{"id":38812,"date":"2017-07-17T10:00:14","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T17:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.olivetree.com\/?p=38812"},"modified":"2023-07-06T14:09:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-06T21:09:48","slug":"difference-study-bible-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/difference-study-bible-commentary\/","title":{"rendered":"Study Bibles vs. Commentaries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever nodded along to someone talking, even though you had no idea what they were saying? I often feel like I\u2019m doing a mental head-nod when I\u2019m scrolling through all the products Olive Tree offers. As an employee, you\u2019d think I would understand all the different Bible study tools\u2014but to be honest, there’s always something new to learn<\/strong>. So, I thought I\u2019d dedicate a blog post to the difference between a study Bible and a Bible commentary!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STUDY BIBLE VS. COMMENTARY<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A study Bible is Scripture paired with additional notes and resources that are meant to help you understand what you\u2019re reading. A non-digital study Bible is often formatted with the study Bible notes below the Bible text, allowing for quick reference without having to leave the passage you\u2019re reading. Depending on the study Bible, you may see historical and contextual background information, cross references to other verses, maps, charts, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Study<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Study Bibles in the Olive Tree Bible App work much the same way. While you\u2019re reading the Bible text, the resource guide will pull in the content from any study Bible you have in your library to give you quick access to helpful information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIBLE COMMENTARY VS. STUDY BIBLE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first major difference between a Bible commentary and a study Bible is that a Bible commentary is its own book. In fact, it\u2019s probably more than one book. Bible commentaries usually come in massive volumes\u2014one for each book of the Bible! The print version of the 61 Vols. Word Biblical Commentary<\/a> series would take up 7 feet on your bookshelf. This is probably one of the biggest reasons I\u2019m in love with electronic Bible resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also single-volume commentaries, but don\u2019t let that fool you. They still contain much more information than a typical study Bible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commentaries also come in three different types: devotional, homiletical, and exegetical.<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Devotional<\/strong> <\/em>commentaries focus on applying the Bible to daily life. These publications are much more relaxed, written by one person, and don\u2019t cover the entire Bible verse-by-verse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homiletical<\/em> <\/strong>(homilies = sermons) commentaries focus on interpreting the Bible and then <\/em>applying it. Preachers wrote these commentary sets for other preachers. They are also great for preparing to teach the Bible in any capacity, not just from the pulpit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exegetical<\/strong> <\/em>commentaries focus on the more academic processes of uncovering the author\u2019s original meaning. Oftentimes, these publications will explain passages from the original Hebrew and Greek, go in-depth on cultural and historical references, and address scholarly disputes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bible<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

WHAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First, it\u2019s important to remember that study Bible notes and Bible commentaries are both interpretations<\/em> of Scripture! Just as you would prayerfully evaluate a sermon, evaluate the contents of any resource you read. No human-made book is perfect in the way that God\u2019s Word is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking for quick, easy insights on Scripture, a study Bible or a one-volume commentary is a fantastic place to start. Try looking at the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible<\/a> or the Zondervan Bible Commentary (1 Vol.)<\/a>. Or, search through our study Bible category<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re wanting to go deeper, you may want to pick a commentary set like the Pillar New Testament Commentary (17 Vols)<\/a> or something similar. You can easily look through all our commentary sets<\/a> in our store. These can be pretty pricey because people spent decades researching and writing these! But if you watch our sales carefully, you should be able to find what you’re looking for discounted at some point or another! Make sure you’re getting our emails<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, still stuck?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Reach out to us: in the comments, on Facebook, or email our support team<\/a>. If you have Bible study questions, we’ll try to point you in the right direction! And, if you’re looking for a resource recommendation, we’d love to help you out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SEE WHAT’S ON SALE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Olive<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Olive<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever nodded along to someone talking, even though you had no idea what they were saying? I often feel like I\u2019m doing a mental head-nod when I\u2019m scrolling through all the products Olive Tree offers. As an employee, you\u2019d think I would understand all the different Bible study tools\u2014but to be honest, there’s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":49658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5318],"tags":[5936,6028,8568],"class_list":{"0":"post-38812","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bible-study-tips","8":"tag-niv-biblical-theology-study-bible","9":"tag-pillar-new-testament-commentary","10":"tag-zondervan-bible-commentary"},"yoast_head":"\nStudy Bibles vs. Commentaries - Olive Tree Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here's the difference between a study Bible and a commentary, along with a lot of other helpful information on choose Bible study resources!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/staging-blog.olivetree.com\/difference-study-bible-commentary\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Study Bibles vs. Commentaries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Have you ever nodded along to someone talking, even though you had no idea what they were saying? 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