A concordance is based on a specific Bible translation and should be used only with that transition. The Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance is specifically for the NIV translation. If you want to study a topic such as baptism, a concordance will only give you a list of all the verses in which the word baptism occurs. A topical Bible, like the Zondervan NIV Nave's Topical Bible on the other hand, will help you also find verses and passages in the Bible that talk about the subject of baptism without using the word baptism as such. Explain what commentaries are and how people should use them.
Commentaries give the commentator's perspective on passages in the Bible.
Devotional commentaries, such as the Zondervan NIV Matthew Henry Commentary , focus on the spiritual significance of the text for our lives. Expository commentaries, such as the Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary , use historical, geographical, and cultural information as well as discussions of the original languages to explain the text. Others, like the NIV Application Commentary , concentrate on bridging the gap between Bible times and today. A good Bible Atlas contains maps that show the location of places, groups of people, and nations in the Bible as well as maps that illustrate specific historical events, such as the conquest of Canaan under Joshua. It also provides geographical information about the various regions where Bible events took place, information about climate and weather, a historical survey of the Bible that shows where and how geography played a role in the history of Bible times, and an index of biblical places.