Commentaries on Books of the Bible

The best way to study any passage of the Bible is to learn about the passage from biblical commentaries. ORU has hundreds of commentaries for the various book of the Bible. A good number of them are in Ebook form that you can access as a distance student. Individual book commentaries are often part of larger commentary series, each with its own unique approach, but each of which is appropriate for you academic studies. Among the emphasis a commentary might have are the following:

  • Some commentaries are critical or exegetical commentaries usually focused on the text itself, its author, and the various critical issues from the biblical languages to the back ground culture.
  • Some are more pastoral, preaching (expositor's) or application commentaries that focus on the applicational value for preaching and teaching.
  • Most are a balance of both and are good general commentaries for academic research.
  • Some are contextual, viewing biblical interpretation through a contextual lens such as theological communities, global or ethnic studies, or specialty focuses like women's studies.
  • For more information on the various series, see this list Bible Commentary Series

To the right is a list commentaries by book or by a particular part of the Bible. However, the best way to find a commentary is to search from the Ebooks tab on the home page search box. Just type the name of the book and commentary. For example "Ephesians and Commentary." Choose one and find the section that deals with your passage.