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

Nehemiah, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.4
Author: W. Brian Aucker
Bible Book: Nehemiah
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Nehemiah, ESV Expository Commentary offers a clear, church facing exposition of Nehemiah. W. Brian Aucker writes with a calm, Bible first instinct, and the format is geared toward weekly preparation. Volume 4.

We are helped by the way the commentary keeps the passage in front of us. It does not try to impress, it tries to serve, and that makes it easier to use with confidence.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume for seasons when we need a trustworthy handrail. It helps us see how paragraphs hang together, it keeps key themes recurring, and it gives us language that can be carried into sermons and studies.

It serves well at the desk on a busy week. We can consult it quickly for the shape of a passage, then return to the text with better questions and sharper focus.

When we need deeper detail, we can add a more technical work alongside it. Even then, this volume often gives the clearest path from study to sermon shape.

Closing Recommendation

We commend Nehemiah, ESV Expository Commentary for regular ministry use. It will not replace slow work in the text, but it will sharpen it and steady it.

Used alongside prayerful study, it helps us speak with greater clarity and conviction, and it keeps our application tied to the text.

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.


🛒
Purchase here

Ezra, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: W. Brian Aucker
Bible Book: Ezra
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In Ezra, ESV Expository Commentary, W. Brian Aucker helps us trace the message of Ezra with patience and balance. The series is designed for pastors and teachers, so it keeps explanation moving toward proclamation. Volume 4.

We are helped by the way the commentary keeps the passage in front of us. It does not try to impress, it tries to serve, and that makes it easier to use with confidence.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own it because it helps us do the basic work well. It keeps the main line of the passage in view, it highlights patterns worth preaching, and it guards us from hobby horses and clever shortcuts.

It is especially useful when we are planning a series. The outlines and section summaries help us decide where to linger, where to move more quickly, and what the congregation most needs to hear.

When we need deeper detail, we can add a more technical work alongside it. Even then, this volume often gives the clearest path from study to sermon shape.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend Ezra, ESV Expository Commentary as a strong mid level expositional resource for Ezra. It is clear, restrained, and consistently oriented toward the ministry of the Word.

Used alongside prayerful study, it helps us speak with greater clarity and conviction, and it keeps our application tied to the text.

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.


🛒
Purchase here

2 Chronicles, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: John Olley
Bible Book: 2 Chronicles
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We find John Olley a steady guide for reading 2 Chronicles in the life of the church. As part of ESV Expository Commentary, this volume aims to keep us close to the passage while still helping us preach with clarity. Volume 3.

We are helped by the way the commentary keeps the passage in front of us. It does not try to impress, it tries to serve, and that makes it easier to use with confidence.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this commentary when we want a reliable mid level companion that follows the text, respects context, and still speaks to ordinary believers. It gives us help with structure and emphasis, then nudges us toward faithful application.

It serves well at the desk on a busy week. We can consult it quickly for the shape of a passage, then return to the text with better questions and sharper focus.

When we need deeper detail, we can add a more technical work alongside it. Even then, this volume often gives the clearest path from study to sermon shape.

Closing Recommendation

We commend 2 Chronicles, ESV Expository Commentary for regular ministry use. It will not replace slow work in the text, but it will sharpen it and steady it.

Used alongside prayerful study, it helps us speak with greater clarity and conviction, and it keeps our application tied to the text.

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.


🛒
Purchase here

1 Chronicles, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingTop choice
8.5
Author: John Olley
Bible Book: 1 Chronicles
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

1 Chronicles, ESV Expository Commentary offers a clear, church facing exposition of 1 Chronicles. John Olley writes with a calm, Bible first instinct, and the format is geared toward weekly preparation. Volume 3.

We are helped by the way the commentary keeps the passage in front of us. It does not try to impress, it tries to serve, and that makes it easier to use with confidence.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this volume for seasons when we need a trustworthy handrail. It helps us see how paragraphs hang together, it keeps key themes recurring, and it gives us language that can be carried into sermons and studies.

It is a strong tool for training others. The method is not showy, but it models careful reading and helps newer teachers learn how to move from meaning to message.

When we need deeper detail, we can add a more technical work alongside it. Even then, this volume often gives the clearest path from study to sermon shape.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend 1 Chronicles, ESV Expository Commentary as a strong mid level expositional resource for 1 Chronicles. It is clear, restrained, and consistently oriented toward the ministry of the Word.

Used alongside prayerful study, it helps us speak with greater clarity and conviction, and it keeps our application tied to the text.

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.


🛒
Purchase here

2 Kings, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingTop choice
8.5
Author: Gary Millar
Bible Book: 2 Kings
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

In 2 Kings, ESV Expository Commentary, Gary Millar helps us trace the message of 2 Kings with patience and balance. The series is designed for pastors and teachers, so it keeps explanation moving toward proclamation. Volume 3.

We are helped by the way the commentary keeps the passage in front of us. It does not try to impress, it tries to serve, and that makes it easier to use with confidence.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own it because it helps us do the basic work well. It keeps the main line of the passage in view, it highlights patterns worth preaching, and it guards us from hobby horses and clever shortcuts.

It serves well at the desk on a busy week. We can consult it quickly for the shape of a passage, then return to the text with better questions and sharper focus.

When we need deeper detail, we can add a more technical work alongside it. Even then, this volume often gives the clearest path from study to sermon shape.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this volume for pastors and teachers who want an accessible guide to 2 Kings that keeps theology and application tied to the passage.

Used alongside prayerful study, it helps us speak with greater clarity and conviction, and it keeps our application tied to the text.

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.


🛒
Purchase here

1 Kings, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingTop choice
8.5
Author: Gary Millar
Bible Book: 1 Kings
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We find Gary Millar a steady guide for reading 1 Kings in the life of the church. As part of ESV Expository Commentary, this volume aims to keep us close to the passage while still helping us preach with clarity. Volume 3.

We are helped by the way the commentary keeps the passage in front of us. It does not try to impress, it tries to serve, and that makes it easier to use with confidence.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own this commentary when we want a reliable mid level companion that follows the text, respects context, and still speaks to ordinary believers. It gives us help with structure and emphasis, then nudges us toward faithful application.

It is especially useful when we are planning a series. The outlines and section summaries help us decide where to linger, where to move more quickly, and what the congregation most needs to hear.

When we need deeper detail, we can add a more technical work alongside it. Even then, this volume often gives the clearest path from study to sermon shape.

Closing Recommendation

We commend 1 Kings, ESV Expository Commentary for regular ministry use. It will not replace slow work in the text, but it will sharpen it and steady it.

Used alongside prayerful study, it helps us speak with greater clarity and conviction, and it keeps our application tied to the text.

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.


🛒
Purchase here

2 Samuel, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.1
Author: John L. Mackay
Bible Book: 2 Samuel
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

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.


🛒
Purchase here

1 Samuel, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.4
Author: John L. Mackay
Bible Book: 1 Samuel
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

1 Samuel, ESV Expository Commentary gives us a clear, church facing exposition of 1 Samuel. John L. Mackay writes with a calm hand, and the ESV Expository Commentary series aims to serve the pulpit as much as the study. Volume 4.

The writing is structured to keep the main line of the passage in view. We are helped to see how the chapters fit together, and how 1 Samuel speaks with its own voice within the story of redemption.

Why Should I Own This Commentary?

We should own it for weekly ministry. It is written with the assumption that we will teach 1 Samuel to ordinary believers, and it gives us help that is concrete without being shallow.

It is also useful for shaping a series plan. The outlines and emphasis points help us see where to slow down, where to join sections, and where the author has placed the main stress.

For deeper technical work we will still want a specialist volume at points, but this book earns its place as a primary companion for sermon preparation.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend 1 Samuel, ESV Expository Commentary as a dependable guide for preaching 1 Samuel in the life of the church. It is clear enough for weekly use, and serious enough to keep us honest in the text.

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.


🛒
Purchase here

Ruth, ESV Expository Commentary

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

Summary

In Ruth, ESV Expository Commentary, Mary Willson Hannah helps us read Ruth with care and confidence, and the wider ESV Expository Commentary framework keeps us moving from explanation toward proclamation. Volume 3.

We are given a workable blend of explanation and pastoral direction. It is the kind of volume we can keep open on the desk while preparing sermons, studies, and teaching plans.

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 volume because it helps us prepare sermons with fewer shortcuts. It points us back to context, highlights the flow of argument and narrative, and keeps the centre of the passage in view.

We benefit from the way it keeps gospel contours visible. It does not force Christ into every paragraph, but it does keep the promises, patterns, and purposes of God moving toward their fulfilment.

As part of a working library, it pairs well with more detailed resources. It keeps us oriented, and it stops us getting lost in detail that never reaches the congregation.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this volume for pastors and teachers who want an accessible, Scripture shaped guide to Ruth. It is especially useful when we need help with structure, emphasis, and faithful 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.


🛒
Purchase here

Judges, ESV Expository Commentary

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Miles V. Van Pelt
Bible Book: Judges
Series: ESV Expository Commentary
Type: Expository (Mid-Level)
Publisher: Crossway
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We find Miles V. Van Pelt’s contribution to ESV Expository Commentary a steady companion for preaching and teaching Judges. Volume 3.

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.

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 Judges, ESV Expository Commentary as a strong mid level expositional resource for Judges. 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.


🛒
Purchase here