are published on New Testament books than on Old Testament books. This means that there are more noticeable differences in the updated top 5 lists for the New Testament books. And yet, even here, there is an imbalance. There are more new commentaries written on Romans, for example, than on Jude.

Third, it is also important to note that since I have not been able to read every commentary in existence, there may be commentaries that deserve to be in the top 5 and aren’t because I am unaware of their existence or I haven’t had the opportunity to use them yet. In short, if a commentary is not on one of these lists, it does not necessarily mean that I do not find it helpful in some way.

Before proceeding to specific commentaries on each book, there are two older commentary sets that I highly recommend for every book of the Old and New Testament. First, every student of Scripture should consult John Calvin, who wrote commentaries on almost every book of the Bible. Calvin’s commentaries fill a large multi-volume set, but they can also be found free online. Second, students of Scripture should not skip Matthew Henry’s older commentary. It is easy to dismiss Henry in this age of modern technical commentaries, but his work is a gold mine—especially in terms of practical application. It too is available online. With every top 5 list to follow, John Calvin and Matthew Henry should simply be assumed.

OLD TESTAMENT: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 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, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

NEW TESTAMENT: The Gospel of Matthew, The Gospel of Mark, The Gospel of Luke, The Gospel of John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians & Philemon, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, The Pastoral Epistles, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter & Jude, The Epistles of John, Revelation

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection and was originally published August 31, 2021.

It is somewhat difficult to recommend a “top 5” list on the Song of Songs because commentaries differ greatly depending on whether they take a predominantly allegorical or non-allegorical approach. The list below contains commentaries that take a non-allegorical approach to the book. In the “Runners Up” section, I have also included commentaries that take an allegorical approach.

Everything that Iain Duguid writes is outstanding, so I was very thankful to discover that he has written the new commentary on Song of Songs for the Tyndale Commentary series. These commentaries are at an introductory level, but when done well, they are among the best. This commentary will serve students of Scripture well for years to come.

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. In fact, in places it is truly profound and insightful. Gledhill sees the book as a poetic exploration of human love that points beyond itself to the Creator and Redeemer. Very highly recommended.

For those seeking a thorough exegetical commentary, Longman’s work in the NICOT series is a good resource. He approaches the book as a poem (or more precisely an anthology of poems) about the male-female relationship, which itself is analogous to the relationship between God and His people.

I have already mentioned this volume in the post on Ecclesiastes. The section of the book on the Song of Songs should prove just as helpful to preachers and others looking for practical application.

Runners-Up:

Those looking for a good commentary taking an allegorical approach might consider the older works by George Burrowes and James Durham. Other helpful commentaries include those by Paul J. Griffiths in the Brazos Theological Commentary series, Danny Akin in the Christ-Centered Exposition series, and James M. Hamilton in the Focus on the Bible series.

Helpful Related Works:

I have mentioned Barry Webb’s little book Five Festal Garments in several of these “top 5” posts. In it he has a very helpful chapter on the Song of Songs. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

into these books will want to look at the works of Andreas Köstenberger, J.N.D. Kelly, Gerald Bray, I. Howard Marshall and Quinn and Wacker (Vol. 1, Vol. 2). Pastors should also consult the older commentary by Patrick Fairbairn.

There are also a number of forthcoming commentaries on the Pastoral Epistles that pastors and teachers will want to watch for, especially since several are in series with a great track record for commentaries. Among these forthcoming works are commentaries by G.K. Beale and Christopher Beetham (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), Stanley Porter (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), Steve Stanley (Evangelical Exegetical Commentary), and David Pao (Brill Exegetical Commentary).

Helpful Related Works Readers of the Pastoral Epistles should also consult Andreas Köstenberger’s Entrusted with the Gospel: Paul’s Theology in the Pastoral Epistles.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

compared to the hardcovers, which run approximately $150 each! For those not interested in all the technical details, an abridged version is also available.

Runners-Up:

If this were a top 10 list instead of a top 5 list, the commentaries by Leon Morris, Craig Blomberg, Daniel Doriani, John Nolland, and David L. Turner would be somewhere in the 6–10 section. Other very useful commentaries on Matthew include those by Michael Wilkins, Robert H. Mounce, Grant Osborne, Ben Witherington III, Donald Hagner (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), Frederick Dale Bruner (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), Jeffrey Gibbs (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3), and the shorter commentary by R.T. France mentioned above.

There are probably as many works on the Sermon on the Mount as there are on the Gospel as a whole. The commentaries listed above refer to the best of these in their footnotes and bibliographies. However, I would urge all who teach and preach on the Sermon on the Mount to be sure they do not to pass up Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.

Helpful Related Works

R.T. France’s Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher is a wonderfully helpful introduction to this Gospel. Charles Quarles has written a useful book on the theology of Matthew.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

Although the Gospel of Matthew precedes the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament canon, there is strong evidence that Mark was the first of the four Gospels to be written. It is a fast-moving narrative that seeks to reveal who Jesus is. In addition to Dr. Sproul’s commentary on Mark, the following are five of the most generally helpful commentaries on this part of God’s Word.

Runners-Up: There are a number of other commentaries on the Gospel of Mark that are worth consulting. Among them are those by Ben Witherington, Robert Stein, James A. Brooks, David Garland, C.E.B. Cranfield, Larry Hurtado, Robert H. Gundry (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), and the two volume Word Biblical Commentary by Robert Guelich and Craig Evans.

Helpful Related Works Among the many helpful works on various theological themes in Mark are the works by Peter Bolt, Hans Bayer, and David Garland.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

Green](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0802823157?ie=UTF8&tag=ligoniminist-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0802823157) in the same series. Also somewhat difficult to obtain is the commentary by William Hendriksen. Both of these can be obtained through local libraries, and used copies can usually be found for sale online. Two good introductory-level commentaries are those by Michael Wilcock and Douglas Milne. A solid conservative Lutheran commentary has been written by Arthur A. Just, Jr. (Vol. 1, Vol. 2).

Helpful Related Works Two other books that may be of use to certain students are Michael Ovey’s The Feasts of Repentance and Joel Green’s The Theology of the Gospel of Luke.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

raised by John in his Gospel, in particular the identity of Jesus, the “Son of Man” and “Son of God.” This is a valuable and insightful commentary.

Runners-Up: There are a large number of other commentaries on the Gospel of John that are worth consulting. Among them are those by Andreas Köstenberger, Gerald Borchert (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), William Hendriksen, and Ben Witherington. If it were less critical about the historicity of certain events in John, I would have placed the commentary by Andrew T. Lincoln among my top five. In spite of the unnecessarily critical stance, if read with care and discernment, Lincoln’s commentary is a very helpful work. Two other more technical commentaries that can also be valuable if read with discernment are those by C.K. Barrett and George R. Beasley-Murray.

Some helpful evangelical commentaries written at a less technical level are those by Colin Kruse, F.F. Bruce, James Montgomery Boice, and Mark Johnston. In addition to some of the above, preachers may want to consult the commentaries by Gary M. Burge, Bruce Milne, Rodney Whitacre, Gordon Keddie (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), R. Kent Hughes, Robert H. Mounce, and J. Ramsey Michaels.

Those interested in seeing how the Gospel of John was handled in the early church should consult Cyril of Alexandria’s commentary (Vol. 1, Vol. 2) and Augustine’s Tractates (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, Vol. 3, Vol. 4, Vol. 5). For those interested in a medieval commentary, the most useful would be the one by Thomas Aquinas.

Helpful Related Works Andreas J. Köstenberger and Scott Swain’s Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity and John’s Gospel is an insightful work that will be of help for those seeking to understand the relation between Scripture, biblical theology, and systematic theology.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

Among them are the commentaries by Gary M. Burge, F.F. Bruce, I. Howard Marshall, David Jackman, Tom Thatcher, Daniel Akin, and James Boice. There are also some helpful commentaries that cover only 1 John. Two classics on 1 John are the works by Robert Candlish and Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

Helpful Related Works Brandon Crowe’s The Message of the General Epistles in the History of Redemption is a helpful work for those studying the letters of John.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

With the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the continuous historical narrative of the Old Testament comes to a close. These two books were originally a single work, and most commentaries treat them together. Ezra and Nehemiah cover an historical period of approximately one hundred years, from the decree of Cyrus permitting the exiles to return to their homeland to Nehemiah’s time in office. The following are five of the most helpful commentaries on Ezra/Nehemiah.

Ezra and Nehemiah are challenging books for contemporary readers. The best commentaries for those seeking to understand these books are the commentaries by Fensham and Rata (below).

This exegetical and practical commentary is written from a more self-consciously evangelical perspective. There is much in this commentary that will prove especially helpful for pastors.

Williamson’s commentary is a scholarly standard on these books and should be consulted in conjunction with Fensham’s and Rata’s commentaries. There is more technical information in Williamson’s work, but it is less user friendly due to the cumbersome format of the WBC.

For those seeking a good introductory-level commentary on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, I would recommend Derek Kidner’s commentary. He is one of those commentators whose work is consistently good.

Breneman’s commentary does not compare with Fensham’s and Williamson’s, but for those seeking helpful summaries of the more technical work that has been done on these books, his is a helpful work.

Runners-Up:

There are a number of other helpful commentaries on Ezra and Nehemiah. Among them are those by J.G. McConville, James Hamilton, Raymond Brown (Nehemiah only) and Stan Evers. Seminary students will also want to consult the work of David J.A. Clines.

Helpful Related Works:

The chapters on Ezra and Nehemiah in Bruce Waltke’sOld Testament Theology and Miles Van Pelt’sA Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament are very helpful. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

series is a mixed bag. Some are better than others. David Garland’s commentary on Colossians and Philemon is one of the commentaries in this series that should not be passed by. Garland offers great insight into the text and its contemporary application. It should be of great help to busy pastors.

Runners-Up: There are a number of other notable commentaries on the books of Colossians and Philemon including those by Ben Witherington, Anthony Thiselton, Richard Melick, John Woodhouse, and Dick Lucas. The “commentary” by Murray Harris is for those who want to dive deeper into the Greek text. When David Briones’ commentary on Philemon is published, it will be a must-read as well.

Helpful Related Works One of the perennial questions related to Paul’s epistle to Philemon is the that of slavery in the ancient world. One helpful work on this issue is Murray Harris’ Slave of Christ.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

The epistles of 2 Peter and Jude are among the most neglected books in the New Testament. Both books are dealing with the same problem. Second Peter and Jude were written to combat the rise of false teachers in the Christian churches. These books are, therefore, extraordinarily relevant, even today. There are a number of helpful commentaries available, including Dr. Sproul’s volume on 1-2 Peter. The following are the best on 2 Peter and Jude.

Runners-Up: There are a number of other helpful commentaries on the books of 2 Peter and Jude. Among them are the works of Michael Green, Paul Gardner, J.N.D. Kelly, R.C. Lucas, and Mark Johnston.

Helpful Related Works Brandon Crowe’s The Message of the General Epistles in the History of Redemption is a helpful work for those studying 2 Peter and Jude. Readers should also consider Peter Davids’ A Theology of James, Peter, and Jude.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

that I do not appreciate this commentary. Like all of the commentaries in the NIGTC series, it is technical and requires some knowledge of Greek. A very useful work for those doing in-depth study.

Runners-Up: There are a number of other helpful commentaries on the Thessalonian epistles. Leon Morris has contributed an introductory-level commentary to the Tyndale series and a more in-depth commentary to the NICNT series. Other helpful commentaries on these epistles are those by F.F. Bruce, Gordon Fee, Ben Witherington, Robert J. Cara, Michael W. Holmes, Ernest Best, I. Howard Marshall, D. Michael Martin, Andrew W. Young, Richard Mayhue, and Philip Arthur.

Helpful Related Works A key theme in the letters to the Thessalonians is eschatology. The best introduction to this topic is Geerhardus Vos’ The Pauline Eschatology. Also helpful is Herman Ridderbos’ When The Time Had Fully Come.

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Broadman and Holman.

Helpful Related Works:

Although not a commentary, Mark Boda’s After God’s Own Heart: The Gospel According to David is worth consulting. To understand the place of Solomon’s temple in redemptive history, G.K. Beale’s book The Temple and the Church’s Mission is invaluable. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

for preachers. The recent contribution by August Konkel to the NIVAC series is also worth consulting. Beal’s new commentary on 1 & 2 Kings in the Apollos series has helpful insights.

Helpful Related Works:

The prophets Elijah and Elisha are prominent figures in the narrative of 1 and 2 Kings, and these books outline the historical context in which the writing prophets ministered as well. For more on the nature and function of biblical prophets, see O. Palmer Robertson’sThe Christ of the Prophets. Raymond Dillard’s Faith in the Face of Apostasy: The Gospel According to Elijah & Elisha is also worth consulting. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

by Michael Wilcock and Cyril J. Barber (Vol. 1, Vol. 2). Also worth consulting are the commentaries by J.G. McConville, J.A. Thompson, and Leslie Allen.

Helpful Related Works:

The chapters on Chronicles in Bruce Waltke’s Old Testament Theology and Miles Van Pelt’sA Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament are very helpful. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

Bible*](https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Prophets-Bible-Finding-through/dp/1434711307) helpful on Zephaniah and the other Minor Prophets. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

Related Works Pastors should consider Bryan Gregory’s Longing for God in an Age of Discouragement: The Gospel According to Zechariah. Although not a commentary on the entire book, Glory in Our Midst by Meredith Kline is also well worth consulting. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

After reading the story of Israel in the book of Judges, one can be left wondering whether all is lost for Israel and for mankind. It’s a terrible downward spiral of sin and judgment. The book of Ruth reminds us that it wasn’t all bad news. The book of Ruth tells a wonderful story of God’s behind-the-scenes providence in the life of a Moabite woman whose descendants would include King David and ultimately the King of Kings Himself. The following are the five commentaries on Ruth that I have found the most helpful.

Robert Hubbard’s commentary on Ruth is a model of how commentaries should be written. It is careful and clear. It manages to deal with both details and the big picture. This is the first commentary to which one should turn with questions about the book of Ruth. Very highly recommended.

I have already recommended Block’s commentary in connection with the book of Judges. It is just as helpful on the book of Ruth. Highly recommended. Block has also written a more technical commentary on Ruth in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament series. It supplements the NAC commentary well.

Bush’s commentary is an extensive, if somewhat technical, commentary on the book of Ruth, but it is one well worth consulting.

Iain Duguid’s commentary is primarily directed toward pastors and teachers, but it will benefit any reader. The commentary is less technical than many others and very practical.

I have already mentioned Younger’s commentary in my post on Judges. His commentary on Ruth within the same volume is also very helpful.

Runners-Up:

There are a number of other helpful commentaries on the book of Ruth, including those by Leon Morris, Sinclair Ferguson, David Atkinson, Dean Ulrich, Stephen Dray, A. Boyd Luter and Barry Davis, Gordon Keddie, Victor H. Matthews, and John Wilch.

Helpful Related Works:

Peter Lau and Gregory Goswell have written Unceasing Kindness: A Biblical Theology of Ruth for the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. There is also a helpful chapter on Ruth in the recent work by Barry G. Webb. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

As with any commentary, readers will find places where they disagree, but this work is a treasure trove of information.

Runners-Up: Among the commentaries that would certainly be in the list if it were a Top 10 instead of a Top 5 are those by Leon Morris, C. E. B. Cranfield (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), J. V. Fesko, and David G. Peterson. There are a number of other helpful commentaries on the book of Romans. Among the more recent scholarly commentaries are those James Edwards, Ben Witherington, C.K. Barrett, and Robert H. Mounce. Among older evangelical works are those by Charles Hodge, John Murray, and F.F. Bruce. Works that will especially help preachers include the commentaries by D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, Paul Barnett and James Montgomery Boice.

Helpful Related Works One of the most perennially difficult passages in this epistle is Romans 7. There is even a three-views book on the subject. For those who are interested, one of the most interesting books on this subject is the volume by Will N. Timmins, titled Romans 7 and Christian Identity.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

G.B. Caird, Craig Keener, Leon Morris, Ian Paul, William Hendriksen, Simon Kistemaker, Peter Leithart (Vol. 1, Vol. 2), Vern Poythress, Dennis Johnson.

The best contemporary commentary written from a dispensationalist perspective is Buist Fanning’s commentary in the ZECNT series. A good, although very short, older preterist commentary is David Clark’s* The Message From Patmos*. After two decades of labor, Kenneth Gentry has completed his massive two-volume preterist commentary (1,600+ pages), so when it is published (Tolle Lege Press), it will likely be the go-to preterist commentary on this book for years to come.

Helpful Related Works Although it is not a commentary, I would be remiss if I did not mention the classic little book by Richard Bauckham titled The Theology of the Book of Revelation. If you are interested in understanding Revelation, Bauckham’s book is a must-read.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

It is well worth consulting.

Kidner’s commentaries are always worth reading, and for those looking for a basic introductory-level commentary on the Psalms, this is a great place to start. The comments are clear and very concise, but always reflect the extensive learning and insight of the author.

Runners-Up:

The volumes in the Word Biblical Commentary, Psalms 1-50; Psalms 51-100; Psalms 101-150, were in my original top 5, but were bumped by the addition of Allen Ross’ three-volume work. They are still worth consulting. In 2019, Daniel Estes published a commentary on Psalms 73–150 in the New American Commentary. It is quite good. If he publishes the volume on Psalms 1–72 in the future, I might have to move these volumes into the top 5.

There are a number of other helpful commentaries on the book of Psalms. Charles Spurgeon’s commentary provides a wealth of material for preachers. Other commentaries that will prove especially helpful for pastors are the three volumes by John Goldingay, the commentaries by William S. Plumer, Michael Wilcock (Vol. 1; Vol. 2), George A.F. Knight (Vol. 1; Vol. 2), James Montgomery Boice (Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 3), and Eric Lane (Vol. 1; Vol. 2).

Helpful Related Works:

Geoffrey Grogan’s Prayer, Praise and Prophecy is a must-read on the theology of the Psalms. The structure and theology of the Psalms is covered well by O. Palmer Robertson in his The Flow of the Psalms. I would also recommend the three volumes by Bruce Waltke and James Houston: The Psalms as Christian Worship, The Psalms as Christian Lament, and The Psalms as Christian Praise. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

book.

Runners-Up:

There are a number of other helpful commentaries on the book of Proverbs. Among them is the classic work by Charles Bridges. On an introductory level are the works by David Atkinson, Eric Lane, and Lindsay Wilson. In the intermediate to advanced range are the commentaries by Daniel and Jonathan Akin, Roland Murphy, Paul Koptak, Allen P. Ross, Duane Garrett, John Kitchen, and Michael Fox (Vol. 1 and Vol. 2).

Helpful Related Works:

A very helpful resource on the biblical theology of the wisdom books is O. Palmer Robertson’s The Christ of Wisdom. Two books in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series (edited by D.A. Carson) address the book of Proverbs. The first is Daniel Estes’s Hear, My Son on Proverbs 1–9. The second is Richard Belcher’s Finding Favour in the Sight of God: A Theology of Wisdom Literature. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

to see how the early church fathers interpreted Paul’s epistle. A similar commentary edited by Graham Tomlin is available with representative exegesis from Reformation-era commentators.

This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.

The book of Obadiah, the shortest in the Old Testament, is a brief oracle against the nation of Edom. Its date is uncertain. Scholars have proposed dates ranging from the ninth century to the post-exilic period. My own view is that it is to be dated in the early exilic period (ca. 585–580). Like all oracles against the nations, Obadiah’s prophecy indicates that God rules over all nations. Edom represents all nations that are hostile to God and to His kingdom. Such nations will always be judged. There are a number of helpful commentaries on Obadiah, and the following are five of the best.

Runners-Up: There are a number of other helpful commentaries on the book of Obadiah, including those by Billy Smith and Irvin Busenitz. At a more introductory level are the works by Michael Bentley, James Boice, and David Field.

Helpful Related Works A volume that will be helpful not only for understanding Obadiah but for all of the prophets is Victor Matthews’ The Hebrew Prophets and Their Social World. This article is part of the Top 5 Commentaries collection.