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Bible Commentaries
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For more great commentaries on Esther, be sure to check:
Commentaries on the Whole Old Testament
& Whole Bible Commentaries
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Order of Contents
Best 5
Commentaries 9
Early Church 1
Esther Generally 1
Bible Study 1
Life of Esther 1
Authenticity 1
Poetry
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The Best Commentaries
Beginner
Piper, John – Esther Buy (2012) 64 pp. The work is a poem.
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Intermediate
Carson, Alexander – Providence Unfolded: Containing the History of Providence as Unfolded in the Book of Esther (1851) 182 pp.
Carson (1776-1844) was an Irish Presbyterian who later became a Baptist.
Lawson, George – Discourses on the Whole Book of Esther (1804; 1870) 180 pp.
Lawson was a Scottish Secession minister.
*** – “Intended for the general reader. The discourses are as spiritual and unaffected as their excellent author. Dr. John Brown, in commending all the Lawson books, says that ‘he has rendered subjects, apparently barren, full of instruction.'” – Spurgeon
M’Crie, Thomas (the elder) – Lectures on the Book of Esther Buy (1838) 330 pp.
M’Crie the elder was an important Scottish Secession Church minister.
*** – “Dr. Davidson says of Dr. M’Crie: ‘There is an ancient fable of a king who was gifted with the power of turning everything he touched into gold; and this eminent divine and historian possessed remarkably the gift of rendering every subject he handled so precious, as at least to discourage any one from attempting to follow in his track. In his Lectures upon the book of Esther, he has certainly left little for any to say who may come after him.'” – Spurgeon
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Advanced
Keil, K.F. – Commentary on Esther
** – “Just the kind of book in which Keil’s method of commenting appears to the best advantage. He gives much needful information, and thus supplements more didactic works. We cannot read Keil with pleasure, for we want spiritual meat, but yet it is most desirable for us to know what the text really means.” – Spurgeon
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More Commentaries
1500’s & 1600’s
Merlin, Pierre – A Most Plain & Profitable Exposition of the Book of Esther Delivered in 26 Sermons (1599)
Merlin (1533-1603) was reformed.
Cooper, Thomas – The Church’s Deliverance, containing Meditations & Short Notes upon the Book of Esther, in Remembrance of the Wonderful Deliverance from the Gunpowder-Treason [Plot] GB (1609)
Cooper’s (fl.1609-1626) theological persuasion is unknown.
* – “We have not been able to meet with this work.” – Spurgeon
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Beginner
Cumming, James – The Book of Esther: Its Spiritual Teaching, a Devotional Commentary Buy (1907) 181 pp.
Davidson, Alexander – Lectures, Expository & Practical, on the Book of Esther (1859)
** “Helpful lectures. The Book of Esther is here used for instruction in doctrine and practice. The work is not so much for the study as for the family.” – Spurgeon
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Intermediate
Adeney, Walter F. – chs. 31-35 ToC in Ezra, Nehemiah & Esther in The Expositor’s Bible (NY: A.C. Armstrong), pp. 351-404 Reprinted by Klock & Klock
Allen, John – A Spiritual Exposition of the Old Testament: from Joshua to the end of the Psalms (1816)
‘Spiritual reflections after the high Calvinistic school. Some preachers cannot see Christ where He is, but Allen finds Him where He is not. There is in these reflections much godly savor, but very little exposition.’ – Spurgeon
This Allen was not the one that translated Calvin’s Institutes. James Darling said that Allen was an Antinomian (one who believes that Christians are not bound by moral injunctions). Antinomians, not believing that moral injunctions should be derived from God’s Word, often replaced this large aspect of Scripture’s teaching with finding Christ everywhere in the Bible, especially the Old Testament.
Hughes, John – Esther & her People, being a Practical Exposition of the Chief Incidents Recorded in the Book Bearing her Name in 10 Sermons (1842)
** “Good evangelical discourses, but nothing very special.” – Spurgeon
Raleigh, Alexander – The Book of Esther: Its Practical Lessons & Dramatic Scenes Buy (1880) 274 pp. Reprinted by Klock & Klock
‘A devotional study with practical lessons based upon the dramatic scenes of this book.’ – Cyril J. Barber
Taylor, William – Esther the Queen in Ruth the Gleaner & Esther the Queen (NY: Harper, 1891), pp. 97-264 no ToC
Taylor (1829–1895) was a Scottish Presbyterian who later ministered in America at Broadway Tabernacle Congregationalist Church in New York.
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The Early Church on Esther
Conti, Marco – Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther Buy
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On Esther Generally
De Graaf, S.G. – ‘A Witness: Esther 1-10’ in Promise & Deliverance, vol. 2: The Failure of Israel’s Theocracy (Ontario: Paideia Press, 1977), pp. 439-449
De Graff is a Dutch Reformed author who focuses on the unfolding of the Covenant through history. He writes in an easy to read, but insightful style.
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For Bible Study
Bush, George – Esther in Scripture Questions Designed Principally for Adult Bible Classes: Deut.-Esther (Cincinnati: Morgan, 1829), pp. 278-88 no ToC
Bush was a Biblical scholar, a professor of oriental literature in New York City University, and initially a presbyterian minister.
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Life of Esther
Whyte, Alexander – Esther in Bible Characters, vol. 1 (d. 1921)
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The Authenticity of Esther
Urquhart, John – ‘The Book of Esther’ being chs. 2-4 in Book 3 of The Inspiration & Accuracy of the Holy Scriptures (1895)
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Esther & Paraphrases thereon in Poetry
See the subsection on Esther on our Bible in Poetry page. See also John Piper’s work above.
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Related Pages