Scripture Commentary Recommendation

A reader writes:

I listen to Catholic Answers Live as much as possible (on the Internet).

I have a question for you….I currently use the RSV:CE Bible but would like a commentary that explains what the Scripture passages mean.  I don’t want to misinterpret the Scripture like our Protestant brothers and sisters do.  What do you suggest?  I once heard you say not to use the "Collegeville" commentary which I promptly threw out.  However, I cannot recall what you did recommended. 

I guess I’ve got some good news and some bad news.

First, I’m afraid that I can’t recommend a resource that will prevent you from misinterpreting Scripture passages. The Church has not established the correct interpretation of the great majority of Scripture passages. It has taught that Scripture and the faith do not conflict, so if you know your Catholic faith well then that will help you discern what a particular passage of Scripture DOESN’T mean, but it normally will not help you identify precisely what it DOES mean.

Consequently, there is always risk of error in Scripture interpretation. We can’t eliminate that risk.

What we can do is seek to minimize it, and to that end we can recognize the limits and stay humble and flexible about our interpretations of Scripture. Although I feel more confident of certain interpretations than others, in my own study of Scripture I try not to get overly wedded to particular interpretations and to be aware of what else a passage MIGHT mean, in addition to what I think it MOST LIKELY means.

If you listen to when people call in on the radio and ask me what a particular passage means, you’ll note that I often point out a range of possibilities regarding what a passage may mean. I may not even express a personal opinion, or I may say which option I think most is the most likely interpretation in my personal view, but I seldom tell people that a passage definitely DOES mean something, because I don’t like to go beyond what the Church teaches and make people think that my personal opinion is the only one there is.

Another part of minimizing the risk of error is reading what others think about the passage. Others may have had things occur to them that would not occur to us when we read the passage, and they may have good arguments for or against particular interpretations. Reading what the Church Fathers said on a passage is particularly important. Commentaries also can be helpful, and the more voluminous the commentary the better. I like big, multi-volume commentaries because they can cover so much more, giving so many more possible interpretations and the arguments for and against them.

It’s also good to read multiple commentaries by different people with different interpretations–and not just by Catholics. Non-Catholics have brains, too, and sometimes they have really good insights.  In fact, my favorite commentary on Genesis isn’t a Christian commentary: It’s Jewish.

I therefore don’t write off a commentary just because the author isn’t Catholic. Instead, I use critical thinking to try to correct non-Catholic elements in the commentary as I read it.

One volume commentaries that try to cover the whole Bible in a single volume are of some use, but they can’t go into a great deal of detail because there is so much in the Bible to cover. They are of some use, though, particularly when you’re just getting your feet wet with biblical interpretation. A key in using them, though, is to remember that because of the highly compressed way they have to treat Scripture, they won’t be able to lay out a range of options and the arguments for them in any detail. So don’t get wedded to what a one volume commentary says.

Having said all that, the one volume commentary that I most recommend is the 1950s edition of A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture by Bernard Orchard. Unfortunately, it’s out of print

BUT YOU CAN OFTEN GET COPIES OF IT HERE.

OR HERE.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

26 thoughts on “Scripture Commentary Recommendation”

  1. Neat!
    Okay, Jimmy – you’ve got to spill the beans on that Jewish commentary on Genesis.
    I would like to read it.

  2. Jimmy,
    …Having said that, can you list Commentaries that you frequently use and recommend.
    I would like to add to my research library at home.
    Thanks!
    tim +<>< chino hills, ca

  6. Here’s an interesting site I’m exploring. I presently doing a bible study by Jeff Cavin & Scott Hahn called ‘Our Father’s Plan’.
    Along with that study, I like to do a little extra research and this is one of the sites I’ve run across that gives a Jewish perspective.
    It’s called ‘Jewish 101’
    http://www.jewfaq.org/qorbanot.htm
    tim
    chino hills, ca

  7. These three things should be tightly bound together, as they are all inter-related:
    – Scripture
    – Liturgy
    – Theology
    Do you want to understand Scripture? Seek proper meaning(s) in the Liturgy, and in Theology.

  8. Scott Hahn has some new books out which covers the link between Scripture and Liturgy.
    1. Letter and Spirit
    2. Letter and Spirit Journal
    The Journal is a composite of different articles on scripture by leading Catholic scholars.
    Just read a couple of chapters this weekend.
    One on ‘The sacrifice of Issac’, by James Swetnam, S.J. and another by Robert L. Wilkin entitled ‘Allegory & the Interpretation of the Old Testament in the 21st century’.
    Good stuff…
    tim +<>< chino hill,ca

  10. I too am curious which Jewish commentary on Genesis Jimmy likes.
    I do know that they can be quite extensive. I remember a Hebrew school class back when I was in third grade (back when rocks were soft) in which our teacher brought in her commented copy of Genesis.
    It was about as thick as the standard Jewish Bible. When you opened to the beginning it started with the word “B’reshit” (In the beginning) and was then followed by five pages of commentary from the great scholars in 6 point Hebrew script over just what the word “B’reshit” meant.
    –arthur

  12. I wonder if ‘Understanding Genesis’ also by Nahum Sarna would suffice?
    ‘Genesis is priced at $40.00
    ‘Understanding Genesis is priced at $10.00

  13. BTW, Scott Hahn frequently recommends the Navarre Bible series for its good commentary.
    There’s also one called the “Ignatius Study Bible” with commentary by Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch. (I’m not sure if it’s completed yet, but there are at least several volumes for sale.)

  14. +J.M.J+
    The Ignatius Study Bible is not finished yet. They’ve released nine thin volumes so far – and only gotten as far as the Book of Colossians!
    I’ve bought every volume so far except the last, because I’m starting to rethink whether I want to purchase each of these since I will probably just end up buying the whole thing whenever it’s finished. Why drop all that cash into books I won’t need someday and probably won’t be able to resell once the one-volume work comes out?
    In the meantime, I have the whole Navarre Bible set – recently completed with the release of the Minor Prophets volume a few months back. I also have the aforementioned Orchard commentary, the Catena Aurea (a patristic commentary on the Gospels compiled by St. Thomas Aquinas), the Haydock Bible, A Commentary on the New Testament by the Catholic Biblical Association (Imprimatur 1942 – also out-of-print) and A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture reprinted by TAN.
    I think those should hold me until Ignatius Press finally releases the full Ignatius Study Bible, which I estimate should be done in about fifteen years and another forty-seven volumes, at the rate it’s going….
    …Hope I don’t sound too bitter and discouraged about that. 🙂
    In Jesu et Maria,

  15. I have two commentaries you should all check out:
    1. The International Bible Commentary (edited by Farmer).
    It has its Genesis (corny pun intentional) from Dom Bernard Orchard himself, who thought that it was time to update the 1950s “A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture”.
    I am surprised that there are SO FEW reviews about this book, either negative or positive. It seems MUCH more worthwhile than the Collegeville commentaries,and more accessible than New Jerome.
    You can view sample pages at Amazon. NOT to be confused with the Protestant “New International Bible Commentary”
    2. Christian Community Bible. This is a ‘study bible’ with loads of comments. Translation and comments by English scholars/commentators from the 3rd World, so the comments are often from a fresh perspective.
    You can see the book online.
    http://www.bible.claret.org/bibles/
    Disclaimer: I am not necessarily recommending them, just pointing out that they exist.

  16. In regards to the Ignatius Study Bible, I heard Scott Hahn on Catholic Answers last week and he mentioned that it was his hope to have the entire Ignatius Study Bible done in under 5 years. I think he might of said 3 actually. He stated that the New Testament is completed, at least from his end, and that he is almost done with the Pentateuch. So, perhaps it won’t be 15 years to wait after all.

  18. Has anyone read, Catholic Apologetics Study Bible: Matthew? I just got it from Amazon and haven’t read it yet.
    I just got mine last Friday and haven’t had time to read much of it yet, but so far, I think it’s great.

  20. +J.M.J+
    >>>So, perhaps it won’t be 15 years to wait after all.
    I hope so. Of course, we still have the problem of when the completed work will actually become available to us. Dr. Hahn may be done with writing the NT portion, but Ignatius Press is still releasing it volume-by-volume, a few books at a time. At that rate, how long will it take for them to publish the whole NT? or the whole Bible? That’s the question.
    In Jesu et Maria,

  21. I love the Navarre series and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to study the Bible at a moderate/intermediate level. The reasons for this are:
    1) the Navarre Bible gives you the English and the Vulgate Latin versions of the Bible, but this is only about 1/3 of each page.
    2) the other 2/3rds of each page are taken up with commentary, based on sources like the Early Church Fathers, papal encyclicals, and various other writings of the saints (e.g., Augustine, Aquinas, John Chrysostom, Juan Escriva, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, etc.)
    3) this is the series of study Bibles used by the University of Navarre, Spain’s Theology department.
    Hope this helps.

  22. I had the honor of knowing Dom Bernard while he was in residence at the Dominican Priory of St. Albert the Great at the University of Dallas, where he was teaching. Such a learned man and such a fine Christian. He used to teach us unmusical undergraduates to sing Vespers. What agreeable memories. Does anyone know if he is still with us here on Earth?
    Another source for finding books which I use all the time is to be found at http://www.addall.com.

  23. In your opinion, are there problems with the New Jerome Biblical Commentary?
    It’s biggest drawback is price. While it’s not totally worthless (there are some good articles), if you buy it, buy a used copy, because it’s definitely NOT worth buying new.

  24. As in the Hebrew Genesis and other origin works, the Kurnuilpo genealogical prayer chant of the Hawaiians documents in poetic detail The Creation and human times immemorial.

  25. History of Hawaii – 1 – Creation

    As in the Hebrew Genesis and other origin works, the Kurnuilpo genealogical prayer chant of the Hawaiians documents in poetic detail The Creation and human times immemorial. But also, appropriately and ironically, its basic message—that life as we kn…

  26. Also A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture for the NT can be found here.
    The following may be helpful for seminary students, religious professor- teachers, any Catholic students taking religious education classes, and also may be of use in helping priests prepare sermons for Gospels readings of the day using Catholic commentaries, and church Fathers quotes, religious Education Directors and CCD Teachers, and of course it may be useful for any Catholic in learning more about their faith, Scripture etc….. Please be sure to pass this along.
    enclosed is link for a free Catholic Bible and Catechetical study/resource Sofware program which can be downloaded— with lots of Catholic modules for Dictionaries, commentaries, Bibles, and topical see below
    A great Catholic software Bible Study Program and best of all its free for download and nothing out there compares to this, its also going to get better.
    From: http://www.esnips.com/web/CatholicApolegetics
    What we have here at this web site a synopsis:
    These are all eSword modules-Bibles, Commentaries, Dictionaries, and Topical all for the eSword base Bible software program.. All to help Catholics and those interested in knowing more or understanding what the Catholic Church truly teaches and why. All modules are free as well as the Base esword program for download. The Base progam is a free download at:
    http://www.e-sword.net/downloads.html .
    e-Sword is a fast and effective way to study the Bible.
    e-Sword is feature rich and user friendly with more capabilities than you would expect in a free software package. The fact that e-Sword is free is just one of the blessings and does not speak of the quality of the software. I make my living writing software and I believe I have put forth my best effort in this endeavor. The real work, however, was put in by the godly men and women who devoted countless years creating the texts that have been made available for our benefit. (From the e-sword Web site Rick Myers)
    The Program has the ability to accept user created modules hence a substantial number of user Catholic modules including the Early Teachings of the Church in the first few centuries (a must read), Haydock Commentary, St Thomas works in the Catena commentary on Gospels by early church fathers, and his Summa Theologica, a number of Catholic Bibles, Catechism, 1909 Catholic encyclopedia another must, a Catholic Doctrinal Concordance, and a number of special tools for studying the Bible With Greek and Latin tools for studying the basic Greek Grammer and Latin language to enhance one’s understanding of definitions etc. This has become a consolidation of free modules for e-Sword base progam, modules scattered across ensips web, and a few other websites on the internet all to make for easier download and finding of Catholic modules and good study tools. Michael Jacques.
    Hoping to add some good Catholic commentary and dictionaries which would be great editions at a $ Cost.
    Michael Jacques

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