VirginiaHuguenot
Puritanboard Librarian
Thomas Murphy, Pastoral Theology: The Pastor in the Various Duties of His Office, pp. 119-121:
4. The Bible should be studied constantly with the aid of the best commentaries. The vague outcries which are often heard against the use of commentaries are very inconsiderate if not foolish. There may be a slavish dependence on them that is injurious, but we can hardly think that earnest ministers are much in danger of that. The light which the labors of good men have thrown upon the Scriptures has ever been growing brighter from age to age; language, archaeology, travels, geography and other kinds of research, have all been contributing their aid in elucidating the divine record; no other book in the world has received so much thought from the best of minds; and is all this to be thrown away and each one to go over the whole process for himself? The proposal would be one of foolish egotism. The greatest preachers -- such men as Robert Hall, who spent hours daily in reading the commentary of Matthew Henry -- never indulged such self-conceit. No, a proper conception of the grandeur and depth of the word of God will lead the prudent minister to use every possible aid in striving to reach its fullest meaning. The very best commentaries should be secured -- it is a waste of time to use any others -- and then they should be consulted, not merely for isolated passages, but they should be read and studied like any other books. All the light they can shed upon the sacred pages should be sought. Some system should be adopted for the regular study of the Bible in this way.
There are certain commentaries which should be read through. Full justice will not be done them and their real benefit will not be reached in any other way. We would name a few of these to show the kind of expositions we mean. On the New Testament we would recommend such works as The Life of Christ, by Farrar, Alexander on Acts, and Hodge on Romans. On the Old Testament we name Murphy on Genesis and Exodus and Psalms, Fairbairn on Ezekiel, Auberlin on Ezekiel and Revelation, and Moore on The Prophets of the Restoration. Then the pious and most suggestive commentary of Matthew Henry should be read through during the life of every minister, for whoever studies it closely will have his piety deepened, his power of analyzing strengthened and his mind stored with the riches of the word of God.
