Hi,
I tried to explain this way so i don't have to go through Arabic lessons. However if you wanted solid proof on word context I will gladly show you:
Ahmad is muneer: this means that Ahmad is reflecting a shining light from him.
If I say Ahmad is nour : this means that Ahmad is light in himself
If I say Ahmad is Munaw'wer: it will mean Ahmad is emitting light
The root for this word is "NA""WA""RA"
Now in Arabic depending on the letters you add to this root, many adjective, adverbs, nouns,and verbs can be derived from it.
For example if we say the word itself NAWARA it will mean : emitting light as a verb. The noun Form for it is NOUR which means light.
The word Munaw'wer means "is emitting light"
The word Muneer means "reflecting light" or light is not original source.
Now, if I say Ahmad is Muneer el-zaman , this will mean Ahmad is giving light to this generation. See the word took a different meaning than the intended one
Also, if I say pointing at Ahmad himself, Ahmad is Muneer, it could actually take on two different meanings which is Ahmad is either emitting light or he is reflecting light. If I don't however point specifically at him, it will surely mean that he is reflecting light. Somehow, in Arabic, the sentence could take on a whole different meaning depending on the way you say it even if you use the same words. It is just natural to Native Arabs.
Now if I say : SHAMS(sun) MUNAW'reh wa(and) Qamar(Moon) Bet'NAW'war it means the sun is emitting light and the moon is reflecting that light.
Now if I say : SHAMS(sun) MUNAW'reh wa(and) Qamar(Moon) MUNEER then it means also that the sun is emitting light and the moon is reflecting light.
Now if I also say Ahmad is NOUR, it will mean that Ahmad is light himself, but this sentence does not mean anything if you take it as it is, but in its poetic form it means that Ahmad is either giving Knowledge or actually reflecting light and that it because we understand Ahmad as an object. Now if we Say Al-QAMAR(moon) NOUR, in its literal form it means that the moon is light but since Qamar is an object. So we can either understand the moon as a light reflector or as a knowledge giver in which if we want this sentence to make any sense it must mean that the moon is reflecting light.
I hope you understand this, but what I meant in the implied meaning is that it is how we understand it when we read even though the letters of the word are the same. It depends on the sentence and also depends on the other letters you add to the root.
That is the best I can do, you can always verify my answer if you are willing to by asking other Arabs or any one with knowledge in Arabic.
As for the commentaries, I don't expect you to take their explanations for granted, neither do I take it for granted most of the times, that is why I always read the original text and then judge the Arabic text. We don't need commentaries for Arabic text.
I was just trying to show the difference between Quran and Bible translations. those people translate word to word, doing this will not result in a good representation of the meaning, that is why commentaries are always added to explain the verse. That is just their own way of doing it and honestly I disagree with such method. They try to follow the structure of the Quran in translating which results in many mistakes and when commentaries are added, in many cases contradictions and confusion may appear.
Hope this clears it out now.