Have you ever been reading a passage and got frustrated because you could not understand it? A Bible commentary can be a great tool to gain further insight into passages of Scripture. “Good commentaries can protect us from heretical interpretations, correct our personal biases, and help us come to the conclusions God intended when he wrote his Word.” (Christine Gordon and Hope Blanton). One important tip is to not start with the commentary. First, take the time to do your own hard work of diving into the text. Read the passage a few times through. Read it in different translations. (CSB, ESV, NIV). Then, think through what questions you may have and then consult a commentary to help you bring clarity to the text.

Here are a few resources that we would suggest:

The Christ-Centered Exposition Series:  “It is designed to be a clear and practical guide to the divine-inspired scripture, providing readers with accessible and encouraging information.”

God’s Word for You: “God’s Word For You is a series of expository guides by trusted Bible teachers that walks you through books of the Bible verse-by-verse in an accessible and applied way. Less academic than traditional commentaries, these flexible resources can be read cover-to-cover, used in personal devotions, used to lead small group studies, or used for sermon preparation.”

The Bible Speaks Today: It has a “threefold ideal….to expound the biblical text with accuracy, to relate it to contemporary life and to be readable.”

All of the commentary series listed above were created to be accessible (easy to read and understand) for anyone desiring to use a commentary. 

Ligonier Ministries created a list of the top commentaries for every book of the Bible.  https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/top-5-commentaries