“I Don’t Read Commentaries”
Occasionally, I’ve heard certain Christians say something to this effect, “I don’t read commentaries; I just read the Bible.” Now there is nothing wrong with this statement. It is good for people to read the Bible, and if they only have time for reading a single book, I’d encourage them to read the Bible. However, often what is expressed in statements like these is a sense of skepticism or contempt for such a book. Some have expressed, “Why read the words of men when you can read the words of God?” Again, I am sympathetic to that sentiment. But many have created a false dichotomy in their minds. Some seem to assume that if a commentary is written by men and since men are fallible, the commentary can’t be considered useful.
However, I believe this comes from a misunderstanding from what a commentary is and how they should be used. What is a commentary? A commentary is a book normally written by a scholar who provides commentary on a particular book of the Bible. Often such men are educated in a field that relates to the book they are commenting on. One might have a Ph.D. in an ancient language (like Hebrew or Greek), in History (as in the Ancient Near East or Greco-Roman world), in the Old Testament, or in the New Testament in general. They will spend years doing research on a single book like Matthew or Genesis, compile their information in one or two volumes, and make it available for purchase.
Some will not consider reading such a book, because it is the words of men. However, what some do not realize is that providing commentary is a biblical practice. In Nehemiah 8:1-3, we find that Ezra read the Law of God before all the people who had returned from exile. But this is not the only instruction that was provided. Nehemiah 8:7-8 reads:
Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places. So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
As we clearly see, Israel did more than simply read God’s Word—or listen to it being read. They considered the words of 13 different experts dispersed throughout the crowd to help themselves “understand” the “sense” and proper “interpretation” of the Law. These men provided commentary in every sense of the word on what Moses wrote—so the people could have a clearer understanding. In fact, this is what Christians do every Sunday. Not only are the Scriptures read, but preachers help provide commentary on what the Scriptures mean (1 Timothy 4:13).
If the practice is Biblical, and it is something that is actually incorporated into our worship and Bible classes, perhaps reading a Bible Commentary shouldn’t be seen in such a negative light. However, this does not mean we should blindly accept what we read. Men are fallible, but it doesn’t mean they cannot be useful.
If there was a man who has devoted years to the study of a single book, and he has shown himself honest and consistent, perhaps his words are worth considering. After all, it is too much for a single Christian to be expected to know Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and the entire historical context from the Flood to the fall of the Roman Empire. Having the resources of experts who specialize in one of these areas can provide clarity to many challenging passages. But as with all such resources, “We eat the meat, and spit out the bones.” We learn from what can be proven and shown to be consistent with the Scriptures, and we ignore what cannot be.