Summary
We find John L. Mackay’s contribution to ESV Expository Commentary a steady companion for preaching and teaching 2 Samuel. Volume 4.
The series is not trying to win every debate. It aims to make the text plain, to honour context, and to send us back to Scripture with sharper questions and steadier instincts.
We appreciate the way it avoids gimmicks. It keeps the emphasis on God’s character, God’s promises, and God’s demands, then draws out implications for worship and obedience.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
We should own this commentary when we want an expositional guide that keeps us close to the text and still helps us preach to real people. It supports careful reading, then encourages clear, direct application.
It serves pastors and teachers who want to be both accurate and accessible. The explanations are not fussy, but they are careful, and they often expose the heart level stakes of the text.
If we are training others to handle Scripture, this is a helpful model. It shows how to read a passage in context and then speak to the church with warmth and restraint.
Closing Recommendation
We recommend 2 Samuel, ESV Expository Commentary as a strong mid level expositional resource for 2 Samuel. It rewards steady reading, and it will serve us well as we move from study to preaching.
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.
John L. Mackay
John L. Mackay was a Scottish Free Church Old Testament scholar of the modern era, writing from a firmly Reformed tradition.
He is remembered for substantial, preacher friendly commentaries across a wide range of Old Testament books, marked by careful exegesis and an eye for the text’s theological movement. Mackay helps readers see how judgement and mercy, covenant and worship, and promise and fulfilment are woven into the fabric of each book.
He remains valued for spiritual maturity, clear structure, and a pastoral instinct that keeps application close to the passage. Recommended titles include his commentaries on Hosea, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah.
Theological Perspective: Reformed