The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is one of the most beloved translations of Scripture. It has been published for over 400 hundred years.
The KJV is known for its accurate translation of Hebrew and Greek words, its beautiful phrasing of Old and New Testament verses, and the fascinating history surrounding its development. No other English translation has impacted the world like the King James Version.
Many people who read the KJV deeply desire to understand Scripture. Like other Christians, they seek wisdom in resources like Bible commentaries to help them understand the history, theology, and meaning of Old and New Testament books.
Also, see Reference Bibles vs. Study Bibles to learn more.
One-Volume Whole Bible KJV Commentaries
The benefits of utilizing a one-volume whole Bible commentary include: (1) they often cost less than other commentaries, (2) they offer readers an overview of every passage of the bible, and (3) because they are just one volume, they take up less room than a set of commentaries.
The limitations of one-volume whole bible commentaries include: (1) since they are overviews, they don’t comment on every single verse of Scripture, and (2) because they don’t have as much space to work with as other commentaries, there is often just one focus, like explaining the basic meaning of the text.
| Title | Notes |
|---|---|
| Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible  | Clarke was Wesley-Arminian; he was a British Methodist (d. 1832) See on Amazon using the exact ISBN |
| The Complete Bible Commentary  | Conservative Bible teaching from Irish author George Williams See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| Exposition of the Whole Bible  | Conservative, premillennial, written by British evangelist G. Campbell Morgan See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown  | Reformed, abridged from 6-volume version, published 1871 See on Amazon using the exact ISBN |
| Jon Courson’s Application Commentary  | Pretribulation, premillennial written by Calvary Chapel leader and pastor See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| King James Version Commentary  | Broadly evangelical, verse-by-verse, non-technical See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| Matthew Henry’s Commentary  | Reformed, Presbyterian, used by C.H. Spurgeon and George Whitefield See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| John Wesley One-Volume Commentary  | Arminian, written by 40+ Wesley-Arminian scholars See on Amazon using the exact ISBN |
| Wiersbe Bible Commentary  | Wiersbe was Baptist, combines Wiersbe’s “Be” commentaries See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
Also, see Famous Bible Commentaries to learn more.
In-Depth King James Commentaries
The benefits of using in-depth bible commentaries include: (1) in most in-depth commentaries, every verse of a biblical book is commented on, (2) authors discuss topics that shed more light on biblical texts, such as history, theology, and application, and (3) when the reader finds a commentary series they like, volumes can be purchased over time to build a resource library.
Building a commentary library takes time and costs more than buying a one-volume edition, but for those who can afford it, it is an investment that rewards the reader for years, if not a lifetime.
| Title | Notes |
|---|---|
| Barnes Notes  | Presbyterian, published in the 1830s See on Amazon using the exact ISBN |
| Beacon Bible Commentaries  | Gives insight into background, exposition, and relevance from a Wesleyan perspective See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| John Phillips Commentary Series  | For evangelical pastors, Sunday school teachers, and students of Scripture, it offers application, outlines, illustrations, and quotations See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| The Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible  | Broadly evangelical, identifies key points of every passage See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| The Pulpit Commentary  | Protestants, includes exposition, homiletics, and homilies (i.e., sermons) See on Amazon using the exact ISBN |
| Thru the Bible: J. Vernon McGee  | Great for laypeople and pastors, similar to McGee’s radio teachings See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
KJV Study Bibles with Commentary
Because Study Bibles combine the entire text of Scripture with explanatory notes and helpful summaries, they are a go-to resource for many Christians. There are many study bible available in the KJV English translation.
| Title | Uniqueness |
|---|---|
| Dake Annotated  | 35,000 notes, 500k chain references, color maps See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| Henry Morris Study Bible  | Apologetics focusing on creationism, 10,000 study notes, full-color maps See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| Key Word Study Bible  | Greek and Hebrew word studies, keywords, word studies, Strong’s numbers See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| The King James Study Bible  | Study aids developed for KJV, 5,700 notes on theology, people, and history, 100s of maps and charts See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| The Ryrie Study Bible  | Premillennial perspective, 10,000+ notes, articles on theology, 16 color maps, 8-page timeline See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| The Scofield Study Bible (original)  | Premillennial teaching from C.I. Scofield, 1917 notes, 16 pages of color See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
| Thompson Chain-Reference  | A “self-contained library” of Bible study tools, 100,000 topical references, 8,000 chain topics, 14 color maps See on Amazon using the exact ISBN See on Christianbook the using exact ISBN |
Also, see Types of Bible Commentaries to learn more.
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