ComfortCover-smEver run across a New Testament textual variant and wonder how in the world you’re supposed to evaluate or understand it? You might have run across a footnote in your English Bible which indicates that “some manuscripts” have a different reading. Or you could be reading a commentary that suddenly launches into a discussion of a possible “homoeoteleuton” or perhaps a “harmonization” with a parallel passage. If you’re not a specialist, how are you to understand these kinds of discussions and how do they make a difference in your exegesis of a passage?

Of all the English translations of the Bible, the NET Bible’s notes are without a doubt the best at delving into text-critical issues in language a non-specialist can understand. If you want more detailed explanations, Metzger’s Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament is excellent, but it really assumes that you also have the Nestle-Aland Critical Apparatus and know how to read it. That’s why we’re very pleased to be able to offer an Accordance edition of Philip Comfort’s New Testament Text and Translation Commentary. While technical and thorough enough to satisfy the needs of scholars and students, Comfort’s work is written to be understood by the English reader who wants to grasp how text critical issues affect Bible translation and interpretation.

You can find out more about this excellent resource and the advantages of the Accordance edition by reading this article by Rick Bennett. You can purchase and download Comfort’s Textual Commentary here.