ESV Expository Commentary

ESV Expository Commentary is Crossway’s attempt to put a complete, church facing commentary set into the hands of ordinary preachers and serious Bible readers. It is built for the study desk rather than the seminar room, and it keeps the biblical text in view throughout, often printing the ESV passage alongside the exposition so the reader is never far from Scripture itself.

The series is shaped by its team of general editors, Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, and that leadership shows. There is a consistent desire to read each book in its own context, to keep the argument moving, and to make the connection between exegesis and proclamation without turning the commentary into a sermon manuscript.

The theological posture is broadly evangelical with a noticeable Reformed warmth in places, especially in its instincts about biblical theology, covenant continuity, and Christ centred reading. You will not find the tone combative. It tends to be confident about the Bible’s authority, cautious about novelty, and eager to serve the church.

As a set, it is most useful when a pastor wants a clear, faithful companion that keeps him moving through the text with steady understanding. It is not usually the last word on difficult technical questions, but it is often a wise first word that gets you oriented, helps you see structure, and gives you a sound platform for preaching.

Publisher: Crossway

Series Editors: Iain M. Duguid / James M. Hamilton / Jay Sklar

Series: ESV Expository Commentary

A clear, text close series that serves weekly preaching well, especially when paired with one deeper technical resource. It is not the final court of appeal, but it is a wise and reliable companion.

Level: Mid-level Perspective: Broadly Evangelical Best for: Busy pastors, Pastors-in-training, General readers Priority: Top choice Overall score: 8.7

Strengths

The chief strength is clarity. Most volumes keep the flow of the passage visible, explain what is there without fuss, and make interpretive choices without drowning the reader in endless options. For sermon preparation, that is a mercy.

There is a consistent instinct for biblical theology. The writers often help you see how a passage fits into the book’s purpose and into the broader storyline of redemption, without forcing artificial connections. That is especially helpful in narrative, prophecy, and the letters, where preachers can otherwise lose the main line.

The series also tends to be pastorally alert. Application is not tacked on as moral advice. It usually arises from the text’s own burden, which helps preachers aim for conviction, comfort, and obedience rather than mere information.

Limitations & Cautions

Because it is a multi author series, the texture is not identical from volume to volume. Some contributors are brisk and direct, others are more expansive, and a few sections can feel more like annotated notes than a shaped exposition. The overall direction is steady, but the experience is not uniform.

Its level is deliberately accessible, which means it will not satisfy when you need sustained engagement with scholarly debate, detailed grammatical discussion, or heavier interaction with commentaries at the technical end. When you are preaching a contested passage, you will sometimes want a second commentary open beside it.

The series also prints a great deal of Bible text, which is useful, but it means the physical volumes are large and the proportion of pure commentary per page can feel lighter than a comparable set without the printed text.

How to Use This Series

Use this series early in your preparation, once you have done your own passage work. It is especially good for confirming the flow of thought, checking that you have not missed an obvious structural marker, and seeing how a skilled reader moves from meaning to message.

When you are preaching consecutively through a book, it works well as a steady companion across weeks. It helps you keep continuity, trace repeated themes, and maintain proportion, so that minor details do not eclipse the author’s main point.

Supplement it when you hit a disputed text, a dense theological argument, or a passage where original language detail will materially affect your preaching. Pair it with one more technical commentary if you have time, and with one more sermon shaped volume if you want a stronger homiletical push.

Standout Volumes

The set is often at its best where the writers can combine clear structure with biblical theological traction. The Pentateuch volume, Genesis to Deuteronomy, is a strong example of the series at its intended pitch, accessible but serious, and consistently concerned to read Torah within the covenant storyline.

The New Testament epistles section is also a highlight for many preachers, especially Romans to Galatians, where doctrinal clarity and pastoral application tend to come through well. These volumes often help a busy pastor keep the argument straight and the gospel central.

Weaker or Less Helpful Volumes

The series is broadly consistent, but the Wisdom and Psalms material can feel less direct for sermon building in some hands, largely because the genres demand a different kind of interpretive patience. That is not a failure, but some readers will want additional help for preaching form, tone, and application in those books.

If you are looking for especially tight treatment of complex prophetic imagery across the longer prophets, you may sometimes wish for more depth and more sustained argument than the series is trying to provide.

Series in Context

Compared with The Bible Speaks Today, this series is generally fuller and more detailed in exposition, and it keeps closer contact with the text across smaller units. It is less homiletically driven than some pastor preacher series, but often more substantial in explanation.

Compared with NICOT and NICNT, it is less technical and less engaged with academic debate, but usually more immediately usable for sermon preparation in a normal week. If you have time and training to work with NICOT and NICNT, those will often take you further, but ESV Expository can get you moving with confidence and clarity.

Compared with the Word Biblical Commentary, it is not playing the same game. WBC is built for advanced technical work. ESV Expository is built for pastors who need faithful exposition that serves proclamation.

Reset

Zephaniah, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.1
Author: Jason S. DeRouchie
Bible Book: Zephaniah
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Zephaniah, ESV Expository Commentary, Jason S. DeRouchie helps us preach the day of the Lord with both warning and promise. He shows how judgement and renewal belong together, and how the book summons God’s people to humility, repentance, and hope. Volume 7.

We are helped to see the book’s big movements, and to keep the gospel shaped comfort of the closing chapters in view.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we want help preaching themes that can be misused. It keeps us close to the text, so that fear of the Lord leads to repentance, and promise leads to worship, not to cheap reassurance.

The exposition is practical for pastors. We are given clear summaries, sensible explanation of imagery, and applications suited to ordinary congregational life.

It is also a good aid for teaching smaller books that many believers have rarely heard preached.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Zephaniah, ESV Expository Commentary for pastors and teachers who want a mid level guide that is clear and ready for proclamation. It will help us preach judgement honestly, and it will help us preach hope with real substance.

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.


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Habakkuk, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: David G. Firth
Bible Book: Habakkuk
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Habakkuk, ESV Expository Commentary, David G. Firth helps us preach a book that begins with questions and ends with worship. He traces the prophet’s complaints, the Lord’s surprising answers, and the call to live by faith when the world is shaking. Volume 7.

We are helped to follow the dialogue and the hymn, so our sermons can honour the book’s movement from protest to praise.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we need help handling hard providence. It encourages honesty in the presence of God, while refusing unbelieving cynicism.

The commentary serves weekly preaching. We are given clear exposition, careful linking of sections, and thoughtful suggestions for application that suit anxious hearts.

It also helps us hold together God’s sovereignty and our responsibility, keeping the message rooted in the text rather than in our favourite slogans.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Habakkuk, ESV Expository Commentary for pastors and teachers who want a mid level companion that is clear, faithful, and spiritually bracing. It is a strong help when we want to teach our people to wait, to trust, and to rejoice in the Lord.

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.


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Nahum, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.1
Author: Daniel C. Timmer
Bible Book: Nahum
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Nahum, ESV Expository Commentary, Daniel C. Timmer helps us preach a difficult book with sobriety and confidence. He shows how Nahum announces the Lord’s justice against proud violence, and how that justice becomes comfort for those who are crushed. Volume 7.

We are guided through the poetry, its images, and its purpose, so that the message lands as Scripture for the church, not as distant history.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we need help preaching judgement texts faithfully. It keeps returning us to what the passage says, how it says it, and why it matters for God’s people.

The commentary supports careful application. We are helped to speak against oppression without turning the sermon into mere cultural comment, because the focus remains on the Lord, his holiness, and his rule.

It also helps us keep mercy and justice together. We are encouraged to preach refuge for the repentant, and warning for the hardened, with the cross in view and the Lord’s character at the centre.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Nahum, ESV Expository Commentary for pastors and teachers who want a mid level companion that strengthens courageous, text driven preaching. It will serve us well when we want our people to fear the Lord rightly, and to find refuge in him.

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.


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Micah, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Stephen G. Dempster
Bible Book: Micah
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Micah, ESV Expository Commentary, Stephen G. Dempster helps us hear Micah’s alternating thunder and comfort. He keeps judgement and hope together, and he shows how Micah exposes hollow religion while holding out the promise of the Shepherd King. Volume 7.

We are helped with the book’s structure and movement, so our preaching can follow Micah’s own progression rather than treating the oracles as isolated fragments.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we want help preaching prophetical poetry with clarity. It encourages patient reading, careful attention to key themes, and a steady line from text to sermon.

The exposition is very usable for weekly ministry. We are given clear summaries, sensible explanations, and pastoral prompts that suit congregational life.

It is especially helpful when we want to address social sin and empty worship without sliding into slogans, because the commentary keeps us tethered to what Micah actually says.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Micah, ESV Expository Commentary for pastors and teachers who want a mid level companion that keeps the book’s moral seriousness and gospel hope in view. Used prayerfully, it will help us preach Micah with both warning and consolation.

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.


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Jonah, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Jay Sklar
Bible Book: Jonah
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Jonah, ESV Expository Commentary, Jay Sklar helps us read Jonah as more than a children’s story. He keeps the narrative pace, draws out the prophet’s spiritual contradictions, and shows how the book confronts our narrowness with the Lord’s mercy. Volume 7.

We are shown how scenes fit together, how the repeated words work, and how the closing question is meant to linger in the conscience of the church.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we want help preaching narrative with care. It presses us to observe, to follow the story’s turning points, and to avoid moralising that misses the book’s sharp edge.

The commentary is helpful in application. We are guided to speak honestly about resentment, self righteousness, and the hard lesson of sharing God’s compassion.

It also serves mission shaped preaching, because it keeps the Lord’s freedom and kindness at the centre, rather than treating Jonah as the hero.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Jonah, ESV Expository Commentary for pastors and teachers who want a mid level companion that is clear, faithful, and geared for proclamation. It is a strong aid when we want sermons that humble us, and that lift our eyes to the Lord who delights to save.

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.


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Obadiah, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.1
Author: Max Rogland
Bible Book: Obadiah
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Obadiah, ESV Expository Commentary, Max Rogland helps us preach a short book with weight. He keeps the argument moving, sets the text in its covenant setting, and shows why the Lord’s justice is never a side theme for the church. Volume 7.

We are guided through the structure with clear signposts, and we are repeatedly brought back to the main point of each unit, so we do not turn a few verses into a grab bag of ideas.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we need help handling judgement language with reverence and pastoral steadiness. It encourages careful reading, then moves us toward proclamation that comforts the oppressed and warns the proud.

The exposition is pitched for preaching. We are helped to trace key threads, to keep the book’s logic in view, and to land applications that are shaped by the text rather than by current controversies.

For training, it models how to treat a small prophetic book as Scripture that forms the church, not as an odd appendix to the Old Testament.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Obadiah, ESV Expository Commentary for pastors and teachers who want a mid level guide that is alert to context and ready for the pulpit. It is especially useful when we want our sermons to hold together both the Lord’s righteousness and his refuge for his people.

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.


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Isaiah, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Dane C. Ortlund
Bible Book: Isaiah
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Isaiah, ESV Expository Commentary, Dane C. Ortlund helps us keep the sweep of Isaiah in view, so our teaching holds together and our preaching remains centred on the Lord’s holiness and saving purpose.

We are guided through the shape of major sections, with clear attention to how each passage contributes to the book’s message.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we need expository support for a long prophetic book. It helps us track themes, locate each text in its setting, and preach with confidence rather than confusion.

For sermon series work, it assists with organisation and proportion, so we do not overplay minor details or ignore the main burden of the chapter.

It is also a helpful training companion for those learning how to preach prophets carefully.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Isaiah, ESV Expository Commentary as a dependable preaching companion for expository work in Isaiah, especially when we want clarity, structure, and steady application.

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.


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Amos, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Thomas R. Schreiner
Bible Book: Amos
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Amos, ESV Expository Commentary, Thomas R. Schreiner helps us preach Amos as the Lord’s searching word to complacent religion, calling the church to true worship and righteous living.

We are guided to keep the message sharp without becoming harsh, and to keep hope in view without softening the warnings.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we want a clear expository companion that supports faithful preaching in Amos. It helps us keep the argument moving, and it gives us a steady path from text to sermon.

For church life, it helps us apply judgment texts with humility, so we can call for repentance while still holding out the Lord’s mercy.

It also serves training by modelling clear handling of prophetic rhetoric and repeated themes.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Amos, ESV Expository Commentary for pastors and teachers who want a steady guide for preaching Amos with clarity, conviction, and hope.

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.


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Joel, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Thomas R. Schreiner
Bible Book: Joel
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Joel, ESV Expository Commentary, Thomas R. Schreiner helps us preach Joel with clarity, holding together the call to repentance and the promise of the Lord’s saving presence.

We are guided to read each section in its place, so our sermons remain both serious and hopeful.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we want an expository guide that supports clear preaching in a shorter prophetic book. It helps us keep the argument moving and connect themes carefully.

It is also useful for teaching because it keeps application tethered to the passage, rather than broad generalities.

For training, it models a sound approach to prophecy that is text driven and pastorally direct.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Joel, ESV Expository Commentary for pastors and teachers who want a steady, church facing companion for preaching Joel with urgency and hope.

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.


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Hosea, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.1
Author: Russell D. Moore
Bible Book: Hosea
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Hosea, ESV Expository Commentary, Russell D. Moore helps us preach Hosea as a summons to repentance and a portrait of the Lord’s faithful love.

We are guided through the book’s sharp warnings and tender promises so we can proclaim both with honesty and care.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume when we want expository help that keeps us close to the text. It supports clear sermon outlines and keeps our applications anchored in the passage.

It also assists in handling sensitive themes, because it encourages us to speak plainly while guarding against unhelpful sensationalism.

For pastoral ministry, it helps us preach repentance, restoration, and steadfast love with warmth and seriousness.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Hosea, ESV Expository Commentary for church facing preaching that aims for repentance and hope, and that keeps the message of Hosea clear.

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.


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