The Narrow Path Ministries

Steve,

I was wondering if there have been some specific biblical commentaries that you've enjoyed throughout the years in teaching preparation?

I've been using the website bestcommentaries.com, amazon reviews, and scott mcknight's "pastor's bookshelf" posts in my attempt to build a good commentary library. My goal is to create a personal library with at least one of the best commentaries on each biblical book (As opposed to buying a commentary series).

Any passionate recommendations welcome from Steve (or others). Here's what I'm going with if I'm not convinced otherwise

Genesis- Hamilton (already have both volumes)
Exodus- Stuart (already have it)
Leviticus- Wenham (pretty concrete)
Numbers- Wenham (pretty concrete)
Deuteronomy- Block (already have it)

Joshua- Hess (very open to ideas)
Judges- Block (loved this one!)
Ruth- Block (same as above)
1 & 2 Samuel (Bergen maybe? Leithart?)
1 & 2 Kings (no ideas yet)
1 & 2 Chronicles (Selmon?)
Ezra-Nehemiah (Kidner probably?)
Esther (no ideas yet)

Job (no ideas yet)
Psalms (Goldingay or Kidner, maybe both?)
Proverbs (narrowed down to Waltke, longman, or kidner)
Ecclesiastes (probably longman)
Song of SOlomon (probably longman)
Isaiah (John Oswalt?)
Jeremiah-Lamentations- (Kidner? Vanhoozer? Huey? Dearman? Freitheim?)
Ezekiel (Block and/or Stuart)
Daniel- (Probably goldingay or longman)
Minor Prophets (I went with Craigie and Homer Hailey)

Matthew- (Keener? Bruner? Blomberg? Allison? Hauerwas?)
Mark- (Totally not sure, Hooker?)
Luke- (Already have Green)
John (Already have Carson and Lincoln)
Acts (Already have Polhill & Witherington & Wall)

1 & 2 Corinthians (Probably Witherington)
Galatians (probably scot McKnight)
Ephesians (Obrien and/or Witherington?)
Philippians (Probably Gordon Fee)
Colossians (I have MOO)
1 & 2 Thessalonians (Witherington and/or Paige, both of whom I've taken classes from)
Pastorals (I have Towner)

Hebrews (Desilva? Fudge?)
1 Peter (Elliott? No idea here)
2 Peter / Jude- (I have Michael Green)
1-3 John (I have Stott)
Revelation (I have Steve's commentary, might add another)

Hi Matt,

I am not a very good one to recommend "best" commentaries, since that requires that I have made comparisons of at least several commentaries for each book of the Bible. My use of commentaries is sporadic. Most of my Bible study involves my comparison of passages with other passages in the scripture on the same subject.

My second line of inquiry is the use of lexical aids. Since the majority of verses in the Bible are reasonably well-translated in the best Bible versions, I don't necessarily look up every word in a text I am studying in the lexicons (perhaps I should more often—and I do when I become aware of the need). Since I don't read Hebrew or Greek, I turn to these aids when I become aware that a word or a grammatical construction is ambiguous. Though not a scholar myself, I have learned some very interesting things, and reached some out-of-the-box conclusions of my own from this kind of research—e.g., the use of mone in John 14, and the use of astrape in Matthew 24:27 and Luke 11:33 (hear my recorded comments, in situ).

As a last resort, I turn to commentaries. Of course, I have consulted lots of commentaries, over the past 43 years, but I generally use them to reference particular passages, rather than to study a whole book. In this way, I have gained many helpful insights into certain verses, even from commentators with whose theology I am at serious variance on other matters. I have very few favorite commentators—though I have seldom been disappointed by Kidner, in Old Testament books, or F.F. Bruce, in New Testament Books. That doesn't mean that their commentaries are the best available on the books they cover (I wouldn't know), but it means that, on the matters where I am seeking answers, they are usually quite helpful.

Thanks Steve Yes, I wasn't so much interested in a comparison of commentaries, but in a couple of names that you have found helpful over the years. Kidner and Bruce are two that are on my list to consider b/c I've heard you reference them in the past.

What I like to use like Steve is the Bible itself. I have a Center reference Bible that is most helpful in my studies. However when I prepare my sermons I like to cross reference using a free online resource called blueletterbible.org. This is a very comprehensive resource with links to many commentaries, Strong's, and Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. This is a fantastic tool even if you just want to know more about God's Word.