Summary
We find Fausset’s Judges a vigorous exposition that helps us trace the book’s downward spiral with soberness, and its flashes of deliverance with gratitude. He keeps the narrative moving, but he also keeps asking what the Lord is teaching His people through repeated compromise and repeated mercy.
The tone is frank about sin and realistic about the church’s need for godly leadership. It is particularly helpful when we want our preaching to expose idols, warn against gradual drift, and yet still hold out the Lord’s patience and power to save.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
We should own this commentary because it helps us preach the moral darkness of Judges without turning it into mere shock value. It keeps the focus on covenant faithfulness, the cost of unbelief, and the Lord’s mercy toward undeserving people.
We also benefit from its clear warnings. It helps us apply Judges to congregational life in a way that is searching but not cynical, and it pushes us toward humble dependence rather than clever leadership techniques.
For weekly preparation, it gives solid guidance that supports clear exposition and honest pastoral application.
Closing Recommendation
We recommend this as a useful mid level commentary for preaching Judges, especially when we want help drawing out the book’s spiritual lessons with sobriety. Pair it with a modern volume for extra historical detail, but this remains strong for pastoral direction and moral clarity.
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.
Andrew Fausset
Andrew Robert Fausset was an English minister and commentator of the nineteenth century, writing from an evangelical and broadly Reformed outlook.
He is best known for concise exposition and for helping readers keep the flow of a passage in view. Fausset’s strength is often in summary, he highlights key turns in narrative and argument, points out recurring themes, and helps pastors see what must be explained before application can be made responsibly.
He remains valued because he is direct, readable, and attentive to the text, especially useful when a preacher needs quick orientation without losing reverence for Scripture. Recommended titles include Judges in the Geneva Series, his work in the Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary, and his short expository notes on the historical books.
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical