Imagine having a scholar standing over your shoulder when you study the Bible. Imagine being able to get answers immediately regarding the historical, grammatical and contextual background of the passage. Imagine skipping through your English translation of the Bible and having this scholar tap you on the shoulder every time you cross a word that is loaded with meaning in its original Greek or Hebrew. That would be a valuable resource wouldn't it?
You have this kind of resource in what is called a Bible Commentary.
- A commentary is a detailed analysis of a book or specific passage of scripture. You can find commentaries at a well stocked local library. If you don't have easy access to a library or even if you do it's still nice to have some commentaries for yourself.
- Commentaries provide a written systematic series of explanations and interpretations of Scripture from the viewpoint of men and women who have put a lot of time into learning God's Word. You take advantage of what they've learned while learning from someone who is very versed in scripture.
- Each scripture is often broken down into segments to help with understanding. Many of the Bible scholars who have written commentaries have spent a tremendous amount of time in research and study into the meaning of Scripture. They have studied about the history, the writers, and future prophecy to bring together a unique set of examples, illustrations, and insight into learning the word of God.
- When choosing a commentary, look for one that is considered to be "expository." These commentaries go deeper into the Scriptures technically and may be less "devotional." But in spite of their technicality, they yield rich insight to the seroius
Don't rely on commentaries exclusively for your study of the Bible, but do add a commentary to your repertoire of tools in your personal study of the Bible.