The Navarre Bible: Revelation

The Navarre Bible #19

by University of Navarra

The Navarre Bible New Testament series offers extensive explanations of the meaning of the scriptural text and its implications for everyday life. The commentaries draw on a rich variety of sources - Church documents, the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the work of prominent spiritual writers, particularly Saint Josemaria Escriva, who initiated the Navarre Bible project. The commentary appears on the same page as the Bible text, which is the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. Each volume is self-contained with extensive introductions and notes to Old Testament prophecies. The Navarre Bible commentary is considered by many to be the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.

Genres: Catholic, Christian, Spirituality, Scripture

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

The University of Navarra is a private university located on the southeast border of Pamplona, Spain. It was founded in 1952 by Saint Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei, as a corporate work of the apostolate of Opus Dei.

Reviews

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this whole series of Bible commentaries. I find them very accessible even though I am far from being a Bible scholar. One of my favorite aspects of the series is that many of the individual commentaries include quotes from the homilies or writings of great saints. Here is a small example from The Navarre Bible Revelation. Note that there are extensive notes related to this one passage and I am only giving a quote from one saint as an example.

Revelation 12:7-9
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
8 but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world -- he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

From St. Gregory: "Heaven is the Church which in the night of this present life, the while it possesses in itself the countless virtues of the saints, shines like the radiant heavenly stars; but the dragon's tail sweeps the stars down to earth [...]. The stars which fall from heaven are those who have lost hope in heavenly things, and covet, under the devil's guidance, the sphere of earthly glory" (Moralia in Job, 32, 13).

In addition to the notes or commentaries of the passages of Revelation, there is an extensive Introduction to the Book of Revelation at the beginning, and at the end there is a topical index for all of the New Testament Navarre Bible Texts and Commentaries.

[Loretta Pioch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.
Maybe because I've read it again and again, and went through a year-long Bible study maybe 10 years ago on Revelations.
Maybe because I read it side-by-side with Scott Hahn's "The Lamb's Supper" at the same time.
Maybe because of all the things, THIS reading of the Book of Revelation to John (The Apocalypse) with the entire Navarre commentary REALLY hit the spot and made the Mass come alive. And vivid. And powerful.

If you attend Mass, this is a must-read.

If you don't attend Mass, I'm not sure how any of this could make sense.

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the Navarre Bible commentaries are fabulous. I review this in detail because I actually just read the book of John, not the commentary to go with it.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book on the interpretation of Revelation. I understand it so much more. The commentary is easy and very understandable.

[Sara J. (kefuwa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended... but as with any work that involves interpretation should be taken with an open mind. I particularly like the source list to other works that were referenced... worth some follow up reading.