Biblical Literature (BIB 110)

This class has two types of key resources for your project—databases and significant Bible materials.

The reference sources are described below and listed on separate pages.

Commentaries provides explanation and interpretation of the Bible, typically by book, chapter and verse. They may cover one book of the Bible, several books (e.g. gospels, prophets, epistles, etc.) or all books of the Bible in one volume or set. Zondervan Library has over 2,500 Bible commentaries.

Bible Commentaries

Some commentaries may cover the entire bible in one or two volumes. Some focus on one or two individual books of the Bible. Other key commentary sets have volumes covering each book individually. 

These can be found in the call number area of 220.7 in both the Reference Collection (main level) and the Main Collection (upstairs).

Online Commentaries

Bible Hub

Bible Hub combines several kinds of sources for studying the Bible. The commentaries included in Bible Hub provide one searchable site for many resources, versions, and study guides. Note that many of the commentaries are several years old, out of copyright, and do not reflect current scholarship. For contemporary analysis of a passage or theme you should use other sources beyond this one.

Bible Gateway

Has a selection of Bible Commentaries.

Searching for Commentaries

Zondervan Library has over 2,500 Bible commentaries to choose from. These commentaries may cover one book of the Bible, several books (e.g. gospels, prophets, epistles, etc.) or all books of the Bible in one volume or set. 

Finding commentaries is fairly simple. In World Cat Research Station, you can enter the search: bible genesis commentaries (or change genesis to any book of the Bible.) to find commentaries on the specific passage you have chosen.

Commentaries located in the Zondervan Library’s main collection are available to check out. Commentaries located in the Reference area are to be used in Zondervan Library. Note that each book of the Bible has a unique number and most of them are generally arranged in the same order found in the Bible. 

The readership level of commentaries varies from the very scholarly, well-researched ones to others that are designed for the lay person with non-academic language. 

A concordance lists words used in the Bible and gives references to the instances they are used throughout entire biblical text. Often, these are tied to specific translations, like NIV, NSRV, etc. Many study Bibles have concordances included. These tend not to be complete concordances which list every word. The concordances listed on this page are complete and list every word and every usage with the Greek or Hebrew words and links to other verses where a specific word is used.

Biblical Concordances

You will find several Bible concordances in the Reference Collection on the Main Level of the Library. Others will be located in similar call number ranges in the Main Collection on the Upper level.   Call Number: 220.523 

There are often versions of concordances in the back of many study Bibles. These are usually not exhaustive and highlight major words and do not include links to the Strong "number." This number traces the origin of a particular word and leads to deeper understanding of Hebrew (and Greek) words.

A good place to begin to examine words and their meanings is your study Bible. Here are a few additional resources that may help you to examine a specific words, meanings and nuances.

Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

• Offer entries relating to people, places, customs, doctrine and biblical criticism. Entries can vary in length from very brief to in-depth studies that are multiple pages.
• Highlight biblical text through short Bible commentaries, maps, historical backgrounds, archaeological background, tables of weights, lists of kings, and much more.
• Illuminate aspects of the Bible for greater understanding.

Here is an example from Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary Genesis 9:21. "And he drank of the wine, and was drunken—perhaps at the festivities of the vintage season. This solitary stain on the character of so eminently pious a man must, it is believed, have been the result of age or inadvertency."

You will find most Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias in the Reference Collection on the Main Level of the Library. A select few titles are also housed in the Main Collection. Those may be checked out while the ones in the Reference Collection are kept in the Reference area so that they will be readily accessible on demand. 

Dictionaries and encyclopedias covering the entire Bible may be found in the 220.3 area. Some are focused on specific parts of the Bible such as: Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels

Bible Handbooks

• Offer entries relating to people, places, customs, doctrine and biblical criticism. Entries can vary in length from very brief to in-depth studies that are multiple pages.
• Highlight biblical text through short Bible commentaries, maps, historical backgrounds, archaeological background, tables of weights, lists of kings, and much more.
• Illuminate aspects of the Bible for greater understanding.

Here is an example from Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary Genesis 9:21. "And he drank of the wine, and was drunken—perhaps at the festivities of the vintage season. This solitary stain on the character of so eminently pious a man must, it is believed, have been the result of age or inadvertency."

Bible Handbooks are often located in the Main Collection and offer a variety of perspectives on biblical topics. Below are a few worth highlighting, though we have many more. Their call numbers will vary, as they are shelved according to their overall subject matter.

Search Primo for "handbook" AND "Bible" to see all that Zondervan has to offer