Summary
We find Donna Petter and Thomas Petter’s Ezra and Nehemiah in the NIV Application Commentary series a timely and pastorally useful guide for rebuilding texts. The commentary helps us follow the narrative of restoration, opposition, and renewed devotion to the Word, then presses toward contemporary significance for church life.
The volume serves us well where Ezra and Nehemiah can be reduced to leadership technique. It keeps the Lord’s covenant faithfulness, the priority of worship, and the reforming power of Scripture in clear view. That makes it a helpful companion for preaching and for congregational renewal.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
We should own this volume if we want help preaching rebuilding, reform, and opposition with spiritual seriousness. It encourages application that is shaped by Scripture, prayer, and repentance, rather than by managerial slogans.
We also benefit when we are leading a church through change or discouragement. Ezra and Nehemiah speak to weary people, and the commentary often helps us keep the text’s hope and realism together.
For Reformed preaching, we will still bring a clearer redemptive historical lens, but this volume often strengthens the text level handling that makes our proclamation steadier.
Closing Recommendation
We recommend this as a useful mid level Ezra and Nehemiah resource, especially for pastors wanting help moving from restoration narrative to wise contemporary application.
As pastoral next steps, we can go to the Bible Book Overview for Ezra, browse Top Recommendations, and consult the Reformed Commentary Index to build a balanced shelf for preaching.
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Donna Petter
Donna Petter is an American Old Testament scholar of the contemporary era, working within evangelical scholarship with a clear pastoral instinct.
She has taught and written especially on the Old Testament’s message for the life of the church. In Ezra, she helps readers see how the Lord restores a weary people through His word, worship, and covenant renewal, and how opposition and discouragement are met by steady faithfulness rather than bravado.
She remains valued for clarity, thoughtful application, and a disciplined effort to keep the biblical story central. Recommended titles include Ezra Nehemiah in the NIV Application Commentary, her work on Ezekiel, and her writing on the theology of God’s name and covenant mercy.
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical