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 books 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 emphases 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 background 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 a specialty focus such as women's studies.
  • For more information on the various series, see this list opens new windowBible Commentary Series

Use the list to select a commentary by book or by a particular part of the Bible. The best way to find a commentary is to search from the "Books, Ebooks, and Media" search box on the home page. 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. You can limit your results to ebooks by changing the dropdown from View Entire Collection to Ebooks, then click on Search on the results page.

Biblical Books in Canonical Order

Old Testament

New Testament

Apocrypha/Deuterocanon