A Closer Look at Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching

Yesterday, we released Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, an incredible 43-volume commentary series from Westminster John Knox Press. With names like Brueggemann, Blenkinsopp, and Purdue writing Old Testament volumes; and Craddock, Achtemeier, and Oden penning installments for the New Testament, it’s easy to see that the Interpretation Commentary Series is the product of a diverse group of top biblical scholars. However, what these diverse scholars have in common is their commitment to their communities of faith.

Click/tap the image above for a larger view of the Interpretation Commentary Series on the iPad Pro (Revised Standard Version text not included)

Based on the Revised Standard Version text, The Interpretation Commentary Series is not a dry series of collected data and analysis about the books of the Bible. Rather, this series offers both interpretive and practical applications for the biblical text. As stated in the series preface:

This series of commentaries offers an interpretation of the books of the Bible. It is designed to meet the need of students, teachers, ministers, and priests for a contemporary expository commentary. These volumes will not replace the historical critical commentary or homiletical aids to preaching. The purpose of this series is rather to provide a third kind of resource, a commentary which presents the integrated result of historical and theological work with the biblical text.

Anyone who preaches, teaches, or studies the Bible in the context of a faith community will benefit from this commentary series. Rather than approaching the biblical text in a verse by verse manner as many commentary series do, comments in the Interpretation series “generally [take] the form of expository essays.”

Click/tap the image above for a larger view of the Interpretation Commentary Series in Accordance 12 for Windows (Revised Standard Version text not included)

For instance, in the more recent Judges volume by J. Clinton McCann, the three introductory chapters in the book are treated thematically under the headings “Fighting and Smiting: The Canaanites Remain” and “Serving God or Serving Baal?” Exploration of these two themes set the stage for everything that follows in Book of Judges. McCann bridges the historical divide between the context of Judges and our modern situation:

In a world like ours, a world whose future is increasingly threatened by human self-assertion and the propensity to put ourselves in the place of God, the book of Judges and its call to repent are especially timely. Given the pervasiveness of competition rather than cooperation, and given the seemingly inevitable tendency of the powerful and prosperous to conclude that they deserve the best, there is little room for optimism. But the book of Judges suggests that there is room for hope—hope in God who creates a future by forgiveness and who invites the faithful to go and do likewise.

Here is the stellar lineup of scholarship for the Interpretation Commentary Series:

What sets the Accordance version of the Interpretation Commentary Series apart from other versions? Our developers have analyzed every word in all 43 volumes and have tagged content according to the following fields: Reference, Titles, English Content, Scripture, Greek Content, Transliteration, Bibliography, Authors, Captions and Page Numbers. Such unparalleled attention to detail allows the Accordance user to find the exact information needed in the moment both quickly and efficiently.

The Interpretation Commentary Series may be purchased in either Old or New Testament sets or all 43 volumes together.