• June 5, 2026

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Biblical Illustrator (BI) v1 v2

Biblical Illustrator (BI) v1 v2

Joseph S. Exell edited and compiled the 56 volume Biblical Illustrator commentary. You will recognize him as the co-editor of the famous Pulpit Commentary (this commentary is even larger than the Pulpit Commentary). This remarkable work is the triumph of a life devoted to Biblical research and study. Assisted by a small army of students, the Exell draws on the rich stores of great minds since the beginning of New Testament times.

The Biblical Illustrator brings Scripture to life in a unique, illuminating way. While other commentaries explain a Bible passage doctrinally, this work illustrates the Bible with a collection of:


FP: Catching the False Prophet with his hand in the Cookie Jar explains how the false prophet illicitly takes from the church what is not his.
https://www.theologicalsystems.com/false-prophet-teacher/marks-of-a-false-prophet/

  • illustrations
  • outlines
  • anecdotes
  • history
  • poems
  • expositions
  • geography
  • sermons
  • Bible backgrounds
  • homiletics

for nearly every verse in the Bible. This massive commentary was originally intended for preachers needing help with sermon preparation (because who else in that day had time to wade through such a lengthy commentary?). But today, the Biblical Illustrator provides life application, illumination, inspiration, doctrine, devotion, and practical content for all who teach, preach, and study the Bible.

The Biblical Illustrator includes material from hundreds of famous authors of the day, including:

  • Lightfoot
  • F.B. Meyer
  • Spurgeon
  • Barnes
  • Matthew Henry
  • D.L. Moody
  • John Trapp
  • J.C. Ryle
  • Alexander MacLaren
  • Thomas Manton
  • Handley C.G. Moule
  • John Wesley
  • Adam Clark

and so many more (listing them all would fill your monitor screen many times over). The collection also includes lesser known authors published in periodicals and smaller publications popular in that era. Unlike modern publishers, Exell was apparently not under any pressure to consolidate the number of pages. The nearly 35,000 pages of material resulted in the largest e-Sword commentary known to exist, at 190+ megabytes.

While this commentary is not known for its Greek or Hebrew exposition, the New Testament includes hundreds of references to, and explanations of, Greek words. See John 4:46-54 for an example.

There is a version 2 available also.

WordModules: Biblical Illustrator v2 196MB

This commentary module can be downloaded from the official theWord.net website:
theWord: Biblical Illustrator

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