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The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries
The Gospel According to John I-XII
In the first volume of Raymond E. Brown’s magisterial three-volume commentary on the Gospel According to John, all of the major Johannine questions—of authorship, composition, dating, the relationship of John to the Synoptics (Mark, Matthew, and Luke)—are discussed. The important theories of modern biblical scholarship concerning John are weighed against the evidence given in the text and against prevailing biblical research. In sum, what is attempted is a synthesis of the major scholarly insights that bear on the Fourth Gospel.
The translation—as Father Brown states at the outset—strives not for any formal beauty but rather for an accurate and contemporary version: “the simple, everyday Greek of the Gospel has been rendered into the ordinary American English of today.” The result is a translation that will strike the reader with uncommon immediacy.
Father Brown also analyzes, in the appendixes, the meaning, use, and frequency of certain key words and phrases that occur in John, and examines the differences between the Johannine and Synoptic treatments of the miracle stories.
The chapters of the Gospel translated here in Volume 29 (1–12) comprise the Prologue, which opens with the famous “In the beginning was the Word,” and the Book of Signs, an account of the miracles of Jesus and of his ministry.
The translation—as Father Brown states at the outset—strives not for any formal beauty but rather for an accurate and contemporary version: “the simple, everyday Greek of the Gospel has been rendered into the ordinary American English of today.” The result is a translation that will strike the reader with uncommon immediacy.
Father Brown also analyzes, in the appendixes, the meaning, use, and frequency of certain key words and phrases that occur in John, and examines the differences between the Johannine and Synoptic treatments of the miracle stories.
The chapters of the Gospel translated here in Volume 29 (1–12) comprise the Prologue, which opens with the famous “In the beginning was the Word,” and the Book of Signs, an account of the miracles of Jesus and of his ministry.
538 pages, Hardcover
First published February 24, 1966
17 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Raymond E. Brown
138 books100 followersRoman Catholic priest, member of Society of Saint-Sulpice and a prominent biblical scholar, esteemed by not only his colleagues of the same confession. One of the first Roman Catholic scholars to apply historical-critical analysis to the Bible.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 20, 2018
This is a very detailed analysis of St. John's Gospel. It traces the source of every verse. From this I get an idea of how the Bible came to be. This book therefore unlocks a mystery.
September 24, 2012
I am completely surprised that no one commented on one of the really interesting things about this book. I was told that between writing this and the second Anchor volume concerning the Gospel of John, Fr. Brown had a revelation concerning "the beloved disciple". It was one of the most "WOW" revelations concerning NT scholarship in the twentieth century.. . . and I guess you will just have to read it to discover this yourself ! !
July 24, 2011
Detailed. Thorough. Encyclopedic. Brown displays thorough knowledge of the literature, is careful in his critical use of sources and manuscripts, and provides his own excellent translation. There are more recent commentaries on John that move beyond his insights, but they stand on Brown's shoulders.
October 10, 2022
Brown’s portrayal of the Johannine community and the evangelist’s Jesus is academically provocative, theologically sound, and speaks of John with beauty and wonder. I was impressed with how Brown addresses concerns with the Fourth Gospels anti-Semitic background and language amidst his thorough analysis of John itself and in relation to the Synoptics.
After reading every page of this book, I would recommend Brown’s work to every New Testament scholar and scholars of John and the Johannine community. His analysis is thorough, not too dense, and provides a very nice foundation for Johannine academic scholarship.
After reading every page of this book, I would recommend Brown’s work to every New Testament scholar and scholars of John and the Johannine community. His analysis is thorough, not too dense, and provides a very nice foundation for Johannine academic scholarship.
May 28, 2018
The final read for Steve Donaghue's Sunday Readalong, in which we read the gospels from a secular perspective.
This gospel felt the most like a sermon than an actual story. Also, Jesus was much more beatific and supernatural in this one, unlike the grumpier, more human, more interesting Jesus in Matthew or Luke.
This gospel felt the most like a sermon than an actual story. Also, Jesus was much more beatific and supernatural in this one, unlike the grumpier, more human, more interesting Jesus in Matthew or Luke.
January 2, 2019
Despite the hints of Roman Catholicism, higher criticism, and allegorical interpretation, this is by far the best commentary on John's gospel that I've ever encountered. Brown's work makes this gospel come alive in a way that few are able to match in our day. This commentary paired with DA Carson's and/or perhaps CK Barrett, Leon Morris, and Ridderbos is all that's needed for this gospel.
March 9, 2015
It's a shame that there is no more that five stars available to give a book on Goodreads!
The Gospel According to John (i-xii)
is Raymond E. Brown's 1966 wonderful examination of the first twelve chapters of the gospel by John which here is called The Book of Signs. This book can be divided into three main parts.
The first major section is the Introduction, where Brown addresses different aspects of the fourth gospel including the present state of Johannine studies, its composition and its possible influences by other first century sources. It also looks at the possible motives of the evangelist to set down in writing the good news. In this section, the scholar also explains how he looks at the development of John as a five stage process.
First there is the traditional material concerning the words and works of Jesus. Second is the development of the traditional material into Johannine patterns. Third is the organization of the material into the first edition of the fourth Gospel. Fourth is the secondary edition by the evangelist. Fifth is a final redaction by someone other that the evangelist. While this multistage approach might seem like "looking through a glass onion," it's actually a useful and consistent tool for examining the Gospel as well as other New Testament writings.
The second major section is the author's own translation of the original text. It is broken into sections-sometimes almost small pericopes- that often divide the narrative and the discourses. Each section of translation is followed by notes that explain Brown's choices as a translator, and by commentary which explains what has been said and the scholarly reaction to the passages over the centuries since it was written. The result of all this scholarship is breath taking. Brown comes to his desk well prepared to compare John's writing with contemporary Mandean,Essence, Gnostic as well as Hellenistic sources. He also is able to relate the reaction to the passages from the First Fathers (Greek and Roman) to Ambrose Augustine and Jerome to modern day theological writers. At appropriate junctures, Brown provides bibliographies.
The third major section are the four appendixes which further discuss the Johannine vocabulary, the "Word", the signs and works, and the use of God's name in John.This books was a watershed event when it was published. As I read along I could see how other scholarly writers-from Crossan to Witherington-realized the importance and necessity of responding to to Brown's tome. At the same time, Brown respected the Anchor Bible project goal of writing to "the general reader with no special formal training in biblical studies." This is a wonderful book for the scholar and lay reader alike.
I only wish that I had read it sooner. Since 2000, I've been looking for glimpses of the historical Jesus in the gospels. With this volume, I think that I have. I know that I'll read this book again.
The first major section is the Introduction, where Brown addresses different aspects of the fourth gospel including the present state of Johannine studies, its composition and its possible influences by other first century sources. It also looks at the possible motives of the evangelist to set down in writing the good news. In this section, the scholar also explains how he looks at the development of John as a five stage process.
First there is the traditional material concerning the words and works of Jesus. Second is the development of the traditional material into Johannine patterns. Third is the organization of the material into the first edition of the fourth Gospel. Fourth is the secondary edition by the evangelist. Fifth is a final redaction by someone other that the evangelist. While this multistage approach might seem like "looking through a glass onion," it's actually a useful and consistent tool for examining the Gospel as well as other New Testament writings.
The second major section is the author's own translation of the original text. It is broken into sections-sometimes almost small pericopes- that often divide the narrative and the discourses. Each section of translation is followed by notes that explain Brown's choices as a translator, and by commentary which explains what has been said and the scholarly reaction to the passages over the centuries since it was written. The result of all this scholarship is breath taking. Brown comes to his desk well prepared to compare John's writing with contemporary Mandean,Essence, Gnostic as well as Hellenistic sources. He also is able to relate the reaction to the passages from the First Fathers (Greek and Roman) to Ambrose Augustine and Jerome to modern day theological writers. At appropriate junctures, Brown provides bibliographies.
The third major section are the four appendixes which further discuss the Johannine vocabulary, the "Word", the signs and works, and the use of God's name in John.This books was a watershed event when it was published. As I read along I could see how other scholarly writers-from Crossan to Witherington-realized the importance and necessity of responding to to Brown's tome. At the same time, Brown respected the Anchor Bible project goal of writing to "the general reader with no special formal training in biblical studies." This is a wonderful book for the scholar and lay reader alike.
I only wish that I had read it sooner. Since 2000, I've been looking for glimpses of the historical Jesus in the gospels. With this volume, I think that I have. I know that I'll read this book again.
October 1, 2014
I don't agree with everything Fr. Brown has to say, and his translations are really not very good. But the sheer amassing of scholarship inside these three comprehensive volumes concerning the Gospel and three epistles of John is a godsend. So to speak.
April 10, 2009
Very detailed and for serious students. It can get overwhelming but the information helps understanding.
Want to read
April 6, 2017Raymond E. Brown
November 21, 2017
The commentary on John
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews