Bible Commentary and Chapter Studies

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Tyndale House Publishers, released openly in 2023 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Short, plain-English notes written for people reading the Bible for the first time. They explain what a word meant to its original audience, why a detail is there, and where else in Scripture the same idea shows up. If you only read one set of notes on this page, read this one.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible

Matthew Henry, 1706–1714 · Public domain

A pastor writing for his own congregation three hundred years ago. Henry is less interested in historical background than in what a chapter asks of the person reading it, which is why he is still quoted in sermons today. He is warm, direct, and unafraid to apply a text to you.

Written in the early 1700s. The sentences are long, and some words have changed meaning. For example, "conversation" means how a person lives, and "want" means to lack something. Read it slowly; the detail is worth the effort.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, 1871 · Public domain

Three Scottish scholars work phrase by phrase through the whole Bible. They explain the underlying Hebrew or Greek and note other possible English renderings. This is useful when two Bibles word the same verse differently.

Written in 1871 and organized around short quoted phrases followed by an explanation. It reads like reference notes and assumes you have the verse open beside it.