This guide will help you locate appropriate scholarly commentary sources for the assignment "Interpreting the Text." You will be using three different types of scholarly resources: Translations, Bible Dictionaries, and Bible Commentaries.
This guide is primarily focused on helping you use translations and scholarly commentaries. These resources can answer questions about why different translations look so differently, what things were like when the book was written, who the audience was (as implied by the text), what social or institutional setting might have been in place, and general background information on the book as well as specific verses. There are many different translations and commentaries that you could eventually find and use to provide this information. However, for this assignment, we are directing you to the following specific resources.
Below are the required Bible translations on various websites:
Mercer Dictionary of the Bible
The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible
Mercer Commentary on the Bible
The Jewish Study Bible by Smyth and Helwys Bible Commentary
1 and 2 Samuel by 
Esther by 
Mercer Commentary on the Old Testament by JPS Torah Commentary
The JPS Torah Commentary: Leviticus by 
The JPS Torah Commentary: Exodus by 
The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis by 
The JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers by 
The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy by Online
The Women's Bible Commentary : Revised and Expanded Edition. by The Old Testament Library Commentary
Genesis by 
The Book of Exodus (1974) by 
I and II Samuel by 
Jeremiah by 
Ecclesiastes by Other
The Torah by 
