Commentary Archives - Page 10 of 68

Galatians (8.2)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation

Author: Michael H. Burer

Bible Book: Galatians

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Exegetical (Technical)

Publisher: Lexham Press

Theological Perspective: Dispensationalist

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Galatians does not allow casual reading. Paul writes with urgency because the gospel is at stake. A technical commentary on this letter should therefore do two things well. It should handle the argument carefully, and it should help you see why the theological stakes rise from the grammar and flow of the text itself.

This volume aims to do that slow work. It is built for readers who want more than a general overview, especially when dealing with the letter’s contested questions. Paul’s use of Scripture, his account of the law’s role, and his framing of Christian freedom all demand close attention. A careful commentary will not merely repeat familiar slogans. It will show you the reasoning of the apostle, and it will help you preach with confidence rather than heat.

Galatians also presses pastoral nerves. Legalism and licence are twin errors, and both can dress themselves in religious language. That means the best exegetical work is never an academic luxury. It becomes a guardrail for the church’s life. The aim is not to win an argument. The aim is to keep Christ central and the gospel clear, for the sake of the flock.

Strengths

First, the volume is attentive to Paul’s structure. Galatians is not a random set of concerns. Paul moves from autobiography to theological argument to ethical implication, and each section leans on the last. This commentary helps you track those hinges, which is vital for preaching whole paragraphs rather than detached verses.

Second, it engages hard texts without flattening them. In Galatians, small moves matter. When Paul shifts from singular to plural, when he chooses a particular verb tense, when he frames Abraham’s story in a particular way, he is doing theological work. Technical detail, handled well, serves the church by reducing careless certainty and increasing well founded conviction.

Third, it is useful for advanced training. If you are reading with interns, students, or elders who want to grow in theological precision, this sort of commentary provides a platform. It helps you slow the conversation down and ask, “What did Paul actually say, and why did he say it here?”

Limitations

The limitation is accessibility. Readers looking primarily for devotional warmth or sermon illustrations may find this too detailed and too focused on interpretive questions. It is also not the kind of tool you consult quickly ten minutes before a Bible study. It assumes you are willing to work, and it will repay you only if you do.

How We Would Use It

We would pair this with repeated personal reading and a clear outline of the letter. Use it to check your exegesis, especially in passages where your instincts may be shaped by debate rather than by the text. Then, once the meaning is settled, move to more directly pastoral resources to help with tone and application.

This also works well for doctrinal teaching. When teaching justification, union with Christ, the place of the law, or the nature of Christian freedom, Galatians is central. A technical guide can help you remain faithful to Paul’s own emphases, and avoid importing later controversies into the text.

Closing Recommendation

If you want a serious exegetical companion for Galatians, and you are prepared for sustained reading, this volume can serve your study and strengthen your preaching. It is a tool for careful work, and Galatians is a letter that deserves nothing less.

John (8.3)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsStrong recommendation

Author: Andreas J. Kostenberger

Bible Book: John

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Exegetical (Technical)

Publisher: Lexham Press

Theological Perspective: Baptist

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

This is a substantial technical commentary designed for readers who want to do careful work in the text of John and follow the argument with precision. It is not built to offer quick homiletical outlines. It is built to help you slow down, notice what the Evangelist is doing, and handle the Gospel with the kind of care that protects both meaning and application.

John repays patience. The surface can feel simple, but the layers are deep. Themes echo. Words carry freight. Scenes are arranged to press you toward faith in the Son, and toward worship of the Father through Him. A good technical commentary will not merely tell you what to think. It will teach you how to read, so that your own handling of the text becomes steadier, more restrained, and more confident.

In that spirit, this volume aims to hold exegesis, theology, and narrative flow together. It pushes you to track context, to keep an eye on structure, and to respect John’s distinctive way of presenting Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. The result is a work that can serve preaching, but only after it has served interpretation. That is the right order, and it is the one this commentary encourages.

Strengths

First, it is methodical. The commentary repeatedly draws you back to the logic of the paragraph and the movement of the section, which helps guard against the temptation to isolate memorable lines. John’s Gospel is full of quotable phrases, but those phrases live inside carefully shaped scenes. This work helps you keep them inside their proper home.

Second, it is attentive to the theological grain of John without collapsing into vague spiritual reading. The Gospel is openly theological, yet it is also historically situated and literarily crafted. The commentary serves you by showing how those strands relate, so that Christ centred preaching is fed by the text rather than stapled on afterwards.

Third, it is useful for training. If you are helping a younger preacher learn how to move from observation to interpretation and then to faithful application, a technical commentary like this can model the steps. It is a steady reminder that clarity in the pulpit is usually built on slow work in the study.

Limitations

The limitations are largely those of the genre. Technical writing can feel demanding and, at points, dense. You will not always find a neat paragraph that turns straight into a sermon point. It is also the sort of tool that assumes you can give time to a passage. In a pressured week, you may find it heavy going. It works best when you plan ahead and read in stages.

How We Would Use It

We would use it at the front end of preparation, after repeated personal reading, and before consulting more directly pastoral works. Start by tracing the flow of the section and marking key terms. Then use the commentary to test your decisions and sharpen your reasoning. Only after that should you move toward sermon shape and application.

It also suits deeper Bible teaching contexts, such as midweek teaching series, training settings, and seminars where you want to show people why the text means what it means. When the aim is to grow confidence in Scripture by growing competence in handling it, this kind of resource is well placed.

Closing Recommendation

This is a serious exegetical tool for a Gospel that deserves serious attention. If you want help doing careful, context driven work in John, and you are willing to read patiently, this volume can serve you well and strengthen the foundations of your preaching and teaching.

Job (8.0)

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

Author: Duane A. Garrett

Bible Book: Job

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Expository

Publisher: Lexham Press

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We preach Job under pastoral pressure. People in our congregations suffer without neat explanations. Some come with guilt, some with anger, some with numbness. Job refuses easy answers. It gives us truth that is steady, yet it also gives us speech that is raw. A commentary on Job therefore needs more than technical competence. It needs judgement, humility, and a willingness to let the book unsettle our tidy instincts. A substantial evangelical commentary can help us hold the tension faithfully.

Job is also a literary work of high complexity. There is narrative, poetry, dialogue, irony, and theological argument. If we flatten the book, we will mislead our people. If we treat it as an abstract debate, we will fail to care for them. We need help following the movement from the prologue, through the long speeches, to the Lord’s final address. We need to see what Job’s friends get right, what they get wrong, and why their wrongness is so spiritually dangerous.

This kind of commentary serves us when it helps us handle the text carefully, especially in the poetic sections where translation and imagery matter. It also serves us when it helps us think about application. Job is not mainly about giving sufferers a technique. It is about meeting God, learning reverence, and refusing the pride that demands to sit in judgement over Him.

Strengths

First, we are helped when the commentary takes the poetry seriously. Job’s speeches are not filler. They are the heart of the book. If the exposition attends to structure, imagery, and argument, it equips us to preach the speeches rather than skipping them. That is one of the biggest practical needs. Many pastors preach the opening chapters, then leap to the end. A fuller commentary encourages patient, faithful progress.

Second, we need assistance in handling the friends. Their theology is often orthodox at the sentence level, yet their application is cruel. They turn truths about God into weapons. A careful commentary helps us name that danger, which is not only a counselling issue. It is a preaching issue. We can preach true statements in a way that becomes false in effect. Job helps correct that, and good exposition helps us preach with tenderness and truth together.

Third, a serious commentary can help us keep God central. Job is not a book that ends with a moral lesson. It ends with divine self disclosure. The Lord does not answer every question we ask. He reveals Himself. That is both humbling and comforting. A good commentary will not soften that ending. It will help us preach it with reverence and with pastoral steadiness.

Limitations

The limitation of a large commentary is accessibility. Not every week allows deep technical consultation. We should also remember that Job raises questions that no commentary can resolve fully. The book itself teaches us to accept limits. A commentary can guide, but it cannot remove the need for humble worship in the face of mystery.

We also need to avoid treating technical detail as a substitute for pastoral wisdom. We may have more information and yet speak badly to the suffering. We should use a work like this to deepen understanding, then pray for grace to speak well.

How We Would Use It

We would use this as a primary reference when preaching Job, especially for the poetic middle. We would pair it with repeated reading and with careful outlining of the debate. We would also use it for pastoral preparation, so that our sermons do not merely analyse the speeches but also help believers endure. We want our people to see that lament can be faithful, that shallow answers can be destructive, and that the fear of the Lord is wisdom.

In teaching settings, it can also help train leaders to read poetry with attention and to avoid proof texting Job for simplistic conclusions.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial resource for those who want to handle Job with care. It rewards time and patience, and it can help us preach this difficult book with both accuracy and pastoral sensitivity.

Amos, Jonah & Micah (7.9)

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingUseful supplement

Author: JoAnna M. Hoyt

Bible Book: Amos Jonah Micah

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Expository

Publisher: Lexham Press

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We are grateful for commentaries that help us preach the Minor Prophets with both bite and balance. Amos confronts complacency and injustice with blazing clarity. Jonah exposes our self righteousness and magnifies the Lord’s mercy. Micah brings both judgement and hope, including promises that shape the church’s expectation of a faithful ruler. Preaching these books well demands attention to context, structure, and tone. A combined volume can serve us if it helps each book retain its own voice while also clarifying their shared prophetic burdens.

We also need help avoiding common pitfalls. With Amos, we can preach ethics without the covenantal framework and end up with moralism. With Jonah, we can preach the fish and miss the heart. With Micah, we can quote famous passages and ignore the surrounding argument. A serious commentary can help us read whole sections, follow the prophetic logic, and see how indictment and invitation belong together.

Because this is a large volume, it is best used as a planned companion. It can provide sustained engagement with difficult texts, explain key historical and literary features, and help us preach with clarity. We are served when it presses us to keep the text central, then to bring it to bear on the church with reverence and courage.

Strengths

First, a full commentary can help us handle Amos with appropriate severity. Amos is not polite. It is covenant lawsuit preaching. The book exposes hollow worship and comfortable religion. A careful exposition will help us show why those indictments land, and how they relate to God’s holiness and justice. That keeps application from becoming vague activism. It becomes covenantal confrontation that drives to repentance and renewed worship.

Second, Jonah needs careful handling of satire and irony. Jonah is a prophet who resents mercy. That should humble us. We need help preaching Jonah so that the congregation sees their own heart in the prophet’s heart. A careful commentary can help us trace how the narrative exposes our desire to control grace. It also helps us preach the Lord’s compassion without reducing it to sentiment.

Third, Micah’s mixture of judgement and hope requires structure. The book moves through cycles of indictment and promise. If we preach it as fragments, we will confuse people. A commentary that clarifies those movements helps us preach with coherence and hope. Micah also contains promises that point forward to the Lord’s saving work. We need to handle those promises with confidence and with contextual care.

Limitations

The limitation of a combined volume is focus. Each book deserves sustained attention, and a single volume covering three can sometimes feel heavy. It can also feel like a lot to consult if we are only preaching one book at a time. That said, the size can be a strength when it gives ample space to each book. We simply need to use it selectively, according to our preaching plan.

As with many academic commentaries, we should also remember that technical discussion does not automatically become sermon clarity. We still need to work hard at structure, illustration, and tone. We need to pray for courage to preach judgement texts, and for tenderness to preach mercy texts.

How We Would Use It

We would use this as a main reference when preaching any of these books, especially for structural planning. Start with repeated reading, outline the major movements, then consult the commentary for interpretive issues and guidance on flow. We would also use it to keep application text tethered. Amos should confront worship. Jonah should humble our entitlement. Micah should lead us to hope in the Lord who shepherds His people.

In training settings, this volume can help pastors in training learn how to preach prophetic literature without flattening it into slogans, and without turning it into speculation.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial tool for preaching Amos, Jonah, and Micah with care. It best suits those willing to plan ahead, read slowly, and let the prophets set the agenda for what the church needs to hear.

Daniel (8.0)

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

Author: J. Paul Tanner

Bible Book: Daniel

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Expository

Publisher: Lexham Press

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We preach Daniel in a cultural moment that often feels like exile. That can tempt us to use the book as a set of motivational stories or as a launchpad for speculative end times debates. Daniel will not cooperate with either approach. It gives us court narratives that teach fidelity, and it gives us apocalyptic visions that train hope, humility, and endurance. A serious commentary can help us hold these two halves together, so that our people see one coherent message rather than two unrelated genres.

Daniel demands careful attention to structure. The narratives are not merely children’s stories. They are theological accounts of the Lord’s sovereignty over empires and over rulers. The visions are not puzzles to master. They are revelations meant to strengthen saints under pressure, reminding us that God rules, that evil has limits, and that the kingdom will come. A helpful commentary will guide us through literary features, historical setting, and key interpretive questions, while resisting sensationalism.

We want support for preaching that is both courageous and calm. Daniel teaches us how to live faithfully in public life without panic, and how to pray when the future feels uncertain. It also teaches us that God’s deliverance may be immediate, or it may be final and resurrection shaped. That distinction matters for pastoral honesty.

Strengths

First, a substantial commentary can help us preach the narratives with depth. Daniel 1 to 6 includes moral courage, yes, but it also includes worship, prayer, repentance, and the Lord’s defence of His own glory. If exposition attends to the chapters as theological units, it prevents shallow hero worship. We can honour Daniel’s faith without turning him into the centre.

Second, we need careful handling of the visions. There are interpretive debates that cannot be avoided. Yet we can address them without making them the main event. The main event is God’s sovereignty and the call to endurance. A good commentary helps us see what is clear, what is debated, and how to preach the clear with confidence while holding the debated with humility.

Third, Daniel’s pastoral usefulness rises when we see its prayerfulness. Daniel’s response to revelation is not speculation, it is prayer and obedience. That is a crucial corrective. When the future is disclosed, the proper response is faithful worship and steady perseverance. We need help preaching that emphasis, so that our people are formed into resilient disciples rather than anxious chart makers.

Limitations

As with other large volumes, the limitation is time. It is hard to use well under pressure. We should also remember that Daniel’s apocalyptic imagery requires careful teaching. A commentary can help, but we still need to shepherd our people patiently, especially if they bring strong assumptions. Our goal is not to win debates, but to build hope and holiness under the Lord’s reign.

We should also guard against letting technical detail overwhelm proclamation. Daniel is meant to produce courage, humility, and prayerful endurance. We must keep that aim in view as we consult deeper resources.

How We Would Use It

We would use this as a primary reference in a preaching series, especially for the vision chapters where misreading is common. We would start by mapping the structure of the book, then consult the commentary for interpretive guidance and clarity on the flow. We would also use it to shape applications that stay tethered to the book’s own aims: fidelity, prayer, and hope in the kingdom of God.

In training settings, this can help pastors in training learn how to handle apocalyptic literature responsibly, with confidence in Scripture and with restraint in speculation.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial tool for those who want to preach Daniel with seriousness and balance. It will serve best where we have time to read, to pray, and to let the book form our instincts as much as it informs our outlines.

Ezekiel (7.9)

AdvancedAdvanced students / scholarsUseful supplement

Author: John Goldingay

Bible Book: Ezekiel

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Expository

Publisher: Lexham Press

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We come to Ezekiel needing help with a book that is both visually arresting and theologically intense. It confronts sin with severity, it speaks judgement with frightening clarity, and it also offers hope that is grounded in the Lord’s zeal for His name. Preaching Ezekiel requires careful handling. If we rush, we will confuse people. If we soften, we will blunt the Word. A large commentary can serve us if it helps us follow the structure, understand the imagery, and keep the message coherent across long sections.

Ezekiel is also a book of sustained prophetic argument. It is not merely a collection of vivid moments. There is a logic to the judgement oracles, a reason for the sign acts, and a pastoral aim in the promises of restoration. We need to see how the Lord exposes false confidence, dismantles idolatry, and then rebuilds hope through covenant promises. We also need to handle the temple vision and the restoration sections without turning them into speculative charts.

A full commentary in this series is likely to be used as a major reference rather than as a quick read. We will benefit most when we plan ahead. Ezekiel often requires patient work with context, especially with repeated phrases and symbolic actions. The goal is not to impress, it is to preach so that God’s holiness and God’s mercy are both felt.

Strengths

First, we are served when a commentary helps us keep the book’s structure visible. That matters for preaching series. Ezekiel can feel sprawling to hearers if we do not guide them. A structured approach helps us show why the judgement sections are as long as they are, and why the restoration promises arrive when they do. It helps us show that the Lord is not volatile. He is righteous, patient, and faithful to His word.

Second, we need help with imagery and symbolism. Ezekiel’s visions can be mishandled in two opposite ways. We can domesticate them, turning them into vague metaphors, or we can over interpret them, turning every detail into a secret code. A wise commentary helps us avoid both errors. It pushes us to ask what the imagery is doing in its context, and how it functions to confront and to comfort.

Third, a substantial work can help us maintain theological coherence. Ezekiel speaks repeatedly about the Lord acting for His name’s sake. That is not cold. It is covenant love. It means the Lord’s commitment to His glory is the very foundation of His commitment to His people. When we preach that well, it produces humility and assurance together.

Limitations

The obvious limitation is size. A 976 page volume is not a casual tool. It will demand time. We should not expect to consult it profitably without planning. There is also a pastoral limitation inherent in any large reference work. The commentary can help us understand, but it cannot create the reverence and trembling we need when preaching judgement. That must be sought from the Lord in prayer.

We should also remember that Ezekiel includes difficult sections that will require additional pastoral sensitivity. The commentary may help with meaning, but we still need to think carefully about how to speak to different hearers and different wounds.

How We Would Use It

We would use this in a preaching series with an early start. Outline the book, plan units, then consult the commentary for interpretive decisions and structural clarity. We would use it especially for the vision passages and the restoration sections, where misreading is common. We would also use it to ensure that our applications remain tethered to the text, rather than driven by contemporary speculation.

For teaching and training, it can serve advanced students and leaders who want to handle Ezekiel responsibly, with attention to both its original setting and its canonical role.

Closing Recommendation

This is a major resource suited to those who want a serious companion for Ezekiel. It is best for planned preaching and deeper study, and it can help us preach with clarity, gravity, and steady hope in the Lord who restores for His name’s sake.

Esther (8.0)

AdvancedPastors-in-trainingStrong recommendation

Author: Anthony J. Tomasino

Bible Book: Esther

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Expository

Publisher: Lexham Press

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

We approach Esther needing help with a book that feels both dramatic and subtle. The plot moves quickly, yet the theological weight is often carried through irony, reversal, and quiet providence. A good commentary must help us see the narrative artistry, follow the structure, and preach the book without either flattening it into moral lessons or sidelining it as mere history. This volume is designed to assist that careful work by giving sustained attention to the text and its movement.

In a series that aims to serve evangelical readers with serious engagement, the strengths we look for are consistent. We want a clear grasp of the argument, careful handling of language where it matters, and attention to context, including historical setting and literary design. We also want help in moving from explanation to proclamation in a way that keeps the Lord’s faithfulness central, even when the divine name is not made explicit in the narrative.

Used well, this commentary can help us preach Esther with patience. The book trains us to notice the patterns that drive the story, including feasting and fasting, public honour and public shame, hidden plans and exposed schemes. Those patterns are not decorative. They serve the message that the Lord preserves His people even when they are vulnerable and compromised, and that He does so through ordinary means that may not look glorious at the time.

Strengths

First, we are helped to read the book as a unified narrative with intention. That protects us from cherry picking favourite scenes. Esther is not a collection of inspirational moments. It is a carefully crafted story of reversal. When we preach it, the whole shape matters. This kind of guidance supports preaching that is faithful to the flow rather than driven by our own preferred topics.

Second, the commentary’s careful attention to context can help avoid both naivety and cynicism. Esther includes court politics, personal vulnerability, and morally messy decisions. We need help speaking about those realities with honesty while still holding to God’s sovereign preservation. A serious commentary can help us name the complexity without becoming suspicious of the text. We can acknowledge what is troubling without stepping away from trust in God’s Word.

Third, a work like this can serve pastors by giving them interpretive confidence. Esther is often preached in a thin way, either as a call to courage with little gospel depth, or as a vague story about providence with little textual grounding. We need to show our people why we are saying what we are saying. A fuller commentary supports that work by giving structure, explaining key decisions, and helping us see how themes recur and develop.

Limitations

The main limitation for many pastors will be the time required to use it well. A more detailed commentary demands that we slow down. That is a strength, but it also means this will not always be the first book we open when a deadline is tight. It is best used early in preparation, alongside our own repeated reading of the text.

Another limitation is that a commentary can give information without giving homiletical direction. We still need to do the work of crafting sermons, shaping applications, and finding appropriate tone for our people. This volume can support that work, but it cannot replace it.

How We Would Use It

We would use this as a main desk companion when preaching Esther. Start with repeated reading of the narrative, mapping scenes and reversals. Then consult the commentary for help with structure, interpretive questions, and the flow of themes. We would also use it to avoid simplistic moralising, especially around Esther and Mordecai. Instead, we would aim to show God’s preserving mercy to undeserving people, and the comfort of His hidden hand.

In training contexts, this can help younger preachers learn how to handle narrative carefully, how to read whole scenes, and how to make applications that arise from the text rather than from modern slogans.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial tool for those who want to preach Esther with careful attention and serious engagement. It is best suited to pastors and students who are willing to work slowly, so that the clarity of the sermon reflects the clarity of the text.

Ezra & Nehemiah (8.0)

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation

Author: Israel P. Loken

Bible Book: Ezra Nehemiah

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Expository

Publisher: Lexham Press

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Ezra and Nehemiah are books about restoration that refuses triumphalism. The people return, the temple is rebuilt, the walls are raised, and the Word is read. Yet the story repeatedly shows weakness, opposition, compromise, and the need for ongoing reform. Israel P. Loken’s volume in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series aims to help us read these books as covenant restoration under the hand of the Lord. We are reminded that the Lord’s faithfulness stands behind every step, and that spiritual renewal always begins with hearing and obeying the Word.

This commentary is especially useful for keeping the two books connected. Ezra focuses on temple and worship, then on reform under the Word. Nehemiah focuses on leadership, rebuilding, and community formation, yet it too turns repeatedly to prayer and Scripture. Loken helps us see that both books are teaching the same reality, the Lord restores His people so that they may live as His distinct community, and that restoration is fragile when the heart is double minded.

For pastors, the material has obvious relevance. Many churches know something of rebuilding, re establishing patterns, and facing opposition. These books can be misused as leadership manuals detached from redemptive context. Loken regularly encourages us to keep the theological centre in view, the Lord is keeping His promises, preserving His worship, and forming a holy people. That enables application that is realistic and gospel shaped, rather than merely motivational.

Strengths

First, the commentary helps us track structure and repeated themes, prayer, the Word, opposition, and covenant faithfulness. That is crucial for preaching. It is easy to focus on the dramatic moments, the wall completed, the people weeping at the reading of the law, and miss the quieter insistence that real renewal is sustained by ordinary obedience.

Second, Loken’s handling of reform passages is particularly important. Ezra 9 to 10 and Nehemiah 13 raise pastoral questions about holiness, separation, and community discipline. A good commentary must help us read these passages in their covenant setting, and then guide us away from harshness on one side and compromise on the other. This volume provides a steady route through those tensions, keeping the holiness of God and the mercy of God together.

Third, the commentary can support leadership training. Nehemiah’s example is not a generic model for success. It is a picture of prayerful dependence, courage under pressure, and commitment to God’s Word. Loken helps us apply those themes without turning the narrative into a set of slogans.

Limitations

Some readers will want more extended engagement with historical questions and chronology. This series aims to serve exposition, so it may not satisfy every curiosity about Persian period detail. Pastors may also want to supplement this with a more explicitly Christ centred biblical theological work, especially when preaching how restoration hope stretches beyond this partial return toward the final restoration in Christ.

How We Would Use It

We would use this commentary for planning a preaching series that holds Ezra and Nehemiah together, and for preparing the reform and covenant renewal chapters where pastoral sensitivity is needed. We would also use it for teaching leaders about prayerful dependence and Word shaped community life.

In discipleship, these books can help a church embrace patient obedience. The work is often slow, the opposition is real, and the heart needs repeated correction. Loken helps us keep that realism visible, and to keep the Lord’s faithful hand in the foreground. That encourages perseverance without pretending that restoration is painless.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this as a useful mid level guide for preaching and teaching Ezra and Nehemiah. It offers steady exposition, a clear sense of theological centre, and practical help for handling the books with both conviction and pastoral care.

1 Kings (8.1)

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation

Author: John N. Oswalt

Bible Book: 1 Kings

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Expository

Publisher: Lexham Press

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

First Kings is a book about the splendour and the fracture of the kingdom, and beneath that, about the faithfulness of the Lord and the unfaithfulness of His people. John N. Oswalt’s volume in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series aims to help us read the book as theology shaped history. We are shown the glory of Solomon, the building of the temple, the tragic drift into idolatry, and the eventual division that follows covenant compromise. It is a book that can preach with force to any church tempted to trade obedience for success.

This commentary serves pastors by keeping the narrative logic and covenant categories in view. The highs of Solomon’s wisdom and the temple dedication are not merely inspirational moments. They are covenant realities, the Lord giving rest, and the Lord placing His name. The lows are not merely political mistakes. They are spiritual betrayals, where the heart turns from the Lord to other loves. Oswalt helps us see that 1 Kings is not neutral reporting. It is calling for covenant loyalty, and it is warning that idolatry always comes with a cost.

The Elijah narratives then provide a sharp contrast. When the nation drifts, the Lord raises a prophet who confronts false worship and calls the people back to the living God. Oswalt helps us keep Carmel and its aftermath connected to the book’s wider argument. The question is not, can Elijah do miracles. The question is, who is God, and will Israel listen. That makes these chapters deeply relevant for a church living in a pluralistic age, yet the application must remain anchored in the text’s own emphasis.

Strengths

First, the commentary supports faithful sermon structure. Oswalt often clarifies how scenes hang together, where the narrative is moving, and why certain details are emphasised. That helps us avoid preaching 1 Kings as disconnected episodes. We can instead show the steady descent from glory to division, and then the Lord’s merciful interventions through prophetic ministry.

Second, there is a clear concern for theological coherence. The covenant promises to David, the role of the temple, and the meaning of wisdom are treated in ways that serve biblical theology. That is particularly useful in a book that can feel politically complex. Oswalt keeps reminding us that the real issue is worship and obedience, not mere statecraft.

Third, the writing is serviceable for pastors. It is not a quick devotional, but it is not impenetrable either. It gives enough engagement to strengthen confidence in the text, and it offers interpretive clarity on the passages most likely to raise questions.

Limitations

Those wanting a strongly confessional Reformed synthesis at every turn will need to supply that in their preaching, even though the commentary’s instincts are often compatible. Some sections may also leave you wanting more explicit guidance on bridging from Old Testament narrative to Christ centred proclamation. The material equips, but it expects the preacher to do the final homiletical work.

How We Would Use It

We would use this volume for series planning and for key theological chapters, particularly Solomon’s reign, the temple narratives, and the Elijah material. It can also help with discipleship teaching on idolatry, because it exposes the subtle ways compromise grows, often under the guise of wisdom and pragmatism.

In pastoral conversations, 1 Kings is a mirror for the church. When we are tempted to measure health by visible success, this book calls us to measure faithfulness by covenant loyalty. Oswalt’s commentary helps keep that message sharp and grounded.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this as a useful mid level guide for preaching and teaching 1 Kings. It will help us keep the book’s covenant seriousness in view, and it will serve proclamation that aims to call God’s people back to true worship.

2 Kings (8.1)

Mid-levelBusy pastorsStrong recommendation

Author: John N. Oswalt

Bible Book: 2 Kings

Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary

Type: Expository

Publisher: Lexham Press

Theological Perspective: Broadly Evangelical

Resource Type: Commentary

Summary

Second Kings is a long march toward exile, punctuated by prophetic mercy and repeated opportunities to return. It is a sobering book, yet it is not bleak. The Lord is patient. His Word continues to come. His prophets continue to speak. His hand is seen in judgment, but also in preservation and promise. John N. Oswalt’s volume in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series helps us read 2 Kings as covenant history with pastoral purpose. The book is teaching us why exile happens, and why the only true hope is the Lord’s faithfulness rather than human reform.

Oswalt is particularly helpful in keeping the structure from becoming a blur. The rapid succession of kings can feel repetitive, especially if we treat each reign as a moral lesson detached from the covenant frame. This commentary helps us see the repeated patterns as deliberate. The author is showing the steady fruit of idolatry, the hardening of the people, and the inevitability of judgment when repentance is refused. Yet at the same time, the author is showing the Lord’s ongoing pursuit through prophetic ministry.

The Elisha narratives, the reform of Hezekiah, and the tragedy of Manasseh are treated as part of that larger argument. We are helped to see why reforms, even sincere ones, cannot ultimately heal the heart of a nation. That pushes us toward a deeper need, new covenant mercy, a true King, and a people whose hearts are changed. The commentary does not shout those conclusions at every turn, but it sets the text clearly so that we can preach them faithfully.

Strengths

First, the commentary keeps covenant categories in view. That is essential for preaching 2 Kings. The exile is not an accident of international politics. It is the covenant curse for covenant unfaithfulness. Oswalt helps us see how the narrative repeatedly signals that logic, often through brief but weighty evaluations of each king.

Second, there is good help for handling prophetic material inside narrative. The miracles and signs are not mere spectacle. They are revelations of the Lord’s authority and mercy, and they often serve as warnings to a people drifting toward judgment. Oswalt helps us avoid both scepticism and sensationalism. We can preach the miracles as real acts of the living God, while keeping the theological point central.

Third, the commentary is pastorally usable for calling the church to repentance and perseverance. 2 Kings is not just a history lesson. It is a warning for the people of God. When the church grows casual about worship, or negotiates with sin, 2 Kings shows the long term outcome. Oswalt helps us keep that warning sober and text based.

Limitations

Those looking for extended academic debate will find this more restrained than some technical works. That is often an advantage for pastors, but it may leave certain questions less explored than you would like. As with the companion volume, you will also need to do the final work of shaping Christ centred proclamation, using the clear covenant logic the commentary provides.

How We Would Use It

We would use this commentary when planning how to preach 2 Kings in manageable units, and when preparing the key reform and exile chapters. It is also valuable for teaching on repentance, because the book shows both the possibility of real reform and the limits of reform when the heart remains unchanged.

For pastoral ministry, 2 Kings can sharpen our sense of spiritual drift. We do not want to alarm tender consciences, yet we do want to warn against the slow normalising of sin. Oswalt helps us speak with the text’s gravity and with the Lord’s patience in view.

Closing Recommendation

We recommend this as a strong mid level guide for preaching and teaching 2 Kings. It will help us keep the covenant framework clear, and it will support proclamation that warns, comforts, and ultimately points to the Lord’s faithful saving purpose.