of the original fully up to the
best critics of his time. He is not versed in the manners and customs of
the East, for the Holy Land was not so accessible as in our day; but he is
deeply spiritual, heavenly, and profitable; finding good matter in every
text, and from all deducing most practical and judicious lessons.
(Ed note: Matthew Henry was a
nonconformist Presbyterian pastor, a master of biblical languages and a
diligent Bible student who ransacked the old commentary material of his
day to pass the meat along to us. He had a lovely gift for organizing and
expressing his thoughts. It is notable that Henry died having finished his
comments only through the book of Acts. The comments on Romans through
Revelation were supplied by 14 contemporary preachers of his day, and all
were dissenters from the Church of England. The unabridged edition of
Henry's commentary is generally considered superior to the "concise"
versions available today.)
Spurgeon goes on to add that...
It would not be possible for me too
earnestly to press upon you the importance of reading the expositions of
that prince among men, John Calvin!...
A very distinguished place is
due to Dr. Gill. Beyond all controversy, Gill was one of the most
able Hebraists of his day, and in other matters no mean
proficient...Probably no man since Gill's days has at all equalled him in
the matter of Rabbinical learning. Say what you will about that lore, it
has its value: of course, a man has to rake among perfect dunghills and
dust heaps, but there are a few jewels which the world could not afford to
miss. Gill was a master cinder sifter among the Targums, the Talmuds, the
Mishna, and the Gemara. Richly did he deserve the degree of which he said,
"I never bought it, nor thought it, nor sought it. He was always at work;
it is difficult to say when he slept, for he wrote 10,000 folio pages of
theology...
Adam Clarke is the great annotator of our Wesleyan
friends; and they have no reason to be ashamed of him, for he takes rank
among the chief of expositors. His mind was evidently fascinated by the
singularities of learning, and hence his commentary is rather too much of
an old curiosity shop, but it is filled with valuable rarities, such as
none but a great man could have collected. Like Gill, he is one sided
(Arminian - believed you could lose your salvation), only in the opposite
direction to our friend the Baptist....If you have a copy of Adam
Clarke, and exercise discretion in reading it, (Click
critique of Adam Clarke) you will derive immense advantage from
it, for frequently by a sort of side light he brings out the meaning of
the text in an astonishingly novel manner. I do not wonder that Adam
Clarke still stands, notwithstanding his peculiarities, a prince among
commentators. (from
Commenting
and Commentaries)
In other writings Spurgeon had
some interesting thoughts...
Regarding Matthew Henry - You
will find him to be glittering with metaphors, rich in analogies,
overflowing with illustrations, superabundant in reflections. Every
minister ought to read Matthew Henry entirely and carefully through once
at least. You will acquire a vast store of sermons if you read with your
note-book close at hand; and as for thoughts, they will swarm around you
like twittering swallows around an old gable towards the close of autumn."
Regarding John Gill - “He is
always worth consulting...for good, sound, massive, sober sense in
commenting, who can excel Gill?”
Regarding Jamieson, Fausset and
Brown's commentary - We consult it continually, and with growing
interest. It contains so great a variety of information that if a man had
no other exposition he would find himself at no great loss if he possessed
this and used it diligently.
Regarding Matthew Poole's
(Puritan who lived from 1624-1679) Commentary (published about
1685) - If I must have only one commentary, and had read Matthew Henry as
I have, I do not know but what I should choose Poole. He is a very prudent
and judicious commentator... not so pithy and witty by far as Matthew
Henry, but he is perhaps more accurate, less a commentator, and more an
expositor. |
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Below are some of
the resources readily available on preceptaustin.org and the Internet in
general, with a brief critique and/or explanation of their potential
utility.
Consult Conservative
Commentaries
Someone has quipped
that it is amazing
how much light the Scriptures shed on the commentaries. It follows that
the discerning reader should always perform their own
inductive Bible study
before
consulting the commentaries.
Too many students go to the commentary before they go to the Book or even
the Author of the Book!
Remember that every commentary is
written by a human author, and is it is natural that the comments are strongly biased by the author's general
belief system and the approach to the
interpretation of Scripture. Therefore
it behooves the judicious student of God's Word to
restrict himself or herself to
Conservative Commentaries.
This practice is especially critical in
the interpretation of prophetic books like
Daniel
and
Revelation.
Click a brief discussion of the common methods of interpreting
Revelation [preterist, historicist, idealist, futurist or
literalist] and
a list of recommended futuristic commentaries and sermons.
Click for a list of futuristic
commentaries and sermons on the book of Daniel. Commentaries on prophetic
books vary widely in their
interpretative approach,
and you may not always be able to easily discern their bias.
Click list of published
Revelation commentaries categorized by the predominant interpretative view
of the author.
If an interpreter does not use
the normal, customary,
literal
method of interpreting Scripture,
interpretation is given over to an unconstrained imagination and
presuppositions which explains the
imaginative, confusing interpretations of non-literal interpreters. Remember that all the prophecies of the
Old and New Testament that have been fulfilled to date have been fulfilled
literally, thus there is no precedent for anything but a literal approach
to the prophetic books containing prophecies yet to be fulfilled.
A good check on whether a commentator interprets Scripture literally in
the area of prophecy is to read their comments on Revelation 20,
specifically the 1000 year period mentioned six times (eg compare the note
by the modern evangelical writer
Guzik
and some of the pre-1900 commentaries like
Matthew Henry
or
Jameison Fausset, Brown
or
Adam Clarke who
comments on the "1000 years" that "there is no doubt that the earth is in
a state of progressive moral improvement; and that the light of true
religion is shining more copiously everywhere, and will shine more and
more to the perfect day"!)
Collections
of Commentaries on Old
and New Testament Books:
The purpose of these collections is to
compile the a compact listing of the best sermons, commentaries,
devotionals and illustrations in one site with each resource organized by
chapter and verse so that it can be utilized somewhat like a
multi-authored "commentary". Click the drop down menu below for a list of
the completed collections on books of the Bible for conservative resources
on all 66 books of the Bible.
OLD TESTAMENT
RESOURCES
LINKS TO HUNDREDS OF
CONSERVATIVE RESOURCES
SERMONS, COMMENTARIES, DEVOTIONALS, ILLUSTRATIONS |
|
NEW
TESTAMENT RESOURCES
LINKS TO HUNDREDS OF
CONSERVATIVE RESOURCES
SERMONS, COMMENTARIES, DEVOTIONALS, ILLUSTRATIONS |
|
It should be noted that given the large number of links
to off site resources, there is no way I could read
each work verbatim. Therefore it follows that just because a particular author
or resource is listed, this does not
mean that I agree
with everything that this author has written. Therefore "caveat emptor"
(let the
"buyer beware"). Every attempt is made to select the most
conservative and thoroughly evangelical resources but this is a difficult
task. For example, one might agree with the majority of what one pastor or
commentator has to say, but have significant disagreement on some issues, like
for example the "millennium". Therefore, you, the reader, are strongly advised to
first prayerfully examine the Scriptures in context making your
own unbiased
observations. And as you grow in your ability to read the Scriptures
inductively, you will come to realize the truth of the saying that it is
"amazing how much light study of the Scriptures will shed on the
commentaries!"
In short you would be well
advised to approach all Bible commentaries (including my
Verse by Verse Commentaries on this site)
like the good
Berean saints who were...
more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received
(deliberate & readily received - even as they might welcome a guest into
their house - put out the "welcome mat
for") the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things
(truths
taught by Paul) were so (see note
Acts 17:11).
If you first perform
your own study in reliance on your own personal Teacher, the Holy Spirit, you will be better equipped to comment on whether or not
the commentary, sermon or devotional you are reading is an accurate
reflection of what God meant for a passage or section of Scripture to teach. If you are not familiar with the
inductive approach to Bible Study click for an introduction and discussion
of the three components -
observation (which answers the question
"What Does the Text Say?"),
interpretation (which answers the
question "What Does it mean?"), and
application (which addresses the question "How will I respond
to the truth I have gleaned?").
If you feel that a particular resource
contains significant erroneous interpretative material please email your
concerns. Several resources have been removed when specific issues were
questioned by you the users and they were found to be correct.
Introductions
to Every Book of the Bible by Dr John MacArthur:
Each Book has a brief discussion of:
Title, Author and Date, Background and Setting, Historical and Theological
Themes, Interpretive Challenges and an Outline by Chapter and Verse. Very
useful overview of each book. Grace To You ministries has made these freely
available from the MacArthur Study Bible.
Verse by Verse Studies
These
notes
have been compiled while leading Men's Precept Bible studies. The approach
expositional, with emphasis on sound doctrine, original language studies
(see in depth
Greek Word Studies)., and application. Frequent use is made of well
done illustrations, especially from
Our Daily Bread: A Daily Devotional.
Quotations from
conservative, evangelical resources are frequently used to amplify the
passage.
The following studies are
currently available and they are continually being added to, revised
and updated but
Be a Berean.
OLD TESTAMENT
COMMENTARIES
VERSE BY VERSE
COMMENTARY
Updated March
22, 2015 |
|
Exodus 6, 17 Commentary
Judges Verse by Verse Commentary
Ruth Verse by Verse Commentary
Ezra 7:10 Commentary
Job 23:10-12 Commentary
Psalms Commentary
Proverbs Commentary
Isaiah Verse by Verse Commentary
(under construction)
Ezekiel 1-16 Commentary
Daniel 9:24-27 Commentary
In Depth
Commentary on the Following Verses:
Leviticus 1 Leviticus
2 Leviticus
3 Leviticus
4 Leviticus
5 Leviticus
6 Leviticus
7 Leviticus
8 Leviticus
9 Leviticus
10 Leviticus
11 Leviticus
12 Leviticus
13 Leviticus
14 Leviticus
15 Leviticus
16 Leviticus
17 Leviticus
18 Leviticus
19 Leviticus
20 Leviticus
21 Leviticus
22 Leviticus
23 Leviticus
24
Esther 1, Esther
2, Esther
3, Esther
4,
Esther 5, Esther
6, Esther
7, Esther
8,
Esther 9, Esther
10
Judges 1 Judges
2 Judges
3 Judges
4 Judges
5 Judges
6 Judges
7 Judges
8 Judges
9 Judges
10 Judges
11
Judges 12 Judges
13 Judges
14 Judges
15 Judges
16 Judges
17 Judges
18 Judges
19 Judges
20 Judges
21
Joshua 1:8;
2Samuel 9:1-13
2Samuel 12:1-14
Ezra 7:10
Job 23:10;
Job 23:11;
Job 23:12 Job
31:1 Commentary
Psalm 1:1;
Ps 1:2;
Ps 1:3;
Ps 1:4;
Ps 1:5;
Ps 1:6
Psalm 19:7
Ps 19:8
Ps 19:9
Ps19:10
Ps 19:11
Ps 19:12
Ps 19:13
Ps 19:14
Psalm 51:1-9
Psalm
51:10-19
Psalm 42:5
Psalm 113
Psalm 121
Proverbs 1 Commentary
Proverbs 2 Commentary
Proverbs 4:23
Proverbs 5:1-14
Proverbs 5:15-23
Proverbs 6:20-35
Proverbs 7:1-27
Proverbs 18:10
Proverbs 28:13
Proverbs 29:18
Isaiah 1-4; Isaiah
5 Isaiah
6 Isaiah
7 Isaiah
8 Isaiah
9 Isaiah
10 Isaiah
11 Isaiah
12
Isaiah 40:31
Isaiah 63:1-6
Daniel 1 Commentary
Daniel 2 Commentary
-- Da 2:1-23
Daniel 2 Commentary(2)
-- Da 2:24-49
Daniel 3 Commentary
Daniel 4 Commentary
Daniel 5 Commentary
Daniel 6 Commentary
Daniel 7 Commentary(1)
-- Da 7:1-6
Daniel 7 Commentary(2)
-- Da 7:7-14
Daniel 7 Commentary(3)
-- Da 7:15-28
Daniel 8 Commentary
Daniel 9 Commentary(1)
Daniel 9:24;
Daniel 9:25;
Daniel 9:26;
Daniel 9:27
Daniel 10 Commentary
Daniel 11 Commentary(1)
-- Da 11:1-19
Daniel 11 Commentary(2)
-- Da 11:20-45
Daniel 12 Commentary
Ezekiel 1-16 Verse by Verse Commentary
Ezekiel 36
// Ezekiel
37 //
Ezekiel 38 // Ezekiel
39
Micah 1 Commentary
Micah 2 Commentary
Micah 3 Commentary
Micah 4 Commentary
Micah 5 Commentary
Micah 6 Commentary
Micah 7 Commentary
Habakkuk 1 Commentary
Habakkuk 2 Commentary
Habakkuk 3 Commentary
Zephaniah 3 Commentary
Malachi 1 Commentary
Malachi 2:1 Commentary
Malachi 3:1 Commentary
Malachi 4:1 Commentary |
NEW TESTAMENT
COMMENTARIES
VERSE BY VERSE
COMMENTARY
Updated March
22, 2015 |
|
Matthew 5-7
Commentary (Sermon on the Mount)
Acts 16-17 Commentary
Romans Verse by Verse Commentary
Ephesians Verse by Verse Commentary
Philippians Verse by Verse Commentary
Colossians Verse by Verse Commentary
1 Thessalonians Verse by Verse Commentary
2 Timothy Verse by Verse Commentary
Titus Verse by Verse Commentary
Hebrews Verse by Verse Commentary
1 Peter Verse by Verse Commentary
2 Peter Verse by Verse Commentary
Jude 1:1-13
Jude 1:14-25
Revelation Verse by Verse (by Dr Anthony
Garland)
Commentary on Individual Verses:
Matthew 26:41
Matthew 11:28-30
Luke 13:24-30
Luke
13:24
John 1:14-18 Commentary
John 3:30
John 4:4; John
4:5; John
4:6; John
4:7; John
4:8; John
4:9; John
4:10; John
4:11; John
4:12; John
4:13; John
4:14; John
4:15
John 7:37; John
7:38; John
7:39
John 19:30
John 21:15-25
Acts 1:8 Commentary
Acts 16 Commentary
Acts 17 Commentary,
Acts 17:11
Acts 20:17-27 Commentary, Acts
20:28-38 Commentary
Galatians 2:20
Galatians 5:16
Galatians 5:17
Galatians 5:18;
Galatians 5:19
Galatians 5:20;
Galatians 5:21
Galatians 5:22 Galatians
5:23;
Galatians 5:24;
Galatians 5:25;
Galatians 5:26
Galatians 6:7
Galatians 6:8
Galatians 6:9
Galatians 6:10
Galatians 6:14
1 Corinthians 2:10 1
Corinthians 2:11 1
Corinthians 2:12 1
Corinthians 2:13 1
Corinthians 2:14
1 Corinthians 2:15 1
Corinthians 2:16
1 Corinthians 6:18;
1
Corinthians
6:19;
1 Corinthians 6:20
1 Corinthians 9:24;
1 Corinthians 9:25;
1 Corinthians 9:26;
1 Corinthians 9:27
1 Corinthians 10:13
1 Corinthians 13:4;
1Cor 13:5;
1Cor 13:6;
1Cor 13:7;
1Cor 13:8
1 Corinthians 15:1;
1Cor 15:2;
1Cor 15:3;
1Cor 15:4;
1Cor 15:5;
1 Corinthians 15:6;
1Cor 15:7:
1Cor 15:8
1 Corinthians 15:9;
1 Corinthians 15:10
1 Corinthians 15:58
2 Corinthians 3:1
2Cor 3:2
2Cor 3:3
2Cor 3:4
2Cor 3:5
2Cor 3:6
2Cor 3:7
2Cor 3:8
2 Corinthians 3:9
2Cor 3:10
2Cor 3:11
2Cor 3:12
2Cor 3:13
2Cor 3:14
2 Corinthians 3:15
2Cor 3:16 2 Cor 3:17
2Cor 3:18
2 Corinthians 4:1;
2Cor 4:2;
2Cor 4:3 ;
2Cor 4:4;
2Cor 4:5;
2Cor 4:6;
2Cor 4:7;
2Cor 4:8
2 Corinthians 4:9;
2Cor 4:10;
2Cor 4:11;
2Cor 4:12;
2Cor 4:13;
2Cor 4:14;
2Cor 4:15;
2 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Cor 4:17;
2Cor 4:18
2 Corinthians 5:1
;
2Cor 5:2
;
2Cor 5:3
; 2Cor
5:4 ; 2Cor
5:5 ; 2Cor
5:6 ; 2Cor
5:7;
2 Corinthians 5:8
; 2Cor
5:9 ;
2Cor 5:10 ;
2Cor
5:11 ; 2Cor
5:12 ; 2Cor
5:13 ;
2 Corinthians
5:14 ; 2 Cor 5:15
; 2Cor
5:16 ; 2Cor
5:17 ; 2Cor
5:18 ;
2Cor 5:19
;
2 Corinthians 5:20
;
2Cor 5:21
2 Corinthians 7:1
2 Corinthians
10:3-5
2 Corinthians
12:9;
2 Corinthians 12:10
2 Corinthians
13:5
1 Timothy 1:1-2 1
Timothy 4:7;
4:8; 4:9;
4:10;
4:11,
4:12
1 Timothy 6:6; 1
Timothy 6:7; 1
Timothy 6:8; 1
Timothy 6:9; 1
Timothy 6:10 1
Timothy 6:11 1
Timothy 6:12 1
Timothy 6:13 1
Timothy 6:141
Timothy 6:15 1
Timothy 6:16
James 1:1;
James 1:2;
James 1:3;
James 1:4;
James 1:5;
James 1:6;
James 1:7; James 1:8;
James 1:9;
James 1:10;
James 1:11;
James 1:12;
James 1:13; James 1:14;
James 1:15;
James 1:16
;
James 1:17;
James 1:18;
James 1:19
; James 1:20;
James 1:21;
James 1:22;
James 1:23;
James 1:24;
James 1:25; James 1:26;
James 1:27
James 2:14 ;
James 2:15;
James 2:16;
James 2:17;
James 2:18; James 2:19;
James 2:20;
James 2:21;
James 2:22;
James 2:23; James 2:24;
James 2:25;
James 2:26
James 4:4
James 4:5 James
4:6
James 4:7 James
4:8 James
4:9 James
4:10
1 John 1:1; 1
John 1:2; 1
John 1:3; 1
John 1:4; 1
John 1:5; 1
John 1:6; 1
John 1:7; 1
John 1:8; 1
John 1:9; 1
John 1:10 //
1 John 2:1-6 1
John 2:7-11 1
John 2:12-14 1
John 2:15 1
John 2:16 1
John 2:17 1
John 2:18-23 1
John 2:24 1
John 2:25-27 1
John 2:28-29 //
1 John 3:1 1
John 3:2 1
John 3:3 |
Reference Search Tool
The purpose of
the
Reference Search Page
this page is make multiple Bible
related Search Engines available for quick and easy access.
Utilizing the various search engines you can search various conservative
preachers so that their sermons function much like a commentary. I would
especially recommend sermons from
Spurgeon,
John Piper,
Ray Pritchard,
C H Spurgeon and
Ray Stedman)
RefTagger
by Logos
RefTagger
is a free web tool which converts all the Bible references (eg Acts 17:11) on your website, blog,
etc, into active verse popups. Hover over the verse for popup in your
choice of various translations (see below). You can even copy and paste
the Biblical text in the popup box. When you click the link, the verse
can be read in
context
which is always advisable if you have time, for
context is king
in interpretation! This tool is used extensively on preceptaustin to encourage you to read
the actual words of God rather than just the Scripture annotation (see
Isaiah 55:10, 11, Lk 1:37ASV).
TheWord - Free Bible Study
Program
TheWord is similar in some ways to
E-sword below. I have used both and prefer THEWORD. Many of the
resources are free, but some of the newer commentaries are paid modules.
This resource has a tool that I use probably 100's of times a day if I
am writing commentaries. The tool is a Scripture pop-up (you select the
version you prefer). So if I am reading a blog and it has a Scripture
reference, one can simply mouse over the reference and hit control + C
(copy) and the reference pops up. You can adjust the program to close
the reference automatically or keep it open until you force it to close.
You can also hold the mouse pointer over the reference (chap/verse) and
use you mouse wheel to scroll to the previous or following passages
which allows you to quickly check contest. Or you can copy just the
chapter and the entire chapter pops up (e.g., If you are studying Eph
2:8-10, but you wanted to see the entire chapter, you would select just
the "Eph 2" portion of the reference and the entire chapter pops up. You
can change the font size of the pop up so if you are old like me you can
easily read the reference. And this tool works anywhere the Scripture is
found - internet page, email, Microsoft Word document, another Bible
program, etc. In sum, this little tool is a jewel if you want to
actually read the Scripture or copy it to a Word document or Web page on
which you are working.
Click
to see links that will
take you to a large number of resources compatible with TheWord. In my
opinion the best resource (an all of them are free) is
Wordmodules Downloads.
E-Sword - Free Bible
Study Software Program:
E-Sword
is without doubt the best
free software available and so it is highly recommended. It can be
downloaded at no charge with a large number of helpful resources. It is
easy to use and includes a well done online visual tutorial. Most of the
current commentaries are generally ones prior to 1900, which means that
comments on Bible prophecy are not generally in line with most
conservative, evangelical, literalist interpretations. There are some
excellent Greek word study tools like A. T. Robertson's Word Pictures (or
click here) and Vincent's Word Studies
(or
click here).
Zodhiates Complete Greek and Hebrew
dictionary is available for purchase.
Bible Explorer
- Another free Bible program is
Bible Explorer
(very similar to Wordsearch) which has a lengthy list of free Bible
translations, commentaries, etc (Click
to see the list of free books).
Note that the Bible versions will also function with
InstaVerse.
Logos
Bible Study Software
If you
are looking to purchase the most complete Bible software product available, one that
"does it all" (and then some), you might
consider
Logos
Bible Software.
There are over 20,000 resources available (March, 2015) but one needs to be
discerning [Acts 17:11-note] as
many of the newer resources
are not necessarily conservative, nor evangelical. Logos has a fairly steep
learning curve, requires a robust computer (and yet still tends to be run
slow compared to other Bible programs), and is expensive. This is my go to
program for in depth, serious Bible research.
Wordsearch
also has a very good Bible
program, albeit much less expensive than Logos and with fewer resources
(although they have been purchased by Lifeway and will doubtless increase
their inventory). Their resources are considerably lower in price than
Logos. For the person who does not want to invest 1000's of dollars,
Wordsearch would be a very reasonable alternative to Logos. While Logos has
many more resources than Wordsearch, the later has all of John MacArthur's
NT Commentary series, which is no longer carried by Logos (as of March 22,
2015). Wordsearch also offers all of Adrian Rogers' sermons in digital
format as well as a number of other sermon series (not carried by
Logos).
Study Bibles -
free online
Defender's Study Bible
-
From creationist
Dr Henry Morris. Excellent notes. Literal interpretation.
Holman Christian Standard Bible Study
Bible -
Excellent notes. Evangelical. Conservative. Enter Scripture of interest. On
right side is the HCSB Study Bible -- select "Read" to see the notes. At the
bottom of the right column note "Video Player Tool" which is Gene Getz's
short videos (Life Essential Study Bible Principles) on each of the 66 books
of the Bible with multiple videos per book.
Reformation Study Bible
-
Brief notes. Conservative. Evangelical.
InstaVerse
InstaVerse
is a free download. It is a
nifty, easy to download and install (no restart), simple to use Bible
Verse pop up tool that will allow you to read every cross reference in
this study quickly, in context and in the Version you prefer (Note:
Only KJV is free with this download but you also download the free
copy of
Bible Explorer (renamed Wordsearch
Basic)
{View
list of about 215 free books}
but you can purchase your favorite version and it will be available in Instaverse.
When you hold the
mouse pointer over the Scripture reference, the passage pops up
immediately and can be highlighted. I have used both
Instaverse
and the popup tool
TheWord's
popup tool and have found the latter far superior, although it does
require downloading the free TheWord software (see above).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
(TSK)
This excellent conservative resource was compiled by Dr. Reuben A. Torrey
around the turn of the 20th
century
and to this day consists of over 500,000 cross references, the most
comprehensive collection of Scriptural cross references available in a single
resource.
You might be asking...
"Well, how
does this
resource qualify as a commentary?"
You have probably heard
the axiom that Scripture never contradicts Scripture and thus is always
the
best
commentary on Scripture (see discussion -
Compare Scripture with Scripture).
Therefore as you study God's Word develop the habit of taking a few moment to check
for pertinent
TSK cross references that can aid interpretation.
(Click
here
for a discussion and example of the use of
TSK reference system in the
interpretation of the Bible.)
Respected
Bible
expositor Dr. John MacArthur speaks very highly of the
TSK noting that it is
"The one book,
aside
from the Bible itself, that I value most in my studies."
You might be asking...
"Why not
simply
use
my
Bible's marginal cross references?"
There are at least 3 reasons you want to supplement your Bible's "built
in" marginal references with with the
TSK:
1) TSK
generally
has far more cross references per verse than your average Bible marginal
references.
2) TSK
references
are more "relevant" to the particular verse in question than those found
in most reference Bibles (Click
example
).
3) TSK has more
Old Testament cross references
on the New Testament and thus helps integrate the New with the Old , which
is important because "the Old is the New concealed" and "the New is
the Old revealed." (See related study of
Typology - Study of Types)
Remember the Scripture will never contradict itself.
Keep in mind that as excellent
as Torrey's cross references are, they were composed by a man and thus
will be tainted with his theological bias.
There
are
numerous web sites with the
TSK
resource available but one of the most comprehensive
sites available is
Studylight. To see the TSK references
corresponding to a verse or chapter click "Include Resources".
If you type in book and chapter without verse, the search retrieves the
complete listing of references for that chapter (in the right margin).
Studylight
also allows you to set the default translations so that all references are
retrieved in that version.
Expository Studies on Romans
and Ephesians by Dr. Wayne Barber
Romans -
Dr Barber's (Woodland
Park Baptist Church)
practical, in depth exposition of the Christian's "Constitution" for living
the Christ Life.
Ephesians
-
Dr Barber's exposition of the book of
Ephesians.
There are 86 messages with a strong emphasis on how to live the "victorious
Christ life". Dr Barber places great emphasis on Major Ian Thomas' guiding
principle regarding the "Christ Life"...
You can't.
He never
said
you
could.
But He can and
He always said He would!
See related resources
-
Verse by
Verse Commentary on Ephesians;
Verse by Verse Commentary on Romans
A Testimony of Jesus
Christ
Anthony Garland has written
A
Testimony of Jesus Christ
which is a verse by verse commentary on the book of the Revelation
from a conservative, futuristic,
literal
viewpoint. If you agree that literal interpretation is the safest and most
accurate way to interpret Scripture, you will find that Garland's work is one of the
best resources available on the book of the
Revelation. Garland's comments are literalistic but he often addresses the
comments of others who are not literalists. His straightforward approach will help reveal the Revelation
which was
God's intended purpose
for giving it to the Church, as shown even by the Greek word for "Revelation,"
apokalupsis,
which conveys the idea of "taking the lid off" so as to remove the cover
and expose to open view that which was heretofore not visible, known or
disclosed! Indeed, The Revelation was not written to confuse the saints
but to encourage, edify and equip us to fight the good fight of faith,
fully confident (cp Ro 10:17-note)
of the fact that Jesus Christ will return as King of kings and Lord of
lords and triumph over all evil (Rev 19:11-16-note)!
Many say the study of prophecy is so controversial and confusing it
should be minimized and thus many churches today assiduously
avoid preaching on prophecy. I strongly disagree, for to take such an
approach is to cut out 25% of the Scriptures, 80% of which has
been perfectly fulfilled. Therefore surely God
will fulfill the other 20% and thus it behooves us to be familiar with
His plan for the ages! To be sure, prophecy study tends
to attract folks that offer sensationalistic or "off the wall" interpretations, but that
is all the more reason to "be diligent to present yourself approved to
God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately
the word of truth." (2Ti 2:15-note).
Click here for links to each chapter
and verse of the Revelation from A Testimony of Jesus Christ.
For multiple other resources click
Revelation.
The Net Bible Bible Online: OT & NT
Notes scroll with Bible verses and function like an abbreviated commentary and
word study (Hebrew/Greek)
resource. Let's
look at one more example below using the interesting passage
Genesis 3:16 after the "Fall"
where
God is pronouncing the consequences the woman face. You will find this note
very interesting especially if you have ever taken the Precept course
"Marriage Without Regrets".
(NASB) Genesis 3:16: To the
woman He
said, "I
will
greatly
multiply
Your
pain in
childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your
desire
will be for your
husband &
he will
rule
over you."
(NET
Bible) Genesis 3:16: To the woman he said, I will greatly
increase your labor pains with pain you will give birth to
children. You
will want
to control
your husband
48
but he
will
dominate49
you.”
48
Hebrew “and toward your husband [will be] your desire.” The
nominal sentence does not have a verb; a future verb must be supplied,
because the focus of the oracle is on the future struggle. The precise
meaning of the noun tesuqah, “desire”) is debated. Many
interpreters conclude that it refers to sexual desire here, because
the subject of the passage is the relationship between a wife and her
husband, and because the word is used in a romantic sense in Song 8:6. (My
note: this is an error - "desire" is actually in
Song of Solomon 7:10
not SS8:6)
However, this interpretation makes little sense in Gen 3:16. First, it
does not fit well with the assertion “he will dominate you.” Second,
it implies that sexual desire was not part of the original creation,
even though the man and the woman were told to multiply. And third, it
ignores the usage of the word in
Genesis 4:7 where it refers to sin’s
desire to control and dominate Cain. (Even in Song of Songs it carries
the basic idea of “control,” for it describes the young man’s desire
to “have his way sexually” with the young woman.) In Gen 3:16 the Lord
announces a struggle, a conflict between the man and the woman. She
will desire to control him, but he will dominate her instead. This
interpretation also fits the tone of the passage, which is a judgment
oracle. See further Susan T. Foh, “What is the Woman’s Desire?” Westminster
Theological Journal 37
(1975): 376-83.
49 The Hebrew
verb mashal means “to rule over,” but in a way that emphasizes
powerful control, domination, or mastery. This also is part of the
baser human nature. The translation assumes the imperfect verb form
has an objective/indicative sense here. Another option is to
understand it as having a modal, desiderative nuance, “but he will
want to dominate you.” In this case, the Lord simply announces the
struggle without indicating who will emerge victorious.
Ray Stedman Library
Pastor Stedman's commentaries are
devotional, easy to read and filled with practical applications, all from a
conservative, evangelical perspective.
Below is a list of most of Ray Stedman's
edifying material...
The Power of His Presence: (see
below) Mark Mitchell has
compiled a full year of devotions based on the excellent writings of Ray
Stedman. This resource is highly recommended for your devotional reading this
year.
Adventuring Through the Bible:
66 messages given over 4 years with each message providing an overview of one
book of the Bible. One additional message addresses the 400 silent years
between Malachi and Matthew. Available in MP3 format for your Ipod! This
resource would be a great supplement to your system for reading through the
Bible in a year.
Authentic Christianity
Body Life (Revised and Expanded Edition)
Genesis 1-3: Understanding Man
Genesis 4-11: The Beginnings
Genesis 11:31-25:1-8: Abraham: Man of Faith
Leviticus: The Way to Wholeness
Esther: The Queen and I
The Book of Job: Behind Suffering
Psalms of Faith
Ecclesiastes: Is this All There is to Life?
Jeremiah: Death of a Nation
Talking With My Father: Jesus Teaches on Prayer
Matthew 13: Behind History (The Parables of Matthew 13)
Matthew 24-25: What on Earth is Happening (The Olivet Discourse)
Mark 1:1-8:33 The Gospel of Mark: The Servant who Rules
Mark 8:33-16:20 The Gospel of Mark: The Ruler Who Serves
The Gospel of John: God's Loving Word
John 13-17: Secrets of the Spirit (The Upper Room Discourse)
Acts: When the Church was Young
Romans 1-8: Romans: From Guilt to Glory - Volume 1
Romans 9-16 Romans: From Guilt to Glory - Volume 2)
Romans: Reason to Rejoice (2004)
1Corinthians: The Deep Things of God
2Corinthians: Power out of Weakness
Ephesians: Our Riches in Christ
Ephesians 6:10-20: Spiritual Warfare
1, 2 Thessalonians: Waiting for the Second Coming,
Hebrews: How to Live What You Believe
Hebrews, IVP New Testament Commentary Series, 1992.
1 John: Life by the Son
Revelation: God's Final Word
Bible Commentary by David Guzik
Conservative
brief verse
by verse commentary on the entire Bible. Along with the resource by
Constable below,
Guzik
is one of the few entire Bible commentaries from a contemporary writer which
is freely available on the internet. The comments on prophecy are definitely
conservative, evangelical and
literal.
As mentioned earlier a good guide to determine whether a given author interprets Scripture
literally, is to read their comments on Revelation 20, specifically regarding
the "1000
years" mentioned six times (eg read
Guzik's
notes on Revelation 20)
Note that the Guzik's commentary at
Studylight.org
is not necessarily up to date (e.g., as of June, 2007 there are no
commentaries on Ezekiel, and just a sprinkling of the Psalms).
Click here
for the most up to date collection of Guzik's commentaries.
Multiple Comments on One Verse, On One Page
Studylight has an interesting tool
called "Verse-by-Verse
Bible Commentary" - This allows
you to quickly see the comments from multiple resources without having to
leave the page. Most of the commentaries however tend to be older
(pre-1900).
See also Studylight's collection of over 90
Bible commentaries -
Bible Commentaries.
Remember also to check the
Preceptaustin.org collection
of OT and NT resources which includes
links to the Studylight material in addition to literally 100's of other resources
not found on Studylight.
Expository Notes on all 66 Books of the Bible
Thomas Constable
Expository Notes
include notes on all 66 books
and takes a conservative, literalist approach to the Scriptures. Dr Constable's website also includes
James Van Dine's Bible Analyses
which has an introduction to each book (historical
context, literary structure, etc).
Some of the Commentaries on the
Web written prior to 1900:
The
commentaries below freely available on the Web but all are of "older
vintage". Although
they are generally
conservative, these commentaries tend not to be literal (and futuristic) in
their interpretation of prophetic passages (Click collection on the Revelation.
Scroll down to the categorization by author's interpretative approach to
prophecy) (See similar evaluation under
Daniel Commentaries)
Adam Clarke's (1760-1832) Commentary on the Bible
-
Click evaluation
of Adam Clarke.
Exposition of the Entire Bible
by John Gill.
Click Spurgeon's assessment of
Gill.
Commentary on the Whole Bible
by Matthew Henry (See Spurgeon's
critique)
Treasury of David
(Psalms) by C. H. Spurgeon.
Highly recommended to supplement your
personal study in the Psalms. This magnum opus has no peer. Read the
psalms devotionally (and inductively) and then compare your
observations,
interpretations and applications with Spurgeon's powerful, often pithy
remarks.
Jamieson, Fausset, Brown Commentary
-
Of all the pre-1900 commentaries, this one tends to give the most literal
interpretation of the Scriptures and therefore does not generally
replace Israel with the church.
Sample excerpt of eschatological (prophetic, apocalyptic) passage Zechariah
14:2 - "gather all nations, etc. — The prophecy seems
literal (compare Joel 3:2).
If Antichrist be the leader of the nations, it seems inconsistent with
the statement that he will at this time be sitting in the temple as God
at Jerusalem (2Thessalonians 2:4); thus
Antichrist
outside would be made to besiege Antichrist within the city. But
difficulties do not set aside revelations: the event will clear up
seeming difficulties (Ed: Interesting statement!). Compare the
complicated movements, Daniel
11:1-45-note."
Comment on Zech 14:11 - "no
more utter destruction —
(Jer 31:40). Literally, “no more curse” (Rev 22:3-note;
compare Malachi 4:6-note),
for there will be no more sin. Temporal blessings and spiritual
prosperity shall go together in the millennium: long life (Isaiah
65:20-22), peace (Isaiah 2:4-note),
honor (Isaiah 60:14-16), righteous government (Isaiah 54:14; Isaiah
60:18). (Zechariah
14 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible) Spurgeon
adds that JFB
is "to some extent a compilation and condensation of other men's
thoughts, but it is sufficiently original to claim a place in every
minister's library: indeed it contains so great a
variety
of information that if a man had no other exposition he would find
himself at no great loss if he possessed this & used it diligently.
(See also JFB's unabridged commentary -
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole
Bible - Unabridged)
Pulpit Commentary (PC) - This is
a commentary has brief expositions plus
homilies with each verse.
Although the Pulpit Commentary is impressive in size and is
generally theologically conservative, as with most of the commentaries written
prior to 1900, it is not recommended as your primary commentary but only as a
secondary resource. One must be especially discerning when reading the Old
Testament comments (specific those related to prophecy) as the PC unfortunately
frequently misinterprets the promises to Israel as promises given to the
Church.
For example, in the PC's commentary on the book of Isaiah, the word "church" is
used 827 times, despite the fact that the church is not found in the Old Testament.
Paul's "commentary" clearly states that the "church"
was "the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages
[including Isaiah] and
generations" (Col 1:26-note)!
In the PC comments on the book of Isaiah there is only a single mention of the
"millennium" (and even that mention is not interpreted correctly) compared with 52
mentions in the
highly more literal
Bible Knowledge Commentary. In
fact, a literal reading of the book of Isaiah reveals it to be filled with
direct and indirect allusions to a future time period which correlates very
well with the 1000 year, "Millennial" period of
Revelation 20.
If you attempt to read the book of Isaiah from an amillennial (no literal
millennium) perspective, many of the chapters cannot be interpreted
literally which leads to a strained
and often inaccurate interpretation of Isaiah's many prophecies
which deal directly with Israel's future, including the believing
remnant
of Jews and the promised millennial kingdom.
Here is one example in which the
Pulpit Commentary
spiritualizes the
interpretation of the
famous prophecy in Isaiah 2:2-note
"Now it will come about that in
the last days, the
mountain
of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the
mountains,
and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream
to it."
The Pulpit Commentary writes that
"the mountain of the Lord's house" is "the Church, the true Zion"
which is clearly a misinterpretation.
John MacArthur interprets
"the
mountain of the house of the LORD" as a literal mountain,
writing that it is a "reference to Mt. Zion, the location of the
holy temple in Jerusalem. ( MacArthur Study Bible)
The
Bible Knowledge Commentary agrees
that Isaiah's description "refers to the mount where the Temple was
built."
The second allusion to mountains
in context however does not refer to literal mountains but is a
figure of speech using mountains to refer to a kingdom (as is
done elsewhere in the Old Testament - see "great mountain" in
Daniel 2:35- note,
cp Jer 51:24-25 where mountain is a metaphorical description of
Babylon).
In the interest of being "fair and balanced" it is also possible to
interpret the first mountain
as a reference to the kingdom of Israel as the leading ("chief")
kingdom over all the other kingdoms of the earth. Either of these
interpretations makes good sense in the
context, but to interpret this
phrase as "the Church" is nonsense and confuses the meaning of the
entire prophecy in Isaiah 2. Notice also that clearly this prophecy
was given to Judah and Israel (Isa 2:1-note),
so even if one tried to say the Church is Israel (based on Gal 6:16
- see
The Israel of God),
they would not be able to explain Isaiah's mention of Judah, for
nowhere is Judah called the "church."
For a short introduction to the science of Biblical interpretation
(hermeneutics), including allegorical interpretation, see
The Art and Science of Interpretation.
In summary, although conservative
commentaries written prior to 1900 can be very enlightening
resources (and many are listed in the
book collections
on this website), the wise
student of the Word, will first perform a careful
inductive study of the passage
(this caveat is especially true of prophetic passages where specific
commentaries can vary "wildly") so that he or she will not misled by
the comments in the commentary.
All this said, the Pulpit
Commentary (as well as all the commentaries written prior to
1900) can be very useful, but the wise student will "examine
(present
imperative)
everything carefully;
hold fast
(present
imperative) to that which is good"
and "abstain
(present
imperative) from every form of evil." (1Th
5:21-22-note)
A W Pink's Archive
Pink's commentaries are available for Old and New
Testament books and are filled with pointed insights and applications.
Pink is always worth consulting if he has written a commentary on the book
you are studying. Please see the
caveat regarding his works. See also
discussion of
Approach to Interpretation
Expositions of Holy
Scripture by Alexander Maclaren
(1826-1910)
Alexander
Maclaren was one of Great Britain's most notable and famous preachers.
Maclaren published a number of books of sermons and climaxed his ministry
by publishing his monumental
Expositions of Holy Scripture
(click for
another source) which consists of expository essays covering most books of
the Bible and are characterized by a devotional flavor.
While pastoring
the Union Chapel, Manchester (1858-1903), he was known as "the prince of
expository preachers." If you are not familiar with Maclaren's style, here are a
few of his quotes to whet your appetite (or read his exposition
Jehovah Jireh based on Genesis 22:14):
The risen life of Jesus is the
nourishment and strengthening and blessing and life of a Christian. Our
daily experience ought to be that there comes, wavelet by wavelet, that
silent, gentle, and yet omnipotent influx into our empty hearts, this very
life of Christ Himself."
"Faith does not grasp a doctrine, but a
heart. The trust which Christ requires is the bond that unites souls with
Him; and the very life of it is entire committal of myself to Him in all
my relations and for all my needs, and absolute utter confidence in Him as
all sufficient for everything that I can require."
"Each of us may be sure that if God
sends us on stony paths He will provide us with strong shoes, and He will
not send us out on any journey for which He does not equip us well."
There is nothing more impotent than
words which lie dormant in our brains and have no influence on our lives.
Seek to cultivate a buoyant, joyous
sense of the crowded kindnesses of God in your daily life.
We must have the glory sink into us
before it can be reflected from us. In deep inward beholding we must have
Christ in our hearts, that He may shine forth from our lives.
"Man's course begins in a garden, but
it ends in a city."
"Only he who can say, 'The Lord is the
strength of my life' can say, 'Of whom shall I be afraid?'
"Love is the only fire that is hot enough to melt the iron obstinacy of a
creatures' will"
"We believe that the history of the world is but the history of His
influence and that the center of the whole universe is the cross of
Calvary."
"Every life has dark tracts and long stretches of somber tint, and no
representation is true to fact which dips its pencil only in light, and
flings no shadows on the canvas."
"If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it."
Did any of you, parents, ever hear your
child wake from sleep with some panic, or fear, and shriek the mother's
name through the darkness? Was not that a more powerful appeal than all
words? And, depend upon it, that the soul which cries aloud on God, The
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, though it have "no language but a
cry," will never call in vain.
"Death is but a passage. It is not a house, it is only a vestibule. The
grave has a door on its inner side."
Other
Bible Translations (especially the Amplified Version):
Although you may not have thought
of different versions of the Bible as potential "commentaries", you
might be surprised at
the insights that can be gleaned from reading a passage, paragraph or chapter
studied using
a different version. In this regard I would highly recommend
the
relatively literal Amplified Version which can function much like a
"mini-commentary", often expanding the meaning of the passage.
To help you use this version as a "mini-commentary", be aware that the
Amplified Version uses parentheses - ( ) - to identify an
alternative Greek or Hebrew definition of the preceding word or phrase. In
other words, you can take these alternative "definitions" and substitute
them for the preceding word or phrase and it would still be a relatively
literal rendering of the original Greek or Hebrew text (e.g., using John
3:3 in the Amplified Version in the box below, practice "substituting"
some of the words in parentheses for "born again" and for "see" and see if
that doesn't help amplify the meaning of this familiar verse). On the
other hand when you see a notation in brackets - [ ] - this
represents more of an explanatory or amplifying comment on the preceding
word or phrase to help and helps clarify the meaning of the passage. In
contrast to the notes in parentheses, the notes in brackets represent
words that are not present in the original Greek or Hebrew text.
See the
chart below
to compare the literalness of various translations, keeping in mind
that the more
literal the translation, the closer it follows the original Greek or Hebrew
and the less interpretative it is.
In regard to using other Bible
versions to aid your study of a passage, do not restrict your study to
a paraphrased version. Paraphrased versions represent a restatement
of the passage with the goal being to give the meaning in another form and
thereby can aid one's comprehension. As noted in the
chart below,
paraphrased versions are the least literal and the most
interpretative. Note especially that "The Message" should be used with
caution and discernment, because it is a loose and free paraphrase and
some passages are very far removed from
the meaning of the original Greek or Hebrew (in my opinion). On the other
hand, the New Living Translation is a paraphrase which can be highly
recommended.
Comparing Bible Versions - Most of the versions listed below are freely available on the internet and
one can easily compare passages in different versions at sites like
Studylight.org - Parallel Search.
Try a simple comparison to see how the Amplified version functions as
a "mini-commentary".
For example, type
John 3:3, selecting
NASB in parallel with the
Amplified Version
and Highlight Variations.
Can you see how the Amplified
version can potentially aid understanding of a given passage?
If you
type in John 3 you retrieve a comparison of the entire
chapter.
|
New American Standard Version |
|
The Amplified Bible |
John 3:3 - Variant
Count: 8
Jesus answered and said to him,
"Truly, truly,
I say
to you, unless one is
born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." |
|
John 3:3 - Variant
Count: 17 (48%)
Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I
tell you, that unless a person is
born again (anew,
from above), he
cannot ever see (know, be
acquainted with, and experience) the
kingdom of
God. |
Another source for parallel passages is
Biblegateway.com
which allows more versions to be compared but does not highlight
variations.
|
BIBLE VERSIONS
COMPARISON OF
LITERALNESS |
|
MORE
LITERAL
LESS
INTERPRETATIVE
MORE WORD FOR WORD |
MORE
PARAPHRASE
MORE
INTERPRETATIVE**
MORE CONCEPT FOR CONCEPT |
|
YLT |
NAS
ASV |
Amp
ESV |
KJV
NKJV
RSV |
NRSV
NAB |
NIV
NJB |
NCV
ICB |
NLT Phillips |
GNT
CEV
|
TLB |
Msg |
NAS = New American
Standard
Amp = Amplified Version
ASV = Authorized Standard Version 1901
ESV = English Standard Version
RSV = Revised Standard Version
KJV = King James Version
NKJV = New King James Version
YLT = Young's Literal Translation |
NRSV = New Revised Std
Version
NAB = New American Bible
NJB = New Jerusalem Bible
NIV = New International Version
NCV = New Century Version
ICB = International Children's Bible |
NLT = New Living
Translation
Phillips = J B Phillips Paraphrase
GNT = Good News Translation
CEV = Contemporary English Version
TLB = The Living Bible
Msg = The Message |
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INTERPRETATIVE:
For the most objective, non-biased and "pure"
inductive
study, do
not use paraphrased versions as your primary resource for
they provide no way to determine whether or not the translator's
interpretation of the original Greek and Hebrew is accurate. The
more literal versions such as NAS, ESV, KJV, NKJV more
accurately render the words of the original biblical authors and
are therefore recommended for
inductive Bible study. Although more
literal, the Amplified is not recommended as your primary text, but
can be helpful once you have done your study because in many verses
it functions like a "mini-commentary". Consultation (after your own
inductive
study) with some paraphrases (e.g., NLT and Phillips) may
also yield insights into the meaning of the passage. Note that the
NIV is a thought-for-thought (dynamic equivalence)
translation which can be helpful for new believers, but it is not
recommended for in depth bible study because of the inconsistent
way in which it renders the Hebrew and Greek texts. In some cases,
the NIV includes significant interpretation which leaves the reader
without any indication of the other possible ways to understand that
particular verse. Although every translation has some degree of
interpretation, the NAS is the least interpretative of the
modern translations. The NAS also has
the advantage over the NIV in that it identifies words in
italics that are not present in the original language but
which have been added by the translators to make the passage more
readable. Several other versions also use italicized words (ASV,
Darby, KJV, NKJV, YLT) to signify words and phrases added
by the translators to clarify or smooth out the reading. This
feature helps one know when they are standing on
solid ground (words not in italics) or "thin ice" (italicized
phrases). Note that popular versions like the ESV, NIV, and NET
Bible do not use italics (although sometimes they include notes to
help explain the specific rendering.)
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Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke (1760-1832) is the
author of a commentary on the entire Bible that is found on many websites
as well as computer Bible programs. Clarke was
a Methodist, a Wesleyan, and an
Arminian, (e.g., Clarke "suggested
that although God can know all future events, He chooses not to know some
events beforehand" Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, page 808). He did
not always interpret Scripture
literally
and
so was amillennial (did
not believe Messiah would reign 1000 years in His earthly Kingdom)
(to quote Clarke on 1000 years - "I am satisfied that this period
should not be taken literally" [see
comment on Rev 20:4] - he
interpreted Revelation as a
Historicist) which led him to interpret
the church as fulfilling many OT promises to Israel.
He was influential in the
development of the doctrine of entire sanctification
(or
"Christian perfection"). Although Clarke
affirmed the authority and sufficiency of Scripture, thus holding to a
belief of "plenary dynamic inspiration" (idea of every thought
inspired), he fell short of a belief in the "plenary verbal inspiration"
(every single word inspired) (Bibliotheca Sacra: Volume 125, p 163, 1968).
In summary, Adam Clarke can be a useful commentator but in view of some of
his beliefs you again are advised to
Be a Berean
when utilizing his material, of which he has a commentary for every book
of the Bible!
Although I respect the work of the developer of Studylight.org, it is
noteworthy that his description of Adam Clarke gives no warning to the
unwary of some of the beliefs of Clarke. Instead Studylight.org describes
Clarke as the...
"Author of one of the most respected
interdenominational commentaries ever written, Adam Clarke shows his Godly
respect for the
Bible as well as his courage to give his opinion on many difficult and
controversial questions other commentaries often avoid."
Please understand
that my synopsis is not meant to be critical but informative, and you will
encounter Clarke's comments a number of times on preceptaustin.org because
he does offer some excellent insights on specific passages. The wise
reader will however read his notes with an awareness of his
basic beliefs and his approach to the Scripture.
William Barclay
William Barclay's New Testament commentaries often contain useful insights and
illustrations, especially in regard to Greek words and Greco-Roman culture
(Click
for Barclay's Commentary online). The
potential danger of Barclay's material is that he did not seem to
be orthodox concerning such
non-negotiable topics as the virgin birth and deity of Jesus, the way of salvation, eternal judgment, etc. For a balanced
critique of the Barclay's theological aberrations click here.
The discerning student would be well advised to read this review so that
they would be better able to read his commentaries with due caution. (See
related resource
Is Your Interpretation
Supernaturalistic, Naturalistic, Existentialistic, Dogmatic?)
A W Pink
Arthur Pink (1886-1952)
is often described as an eccentric. He
didn't really fit in anywhere. Converted to Christ out of a theosophical
background (the New Age movement of his day), he became a student of
Puritan thought. But his efforts at pastoring churches and evangelization
were not successful. Nor did his books sell. A monthly magazine that he
edited called Studies in the Scriptures, never topped a circulation of
1,000. The last sixteen years of his life, he spent on the Isle of Lewis,
Scotland, in virtual isolation, having no formal association with any
church...He seemed to take pride in his "persecution," although some of
the men he disagreed with were among the greatest Christians of the
century. (Christian History Institute)
In the
interest of balance and fairness another source
writes that...
There is a difference of opinion among
Christians today as to the value of a study of his life. Many regard him
as an eccentric while others see a spiritual quality reflected in his life
marking him out as a unique servant of God, one who would be used in the
service of the kingdom of God long after he had departed this life. (Banner
of Truth)
In
contrast to the
Arminian
beliefs of Adam Clarke, Pink was a
staunch Calvinist (in simple terms one who holds a belief in God's complete
sovereignty - see Pink's landmark work
The Sovereignty of God),
he countered a growing trend toward acceptance of
Arminian views.
Pink has a
writing style which is both doctrinal and devotional.
On the other hand,
the informed reader who consults Pink's commentaries (he is frequently
quoted on preceptaustin.org)
should be aware that he is a notable example of a commentator who
approaches the Scriptures leaning heavily on the supernaturalistic
approach (see also
allegorical interpretation) Pink frequently discusses "types" (other than those the
Bible itself specifically designates as "types" - see
understanding of symbols and figures) in which he uses an Old
Testament event, personage or institution and associates it figuratively
with some truth in the New Testament.
Donald Campbell, former president of
Dallas Theological Seminary, in reviewing Pink's work,
The Life of David, Vols. I & II,
comments that..
In his desire to be practical and
helpful, the author sometimes is extreme in his typical applications
(e.g., 1,148, 216ff). Dispensationalism is attacked as a hindrance to
typology (1, 275). (Bibliotheca Sacra. Volume 115, October, 1958. Dallas
Theological Seminary)
Therefore, good
Bereans
are advised to be aware of Pink's
supernaturalistic approach to the Scriptures lest one take away from a
passage a meaning that God never intended. Remember that the most
efficacious
application
of Scripture is predicated upon
an accurate
interpretation, lest one be
misapply (see
application) the Scriptures.
In
summary, A W
Pink's commentaries can be an excellent resource with the caveat that the reader
be cognizant of
Pink's tendency toward a supernaturalistic approach in interpretation.
(See related resource
Is Your Interpretation
Supernaturalistic, Naturalistic, Existentialistic, Dogmatic?) |
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