Reviewer citation shelf

The Reviewer agent has a hard rule: cite at least one scholarly source per disputed verse. This page is the canonical list of acceptable and unacceptable sources.

The list is not exhaustive — any peer-reviewed scholarly work of recognised quality is acceptable. The list below is the reviewer’s default reach.

Hebrew Bible#

Lexicons#

• BDB — Brown, Driver & Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford, 1906; reprinted Hendrickson). Public Domain. The default Hebrew lexicon for translation work; older but exhaustively cited.
• HALOT — Koehler, Baumgartner, Stamm, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Brill, 1994–2000). The current scholarly standard; modernised semantic ranges.
• NIDOTTE — Willem A. VanGemeren (ed.), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (Zondervan, 1997). Word-study reference; useful for theologically loaded terms.
• TDOT — Botterweck, Ringgren, Fabry (eds.), Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (Eerdmans, 1974–2018, 17 vols.). Comprehensive theological-philological lexicon.
• THAT / TLOT — Jenni & Westermann (eds.), Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament (Hendrickson, 1997). One-volume theological lexicon.

Major commentaries by name#

By book:

Genesis:

• Westermann, Genesis 1–11: A Continental Commentary (Fortress, 1994).
• Sarna, Genesis (JPS Torah Commentary, 1989).
• Alter, Genesis: Translation and Commentary (Norton, 1996).
• Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1–17 (NICOT, Eerdmans, 1990).
• Wenham, Genesis 1–15 (WBC, Word, 1987).
• Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis (Magnes Press, 1961).
• Speiser, Genesis (Anchor Bible, 1964).
• Mathews, Genesis 1–11:26 (NAC, B&H, 1996).

Exodus:

• Childs, The Book of Exodus (OTL, Westminster, 1974).
• Propp, Exodus 1–18; Exodus 19–40 (Anchor Bible, 1999, 2006).
• Sarna, Exodus (JPS Torah Commentary, 1991).
• Houtman, Exodus (HCOT, Kok, 1993, 1996, 2000).

Ezekiel:

• Greenberg, Ezekiel 1–20; Ezekiel 21–37 (Anchor Bible, 1983, 1997).
• Block, The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 1–24; 25–48 (NICOT, Eerdmans, 1997, 1998).
• Zimmerli, Ezekiel 1; Ezekiel 2 (Hermeneia, Fortress, 1979, 1983).
• Allen, Ezekiel 1–19; 20–48 (WBC, 1994, 1990).

Job:

• Clines, Job 1–20; 21–37; 38–42 (WBC, 1989, 2006, 2011).
• Pope, Job (Anchor Bible, 1965).
• Gordis, The Book of Job (JTS, 1978).
• Newsom, The Book of Job in NIB Vol IV (Abingdon, 1996).
• Habel, The Book of Job (OTL, Westminster, 1985).

Isaiah:

• Wildberger, Isaiah 1–12; 13–27; 28–39 (Continental Commentary, Fortress, 1991, 1997, 2002).
• Blenkinsopp, Isaiah 1–39; 40–55; 56–66 (Anchor Bible, 2000, 2002, 2003).
• Goldingay & Payne, Isaiah 40–55 (ICC, T&T Clark, 2006).
• Childs, Isaiah (OTL, Westminster, 2001).

Psalms:

• Kraus, Psalms 1–59; 60–150 (Continental Commentary, Fortress, 1988, 1989).
• Hossfeld & Zenger, Psalms 2; Psalms 3 (Hermeneia, 2005, 2011).
• Goldingay, Psalms (BCOT, Baker, 2006–2008, 3 vols).

Other Hebrew Bible books: the OTL (Old Testament Library, Westminster), NICOT (New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Eerdmans), WBC (Word Biblical Commentary), and Anchor Bible series cover the rest with similar quality. A Reviewer citing any of these by author + book + verse is on solid ground.

Grammars#

• GKC — Gesenius, Hebrew Grammar (ed. Kautzsch, 1909, trans. Cowley). Public Domain. The standard for citing classical Hebrew grammar.
• Joüon-Muraoka — Joüon, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew (rev. Muraoka, Biblical Institute Press, 2006).
• Waltke-O’Connor — An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Eisenbrauns, 1990).

Greek New Testament#

Lexicons#

• BDAG — Bauer, Danker, Arndt, Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (3rd ed., U Chicago, 2000). The current standard.
• LSJ — Liddell, Scott, Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., Oxford, 1940). Public Domain in older editions. Comprehensive for classical and koine Greek.
• Louw-Nida — Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (UBS, 1989). Useful for comparative semantic ranges.
• Thayer — Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889). Public Domain. Older but citable.

Major commentaries#

Matthew:

• Davies & Allison, The Gospel According to Saint Matthew (ICC, T&T Clark, 1988–1997, 3 vols).
• Luz, Matthew 1–7; 8–20; 21–28 (Hermeneia, Fortress, 2001, 2007, 2005).
• Hagner, Matthew 1–13; 14–28 (WBC, 1993, 1995).
• France, The Gospel of Matthew (NICNT, Eerdmans, 2007).

Mark:

• Marcus, Mark 1–8; 8–16 (Anchor Bible, 2000, 2009).
• Collins, Mark (Hermeneia, Fortress, 2007).
• Gundry, Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross (Eerdmans, 1993).

Luke:

• Fitzmyer, The Gospel According to Luke I–IX; X–XXIV (Anchor Bible, 1981, 1985).
• Bovon, Luke 1; 2; 3 (Hermeneia, Fortress, 2002, 2013, 2012).

John:

• Brown, The Gospel According to John I–XII; XIII–XXI (Anchor Bible, 1966, 1970).
• Keener, The Gospel of John: A Commentary (Hendrickson, 2003, 2 vols).
• Thompson, John (NTL, Westminster, 2015).

Acts:

• Pervo, Acts (Hermeneia, Fortress, 2009).
• Fitzmyer, The Acts of the Apostles (Anchor Bible, 1998).
• Bock, Acts (BECNT, Baker, 2007).

Revelation:

• Aune, Revelation 1–5; 6–16; 17–22 (WBC, 1997, 1998).
• Beale, The Book of Revelation (NIGTC, Eerdmans, 1999).
• Koester, Revelation (Anchor Yale, 2014).

Grammars#

• BDF — Blass, Debrunner, Funk, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament (U Chicago, 1961).
• Robertson — A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (1934).
• Wallace — Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Zondervan, 1996).

Akkadian / Sumerian#

Lexicons#

• CAD — Chicago Assyrian Dictionary (Oriental Institute, Chicago, 1956–2010, 21 vols). Open access at the Institute’s website. The standard.
• AHw — von Soden, Akkadisches Handwörterbuch (Harrassowitz, 1958–1981, 3 vols).
• ePSD2 — Electronic Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary. Open access at oracc.museum.upenn.edu/epsd2/.

Major editions and commentaries#

• George, The Babylonian Gilgamesh Epic (Oxford, 2003). Standard critical edition of Gilgamesh.
• Lambert, Babylonian Wisdom Literature (Oxford, 1960; rep. Eisenbrauns, 1996).
• Lambert & Millard, Atra-ḫasīs: The Babylonian Story of the Flood (Oxford, 1969).
• Dalley, Myths from Mesopotamia (Oxford, 1989; rev. 2008).
• Foster, Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature (3rd ed., CDL Press, 2005).
• ETCSL — Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature. Open access. Standard scholarly Sumerian editions with translations.

Arabic / Qur’an#

Lexicons#

• Lane — Edward William Lane, An Arabic-English Lexicon (8 vols, 1863–1893). Public Domain. The standard classical Arabic lexicon for serious work.
• Hava — J. G. Hava, Arabic-English Dictionary for the Use of Students (Catholic Press, 1899). Public Domain.
• Wehr-Cowan — Hans Wehr, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (ed. Cowan, Spoken Language Services, 1976; current 4th ed., 1994). Modern reference; copyrighted.

Tafsīr (classical commentaries)#

• al-Tabari, Tafsir al-Tabari (9th–10th c.). The foundational tafsīr; Arabic.
• al-Zamakhshari, al-Kashshaf (12th c.). Mu’tazilite linguistic tafsīr.
• al-Razi, Mafatih al-Ghayb (12th–13th c.). Major philosophical tafsīr.
• Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Azim (14th c.). Widely cited Sunni tafsīr.

Modern scholarship#

• Madigan, The Qur’an’s Self-Image (Princeton, 2001).
• Saleh, The Formation of the Classical Tafsīr Tradition (Brill, 2004).
• Reynolds, The Qur’an and the Bible: Text and Commentary (Yale, 2018).

Pseudepigrapha (1 Enoch, Jubilees, etc.)#

Major editions and commentaries#

1 Enoch:

• Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch 1: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1–36; 81–108 (Hermeneia, 2001).
• Nickelsburg & VanderKam, 1 Enoch 2: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 37–82 (Hermeneia, 2012).
• Knibb, The Ethiopic Book of Enoch (Oxford, 1978, 2 vols).
• Black, The Book of Enoch or 1 Enoch (Brill, 1985).
• Charles, The Book of Enoch or 1 Enoch (Oxford, 1912). Public Domain.

Jubilees:

• VanderKam, The Book of Jubilees (CSCO, 2 vols, 1989).
• Charles, The Book of Jubilees (1902). Public Domain.

Dead Sea Scrolls (relevant overlapping material):

• García Martínez & Tigchelaar, The Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition (Brill, 1997–1998, 2 vols).
• Charlesworth (ed.), The Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Texts with English Translations (Westminster, 1994–).

Comparative religion / ANE backgrounds#

• Pritchard (ed.), Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament (3rd ed., Princeton, 1969). Standard ANE-OT comparative corpus.
• Hallo & Younger (eds.), The Context of Scripture (3 vols, Brill, 1997, 2000, 2002). The 21st-century update of Pritchard.
• Heiser, The Unseen Realm (Lexham, 2015). Modern divine-council scholarship; useful for the bnei-elohim literature. Accept as one of multiple citations on contested divine-council readings, not as sole source.

Raëlian canon (when the WoH lens is the explicit source)#

These are not philological references — they are the project’s foundational canon. The Reviewer may cite them when the WoH reading explicitly rests on a canon passage:

• TBWTT — The Book Which Tells The Truth (Vorilhon, 1974). Cited as TBWTT ch. N or TBWTT p. N.
• ETTMTTP — Extra-Terrestrials Took Me To Their Planet (Vorilhon, 1975). Cited as ETTMTTP ch. N.
• LWTE — Let’s Welcome The Extra-Terrestrials (Vorilhon, 1979). Cited as LWTE ch. N.

The Reviewer should cite both the canon source AND a philological source on any verse where both inform the decision. A glossary entry that rests on the canon alone is a claim_type: speculative candidate by definition.

Unacceptable sources#

The Reviewer must not cite any of these as the sole basis for defending a translation choice:

• The Wheel of Heaven lens “supports it.” Not a citation; this is what the project is trying to defend, not what defends it.
• Popular ancient-astronaut literature. Sitchin, von Däniken, Tellinger, popular ancient-aliens authors are not scholarly sources. They may be cited as cultural references in long-form articles, but not as defences in a translation decision.
• Wikipedia. Acceptable for orientation but not for defending lexical decisions.
• The project’s own wiki entries. Wiki entries are downstream of these decisions, not upstream. Citing them creates circular justification.
• Religious devotional commentaries. A devotional commentary written for a specific tradition’s spiritual practice (Baxter on Job, Henry on Genesis, Spurgeon on Psalms, classical Tafsīr Ibn Kathir on the Qur’an’s miracles) is not philological-scholarly work. May be cited for what a tradition says; not for what the text means.
• Anonymous internet sources. Quora, Reddit, YouTube videos, blog posts without scholarly credentials.

A worked example of a Reviewer citation#

For a verse where the Editor chose to render ruach as “breath” rather than “Spirit” (Gen 1:2), an acceptable Reviewer citation might read:

Verdict: approve. Citations: BDB s.v. רוּחַ III (“breath of the mouth or nostrils … breath of life”); Westermann, Genesis 1–11 (1994), pp. 106–108 (argues for “wind/breath” reading on contextual grounds with the merachefet verb); NJPS Tanakh (1985 footnote acknowledging “or wind”). Reasoning: The Hebrew lexical range supports breath / wind / spirit; merachefet (Deut 32:11) specifies aerial hovering, which fits the physical reading more naturally than the abstract; the lens-favoured reading is also the reading multiple scholarly sources defend.

That citation chain — BDB (lexicon), Westermann (commentary), NJPS (translation tradition) — is the kind of grounding that the Reviewer’s verdict must rest on.