Five (5) Commentaries for Every Book of Bible

[Scott1]

Mr. Keith Mathison has recommended his "top 5" commentaries for all 66 Books of the Bible:

Top Commentaries on Every Book of the Bible by Nathan W. Bingham | Ligonier Ministries Blog

 

[TylerRay]

Very cool!

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

Looked at his choices on Revelation, and don't like his comments. Not for me.

 

[bookslover]

Apparently, Mathison doesn't realize that Gerald Wilson won't be writing volume 2 of his psalms commentary because he's with the Lord now. Volume 2 has been re-assigned, but I don't know who got the nod. Wilson was on the faculty at Azusa Pacific University for a number of years.

 

[KMK]

Calvin didn't make the list for Romans? I guess Moo and Morris must be excellent.

I like this helpful list by our own Green Baggins: My commentary recommendations | Green Baggins

 

[C. M. Sheffield]

I find that most all of his choices have been written in recent history. None that I can see are prior to the twentieth century. This is concerning because if a reader is only exposed to today's scholarship on a book of the Bible (no matter how good it may be) he will suffer from not having the balance provided by commentators from earlier centuries. Now I'm sure Mr. Mathison does indeed consult with Calvin, Poole, Henry, Gill and others. But there is no mention of their value in this list. And for that reason I think it is lacking. I would hate for a young man to say "These are all I'll need!" And neglect to invest in men like Calvin, Davenant, Haldane, Manton, or Owen. Our library of commentaries ought to be balanced between new and old. An imbalance in either direction will handicap the man in the study and in turn, the people in the pew.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

I agree with Rev. Sheffield.

Now I'm sure Mr. Mathison does indeed consult with Calvin, Poole, Henry, Gill and others. But there is no mention of their value in this list. And for that reason I think it is lacking. I would hate for a young man to say "These are all I'll need!" And neglect to invest in men like Calvin, Davenant, Haldane, Manton, or Owen.

 

[Rev. Todd Ruddell]

Ditto to Rev Sheffield. Well said.

 

[TylerRay]

In fairness to Dr. Mathison, he does list Fairbairn on Ezekiel, and under his Hebrews recommendations he notes, "Serious students should not neglect the classic 7 volume work by John Owen (Banner of Truth) or the classic by John Brown."

I agree that there is some imbalance, but he doesn't altogether neglect older commentaries from the classically Reformed either. He also has Luther on Galatians and Brown again as a runner up for I Peter. I haven't looked through all the pages, but I imagine there are more.

I noted to my wife that as a contemporary scholar he probably has contemporary textual issues and such in mind, as well as the themes one finds in mind in newer scholars (biblical-theological emphasis, metanarrative, etc.)

 

[TylerRay]

Sorry for posting two-in-a-row, but I thought his comments on Calvin were helpful. Calvin made #5 in the Pastoral Epistles (and Fairbairn is a runner up):

I would recommend John Calvin’s commentaries on every book of the Bible for which he wrote a commentary. He is a master exegete, and even after 500 years, his works are worth consulting by all serious students of Scripture. Crossway has put together a series of classic commentaries in an affordable paperback format. The work by Calvin on the Pastorals is particularly interesting because of the insight it gives us to the Reformation understanding of church leadership. A must-read.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

I noted to my wife that as a contemporary scholar he probably has contemporary textual issues and such in mind, as well as the themes one finds in mind in newer scholars (biblical-theological emphasis, metanarrative, etc.)

This is a good point. When I was in seminary, most of my professors required that our sources be from the last 50 years for precisely these reasons.

 

[KMK]

Maybe he doesn't include sets. That would explain the absence of Calvin and Hendriksen on Romans.

 

[The Baptist]

Looked at his choices on Revelation, and don't like his comments. Not for me.

What was it that bothered you? I'm interested as a party that has never really studied Revelation in-depth.

 

[pem]

Looked at his choices on Revelation, and don't like his comments. Not for me.

Nor me - he has William Hendriksen in the runners- up ! Hendriksen was a genius

 

[pem]

Looked at his choices on Revelation, and don't like his comments. Not for me.

What was it that bothered you? I'm interested as a party that has never really studied Revelation in-depth.

Have you tried John Calvins commentary on Revelation ? See if you can find a copy - i've been after one for years

 

[Abeard]

I found Dr. Beeke's recommendations to be very helpful

Virginia is for Huguenots: Joel Beeke's Top Commentaries The links on this site don't work for some reason.

Heritage Book Blog | Our mission is to glorify God and strengthen His Church through the publication and distribution of Puritan and Reformed literature this is the site where his recommendations are found. Just have to type with book in the search engine which commentary recommendation you want

 

[pem]

I found Dr. Beeke's recommendations to be very helpful

Virginia is for Huguenots: Joel Beeke's Top Commentaries The links on this site don't work for some reason.

Heritage Book Blog | Our mission is to glorify God and strengthen His Church through the publication and distribution of Puritan and Reformed literature this is the site where his recommendations are found. Just have to type with book in the search engine which commentary recommendation you want

Joel Beeke is a star - he hand-wrote to me here in England when i was new in Christ . I would die for the man and willingly so

 

[The Baptist]

Have you tried John Calvins commentary on Revelation ? See if you can find a copy - i've been after one for years

I have Calvin's full commentaries. So that is one of the places I'd go first.

 

[Andres]

Have you tried John Calvins commentary on Revelation ? See if you can find a copy - i've been after one for years

I have Calvin's full commentaries. So that is one of the places I'd go first.

Methinks you may have missed the joke - Revelation is the only book Calvin never wrote a commentary for.

 

[pem]

Have you tried John Calvins commentary on Revelation ? See if you can find a copy - i've been after one for years

I have Calvin's full commentaries. So that is one of the places I'd go first.

Methinks you may have missed the joke - Revelation is the only book Calvin never wrote a commentary for.

Well spotted Andrew !

 

[py3ak]

Revelation is not the only book Calvin didn't produce a commentary for. 2 and 3 John in the NT were also left untreated, and there are some big gaps in the OT, e.g., Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.

 

[Andres]

Revelation is not the only book Calvin didn't produce a commentary for. 2 and 3 John in the NT were also left untreated, and there are some big gaps in the OT, e.g., Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.

Wow, way to go Calvin. What a slacker.

 

[Bill The Baptist]

Revelation is not the only book Calvin didn't produce a commentary for. 2 and 3 John in the NT were also left untreated, and there are some big gaps in the OT, e.g., Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.

Wow, way to go Calvin. What a slacker.

Tell me about it. Hendriksen too, he had to bring in Kistemaker to finsh his series and he only did the NT. Come on people, death is no excuse!

 

[reaganmarsh]

If we're chasing the "death is no excuse" line of thought, Matthew Henry didn't finish his Commentary, either...