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New Testament - RELS 120 - Martin

Reminder: you need to use at least three multivolume commentaries in your exegesis!

There are 3 sections of a commentary to pay attention to:

  1. Introduction
    This section gives a general overview of the book of the Bible and often discusses the audience, form, genre, context...
     
  2. Passage
    This section discusses your passage specifically and will shed light on its meaning.
     
  3. Commentary
    This section often follows the passage and discusses the scholar's interpretation of the passage and applications.

Citing Bible Commentaries

Bible Commentary (other than New Interpreter’s Bible; see SBL Handbook of Style – Section 6.4.9):

For Bible commentaries other than the New Interpreter’s Bible, give the title of the book of the Bible that the commentary is about in italics followed by the name of the commentary series without italics (Interpretation, Westminster Bible Companion, Anchor Bible…).

  • Footnote: Author’s First Name and Last Name, Italicized Title of Book of Bible, Commentary Series (City: Publisher, Year), Page Number.
  • Subsequent Footnote: Author’s Last Name, Italicized Title of Book of Bible, Page Number.
  • Bibliography: Author’s Last Name, First Name. Italicized Title of Book of Bible. Commentary Series City: Publisher, Year.
  • Footnote: James A. Wharton, Job, Westminster Bible Companion (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999), 32.
  • Subsequent Footnote: Wharton, Job, 32.
  • Bibliography: Wharton, James A. Job. Westminster Bible Companion. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1999.

Citing New Interpreter's Bible (Multi-volume Commentary)

An Entry in New Interpreter’s Bible (SBL Handbook of Style – Section 6.3.6):

A citation from the New Interpreter's Bible is treated like a dictionary/encyclopedia entry: your footnote and bibliographic citation should begin with the author of the entry instead of the editor of the New Interpreter's Bible. The author’s name can usually be found at the beginning of the entry. Then, place in quotation marks the name of the specific entry.

  • Footnote: Author’s First and Last Name, “Title of Entry,” Italicized Title of Dictionary Volume Number:Page Number.
  • Subsequent Footnote: Author’s Last Name, “Title of Entry,” Volume Number: Page.
  • Bibliography: Author’s Last Name, Author’s First Name. “Title of Entry.” Italicized Title of Dictionary Volume Number: Pages #-#.
  • Example:
    • Footnote: R. Allen Culpepper, “Psalms, Book of,” The New Interpreter’s Bible 4:672.
    • Subsequent Footnote: Culpepper, “Psalms, Book of,” 4:672.
    • Bibliography: Culpepper, R. Allen. "Psalms, Book of." The New Interpreter's Bible 4:661-680. 

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