The best and largest collection of commentaries with links on the internet,
including every commentary that Charles Spurgeon recommended.
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Subsections
Reformation & Puritan Commentaries
Scottish Covenanters
Jewish
Latin
Recommendations for
Bibliographies of Commentaries
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Whole Bible Commentaries
Whole Bible Commentaries: Latin
Bible Background, Survey & Introduction 78+
Biblical Theology 30+
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Old Testament Commentaries 1,200+
Whole OT Commentaries: Latin
OT Background, Survey, Authenticity & Introduction 35+
OT Theology 10+
Pentateuch 34+ Post-Exile
. Genesis 70+ Ezra 6+
. Patriarchs 18+ Nehemiah 9+
. Joseph 10+ Esther 13+
. Exodus 25+ Poetical Books
. Moses 5 Job 50+
. Plagues 1 Psalms 90+
. 10 Commandments 42+ Individual Psalms 160+
. Judicial Laws 5 Proverbs 28+
. Ceremonial Laws 3 Ecclesiastes 42+
. Wilderness 9 Song of Solomon 65+
. Tabernacle 7+
. On Prophecy 12+
. Leviticus 20+ All the Prophets 6+
. Numbers 13 Isaiah 55+
. Deuteronomy 8 Jeremiah 10+
. Lamentations 10+
Historical Books Ezekiel 16+
. Joshua 20+ Daniel 50+
. Judges 17+
. Gideon 2 Minor Prophets 15
. Samson 2 Hosea 16+
. Ruth 20 Joel 7+
. 1 Samuel 15+ Amos 4
. Samuel, Saul, David 17 Obadiah 5
. 2 Samuel 14+ Jonah 30+
. 1 Kings 13+ Micah 4
. 2 Kings 10+ Nahum 4
. Temple 4 Habakkuk 5
. Elijah, Elisha 14+ Zephaniah 4
. Naaman 3 Haggai 6
. 1 Chronicles 10+ Zechariah 15+
. 2 Chronicles 10+ Malachi 8+
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New Testament Commentaries 1,000+
Whole NT Commentaries: Latin
NT Background, Survey, Authenticity & Intro 65+
NT Theology 32+
Four Gospels 32+ Galatians 45+
. Harmonies 20+ Ephesians 48+
. Characters in Gospels Philippians 31+
Life & Times of Christ 26+ Colossians 35+
. Temptation of 7+
. Beatitudes 3 1 Thessalonians 24+
. Sermon on Mount 10 2 Thessalonians 25+
. Lord’s Prayer 63+ Ch. 2: Antichrist 13+
. Miracles 6+
. Parables 8+ 1 Timothy 22+
. Transfiguration 1 2 Timothy 18+
. Passion to Ascension 18 Titus 18+
. Philemon 14+
Matthew 36+ Hebrews 60+
Mark 23+
Luke 23+ General Epistles 6+
. Prodigal Son 4 James 24+
John 36+ 1 Peter 25+
. Ch. 17, Lord’s Prayer 10+ 2 Peter 18+
. Letters of John 15+
Acts 55+ 1 John 14+
. Acts & Epistles Harmonized 1 2 John 3
. Lives of Apostles 24+ 3 John 3
. Life, Theology of Paul 41+ Jude 15+
The Epistles 13+ Revelation 37+
. Background to the Epistles 4+ Preterism 12+
. Romans 62+ Historicism 60+
. Ch. 8 14+ Futurism 3
. Ch. 13 Idealism 9+
. 1 Corinthians 27+
. 2 Corinthians 22+
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About this Collection
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This is the best and largest collection of Bible commentaries with links on the net (a total of 2,200+). It includes, but is not limited to:
– Every commentary Charles Spurgeon gave his top or good recommendation to (3 or 2 stars) in his Commenting & Commentaries (1876);
– Every Reformed, Puritan or otherwise good commentary we could find on PRDL and EEBO in English;
– Every relevant commentary mentioned by Dr. Richard Muller in his survey of the major Reformation and Puritan era commentaries in McKim’s Historical Handbook of Major Biblical Interpreters that is online in English;
– Most all of the older Bible commentaries that a Bible-believer would be interested in, that are free online (in the public domain, pre-1920’s);
– The best of the commentaries listed in Cyril J. Barber’s The Minister’s Library (1974), including his top recommendations;
– The major commentaries from the Early and Medieval Churches that have been translated into English;
– A small selection of the better modern commentaries;
– And many more.
The Best works are at the top of each page. More commentaries follow under the sub-sections: 1500’s, 1600’s, Simple & Practical, Intermediate, Advanced.
Commentaries in larger subsections (Whole NT Commentaries, Commentaries on the Gospels, etc.) have not been reduplicated on the pages of the individual books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, etc.), except as Spurgeon or Barber commented on them. Some of the best commentaries are on those pages, so be sure to check them as well.
In the days ahead (Deo volente) we hope to add much more to this collection.
While contemporary commentaries have their benefits (they are typically more uniform, focus on exegesis, bring in archaeology, have some updated research, etc.), they are, as a whole (with few exceptions), seriously deficient in deep, savory, godliness. They regularly feed you information, but not your eternal soul. On the other hand, not only do many 1800’s commentaries often have more thorough scholarship in them than many contemporary ones (for instance: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown in Whole Bible Commentaries), but in reading older puritan commentaries from the Reformation age, one not only grows in knowledge, but finds depths of soul-stirring communion with our Eternal and Beloved God.
Spurgeon’s justly famous, helpful and often humorous comments and evaluations have been quoted under the titles where possible. His scale is as follows:
*** – ‘Heartily recommended’
** – ‘Good, but more ordinary’
* – ‘Least desirable’
Do note Spurgeon’s recommendations were for whether a late-1800’s seminary student preparing to be a preacher should buy a certain commentary. As some commentaries were very pricey and scarce in Spurgeon’s day, he sometimes gave a lower rating to certain commentaries than what they otherwise deserve, and his emphasis is on whether a given work will be helpful to a preacher or not. By God’s grace, we have many more of these works available to us than what even Spurgeon and his readers had available to them in their own day.
Cyril J. Barber’s comments have been added where possible as well. He was a late-1900’s evangelical pastor and bibliophile who reprinted many of the best works he commends through (the now defunct) Klock & Klock Publishers (which commentaries should be purchased immediately if found).
Not every commentary is reformed, as truth may appreciated, and should be desired, wherever it is found. A number of broadly evangelical works have been included (especially in the mid-1900’s) at Barber’s recommendation.
Please note, in relation to this collection, the words of Spurgeon:
‘It is to be specially noted, that in no case do we endorse all that any author has written in his commentary. We could not read the works through, it would have needed a Methuselah to do that; nor have we thought it needful to omit a book because it contains a measure of error, provided it is useful in its own way; for this catalog is for thoughtful, discerning men, and not for children.
We have not, however, knowingly mentioned works whose main drift is skeptical, or Socinian, except with a purpose; and where we have admitted comments by writers of doubtful doctrine, because of their superior scholarship and the correctness of their criticisms we have given hints which will be enough for the wise. It is sometimes very useful to know what our opponents have to say.’
Also note, while liberal theology is in serious, fundamental, unbelieving error, some of the better, more conservative liberal works (usually noted as such) from the mid-late 1800’s and early 1900’s have been included on these pages as they often contain a wealth of information that can be found nowhere else (which is particularly valuable for the advanced student if one is looking for exhaustive information on a particular text). These works are usually in the advanced sections of the webpages (as liberals rarely wrote anything that fed anyone’s soul). Barber often relates why the particular work is useful. Needless to say: Beware of their presuppositions, eat the meat, spit out the bones, and feed upon the vast majority of the commentaries that hold forth God’s Truth in shining fullness.
Many of the works on these pages can be bought on Amazon and BookFinder. A book in hand is worth two on the computer.
Please enjoy thoroughly to the glory of God, and tell your friends.
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“O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”
“I rejoice at thy word, as one that finds great spoil!”
Ps. 119:97, 162
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