Here’s another early volume in what will be a completely revamped Interpretation Bible Commentary series. The Book of Acts, of course, provides its own excitement, but here’s a book that helps you catch elements of that excitement you might otherwise miss. Yes, this is a more critical commentary than people like me are going to widely use, but with a pile of more conservative ones on the desk I’m likely to pick up one like this one. What am I looking for? Some theology that other pile misses. For good measure I too hope it catches sizzling details in the story overlooked by others. This book easily meets those goals.

To have well written and provocative commentary you will subject yourself to some misfires. To think the story of Ananias and Sapphira and other such stories as some kind of gallows humor might be one example. To think one of the main points of Pentecost was to champion multiculturalism might be another. He even denigrated Stephen slightly, but in a way more than I’m used to seeing. But that’s a good case to show why I still found value in this commentary. There were those little details that caught his eye that others miss that was fascinating to me even in Stephen’s story.

Of its kind, this book stands out. Those who are of a more critical orientation will simply love it I would guess. For the rest of us, it’s not as critical as many volumes. It spoke winsomely of, say, salvation or the Resurrection at times. Most importantly, it can be captivating at pleasant intervals. Walk in knowing what to expect and you have a winner here.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

It took a few years, but we finally get the other half of Daniel Estes’ superb commentary on Psalms here. For that matter, this finishes the OT for the NAC, which is a feat few series can hold up to us. I think it’s classy that the publishers are allowing this series to be completed (there’s the final NT volume coming next year) even though the replacement CSC is underway.

Mr. Estes has taught Psalms in both the church and the academy. It shows. Though the greatest value of this commentary is later, the Introduction shines. I loved how he walked through how Psalms has been interpreted, particularly in more recent times. He creatively described the theology of Psalms in terms of “five basic worldview questions”.

From there, he launches into form, structure and setting. He well describes the more traditional genre classifications. I personally grow weary over commentators who keep coining new genres until there are so many than a genre conversation is meaningless, so I welcome his approach. On superscripts, he is a bit more agnostic than me, but you can decide for yourself when you read his explanation. Toward the end of the Introduction, he describes how he is going to handle each passage. That is a plus.

In the commentary proper he uses the same effective format as before. The commentary itself is outstanding.

Psalms is one of the most important books in the Bible and any serious pastor or Bible student will have multiple commentaries on it. Besides some of our beloved older commentaries and some other devotional ones, we must have these exegetical ones that really explain the text. This volume can truly stand as a giant beside Garrett (POTC—recently released), Ross (KEL), and Hamilton (EBTC). I wouldn’t be without any of them, but this equally valuable commentary is at least $10 cheaper per volume than any of them. For that reason and because it is truly equal to the others, you can safely start here if you are just embarking on building your library. In any event, this title simply must make its way to your shelves.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This series runs in a different lane and it’s one I enjoy traversing. Though we’re only a few volumes in, a few have already stood out to me. This design of focusing on Christian Formation strikes gold here in Job. Though that should have been obvious I guess, it hadn’t occurred to me. I see it now!

The Introduction got off to a bit of a shaky start for me in the section on “the Many Stories of Job”. At first I thought the author was highlighting inconsistencies though it turned out to be more of a history of interpretation. He was a bit too dogmatic at times about others getting it all wrong as well. Then, however, he got into the interpretation of Job and we stepped out of the shady part of the trail. Starting at page 15, I was fully engaged. Perhaps the author was a bit too mystic and Catholic, but he sure spoke to me.

There were observations a plenty that hadn’t occurred to me. His take on suffering in Job is a case in point. He did hold to a few critical positions, like Elihu’s speeches being a later addition, but mostly he kept them to himself. I imagine I like this commentary far better than had he produced a traditional one.

Each periscope gets a succinct explanation by him that consistently stays in the lane of theological observation and Christian formation. I would never make this my primary commentary on Job, but I’d sure be happy to always use it as a secondary one to dig a little more.

Replace the word “exegesis” with “fun” and you’ll get the idea of how this book struck me. Outside of the normal uses of a commentary, I am sure that some really could benefit by only using it to meditate on Christian formation. However you choose to use this commentary, I predict you are going to be pleased.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This fantastic commentary has here an update from its NAC iteration. I applaud Mr. Howard getting the nod to carry the commentary over into the CSC and extend its usefulness for decades to come.

In the introduction, I was at first fearing that there was going to be very little updating from the earlier edition. I think that was because some of the earlier topics were things he just fully still agreed with and saw no reason to expand. It was farther along that he tackled some new subjects beautifully. He had an elaborate section on ethics as there are many ethical questions in the text of Joshua. Further, he expanded explaining the archaeological evidence for the major sites found in Joshua. There’s a very telling section that described why the Israelites were attracted to the culture of Canaan too. That certainly is a worthy question and I agree with his conclusions.

He also broached the subject of the large numbers in Joshua and the rest of the Old Testament. Critics love to pound away on this subject. He concludes that it is best to comment on them as if they were accurate. I am prone to take them as is and believe them.

Modern political thinking has forced new subjects to be especially looked at in the biblical text. For example, to some people the book of Joshua reads like ugly imperialism. He writes magnanimously and in such a way that his careful laying out of the issues and options are its greatest strengths. You will leave the introduction with a firm grasp of all the issues and what is at stake in the book of Joshua. I must commend this introduction and its additions from the earlier edition.

The commentary proper is excellent. He is a wise evaluator of the issues all while fulfilling the exegete’s task. There is much help for the preacher or teacher here. I already thought the earlier edition was outstanding, and I can only say it’s even better now.

I am compelled to say that this is the best commentary for a pastor or teacher on Joshua that we have. It’s the balance of depth and good conservative conclusions that make me feel that way. The competitors of this volume are either those with less detail or those possessing some glaring defect in one category or the other; e.g., theology or historicity. If you can only have one commentary on Joshua, this is it. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

This commentary is a trip. I’m not sure where we went, but it was quite a ride. Mr. Cook took a few curves too fast, but occasionally the scenery was spectacular. I know I saw the blue lights behind us on several occasions, but he would just smile and press the gas pedal a little harder. I’m sure he didn’t fully know where he was going either, but his outward confidence never wavered. I know it’s easy to be trite and say a commentary is different, but this one IS different. In fact, this is the very commentary that makes many others seem exactly alike.

Perhaps the aspect that makes this commentary unique is his views of how to process apocalyptic literature. Be sure to read his Preface as he lays it out. He also attacks approaches that moralize the stories of Daniel. Many do that and say to keep the Gospel primary, but that’s not exactly his angle. He has a very precise view of Wisdom. To my mind, his definition is not as different as the traditional one as he thinks. I liked how his views made him dig a bit deeper in places even if I couldn’t especially agree with him. His historical conclusions didn’t hold up for me either.

He is for sure an interesting writer. He quotes from so many unusual sources. I mean when was the last time Alice from her Wonderland was quoted in a commentary you were reading. Crazy? Yes. Interesting? Yes.

He also draws from unexpected disciplines. I saw philosophy and psychology often and several others. I kept expecting physics at any point.

Even if he travels in his own lanes, his work is well researched. There are footnotes galore throughout. I would not make this commentary my first choice on Daniel, but it is one that I will likely check going forward. If you are looking for a work that is captivating in new ways, I suspect this is the one for you.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Now that this volume completes the set on Genesis, we can evaluate where this volume stands. Its old iteration in the NAC was already a top pick, but this revision only raises its value. The other two that rivaled it most were always thought to be Wenham (WBC) and Hamilton (NICOT), but it appears they will not be revised by the original authors. Wenham no doubt was theologically brilliant, but his capitulation to some critical theories was maddening. Hamilton laid out all kinds of amazing details, but perhaps the larger picture was not always in view. In contrast, Mathews has no deficiencies. The theology is good and the exegetical work outstanding, all while adding conservative outlooks and fantastic scriptural connections. I guess what I’m trying to say is that Mathews is now all alone at the top.

Since the arrival of Abraham is such a shift in Genesis, he has an Introduction for this volume as well. He discusses the setting for the Patriarchs and does a fine job in covering theology, themes, and motifs. This Introduction runs 66 pages. The coverage of the motif on Sibling Rivalry and the one on Deception were the most captivating. If that weren’t good enough, notice at the end of the book that there is one fantastic excursus after another. Perhaps Jacob was the star of that section, but all were theological astute.

Strangely, I had a similar experience to that which I had a few years back when the earlier volume came out. I was wanting to study some Genesis passages, particularly some on Joseph, and I found the commentary so well done. Again, the parallels to other parts of Genesis in the Bible at large were fascinating. There were so many things that came up that I simply hadn’t thought of before.

This is a great commentary that I highly recommend. Perhaps the best recommendation I can give it is that I cannot imagine ever doing any major Genesis study I the future without consulting this grand volume.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

In this new round of Interpretation Bible Commentary volumes, Mark Allan Powell tackles the Gospel of Matthew. Let me say up front that this is a more critical series where more conservative readers like me will find many points of disagreement. In a series like this one I’m especially looking for creative theology that might push my thinking to new, interesting places even though I might bail out in a few paragraphs along the way. Now that you know what I’m looking for, let me say that this volume delivered the goods. Since it is well written, more critically oriented readers will likely especially love it.

The Introduction was stand out because of its unique approach. Rather than tackling traditional introductory items, which I likely would have found little sympathy with anyway, he developed a whole new approach. The bulk of the Introduction covers 16 themes in Matthew. It’s amazing the mass of helpful material you get here. The thing that makes it so great is that after describing the thematic item, he lists everywhere Matthew demonstrates it. I could see myself using this section as much as the commentary proper.

The commentary proper provided the theology and creativity I hoped for in a writing style that really holds your attention. Though I strongly couldn’t agree with many conclusions from that perspective, I did find exactly what I’d hoped for.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Here’s a good one. Its niche is clearly stated as being an exegetical and theological commentary. It actually delivers that very thing, amazingly, in less than 400 pages. I’ve seen TNTC volumes of that length. Don’t let that throw you off though. Don’t you want sometimes a very mature commentary that can come through both succinct and thorough? You might have guessed that Thomas Schreiner would be the guy who pull it off. He did.

His Introduction of 13 pages answered all burning questions. When you expertly dismantle influential, ludicrous scholarly conclusions apparently that’s all the space you need. At least it was all he needed. The thing that stands out to me throughout the Introduction was how easily I found myself following him to agreement.

I just happened to be in need of studying the early part of Ephesians 2 when it came time for me to review this book. It was so distinctly helpful to me. I really loved it. He is a master exegete.

When I got to the household code in chapter 5, he still kept convincing me in both the larger picture and many small details. (I didn’t perfectly keep count, but it appeared that he agreed with Thielman the most). I can think of a whole bunch of scholars who would be up the creek trying to argue against the wisdom of what he shared there.

This is a great commentary. It delivers the goods in less pages than many other volumes and sometimes that can be a really great plus. I recommend this one all the way down the line. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Many new commentaries purport to be something different. You begin reading and they may be good or bad but they are not different. And then I started reading this one. At first, I was reading the Introduction and thinking there was a problem. I was asking myself what is guiding this author in what he is choosing to put in this Introduction. Finally, I realized that this commentary really is different. That is its intention and it is pulling it off. Reception history really is different than the usual commentary fare.

Still, as I said, I don’t know how he chose what went in his Introduction. But what goes in an Introduction on reception history? For all the commentaries I’ve reviewed, I don’t have a clue. I guess when you’re forging a new trail you get to make your own path. In any event, it was interesting. The usual subject of structure was well handled. He cast a suspicious eye toward the Documentary Hypothesis, which is always appreciated, though he could have been more lethal. His dating of Genesis fell flat for me, but that’s not really influential to this type of commentary. There was, though, all these zesty tidbits along the way that I appreciated. Finally, the Introduction digressed into texts of Genesis. It took me a minute to realize that was laying a foundation for this reception history.

In the commentary proper what was so helpful was that if you laid this commentary by the others you have, there would be no duplication. It was all interesting too. I would never choose this commentary as my main source for exegesis, but if I were doing a deep study, this could add so much.

This commentator would fall on the conservative side of the fence—I mean he’s written for the Pillar New Testament commentary series—but I was amazed at the plethora of more critical scholars that he always cites. Possibly, that was because they sometimes offer some of that really high-flying theology. And though I know there is not a consistent number of New Testament references to every passage in Genesis, I did sometimes feel that he just wrote about whatever he wanted to write about. My expectations meant nothing either. I just guessed that John chapter one would have been extensively discussed during the commentary of Genesis chapters one and two, but that was not the case. Still, I must rate the work a smashing success because whatever he chose to say was highly captivating.

This book does not garner a high rating because of its consistency, but rather because it was so lively compared to several other commentaries. Let’s mark this down as one that I really enjoyed despite itself. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Here’s the inaugural volume in the Pillar Old Testament Commentary series. You just know this series is going to be good. The Pillar NT that has been around for some time is unusually consistent for a series. It’s probably the editor you have to thank for that. So it was with high expectations that I picked up this volume and opened it. It delivered!

I’ve read Duane Garrett quite a few years and found him pretty solid. I must say, though, this is the best I’ve ever seen from him. Maybe it’s just me, but it’s the best by a wide margin. His reasoning was so mature and well thought out. I don’t want to be trite in a review, but it really was impressive.

My only complaint is that I wish these commentaries could be released complete rather than have years between them. It’s common these days, but it’s disappointing if you really like a volume. Maybe it’s the constraints facing all publishers (Eerdmans is one of the best), so we’d better be understanding I guess.

This commentary is such a compliment to many other commentaries that I have on the psalms. I’m a bit of a sucker for discussions about structure. It’s not that I think these structures unlock the secret meaning of a book, but that they just kind of reinforce it and show a divine hand at work. Still, Garrett argued so persuasively that we can get a bit out of hand. In fact, in so many cases, he was reeling people like me back in. I’m sure we needed it. At least we needed the balance. In many cases, he would explain all that we really know for sure. And it could be at times less than we would like to think we know. I could see myself picking up this volume and reading it right after I read, say, James Hamilton. Both have so much to give, but reading them both could keep you in the right lane I’m sure.

Other features I loved included reminding us that there is a personal and devotional function to the psalms. He is correct that we can get carried away thinking it’s always for formal temple worship. He was calm and sensible in his discussions of superscripts too. One of the best sections in the introduction is on recurrent theological motifs in the Psalter. That section is nothing short of fascinating and so insightful in studying this portion of scripture. The short section on patterns of repetition were also eye-opening for me.

The commentary proper was outstanding. I read over several of the psalms and thought he provided distinct help for us.

This is a grand commentary, and I can’t wait until the other volume is released and finishes his work on the psalms. 

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255