The Purpose and Value of Commentaries
John Nolland: Trinity College, Stoke Hill, Bristol, BS9 1JP, UK. nollanddj@trinity-bris.ac.uk
Outline:
>Introduction
>Important things about Commentaries
>Arragements/Challenges for Commentary Writers
Review
This article written by John Nolland has given a unique description on the importance of commentaries. Though it has no outline of sub-titles or sub-topics, the flow of thought of the author and the sequence of his explanations regarding the purpose and value of commentaries could satisfy the readers.
The author here started his discussion about the value and purpose of commentaries as he reminisce their discussion and argument that they should stop writing so many commentaries during their AAR/SBL Annual Meeting. Because of this, the author had the concept that there is a need of constant renewal of commentaries, influenced as it is and should be by context and time, and is helpful to the one who uses it. He also values the efforts of those who have tried to generate an open texture of communication… (305-306)
With these, the author then gave the important things or the purpose and value of commentaries: “Commentaries are of their own time and place is evident by looking at commentaries from different periods and settings… bringing together of the horizons that belong to the text and horizons that belong to the interpreter…” (306) For the author, “a good commentary will be sensitive to the tension involved here, and to seek to work with it creatively.” (306) Moreover, the up-to-dateness of a commentary is also very important as well as the settings of the commentaries. And the problem here is that there will come a time that even these up-to-date commentaries will be out-of-date. So it is really necessary to have new commentaries as the age goes on. This will also include the “communication between the reader and the writer…” (307) and this needs a successful and effective communication that is appropriate and understandable by all readers at any level… “Good commentators recognize that the texts on which they comment will never be a perfect encoding of what the biblical writers had in mind… which relates to the purpose of their writing and the ‘cultural artifices’ that they are only aware of.” (308 )
However, it is also an encouragement for the author to the writers to have “new methods that bring new possibilities of insight and new ways of focusing insight because new methods allow for the answering of questions thrown up in new ways by an ever-developing context of culture and intellectual life…” this will include a genuine insight to answer the important questions that a reader has… (309) Hence, commentators should give the right interpretations of the Bible because many people, from various ages, groups, beliefs, and places, will be using it as they study the Bible deeply.
Nolland, John. “The Purpose and Value of Commentaries:” In Journal of the Study of the New Testament 29.3 (2007) 305 – 311. London: Sage Publications, 2007.
