A commentary is a work that provides a series of explanations or interpretations and supporting arguments on a particular text, often with an accompanying translation if the text is in a foreign language. Commentaries range from technical exegetical treatments to popular applications of texts. Biblical commentaries can often be classified as technical, background, homiletical, or pastoral.
Technical commentary: A technical commentary usually presents a verse by verse explanation of a biblical text based on the original languages, academic research, and historical background.
Bible background commentary: A background commentary presents historical background believed to be pertinent for interpreting specific Biblical texts, usually in a verse-by-verse format.
Homiletical commentary: Homiletical commentaries often present sermon’s or applications on segments of a biblical text in order to aid a preacher in the preparation of his or her sermon.
Pastoral Commentary: Pastoral commentaries are non-technical treatments of a text, usually based on an accessible translation, that focus on the application of a text to a believer’s life.
