Evaluation

Overall Score: 8.3/10

A strong mid level Numbers commentary that helps us stay close to the text and speak with clear pastoral purpose.

Publication Date(s): 1981

Pages: 240

ISBN: 9780877842545

Faithfulness to the Text: 7.9/10

We are helped by careful attention to context and flow, resisting quick conclusions and letting Numbers set the agenda.

Christ Centredness: 8.4/10

We are regularly guided to read Numbers in light of God's saving purposes, with lines that naturally lead us to Christ.

Depth of Insight: 8/10

There is thoughtful engagement with interpretive questions, often giving us the best of scholarly work in a pastor friendly register.

Clarity of Writing: 8.7/10

Clear, well organised writing that makes it easy to locate what we need for weekly preparation.

Pastoral Usefulness: 8.2/10

We are repeatedly helped to move from explanation to faithful application, bringing Numbers's truth to church life.

Readability: 8.6/10

Readable in steady portions, with a layout that suits both sustained study and selective consultation.

Summary

At a Glance

Length: 240 pages
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Theo. Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Overall score: 8.3 / 10
Strength: Balanced explanation that supports preaching and teaching week by week.
Limitation: Not designed to replace a fully technical commentary when specialist detail is required.

We find Woods’s work on Numbers in the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries series a steady guide for understanding what the text says and what it means. It keeps the main line of the book clear, while still slowing down over the points that often trip us up in preaching and teaching.

The best of this kind of commentary is its balance. We are given enough orientation to read Numbers responsibly, then we are brought back to the passage itself, section by section, with an eye on the theological stakes and the shape of the argument.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we need a clear mid level guide that is both teachable and usable. It supports our movement from careful exegesis toward proclamation, and it helps us avoid both thin readings and needless complexity.

We especially appreciate the way it highlights recurring themes and repeated words, helping us preach paragraphs rather than isolated phrases. It also tends to keep application tethered to the text, which is a gift when Numbers is familiar and we are tempted toward shortcuts.

In practice, it sits well alongside a more technical commentary. We can do our heavier lifting elsewhere when needed, then return here for clarity, theological orientation, and a steady sense of what we should say to the church from Numbers.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this as a strong mid level commentary for preaching and teaching Numbers. It will not answer every specialist question, but it consistently helps us handle the text with integrity and bring its truth to bear on the people entrusted to us.

As pastoral next steps, we can visit the Bible Book Overview, browse Top Recommendations, and use the Reformed Commentary Index to build a wiser working library.

Where to buy

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