diff --git a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/AnyObjectId.java b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/AnyObjectId.java
index d4d53574b..7d08f3d4c 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/AnyObjectId.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jgit/src/org/eclipse/jgit/lib/AnyObjectId.java
@@ -142,7 +142,18 @@ public abstract class AnyObjectId implements Comparable {
 		return compareTo(((ObjectId) other));
 	}
 
-	int compareTo(final byte[] bs, final int p) {
+	/**
+	 * Compare this ObjectId to a network-byte-order ObjectId.
+	 *
+	 * @param bs
+	 *            array containing the other ObjectId in network byte order.
+	 * @param p
+	 *            position within {@code bs} to start the compare at. At least
+	 *            20 bytes, starting at this position are required.
+	 * @return a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as this object is
+	 *         less than, equal to, or greater than the specified object.
+	 */
+	public int compareTo(final byte[] bs, final int p) {
 		int cmp;
 
 		cmp = NB.compareUInt32(w1, NB.decodeInt32(bs, p));
@@ -164,7 +175,18 @@ public abstract class AnyObjectId implements Comparable {
 		return NB.compareUInt32(w5, NB.decodeInt32(bs, p + 16));
 	}
 
-	int compareTo(final int[] bs, final int p) {
+	/**
+	 * Compare this ObjectId to a network-byte-order ObjectId.
+	 *
+	 * @param bs
+	 *            array containing the other ObjectId in network byte order.
+	 * @param p
+	 *            position within {@code bs} to start the compare at. At least 5
+	 *            integers, starting at this position are required.
+	 * @return a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as this object is
+	 *         less than, equal to, or greater than the specified object.
+	 */
+	public int compareTo(final int[] bs, final int p) {
 		int cmp;
 
 		cmp = NB.compareUInt32(w1, bs[p]);