Episode 152
152 - How to Use Bible Commentaries Without Getting Lost
How to Use Bible Commentaries Without Losing Your Own Voice
Every time I open Hebrews, there's a moment where the questions start stacking up. What did that mean to someone in Jerusalem in 60 AD? What is the "order of Melchizedek" anyway? Is that something I'm supposed to already know? Commentaries exist to help with exactly that — but there's a right way and a wrong way to use them. In this episode I want to walk through what a commentary actually is, how to choose one that's honest about its own perspective, and how to use it in a way that deepens your own thinking instead of replacing it.
What Is a Commentary, Exactly?
A commentary is the condensed work of a scholar, pastor, or theologian who spent years — sometimes a whole career — wrestling with one book or passage of Scripture. When you read Matthew Henry, you're stepping into the mind of someone with a warm devotional instinct and centuries of distance from our present moment. When you read John Gill, you're stepping into detailed linguistic and historical analysis. They're not neutral. No commentary is. But that's what makes them valuable, and it's also why you need to know who you're reading.
Why You Need to Know the Tradition Behind the Voice
A Reformed commentary will read Romans 9 very differently than an Armenian one. A Lutheran commentary will approach law and gospel in a way that a Baptist commentary won't. A Catholic commentary carries assumptions about church authority and sacraments that other traditions don't share. None of this makes any of these commentaries unusable — but it does mean you need to understand the tradition behind the voice so you can weigh what you're receiving. Before you invest in a commentary, Google the author. Find out where they sit.
Free Resources Worth Knowing
You don't need a seminary degree or an expensive library. Matthew Henry's full commentary is available free at Bible Gateway. John Gill's is free at Blue Letter Bible. Bob Guzik's commentary from Calvary Chapel (Santa Barbara) is free at enduringword.com and is one of the most readable verse-by-verse tools available. Blue Letter Bible also lets you click a single word and see what it meant in Greek or Hebrew, and how it's used throughout Scripture. These resources are genuinely excellent and cost nothing.
A Healthier Rhythm: Start Alone, Then Invite the Commentary In
Here's the pattern I've landed on: read the passage first. Read it again. Let it sit. Notice what you observe, what confuses you, what seems important. Then bring the commentary in — not to replace your thinking, but to meet it. The commentator can tell you things you never would have found on your own: the historical setting, the original language, what Augustine said about this verse, why scholars disagree here. But you're receiving that information actively, not passively. You come with your own questions.
The Problem With Too Many Voices
With hundreds of commentaries available — and software like Logos that can line them all up at once — there's a real danger of noise replacing clarity. Ten commentators, ten opinions, ten different maps to the restaurant. The solution is to find a few you trust, from traditions you understand, with solid scholarship and honest interpretation of the text itself. Consistency matters more than comprehensiveness. Depth of relationship with a good commentary will serve you better than a broad sampling of everything available.
The Goal Is Formation, Not Information
A good commentary is like a hiking guide who can point out things you would have missed: the bird over there, the bend in the river, the history of this trail. But if you're looking at the guidebook the whole time, you never actually see the trail. The Bible itself remains the plumb line. Let the commentary sharpen your thinking, not replace it. Let it lead you back to the text — because that's where the real transformation happens.
Thanks for spending time with me today.
Jill’s Links
https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod
Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com
“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.”
Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
“The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”.
Bible Maps and images used with permission from https://www.bible.ca/maps/ or https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bj-ot-world/
Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software. Free for non-commercial use by individuals or organizations. May be presented before live audiences; may be posted on social media; may be re-distributed. May not be used commercially. May not be modified or included in published works without permission; contact permissions@faithlife.com. Attribute as: “Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software ()”.
By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal experiences, faith journey, and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed pastor, theologian, or counselor. Any spiritual reflections, devotional thoughts, or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for guidance from your own pastor, faith community, or professional mental health provider. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.
