postil

A postil is a marginal gloss, annotation, or commentary added to a manuscript or printed text, especially a Bible. The word originates from the Latin postilla, meaning a gloss or marginal note; in English it developed to denote a more extensive commentary or a published collection of sermons accompanying Scriptural readings. Historically, postils were common in the Middle Ages and the early modern period as a practical means of explaining biblical texts for preachers and lay readers.

In Protestant regions, postils often took the form of published collections of sermons arranged to match the liturgical year, intended for sermon preparation and devotional use. Catholic writers also produced postils, but the term is most strongly associated with Protestant biblical interpretation in English-language contexts.

Notable examples include Luther’s Postils, which compiled Sunday and feast-day sermons to accompany Scripture readings. Over time, postils served as a bridge between direct exegesis and more popular devotional instruction, existing alongside other formats such as full biblical commentaries and paraphrastic summaries. In modern scholarship, the term postil generally refers to such historical collections or to marginal glosses found in manuscripts. Today, postils are primarily of interest as historical sources for the study of biblical interpretation, sermon practice, and religious education in past centuries.