Brandel Library

BTS 1850: Introduction to the Bible (Hayes)

Biblical Commentaries

Finding Commentaries in Brandel Library

  • Commentaries on the Bible provide explanations of Scripture passages, usually for a book of the Bible or portion of a book of the Bible. 
  • You can find commentaries in two places in Brandel Library:
    • the Reference Section (on the 1st floor, behind the Reference Desks)
    • the General Collection (on the 3rd floor).
    • The same classification system applies to both collections, so the call number will be identical, but the location will differ.
    • Reference copies of commentaries cannot leave the Library, so these copies cannot be checked out, but can be read in the Library or portions of them scanned or photocopied.
    • The General Collection copies may be checked out of the Library.
  • The Reference collection contains many of the most important commentaries, so it is a good place to begin your browsing for commentaries.
    • In some cases, we have copies of a commentary in both places, but not often.
  • Only a few biblical commentaries are available digitally as yet, but we are purchasing them as they are published.
    • Separate records in the library catalog are retrieved for the print and the digital/electronic formats (which are marked with an 'eb' at the end of the call number), so it is easy to see when these commentaries are available for your subject.
  • Commentaries are shelved in the order of the Protestant canon (as distinguished from the Roman Catholic canon of the Bible or the order of the Hebrew Bible).
  • Commentaries may be individual, free-standing books or they may be part of a series.
    • Some (mostly older) commentary series are shelved all together, but most series are shelved separately, so that the volumes are in the appropriate section for the book/books/portion of book on which they comment.
  • Call numbers for the Old Testament are BS 701-BS 1830. 
  • Call numbers for the New Testament are BS 1901- BS 2970.

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