Study Bible

[luciasclay]

I am looking for a study bible ( or at least one with good reference notes ) that does a good to great job of cross referencing the New Testament with the dueterocanonial works. I’m not particular how literal or precise the translation is either.

I’m not asking if someone thinks they are quoted or not, thats a topic for another day, myself I know that they are used by the NT authors. I am also aware of myriad online sources giving quoted passages etc. I’m just looking for a bound volume that has study notes about this along with other stuff.

I see various Bibles offered on the catholic websites but not being able to thumb thru them I cannot know if they do a good job showing the cross quotation/allusions I’m interested in.

Thanks!

 

[Pilgrim365]

So far, I haven’t found one either. Soon, there will be a study bible by Scott Han et. al. There is a Navar, forgive spelling if wrong, that has a bound NT hardcover. It has pretty good notes from what I read. As far as the versions I have (RSV, NAB, NRSV, DR), they don’t have the cross ref. that the other versions have. We wait for a good study bible.

 

[kristanl]

I know the NAB study bible is good, as well as the Answer Bible (NAB as well). NAB is closest related to the original documents, and it is also the one we use at mass.

We also use NRSV-CE so a study version of that would be good as well.

 

[luciasclay]

Coming from sturdy protestant stock I have a wide variety of versions and study bibles at home. KJV, NKJV, RSV, NIV, and many others.

It was the RSV w Apocrypha from Oxford Press that got me interested in the duetero canonical books. But the study notes in that thing made me want to throw the whole thing in the pond. I think my “favorite” and final moment was when it explained that when Saul threw the spear at David he didn’t have a evil spirit it was probably just depression. Who knew that whole thing could have been fixed w prozac ?! ( sarcasm on ).

So I went and bought a RSV-CE precisely because it did not have any notes. And I do prefer to read my scripture that way.

But now I think I want some study notes, version doesn’t matter, showing the places in the NT where the duetero’s are used. I’ve been hitting “Surprise Me” on the amazon Look Inside of the NAB study bible and am finding at least a few examples of this.

So maybe I’ll just order that one up but I’ll wait and see if any other recommendations show up. If they do maybe I’ll buy one of each.

Thanks!

 

[Hunho]

The best study bible is the Navarre Bible, a multi-volume set put out by the University of Navarre. The English edition uses the RSV text. The commentaries are by the professors at the University of Navarre. Another good multi-volume set is the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible which also uses the RSV. The Navarre Bible also has a one-volume New Testament with less commentary included. I’ve used both the Navarre and Ignatius and both are good tools for studying scripture.

 

[swampboy]

you will not find a better source for cross-references than the original 1966 Jerusalem Bible…it is the most complete out of any I have ever seen and I doubt you will ever find one that is more comprehensive…the notes are quite extensive as well so it should suit your purposes well.

 

[Rolltide]

If you’re looking for a good study Bible with commentary, there are three that I would recommend: The Ignatius Study Bible, the Navarre Bible, and the Douay-Rheims with Haydock Commentary.

So, which study Bible to get? Well, it depends on what you want. Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch are working on the Ignatius Study Bible. I have several volumes, and I think they’re great. The notes are very clear, there are ample maps, and there are occasional mini-essays dedicated to important passages for Catholics, or particularly important Greek words that are difficult to translate. The introductory essays are also very good. The main problem with this version is that it is a work-in-progress. It is being released book-by-book; the New Testament has JUST been completed, and the Old Testament is now well underway, although no books have actually been released yet. A single version of the complete New Testament is going to be released around November, so you might want to wait for that. Once totally complete, many people think that this will become the new standard in Catholic study Bibles. This is the version to get if you’re looking for a good, orthodox, in-depth study of the background and interpretation of the Bible.

Here’s a link to the 13-volume paperback New Testament set:
catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1001916/Ignatius-Catholic-Study-Bible-Complete-Set/

(and one Amazon.com link to the volume on the Gospel of Luke so you can see inside: )
amazon.com/Gospel-Luke-Ignatius-Study-Catholic/dp/0898708192/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246342183&sr=8-3

And here is a link where you can pre-order the brand-new single volume New Testament on Amazon.com. It’s going to be right around $20:
amazon.com/Ignatius-Catholic-Study-Bible-Testament/dp/1586172506/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249897269&sr=1-10

continued…

 

[Rolltide]

As far as the Navarre Bible, it is also outstanding. It has several distinctive features. First, it’s complete. Second, it’s available in four versions: a 10-volume hardbound set, a 12-volume paperback New Testament, an abridged single-volume New Testament, and a brand new expanded single-volume hardcover New Testament. The longer versions contain the text of the Bible, the commentary, and the entire Nova Vulgata, along with long introductory essays. The abridged volume drops the Nova Vulgata and shortens the introductory essays. The hardbound version is almost of heirloom quality; it is very well made. The Navarre is printed by Scepter Press, the publishing arm of Opus Dei, so you KNOW it’s going to be orthodox. The Navarre tends to be more of a devotional Bible than a rigorous scholarly study Bible. The great thing is that both Bibles present something completely different. You could read both and learn totally different things. I included links to where you can order them direct from Scepter Publishers, and also Amazon.com. I included Amazon.com links when the page included the option to search inside the book so you can get an idea of the layout.

Here is where you can get the various versions:

The brand-new one-volume expanded New Testament:
scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=526

The one-volume abridged New Testament:
amazon.com/Navarre-Bible-New-Testament-Compact/dp/1889334596/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246340393&sr=8-5

The original ten-volume hardcover series:
New Testament:
scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=618
Old Testament:
scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=514
(and one Amazon.com link of the first volume so you can see inside: )
amazon.com/Navarre-Bible-Pentateuch-Old-Testament/dp/1889334219/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246340393&sr=8-2

The twelve-volume paperback New Testament set:
scepterpublishers.org/product/index.php?FULL=125
(and one Amazon.com link of the first volume so you can see inside: )
amazon.com/Navarre-Bible-Acts-Apostles/dp/1851829040/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246340775&sr=8-23

continued…

 

[Rolltide]

I might also recommend the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock Commentary. This was a Bible commentary written by a Father Haydock in the mid-nineteenth century. It’s very orthodox also, and is known for utilizing a tremendous number of quotes from the Early Church Fathers themselves. If you want to know what the great theologians had to say about various passages, all in one place, than this is also a great resource. Not all Douay-Rheims Bibles have the Haydock Commentary, so search carefully. There is only one readily available version with the commentary, and it runs around $125. I should also point out that it’s available online for free viewing here:

haydock1859.tripod.com/index.html

Here’s a link to the leather-bound hardcover Haydock Douay-Rheims Bible:
loretopubs.org/index.php?target=products&product_id=60

(And here’s a link to a sample interior page: )
catholictreasures.com/pictures/Sample%20Douay.pdf

As a couple of added thoughts:

From EWTN:
The most widely used Catholic commentary is probably the Jerome Biblical Commentary, now in a 2nd edition. There is also a summary version of it. This commentary is the work of well-known Catholic Biblical scholars and is filled with articles on historical, archaeological, linguistic and other subjects useful for understanding the background of the Scriptures. The JBC is, therefore, a valuable resource for those seeking such information. However, the textual commentaries use primarily the historical-critical method, and thus must be read with discernment. The Church approves of the use of this method for the purpose of understanding the historical and literary foundations of the text (see Vatican II, Dei Verbum 11-13), but finds it an incomplete method apart from the Tradition. Scripture must be interpreted according to the analogy of faith, that is, in accordance with what God has revealed in toto, as taught by the Magisterium.

Here is the New Jerome Biblical Commentary at Amazon.com:
amazon.com/Jerome-Biblical-Commentary-Raymond-Brown/dp/0225668033/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246340021&sr=8-1

There is also the brand new “Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture” that is in the works, although only two books have currently been released. What’s out, however, is really good, and written for more of an average audience. Here are links to the what’s available:
The Gospel of Mark
amazon.com/Gospel-Catholic-Commentary-Sacred-Scripture/dp/0801035864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252704824&sr=8-1

First and Second Timothy, Titus
(This one lets you look inside at some of the pages)
amazon.com/Second-Timothy-Catholic-Commentary-Scripture/dp/0801035813/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252704824&sr=8-3

Coming December 1, 2009:
Ephesians
amazon.com/Ephesians-Catholic-Commentary-Sacred-Scripture/dp/0801035848/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252704824&sr=8-2

Second Corinthians
amazon.com/Second-Corinthians-Catholic-Commentary-Scripture/dp/080103583X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252704824&sr=8-4