Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary from Eerdmans aims to keep exegesis and theology in the same conversation. Under the guidance of Craig G. Bartholomew and J. Gordon McConville, the series encourages readers to hear each book on its own terms, then to trace its theological weight with care.

We find the strongest entries combine close reading with a steady sense of the canon. The series often helps preachers move from text to doctrine without rushing past the details.

The tone is usually measured and constructive. It seeks to serve the church by taking scholarship seriously while still pressing toward faithful proclamation.

Publisher: Eerdmans

Series Editor: Craig G. Bartholomew; J. Gordon McConville

Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary

A thoughtful Old Testament series that often repays slow reading, best when you want theology built directly from careful exegesis.

Level: Advanced Perspective: Broadly Evangelical Best for: Pastors-in-training, Advanced students / scholars Priority: Strong recommendation Overall score: 8.3

Strengths

We appreciate the deliberate effort to integrate exegesis and theology rather than treating them as separate stages. When the series is at its best, it models how to read an Old Testament book with literary sensitivity and theological seriousness.

The writing often rewards preachers preparing to teach whole books. It can sharpen the sermon outline by clarifying argument flow, key themes, and theological tensions.

We also value the refusal to flatten the Old Testament into quick moral lessons. The stronger volumes tend to keep the text in view and let the theology rise from it.

Limitations & Cautions

The approach can feel heavy for week by week sermon preparation. Some volumes can be dense, and the theological discussion may require patience before it yields clear preaching pay off.

Quality can vary by volume. At points the theological reflection may feel more exploratory than settled, which will not suit every pulpit context.

Pastors wanting concise homiletical help may find the series less direct than more pastor facing commentaries.

How to Use This Series

We suggest using this series when you have time to think, perhaps at the start of a preaching series or during midweek study. Read the introduction and any sections on method first so you know what the author is aiming to do.

To test a volume quickly, skim the treatment of a familiar passage and ask three questions. Does it explain the text clearly, does it handle the whole chapter context, and does it draw theological conclusions that fit the book.

Pair it with a more streamlined commentary for sermon crafting. Let Two Horizons do the deep work of conceptual clarity, then translate that into simpler preaching language.

Standout Volumes

Without naming individual titles, the volumes that often stand out in a series like this are those where the author keeps a tight grip on the structure of the biblical book and writes theology with restraint. When literary analysis, historical context, and canonical reflection are held together, the result can be unusually fruitful for preaching.

We have found the most helpful entries are those that regularly return to the flow of the argument, then gather themes in a way that supports exposition rather than distracting from it.

Weaker or Less Helpful Volumes

Quality can vary by volume. The weaker entries in series like this tend to lose contact with the passage by leaning too quickly into thematic discussion, or by spending long stretches on debates that do not clarify the text.

We suggest watching for whether the commentary keeps answering the question, what does this verse do in this paragraph. If that line of thought fades, the volume may be less dependable for sermon work, even if it remains interesting.

Series in Context

Compared with more preacher oriented series, this tends to be less immediately homiletical and more deliberately theological. It will usually offer more sustained reflection than a brief expositional series, but it may ask more time from the reader.

Alongside major academic sets, it often feels more church directed in intent, even when the level remains demanding. We find it most helpful when you want theology that is accountable to the text, not simply appended at the end.

Reset

Habakkuk

Mid-levelBusy pastors, General readers, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.4
Author: Heath A. Thomas
Bible Book: Habakkuk
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Theological
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Habakkuk volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series helps readers walk through one of Scripture most searching conversations with God. Habakkuk begins with complaint, moves through divine answers that unsettle easy assumptions, and ends with a hymn of faith that clings to the Lord amid loss. The commentary offers interpretative guidance on the text and then explores its theological horizons, especially the themes of divine sovereignty, justice, faith, and worship.

The volume pays attention to Habakkuk structure, the dialogue form, and the shift from question to trust. It also treats the famous statement about the righteous living by faith within its immediate and canonical setting. The theological reflection then asks how Habakkuk forms a faithful posture in seasons of confusion, injustice, and looming judgement.

Strengths

A strong feature of this kind of commentary is its help for preaching. Habakkuk is not merely an ancient puzzle, it is a pastoral text for believers who struggle with the problem of evil and the apparent delay of justice. This volume helps pastors show the congregation that Scripture makes room for reverent complaint. The prophet questions are not unbelief, they are faith refusing to let go of God character.

The theological horizons are particularly fruitful here. Habakkuk forces the reader to reckon with the Lord freedom and wisdom in the governance of history. God answers are not tailored to human comfort. He is holy, he is sovereign, and he is doing more than the prophet can see. The commentary helps trace that logic without turning it into cold determinism. The book ends in worship, not in a neat explanation. That is crucial for pastoral ministry, where people often need a pathway to worship more than a set of tidy answers.

The treatment of the final hymn is also pastorally rich. Habakkuk models rejoicing in God when circumstances are stripped away. This is not denial, it is covenant confidence. The commentary helps preachers bring that to the church without sentimentalising suffering, grounding hope in the Lord himself.

Limitations

As a Two Horizons volume, it is not a fully technical commentary. Those who need extensive work on Hebrew, textual criticism, or exhaustive engagement with scholarly debates will need to consult additional resources. The volume offers enough exegesis for preaching, but it does not aim to settle every academic dispute.

Also, Habakkuk raises profound questions that can easily be mishandled in application. A commentary can guide, but pastors must still apply with wisdom, especially when speaking to trauma, injustice, and grief. This volume helps by keeping the text central and by emphasising worship as the goal, yet it cannot replace careful pastoral sensitivity.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for sermon preparation, especially for a short series on Habakkuk or for teaching on faith amid suffering. It is also useful for pastors in training who need to learn how to preach lament and sovereignty without flattening either.

For general readers, it can serve as a serious guide for devotional study in hard seasons. Used in small groups, it can help believers articulate questions honestly while still moving toward trust and worship shaped by Scripture.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Habakkuk commentary that serves the pulpit and strengthens faith under pressure, this is a strong recommendation. It keeps the text in view, thinks theologically, and helps the church move from complaint to worship without cheap comfort.

Micah

Mid-levelBusy pastors, General readers, Pastors-in-trainingTop choice
8.5
Author: Stephen G. Dempster
Bible Book: Micah
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Theological
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Reformed
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Micah volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series aims to guide readers through a prophet who holds together fierce judgement and bright hope. Micah exposes injustice, religious hypocrisy, and covenant disloyalty, yet he also announces a coming shepherd king and a future restoration shaped by the Lord mercy. The commentary offers interpretative guidance through Micah and then draws out theological horizons, asking how the book speaks to the church as Scripture.

The volume pays attention to the flow of Micah argument, the alternation of judgement and salvation, and the way the prophet addresses both leaders and people. It also highlights the ethical vision of the book, especially the Lord demand for justice, covenant love, and humble walking with God. The theological reflection then connects these themes to the larger biblical storyline and to the formation of faithful communities.

Strengths

Micah is often reduced to a few famous verses, yet the book as a whole has a powerful message for preaching. This commentary helps pastors recover that full message. It keeps the covenant lawsuit context in view, showing that Micah condemnation is not arbitrary, it is the outworking of the Lord righteous standards and his protection of the vulnerable. That makes the book sharply relevant for any church tempted to separate worship from obedience.

The volume is also strong in holding together ethics and theology. Micah call to justice is grounded in who God is. The Lord is not impressed by performative religion, he seeks hearts and lives shaped by covenant fidelity. The commentary helps readers avoid both political reductionism and spiritualised avoidance. Justice, mercy, and humble faith are presented as covenant realities under the living God.

For Christian proclamation, Micah contains rich promises of future salvation. This volume helps trace those hopes with care, especially the theme of a ruler who brings peace and the vision of nations streaming to the Lord instruction. It offers pastors a way to preach Micah that moves from judgement to hope and that locates hope in the Lord own saving purpose rather than in human reform.

Limitations

The Two Horizons approach means the commentary is not primarily a technical resource. Readers seeking extended discussion of linguistic issues, textual variants, or exhaustive interaction with specialist scholarship will need to consult additional works. The volume provides enough detail for most preaching contexts, but it is not designed to answer every technical question.

Also, because Micah is compact and rhetorically intense, the commentary sometimes moves quickly through dense sections in order to preserve the larger flow. That is often a strength for sermon preparation, but careful teachers may still want to slow down with the text and use additional tools for fine grained work.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume as a primary companion for preaching Micah in a church setting. It helps the preacher handle both the rebukes and the promises with theological clarity. It is also well suited for pastors in training who need a model for reading the prophets canonically and for applying them responsibly.

For general readers, the commentary can be used selectively, especially in study groups interested in justice and discipleship under God. Used wisely, it can also support church leaders as they think about faithfulness, leadership integrity, and care for the vulnerable within the people of God.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Micah commentary that is theologically serious and oriented to proclamation, this is a strong recommendation. It will serve pastors well, offering a faithful reading that presses toward Christ shaped hope and Spirit formed obedience.

Hosea

Mid-levelAdvanced students / scholars, Busy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Bo H. Lim
Bible Book: Hosea
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Theological
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Hosea volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series aims to help readers grasp both the prophetic message and its theological force. Hosea confronts covenant unfaithfulness with painful clarity, yet it also holds out a startling vision of divine mercy. The commentary offers interpretative guidance through the book and then reflects on its theological horizon, especially the themes of covenant, judgement, love, repentance, and restoration.

The volume seeks to read Hosea as a coherent prophetic witness rather than as disconnected oracles. It pays attention to the rhetorical strategy of the book, its repeated images, and its summons to return to the Lord. The theological reflection then asks how Hosea forms the church, particularly in its understanding of sin, idolatry, steadfast love, and the nature of true repentance.

Strengths

A strength of this approach is that it keeps Hosea from becoming a mere moral tale about personal failure. The book is about covenant rupture and covenant mercy. The commentary helps the reader see the corporate dimensions of Israel sin and the profound seriousness of idolatry as spiritual adultery. That provides preachers with a faithful framework for addressing sin in the church without sliding into either harsh condemnation or therapeutic understatement.

The volume is also helpful in tracing the theological logic of judgement and mercy. Hosea does not present judgement as divine moodiness, but as covenant faithfulness. The Lord disciplines because he is holy and because his people belong to him. Yet the book also insists that mercy is not earned. Restoration is rooted in the Lord steadfast love and his purpose to heal and reclaim. The commentary draws these lines with pastoral sobriety, which is invaluable for preaching.

It also supports canonical preaching. Hosea reverberates across Scripture, and the commentary helps readers trace themes that later become central in the New Testament, such as the Lord pursuit of the unfaithful and the hope of renewal. The connections are not forced. Instead, they arise from the book own theology of covenant love.

Limitations

Readers who need sustained technical discussion will find the volume limited in that regard. Hosea includes difficult Hebrew and many interpretative puzzles. This commentary offers guidance, but it does not aim to be a comprehensive technical resource. Preachers who want full engagement with linguistic and historical issues should supplement it with a more technical commentary.

Another limitation is that Hosea imagery can be pastorally sensitive, especially when applied to marriage and trauma. The commentary helps, but pastors will still need wisdom in application. A commentary can clarify meaning, yet it cannot replace careful shepherding when handling painful metaphors.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for sermon preparation in a series through Hosea, especially where the goal is to preach both the severity of covenant unfaithfulness and the tenderness of divine mercy. It is also useful for training pastors to handle prophetic literature with theological depth rather than with simplistic moralising.

For advanced students, it offers a good bridge between exegesis and theological interpretation, though it should be paired with technical tools for detailed work. For weekly ministry, it will often provide what is most needed, a clear line from text to proclamation that remains faithful and God centred.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Hosea commentary that keeps covenant theology and pastoral proclamation together, this is a strong option. It will not answer every technical question, but it will help you preach Hosea with gravity, compassion, and gospel shaped hope.

Lamentations

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Lay readers / small groups, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.2
Author: Robin A. Parry
Bible Book: Lamentations
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Theological
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Lamentations volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series aims to help the church recover the biblical practice of lament. Lamentations is poetry forged in judgement, grief, and ruin. It teaches the people of God how to speak to the Lord when sin has brought devastation and when hope feels fragile. The commentary offers interpretative guidance through the poems and then explores their theological horizon, asking how lament shapes faith, repentance, and endurance.

The volume is attentive to the literary artistry of Lamentations, including its acrostic form and its shifting voices. It also highlights the theology of covenant judgement and mercy that runs through the book. Readers are helped to see how Lamentations holds together confession, protest, and hope, and how it provides language for the church in seasons of discipline, suffering, and national collapse.

Strengths

One strength is its seriousness about the text as Scripture for worship and pastoral care. Lamentations is often neglected because it feels too raw, too dark, or too difficult to apply. This commentary shows why the book is necessary. It gives permission to grieve, but it also refuses to let grief become godless despair. The poems are addressed to the Lord. Even protest is prayer. That is a vital lesson for the church, especially in a culture that either denies suffering or turns it inward.

Theological reflection is also well matched to the book. Lamentations raises questions about divine justice, human sin, corporate responsibility, and the nature of hope. The commentary helps readers speak carefully about judgement and mercy, avoiding both harshness and sentimentality. It highlights how hope in Lamentations is not optimism about circumstances, but a clinging to the character of God, even when his hand is heavy.

For preaching, the volume offers a pathway to handle lament without manipulation. It helps the preacher show the congregation that the Bible contains authorised language for sorrow, confession, and longing. It also encourages the church to practise lament as a form of faith, which can deepen compassion, patience, and repentance.

Limitations

As with many Two Horizons volumes, the focus is not on exhaustive technical detail. Those needing extensive discussion of Hebrew poetics, textual criticism, or scholarly debate will want a more technical commentary alongside it. The volume provides enough for most preaching and teaching situations, but it is not designed to be the final word on every linguistic question.

Another limitation is that lament is spiritually demanding. A commentary can guide, but it cannot remove the weight of the book. Some readers may find the pace slow or the themes heavy. Even so, that is part of the point. Lamentations teaches the church to stay present with grief before God.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for preparing sermons in a short series through Lamentations, perhaps in a season of congregational grief or cultural upheaval. It is also useful for training pastors and leaders in how to speak about suffering, judgement, and repentance with biblical categories rather than therapeutic clichés.

It can also support pastoral care. When visiting the bereaved, walking with those under discipline, or leading prayers in troubled times, Lamentations provides words. This commentary helps leaders use those words wisely, keeping them anchored in the Lord and shaped by hope in his mercy.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a commentary that will help you preach and pray Lamentations faithfully, this is a strong choice. It is theologically serious, pastorally sensitive, and honest about sorrow. Use it to recover lament as a normal practice of church life under the sovereign mercy of God.

Ecclesiastes

Mid-levelAdvanced students / scholars, Busy pastors, Pastors-in-trainingUseful supplement
7.9
Author: Peter Enns
Bible Book: Ecclesiastes
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Theological
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Ecclesiastes volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series leans into the distinctive voice of the book and invites readers to take its tensions seriously. Ecclesiastes is not a tidy manual, it is wisdom that teaches humility, exposes illusions, and presses the reader to fear God in a world that often feels elusive. The commentary aims to explain the text responsibly and then reflect on the theological horizon, asking how Ecclesiastes shapes Christian faith, hope, and realism.

The approach is best described as interpretative and reflective. It pays attention to the literary shape of the argument, the repeated refrains, and the way the Teacher speaks from within the limits of life under the sun. The commentary then draws out implications for doctrine and discipleship, especially regarding providence, mortality, enjoyment, work, injustice, and the limits of human control.

Strengths

A strength of this kind of volume is its help in preaching Ecclesiastes without smoothing it into bland piety. Many sermons on Ecclesiastes either apologise for the book or domesticate it. This commentary encourages the reader to let Ecclesiastes confront our cravings for certainty and mastery. It highlights how the book exposes the vanity of life when it is treated as an autonomous project, and how it calls people back to fear God, receive gifts, and live with honesty about death and judgement.

Theological reflection is also handled with an eye to the larger canon. Ecclesiastes is not treated as an oddity to be corrected, but as Scripture that trains the church in wisdom. The commentary helps pastors connect the themes of time, toil, injustice, and enjoyment to biblical theology, showing how Ecclesiastes deepens longing for redemption and teaches a wise posture of dependence.

It is also pastorally relevant for modern scepticism and weariness. Ecclesiastes speaks to those who feel the weight of repetition and the ache of injustice. This commentary provides language and categories that can help pastors address disillusionment without offering shallow fixes, and it helps congregations learn a more faithful realism under God.

Limitations

The trade off of a reflective approach is that some readers will want more sustained verse level exposition. Ecclesiastes can be elusive, and preachers sometimes need very concrete help on specific phrases and interpretative options. This volume does offer guidance, but it is not written as a strictly technical tool. Those needing fuller linguistic or textual discussion will want to consult a more technical commentary as well.

Another limitation is that the interpretative posture of Ecclesiastes can invite a wide range of readings, and readers may not agree with every judgement. Even so, the commentary is valuable for the way it forces careful thought and refuses simplistic answers.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when preparing sermons or teaching series that aim to let Ecclesiastes speak with its full weight. It is especially useful for pastors in training who are learning to preach difficult wisdom texts, and for advanced students who want to consider theological interpretation alongside exegesis.

In pastoral ministry, it can also serve as a resource for counselling and discipleship when addressing cynicism, grief, work frustration, and questions about meaning. Used wisely, it helps the church speak truthfully about life in a fallen world while still calling people to fear God and trust his purposes.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a commentary that takes Ecclesiastes seriously and helps you preach it with honesty and hope, this is a worthwhile choice. Pair it with a more technical work when needed, and let it sharpen your theological instincts and pastoral realism as you handle this challenging book.

Proverbs

Mid-levelBusy pastors, Lay readers / small groups, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: Ernest C. Lucas
Bible Book: Proverbs
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Theological
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This Proverbs volume in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series is designed to help readers handle wisdom literature without either moralism or vagueness. It offers guided interpretation of the book in its literary shape, and then extends the discussion into theological questions, such as the fear of the Lord, the nature of wise living, and the relationship between covenant instruction and everyday decisions. The emphasis falls on reading Proverbs as Scripture that forms a people, not merely as a storehouse of pithy sayings.

The commentary helps the reader see patterns across the book, especially the framing material and the repeated contrasts that shape the moral imagination. It also treats the more difficult questions carefully, such as how to preach proverbial generalisations without turning them into promises, and how wisdom relates to suffering, providence, and godliness when life does not follow the neat lines we prefer.

Strengths

A major strength is its refusal to flatten Proverbs into a self help manual. The commentary keeps wisdom tethered to the Lord. The fear of the Lord is not a slogan, it is the fountainhead of all true skill in living. That theme is pursued with theological depth, showing how Proverbs trains desire, speech, work, money, friendships, family life, and integrity in a way that is inseparable from worship and covenant loyalty.

The Two Horizons framework also proves fruitful for Proverbs because it encourages both careful reading and responsible synthesis. Pastors often struggle to know how to preach wisdom texts without either stringing sayings together or selecting favourite topics. This volume models a better approach. It pays attention to sections, themes, and trajectories, and it helps the preacher discern what the book as a whole is doing, shaping a community that lives under the rule of the Lord.

It is also strong in pastoral realism. When Proverbs commends diligence and warns against folly, it does so with moral clarity, yet the commentary helps readers avoid simplistic conclusions about success and failure. That guards the church from both pride and despair. Wisdom is presented as faithful living under God, not a formula for control.

Limitations

Those looking for a line by line technical commentary on every proverb may find the pace uneven. Because the book contains many short sayings, a commentary must make choices about depth. This volume often works by clusters and themes rather than giving equal space to every verse. That is a wise editorial choice for most readers, but it can leave you wanting extra detail on particular proverbs that arise in preaching or counselling.

It is also not primarily a Hebrew technical tool. It will not replace a more specialist work when you need sustained engagement with linguistic issues or detailed textual problems. Its strength lies elsewhere, in theological framing and pastoral application rooted in the text.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for sermon preparation in a series through Proverbs, especially when shaping units that are faithful to the book rather than thematic talks stitched together. It is also excellent for training preachers, because it models how to move from wisdom sayings to the wisdom of the Lord in a way that is Christ shaped and church serving.

For small groups, the commentary can support leaders who want depth without technical overload. Select sections can be used to frame discussion on speech, money, work, anger, parenting, and friendships, while keeping the fear of the Lord central.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Proverbs commentary that is theologically serious and pastorally grounded, this is a very useful volume. It will not do every technical job, but it will help you read wisely, preach faithfully, and apply Proverbs without drifting into moralism or trite optimism.

Psalms

Mid-levelBusy pastors, General readers, Pastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation
8.3
Author: Geoffrey W. Grogan
Bible Book: Psalms
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Theological
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This volume on Psalms in the Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series aims to serve two purposes at once. It helps the reader grasp what the psalms say in their literary and canonical setting, and it also presses toward theological interpretation, asking how the Psalter shapes faith, worship, and Christian reading. The result is not a technical commentary in the narrow sense. It is a guided reading that moves from the text to doctrine and doxology, seeking to keep the church close to the words while also lifting the eyes to the God those words proclaim.

The commentary is especially helpful in the way it treats the Psalms as Scripture for the people of God. It pays attention to genre, structure, and repeated themes, and it keeps returning to the Psalter as a book, not merely a collection. Readers will find a steady concern to read the psalms as prayer and praise, not simply as objects of analysis. Where detail is needed, it is supplied with restraint, and where the larger theological shape matters, the discussion becomes more expansive.

Strengths

Its chief strength is theological proportion. Many treatments of Psalms either drown the reader in philological detail or float above the text with general spiritual reflection. This volume tries to hold the middle ground. It gives enough interpretative guidance to keep the reader anchored in what the psalm is actually doing, and then it traces how that meaning reverberates across the canon. That makes it an excellent companion for sermon preparation, especially when a preacher wants more than a paragraph of background but less than a full technical dossier.

The series framework also encourages good habits. The commentary repeatedly asks, what vision of God is being formed here, and what shape of faithful life follows. That keeps application from becoming a bolt on at the end. Instead, pastoral use grows out of the psalm itself, whether lament, praise, confidence, or instruction. The treatment of suffering and complaint is particularly steady, helping readers see that biblical lament is neither unbelief nor self absorbed therapy, but covenant speech addressed to the Lord.

Limitations

The trade off for this broad usefulness is that the commentary is not designed to resolve every textual question. Those looking for sustained discussion of Hebrew syntax, textual criticism, or exhaustive interaction with specialist debates will need a more technical work alongside it. Even when the author engages disputed matters, the argument often moves quickly to the theological and pastoral implications rather than lingering over competing scholarly options.

A second limitation is that the Two Horizons approach can feel uneven across different psalms. Some texts lend themselves naturally to theological synthesis, while others require patient close reading before bigger connections become clear. In places, a reader may wish for a touch more slow exegesis before the commentary turns toward canonical and doctrinal horizons.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume as a weekly companion for preaching and teaching from Psalms, especially in series where the congregation needs both interpretative clarity and spiritual formation. It pairs well with a more technical commentary when a passage raises detailed exegetical questions, but it often supplies what pastors most need, a clear handle on the psalm and a faithful pathway into proclamation.

It is also well suited for pastors in training who are learning to move from text to sermon without flattening the Psalms into moral lessons. For general readers, it can be read selectively, psalm by psalm, as a serious guide to prayer and praise, though some sections will still require careful attention.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a Psalms commentary that keeps the church in view, this is a strong choice. It reads with reverence, thinks theologically, and serves the pulpit. Use it to steady your grasp of the text and to deepen the spiritual weight of your preaching, then supplement it when you need the extra technical detail.

Job

AdvancedBusy pastorsUseful supplement
7.9
Author: Lindsay Wilson
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Job is Scripture for sufferers, but it is not simple comfort. It is a sustained confrontation with shallow theology, easy answers, and the temptation to treat God as predictable. This Two Horizons volume aims to read Job with both literary care and theological depth, so that we hear the speeches, the silences, and the final divine address in their full force. We found that approach valuable because Job can be mishandled as either a set of tidy lessons or a vague meditation on pain.

The commentary helps us respect the structure of the book, the prose frame, the long poetic dispute, and the closing speeches. It encourages careful listening to each voice, including the friends, not because their counsel is ultimately sound, but because their errors are instructive. We appreciated that the volume does not rush the argument. It allows Job to speak as a real sufferer who fears God, yet wrestles, protests, and longs for vindication.

The theological reflection is often directed toward pastoral clarity. Job teaches us that suffering is not always a direct consequence of specific sin, that pious explanations can become cruel, and that the fear of the Lord is deeper than our ability to map Providence. The Two Horizons method helps us preach those truths in a way that honours the text and serves hurting people.

Strengths

We value the literary sensitivity. Job is poetry and argument, and it works through repetition, irony, and relentless questioning. This commentary helps the preacher see those features, which can prevent sermons from flattening the book into a few slogans.

The theological handling is also often strong. It exposes the spiritual danger of mechanistic thinking, where obedience is treated as a guarantee of ease. It also helps us see how the Lord rebukes both the friends and Job, not to crush faith, but to draw faith into deeper humility.

Pastorally, the volume can steady a preacher in the hardest places. It encourages us to speak carefully, to avoid glib application, and to let lament have its place. That is a gift to congregations where suffering is present, whether named or hidden.

Limitations

Job is long, and a volume like this reflects that. It will not be a quick read. Some pastors may find the detail more than they can manage week by week, especially if preaching shorter sections.

Because the book raises profound questions, some readers may want more direct help with how to preach Christ from Job without forcing the text. The commentary can support canonical reading, but the preacher will need to make careful, explicit gospel connections with restraint and clarity.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume when planning a Job series and when preparing the most complex speeches. It can help us keep the argument straight, avoid misreading the friends, and preach the Lord as He is revealed in the book, holy, wise, and not manageable.

To test it quickly, we would read its handling of a well known speech from one of the friends, then its treatment of the divine speeches. We would ask whether it clarifies what each section contributes to the argument, and whether it helps us speak pastorally to sufferers without promising what God has not promised.

We would also pair it with a more pastoral resource that assists with application and care. Job requires both accurate interpretation and gentle shepherding, and most pastors will want help in carrying the emotional weight of the book wisely.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this volume as a serious, pastorally aware companion for preaching Job. It will reward careful reading and will help preachers resist easy answers, so that the congregation learns to fear the Lord and to trust Him even when His ways are beyond us.

Ezra And Nehemiah

Mid-levelBusy pastorsUseful supplement
7.9
Author: Christopher J.H. Wright
Bible Book: Ezra Nehemiah
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of return, rebuilding, and reform, but they also expose how deep the problem of sin runs, even after deliverance. This Two Horizons volume aims to keep the narrative and the theology together, so that we read the rebuilding of temple and walls as more than civic restoration. We are encouraged to see covenant renewal, the centrality of the Word, and the cost of holiness as the heart of the story.

We found the commentary helpful in keeping the two books oriented around the worship and identity of the people of God. Ezra is shaped by Scripture, confession, and the rebuilding of the community under the Word. Nehemiah highlights leadership, courage, prayer, and the real pressures of opposition, but it also ends with painful realism about the persistence of compromise. The volume helps us see how these threads belong together, and why the story does not end with easy triumph.

The Two Horizons method is particularly fitting here because Ezra and Nehemiah invite both careful historical reading and deep theological reflection. A faithful sermon series must honour the details of return and reform, while also showing how the narrative exposes the need for deeper renewal than walls and policies can provide.

Strengths

We value the way the commentary keeps the Word central. Ezra and Nehemiah are saturated with Scripture reading, covenant commitments, and confession. The volume consistently brings attention back to that reality, which helps pastors preach the books as a call to be shaped by the Word of God.

The theological reflection is also often pastorally sharp. It helps us see that reform is necessary and good, but it is not final. The repeated relapse at the end of Nehemiah is not a mistake, it is part of the message. That insight keeps sermons honest, and it protects congregations from shallow expectations about spiritual change.

We also appreciated the attention to leadership and prayer. Nehemiah is a model of prayerful resolve, but the commentary helps us avoid turning him into a leadership mascot. The focus remains on the Lord who hears and sustains His people through opposition and weakness.

Limitations

Some sections may feel dense for rapid sermon preparation, especially where historical and theological questions gather. Pastors may need to read selectively and to decide which background matters for the congregation and which can remain in the study.

Because the series aims to integrate theology and exegesis, it may not always provide quick sermon ready summaries. The preacher will need to do the work of distilling the main point of a passage into a single clear preaching claim.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume to plan a series and to keep our application grounded. Ezra and Nehemiah are often used to motivate building projects or leadership programmes. This commentary can help us resist that reduction by keeping the focus on worship, holiness, and the Word.

To test it quickly, we would read its treatment of the Scripture reading and confession scenes, then its handling of the ending of Nehemiah. We would ask whether it shows how these passages function in the narrative, and whether it gives us a theological frame that leads naturally toward gospel hope rather than moral pressure.

We would also pair it with a concise preaching commentary for weekly structure. Let Two Horizons give depth and theological clarity, then use a simpler tool for shaping the sermon into a clear and direct message.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this volume as a strong companion for preaching Ezra and Nehemiah, especially if you want to keep the Word, worship, and holiness central. It helps preachers speak honestly about reform and relapse, while still holding out hope rooted in the Lord who renews His people.

Ruth

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation
8.1
Author: James McKeown
Series: Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
Type: Exegetical (Technical)
Publisher: Eerdmans
Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical
Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Ruth is short, but it is not small. It is a carefully told story of loss and loyalty, providence and kindness, and the quiet faithfulness of God in ordinary life. In the Two Horizons approach, this volume aims to keep the story intact while also drawing out the theological weight that Ruth carries within the canon. We found that combination particularly fitting here, because Ruth can be sentimentalised, and it can also be flattened into mere moral example. This series encourages a richer reading.

The commentary helps us notice the narrative craft, the movement from famine to fullness, from emptiness to restoration, and the way the book uses repeated words and scenes to show the Lord at work. It pays attention to the social and covenant context, so that actions like gleaning, redemption, and covenant loyalty are understood as more than cultural colour. They are part of how Scripture teaches us about God and His people.

We also appreciated the canonical sensitivity. Ruth sits in a dark period, and its light matters. It pushes hope forward, showing that the Lord is preserving a line and a people, even when the wider story looks bleak. The theology is not forced, it grows naturally from the way the narrative is told.

Strengths

We value the way the commentary resists sentimental preaching. Ruth is tender, but it is also realistic about grief, hunger, risk, and vulnerability. A commentary that helps us preach both the gentleness and the grit is a gift to the church.

The volume also helps us see the moral beauty of covenant loyalty without turning the book into a mere lesson in niceness. Kindness in Ruth is costly and faithful, shaped by the fear of the Lord. That framework guards application from becoming thin.

We also appreciated the theological reflection on providence. Ruth does not present miracles, it presents ordinary events that are guided by an extraordinary God. The commentary encourages preaching that strengthens confidence in the Lord who works through daily faithfulness and hidden arrangements.

Limitations

Because Ruth is brief, some pastors may want more help with sermon shaping than a volume like this always provides. The Two Horizons style can give rich theological insight, but it may not always translate into immediate preaching outlines.

In a book that naturally invites Christward connection, readers may want more direct help with how to preach fulfilment responsibly. The commentary supports canonical reading, but the preacher still needs to make the gospel connection with clarity and restraint.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume to plan a short series and to protect our preaching from two common errors, sentimentality and moralism. It can help us preach Ruth as a story of the Lord who keeps covenant love, sustains the vulnerable, and provides redemption within His people.

To test it quickly, we would read its treatment of Ruth and Boaz meeting in the field. We would ask whether it explains the scene in context, whether it draws out theological meaning without speculation, and whether it equips us to apply the text with both tenderness and truth.

We would also pair it with a practical preaching aid for illustration and pastoral application, especially if the congregation includes many who are walking through grief. Ruth demands both careful interpretation and gentle shepherding.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this volume as a thoughtful companion for preaching Ruth, especially for pastors who want to keep the story intact while drawing out its theological depth. It is a strong help for reading Ruth with reverence, realism, and hope.