Summary
We find Ronald Bergey’s contribution to ESV Expository Commentary a steady companion for preaching and teaching Numbers. Volume 1.
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.
Where technical detail is needed, it is supplied without turning the reader into a specialist. The tone is direct and reverent, and the best sections help us feel the weight of God’s voice in Numbers.
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 Numbers, ESV Expository Commentary as a strong mid level expositional resource for Numbers. It rewards steady reading, and it will serve us well as we move from study to preaching.
It is not a replacement for close reading of the passage, but it is a wise partner. Used alongside prayerful study, it helps us speak with greater clarity and conviction.
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.
Ronald Bergey
Ronald Bergey is an American Old Testament and Hebrew scholar of the contemporary era, writing within evangelical and Reformed circles.
He has published in areas such as biblical poetry, rhetoric, and intertextuality, helping readers see how the Old Testament uses repetition and echo to shape meaning. Bergey’s work serves careful exposition by showing how literary features are not ornaments but part of the author’s argument.
He remains valued for close reading, attention to language, and disciplined method that helps pastors avoid both fanciful connections and flat paraphrase. Recommended titles include his contributions to the ESV Expository Commentary, his studies on intertextuality in Deuteronomy and Isaiah, and his work on Hebrew rhetoric.
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical