Scripture Commentary

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I am considering investing in a set of Catholic Commentary on Scripture … any suggestions?
 
The Navarre is fantastic, but pricey - roughly $300-400 for the whole set.

The Ignatius 2nd Edition has the New Testament for the bargain price of $19.95. But they’ve only just started working on the Old Testament. Expect a few years for that to be finished.

Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture is just now getting underway. They’ve released 4 books so far and have a way to go before they are complete. Each book is roughly $15.00.
 
NotWorthy said:
The Navarre is fantastic, but pricey - roughly $300-400 for the whole set.
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An outstanding option, especially as a devotional Bible. There is also an expanded single volume New Testament of this series for around $70 that is terrific.
The Ignatius 2nd Edition has the New Testament for the bargain price of $19.95. But they’ve only just started working on the Old Testament. Expect a few years for that to be finished.
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Forget $19.95… try $14.93 on Amazon.com!!! At that price, this study Bible is an absolute STEAL! It is also one of the very best commentaries around.

amazon.com/Ignatius-Catholic-Study-Bible-Testament/dp/1586172506/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture is just now getting underway. They’ve released 4 books so far and have a way to go before they are complete. Each book is roughly $15.00.
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Another worthy contender written for more of an average Catholic reader. A fifth book in this series is about to be released.
 
The best I have ever seen, BY FAR, (and I have every one mentioned above) are:
  1. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture - 1950’s and out of print, but can be bought on secondary market such as Ebay or used book sections on Amazon, Abebooks, Alibris, and B&N. This was actually given as a gift to Pope Pius XII, and a letter from him accepting it appears as an introductory preface. It is outstanding.
  2. St. Thomas Aquinas’s Catena Aurea. It actually takes EVERY line of the Gospels, cites each verse, and then numerous famous Church Fathers comment on what that verse meant to them. It is sold by Baronius Press in an excellent leatherbound set. The presentation is really neat - it is as though you are reading the bible at a table, and at the table, as you finish reading a verse, people such as Aquinas, St. Augustine, and others, all begin to talk about the meaning that verse had for them. I have never quite seen such a commentary, where it appears our most learned saints are having a coffee-table discussion about the Gospels of our Lord.
 
As fond as I am of the Navarre set (I have the hardbound versions of OT and NT, including the recently released NT “combo” in one huge volume for about $70), I find that their inclusion of the Nova Vulgata in addition to an English translation, takes up so much space that the gloss of the verses is fairly sparce.

Now, as far as individual articles about certain topics - no complaint here.
 
I personally find the Navarre Bible to be a waste of time. I have owned a couple of volume and generally find the information to be of little value to my studies. If you wish to read about the life and spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva, invest in the Navarre; otherwise, if you wish to actually learn about what the text means, look somewhere else.

Aquinas’ Catena isn’t bad, and you can acquire the set pretty quickly for relatively little money; however, if you want to invest in a set which will last you for the rest of your life, go with the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. There’s 29 volumes, and the volumes are about $30 a piece (new). If you invest in 2-3 volumes per month, you’ll have them all within a year. Buy the volumes for the Gospels first then the Pentateuch and fill out from there.
 
The Ancient Commentary series comes out on CD-ROM the first week of this coming August for only $242.55.

Unless you have a need to have a book (and as a book collector, the “feel” of a book definitely outweighs a CD in most instances), the CD is the way to go in terms of content for the money.
 
Salvatore123 said:
As fond as I am of the Navarre set (I have the hardbound versions of OT and NT, including the recently released NT “combo” in one huge volume for about $70), I find that their inclusion of the Nova Vulgata in addition to an English translation, takes up so much space that the gloss of the verses is fairly sparce.

Now, as far as individual articles about certain topics - no complaint here.
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For sure in the NT Nova Vulgata does not take up much space at all…

LOTS of Commentary…

It has actually been removed to the Back since many do not know Latin …in the Standard NT 12 vols and the 3 hardbacks…the New Expanded version also has the Latin in it but it is shrunk down…leaving lots of space for Commentary 🙂
 
Epistemes said:
I personally find the Navarre Bible to be a waste of time. I have owned a couple of volume and generally find the information to be of little value to my studies. If you wish to read about the life and spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva, invest in the Navarre; otherwise, if you wish to actually learn about what the text means, look somewhere else.
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Yes the Standard set has a good deal of St. Escriva in it …he is after all the one who came up with the idea of the commentaries in the first place! (how many other modern commentaries where started by Saints?) …but it also has lots from the Fathers…the Saints…and the Documents of the Church…together with the theological work of the Professors at the University…it is a treasure house.

The New Expanded edition …which does not replace the others…but adds to them…is a new work…it is different…and in my opinion seems perhaps influenced by Pope Benedict XVI (of course it includes him) …it is very good…of course all the Navarre’s are…

In my thought…the Navarre and the Ignatius and the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture all go very well together…they are each different…
 
My comments about the “amount of Latin” (which I did not mind) was aimed at the OT version.

I am still partial to the 1950’s A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. On Lulu.com, they are actually reprinting it in hardback.

I have the old hardback, and it is outstanding (albeit dated).
 
I think criticisms of the Navarre Bible are unfair. It does not claim to be a scholarly work, it is more spiritual and aims at helping one’s prayer-life, rather than one’s understanding of the Bible.

If one wants a single commentary I would suggest the NJBC.
 
I have the Ignatius Study Bible of the New Testament by Scott Hann and Curtis Mitch. It is REALLY, REALLY good, and it goes so deep into scripture. It talks about almost every verse. It also talks about key greek words and certain topic (for example: James 2 Faith and Works, Works of the Law, and Peter: Prince of the Apostles). In addition, it comes with study questions by another person, which I don’t have the as of right now. When I bought the set, it cause $110.00. If you want to buy them one at a time, it cause about $10.00.

The Navarre (done by a falcuty of professors from Navarre University in Spain) New Testament series is really good as well. I got my friend that one when he got confirmed because it is a little bit cheaper (about $80.00) and made into one big book (they also separate them into different parts as well, but those will be more expensive than the Ignatius set). They also made an Old Testament that I would like to get in the future, but it is more expensive the both of the NT series I mentioned.

I hope this helps
 
grandeorgue said:
I am considering investing in a set of Catholic Commentary on Scripture … any suggestions?
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Great thread, lots of good resources! Thanks for posting everyone 🙂

I recently completed my collection of the Navarre Bible both OT and NT. It is a great resource for understanding the application of passages and stories to our life. I find that the introductions to the books are very well done and do a good job of offering a summary of the book and showing how it fits in with the overarching story of the Bible. I also love, in the OT books, the section of the introduction that offers some thoughts on the importance of the book in light of the NT. 👍
 
Quatsch said:
Great thread, lots of good resources! Thanks for posting everyone 🙂

I recently completed my collection of the Navarre Bible both OT and NT. It is a great resource for understanding the application of passages and stories to our life. I find that the introductions to the books are very well done and do a good job of offering a summary of the book and showing how it fits in with the overarching story of the Bible. I also love, in the OT books, the section of the introduction that offers some thoughts on the importance of the book in light of the NT. 👍
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My only complaint about the Navarre is that it is adamant that the Pentateuch was written around the time of the return of the exile.

This is a very recent theory in theological circles, if I understand correctly and it really drives me nuts.

Other than that, I love my Navarre Series.
 
Thanks for contributions to this discussion.

As my spiritual director is on holidays I went to a different priest , who is one of the editors of the English version of the Navarre Bible, so I should not be too critical.

I am not very fond of Scott Hahn, since I am reminded of the expression about teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, as a cradle Catholic I think I do not need a recent convert to teach me my religion.
 
NoelFitz said:
Thanks for contributions to this discussion.

As my spiritual director is on holidays I went to a different priest , who is one of the editors of the English version of the Navarre Bible, so I should not be too critical.

I am not very fond of Scott Hahn, since I am reminded of the expression about teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, as a cradle Catholic I think I do not need a recent convert to teach me my religion.
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I’m not sure what context Hahn was using, I cannot imagine it being used in a disrespectful way since I have never seen anything like that out of him. I can say concerning some of the older Catholic ways of thinking from the past few generations has led to horrible catechetics and a product of Bible illiterate Catholics who know very little about Catholicism or where to begin to defend it against anti-Catholics or how to answer even some of the basic questions that someone may have about it. This is something that is starting to change and needs to, or should have never gotten that way in the first place. We as Catholics are the Church and we should be the light that non-Catholics should be able to go to, not to give them the “deer in the headlight look” when someone asks us a simple question about our faith. If Hahn meant that if ‘grandma’ says that we should not read the Bible and to leave that up to the priest, then I think this generation should say go suck eggs, the time for ignorance of the Word of God is stopping with us. I converted to the Church from the Southern Baptist denomination, and I must say that many Catholics around here were not any help to me, only a small handful of Catholics made a good impression for me. The lack of interest among many of them about their own faith and God turns so many people away. That is the stuff that has to change.
 
Copland 3,

again thanks.

As a cradle Catholic I feel most active Catholics in the US seem to be converts and bring a different outlook. Perhaps we are more laid-back and relaxed in our faith. Converts often seem to be more aggressively Catholic.

I hope you appreciate this is written in charity, and may sound more blunt than I intend.
 
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