His theological commentary on John was originally published in Dutch in two volumes (1987, 1992). It is long at 864 pages, but it is not overly technical and should be accessible to most pastors. In many respects, it is outstanding. In his commentary, and more fully in his book Thunder and Love, Smalley argues that the book was written in the reign of Vespasian (AD 69-79), just before the fall of Jerusalem to Titus in AD 70. View our current career opportunities. [, For those seeking a good introductory level commentary on Micah, there is probably no better place to start, aside from Waltke's work in the Tyndale series, than with David Prior's volume in the BST series.

Hubbard's work is the best place to turn for this. Young was one of the founding faculty at Westminster Theological Seminary and taught Old Testament there for many years. [, I have benefited from everything I have read by Iain Duguid. For those who lack a knowledge of Hebrew, and are seeking a thorough commentary on Haggai, this volume is highly recommended. In most cases, there are a few new titles that made it into the top 5. A good reference work to have. Like all of the commentaries in this series, it emphasizes the big picture and the overall flow of the text. This work will prove especially helpful to preachers. Highly recommended. This does not mean, however, that the book is overly technical and inaccessible to laymen. I cannot recommend this commentary highly enough. [, Although just about as comprehensive as Bock, Nolland's massive commentary suffers from the reader-unfriendly format of the WBC. Some knowledge of Greek is required simply to follow the comments. In order to guard the hearts of his readers against falling away, the author of Hebrews makes an effort throughout the book to demonstrate the absolute supremacy of Jesus Christ. For those who have had difficulty understanding the relevance and significance of Chronicles, this will be a good place to start. [, Clowney's commentary is not the most technical, nor the most exhaustive work on 1 Peter by any stretch. Beale's commentary is the place to turn for insight on the many Old Testament allusions and echoes in the book of Revelation. [, George Knight's commentary on the Pastoral Epistles is the best contemporary commentary on these books. [, I have benefited from many of McConville's works, and this brief introductory level commentary is no exception. [, For those seeking an exhaustive commentary on Hosea, there is probably no better place to turn than Andersen and Freedman's massive 720 page commentary. This is one of them. The format of this series divides the comments on each section of text into Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts, and Contemporary Significance. Although it is a bit more technical than the introductory level works by Davis, this commentary, like the others in this series, is accessible to virtually any reader. His is a very careful reading of the book from a Reformed perspective. [, Because the epistles to the Thessalonians contain one of the most difficult and debated texts in the entire New Testament (2 Thess. View our current career opportunities. [, The Pillar New Testament Commentaries edited by D.A. It is a technical but helpful study. [, Charles Hodge was not only one of the Reformed church's greatest theologians, he was also an outstanding exegete. Whether you agree or disagree on that point, however, his commentary is always worth consulting on these books. This is the commentary to which pastors should turn if they are seeking more exegetical detail than is found in the works of Davis mentioned above.
Interested in joining the Ligonier team? While I may not agree with every exegetical conclusion Lane makes, he is always worth reading on a given passage. Very highly recommended. It is, however, not for the faint of heart. Overall, a helpful commentary. Request two copies of R.C. Virtually any reader should be able to pick up this volume and work their way through it with little difficulty. I find Kidner somewhat more useful, but McConville should not be ignored. Highly recommended. [, Longman's approach to Ecclesiastes differs from that of Eaton somewhat.

They are all thorough and readable, a rare combination in commentaries. [, Christians should pick up and read anything they find by the late Leon Morris. He explores the theological themes of the book within its larger redemptive-historical context. [, The layout of the Word Biblical Commentary series is not the most reader friendly, but in the case of Gordon Wenham's commentary on Genesis, it is certainly worth the trouble. [, With a book like Ecclesiastes, it is sometimes difficult to know how it should be applied. [, For those seeking a good introductory level, non-technical commentary on the book of Acts, the volume by Marshall in the Tyndale series is a good place to start. Hubbard's commentaries on Hosea and Joel are clear and accessible. Since that time, many new commentaries have been written, and several new commentary series have been launched. [, The commentary on Zechariah in this volume was written by Thomas McComiskey himself. Very highly recommended. It is very well written and very thorough.

His commentaries are models for what introductory level commentaries should be. Gledhill sees the book for what it is - a poetic exploration of human love that points beyond itself to the Creator and Redeemer. Very highly recommended. The one difference is the volume in the number 1 slot. [, Tom Gledhill's commentary on the Song of Songs is accessible to any reader, but the fact that it is accessible does not mean that it is simplistic. Eaton views Ecclesiastes as an apologetic essay. Stuart always has helpful insight into whatever text he is discussing, and when dealing with a book as difficult as Ezekiel, such insight is invaluable. It is also just as accessible as the NICOT volume. Nevertheless, a list based on aggregate reviews is likely to point many people in the right direction to find the right resource for their purposes. For those doing an exhaustive study of the Gospel of Matthew, the work of Davies and Allison is indispensable. Thielman gives equal attention to the original context and to contemporary application. This is particularly true with commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew, many of which are multi-volume works. [, In recent years, Broadman & Holman have published a number of excellent commentaries in their New American Commentary series. With some biblical books, especially Old Testament books, only a small number of commentaries have been published in the last decade. [, Paul Barnett is an outstanding commentator, and I would recommend any student of Scripture work through this commentary on Paul's letter to the Corinthians. Mounce thoroughly discusses all of the important issues raised by Paul (whom he believes wrote these epistles), and when dealing with controversial parts of the letters, he fairly represents those with whom he disagrees. David Allens Lukan Authorship of Hebrews is also a fascinating work worth reading. It should be of great help to busy pastors. As I explain in my own book, this view of the date of Revelation fits very well with several pieces of evidence, including what John writes in Rev. [, It is difficult to decide whether to place Carson or France in the number 1 position because both are such outstanding commentaries. This work, which replaced E. J. Clines' commentary on Job is one of those works. First, every student of Scripture should consult John Calvin, who wrote commentaries on almost every book of the Bible. Sprouls book on salvation.

There are other commentaries that go into more detail on technical issues (see below), but Davis provides what most Christian readers of these books need -- a concise and readable explanation of the text that sets each book within the larger context of biblical redemptive history all without ever becoming boring or trite. Very highly recommended.

Stuarts comments on the biblical text are clear and readable. 1 & 2 Samuel 1 & 2 Kings 1 & 2 Chronicles Ezra &Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Michah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Richard Phillips commentary on Zechariah combines pastoral sensitivity with scholarly depth, all the while remaining accessible to laymen. This commentary shows Carson's usual exegetical care and insight. As far as the cover art on this reprint is concerned, I have no comment. It is an example of conservative evangelical scholarship at its best.

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A very good contribution to the literature on Daniel. Very helpful. The positive teaching of the book, then, is found in the words of the narrator. My fundamental reservation about the book has to do with Beale's modified idealist approach. [, In terms of sheer size and scope (960 pages), Harold Hoehner's commentary on Ephesians is the place to turn for those seeking a comprehensive conservative evangelical treatment of this epistle. It is accessible to students at almost any level. Oswalt has also written a less technical commentary on Isaiah for the NIV Application Commentary series. The commentary on Jonah in this volume was written by Joyce Baldwin. [, Also written at an accessible introductory level is the commentary by O. Palmer Robertson. 3, Vol. The more technical issues are relegated to the footnotes.

[, Although written from a more critical perspective than Waltke, the commentary on Micah by Andersen and Freedman is worth consulting by those doing in-depth study of the book. It is careful and clear. His commentaries on Isaiah and Exodus are particularly valuable, and the same is true for this introductory level commentary on James. Readers should also be aware that Cranfield at times takes a somewhat Barthian approach to Romans, so the commentary should be used with care. Top 5 Commentaries on Every Book of the Bible A little over a decade ago (2008-2009), I put together a series of blog posts on the best commentaries for each book of the Bible. The English translation was first published in 1997. 1, Vol. Those looking for an introductory-level commentary should take a look at the works byRaymond Brown,Donald Guthrie, and/orHywel Jones. I find each of them almost equally useful, albeit in different ways. He wrote numerous commentaries and other works, and I have personally benefited from everything that I have read by him.

The volume on 1 Kings was written by Cogan alone. Thankfully, it is also clear. The format of the Tyndale series means that this commentary is written at an introductory level.