Reformation & Puritan Bible Commentaries: The Prophets

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Poetical Books  ⇐ ⇒  Gospels & Acts

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Subsections

Reformation & Puritan Commentaries on:

The Whole Bible, the Whole OT & Whole NT

Commentaries in Latin:

Whole Bible Commentaries

Whole Old Testament Commentaries

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Order of Contents

Isaiah  5+
Jeremiah & Lamentations  8
Ezekiel  3
Daniel  8+

Minor Prophets  4
.       Hosea – Amos  14
.       Obadiah – Micah  16
.       Nahum – Zephaniah  4
.       Haggai – Malachi  12+

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The Major Prophets

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Isaiah

Reformer

Luther, Martin 

Works  Buy

Vol. 16: Lectures on Isaiah – Chapters 1-39
Vol. 17: Lectures on Isaiah – Chapters 40-66

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1600’s

Day, William – An Exposition of the Book of Isaiah  1654

Day (†1684) was an Anglican.

* – “Day does not throw much light upon the text: he says he wrote for his children, and certainly he is childish enough.” – Spurgeon

Rutherford, Samuel – [On Isaiah, but title unknown]  in manuscript

Whatever portion of the work was completed, was lost.

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Chapters in Isaiah

In the First Half of Isaiah

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the First Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the Second Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the Fifth Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Rogers, Nehemiah – The Wild Vine: or, An Exposition on Isaiah’s Parabolic Song of the Beloved, Isa. 5  Buy

Carpenter, John – The Song of the Beloved, concerning his Vineyard, Modulated & Applied to move men to know and embrace that which belongs to their peace in this their time  (London, 1599)

Carpenter (d. 1621) lived in Norleigh, in Devon, England.

Leighton, Robert – 3 Lectures on Isa. 6  †1684  18 pp., in Works  Buy, vol. 2

Luther, Martin – A Prophesy out of the Ninth Chapter of Isaiah [vv. 1-7], of the Kingdom of Christ, with a fruitful and Godly Exposition of Dr. Martin Luther: Wherein is most excellently entreated of the conquest of Christ and of all his members, over Sin, Death & Satan, and of sundry other things…  (London, 1578)

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 24th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Aspinwall, William – Thunder from Heaven Against the Backsliders & Apostates of the Times, in some meditations on the 24th Chapter of Isaiah  (London, 1655)

Aspinwall (d. 1662) was an English puritan minister that got ejected in the Great Ejection of 1662.

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 25th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 26th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 30th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 32nd Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 37th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Du Vair, Guillaume –  The Song of Hezekiah, taken out of the Prophesy of Isaiah, Ch. 38  in A Most Heavenly & Plentiful Treasure, or a Rich Mineral Full of Sweetest Comforts…  (London, 1609)

Du Vair (1556-1621) was a French Romanist and lawyer.

Bruce, Robert – 6 Sermons on Hezekiah’s Sickness, Isa. 38  1617  115 pp., from The Way to True Peace and Rest, pp. 157-272

Calvin, John – 4 Sermons upon the Song that Hezekiah made after he had been sick and afflicted by the hand of God, contained in the 38th chapter of Isaiah  d. 1564 

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 38th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Isaiah 40’s

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 41st Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 42nd Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 43rd Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 44th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 46th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Isaiah 51

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 51st Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Isaiah 53

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Calvert, Thomas – Mel Caeli, Medulla Evangelii [The Honey of Heaven, the Marrow of the Gospel]; or, The Prophet Isaiah’s Crucifix.  An Exposition of the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah  Buy  1657

*** “Precious and practical.  Just what the title would lead us to expect–marrow and fatness; honey from the Rock, Christ Jesus.” – Spurgeon

Durham, James – Christ Crucified, 72 Sermons on Isa. 53, vols. 12  Buy  †1658

***“This is marrow indeed.  We need say no more: Durham is a prince among spiritual expositors.” – Spurgeon

Manton, Thomas  †1677

A Practical Exposition upon the 53rd Chapter of Isaiah  307 pp. in Works, vol. 3, pp. 187-494

*** – “Manton needs no praise from us.  Whatever he does is done in a style worthy of a chief among theologians.  He is, however, seldom too brief, and his own bulk hinders his being read.  Preachers of long sermons should take a hint from this.”

ed. MacDonogh, T.M. – Manton Abridged on Isaiah’s Report of the Messiah, as revealed in the 53rd chapter of his Prophecy, expounded in a series of lectures  1858  410 pp.

** – “This is a serving up of the [previous] work in the form of lectures.  We do not admire abridgments, and especially those which make alterations and additions; still it is likely that many have read Macdonogh’s Manton who might never have fallen in with Manton’s Manton.” – Spurgeon

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Isaiah 55

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 55th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Barford, John – Paraphrastical Meditations upon Isaiah 55 & Psalm 51…  (1649)

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Isaiah 56-59

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 56th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 57th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 58th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 59th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Isaiah 64

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 64th Chapter of Isaiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer


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Jeremiah

None

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Chapters in Jeremiah

Chs. 1-5

Calvin, John – Two & Twenty Lectures upon the Five First Chapters of Jeremiah, with Prayers Annexed at the End of Every Lecture  (London, 1620)

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Ch. 5

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 5th Chapter of Jeremiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Ch. 22

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 22nd Chapter of Jeremiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Ch. 23

Luther, Martin – ‘Of the Kingdom of Christ’  in A Fruitful & Godly Exposition and Declaration of the Kingdom of Christ and of the Christian Liberty...  ([London, 1548])

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Ch. 35

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 35th Chapter of Jeremiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Ch. 36

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 36th Chapter of Jeremiah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Lamentations

1500’s

Tossanus, Daniel – The Lamentations & Holy Mournings of the Prophet Jeremiah with a Lamentable Paraphrase and Exhortation, Meet Every way to be Applied unto these our Days…  (London, [1587?])

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Udall (c.1560-1592) was a reformed puritan.
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** – “In this extremely rare work the author has labored after brevity, and has given the abridgment of many discourses; hence, to those who can procure it, it is all the more useful.” – Spurgeon
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1600’s

Broughton, Hugh – The Lamentations of Jeremy translated, with Explications  1608

Broughton (1549-1612) was a reformed Anglican.

* – “Incomprehensible.  One of Broughton’s wilder pieces.  It may as well die.” – Spurgeon

Du Vair, Guillaume – Meditations upon the Lamentations of Jeremiah  in A Most Heavenly & Plentiful Treasure, or a Rich Mineral Full of Sweetest Comforts…  (London, 1609)

Du Vair (1556-1621) was a French Romanist and lawyer.

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On Parts & Chapters of Lamentations

1600’s

Hull, John – Exposition upon part of Lamentations  1618

Hull (c.1570-1627) was reformed.

*** – “Full of quaintnesses.  Marrowy throughout.” – Spurgeon

Dod, John – Two Sermons on the Third of the Lamentations of Jeremy…  1602  (London, 1608)

Swift, Daniel – Zion’s Sufferings: an Exposition of Lamentations 5  1654

** – “Strong, rough, coarse.  Excessively rare.” – Spurgeon

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Paraphrases of Lamentations, & as it has been Applied to Current Scenes

1600’s

Pradel, Nicolas – Jeremiah Revived, though in his Prison, or his Lamentations Paralleled  1648

Rich, Jeremiah – Jeremiah’s Contemplations on Jeremiah’s Lamentations, or, England’s Miseries Matched with Sion’s Elegies, being described and unfolded in Five Ensuing Scenes  (London, 1648)

Anon. – The Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah Paraphrased, Suitable to the Exigencies of These Times  (London, 1667)

Anon. – A Paraphrase on the First and Second Chapters of the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah  (London, 1683)


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Ezekiel

Greenhill, William – An Exposition of Ezekiel  1645-1667

*** – “We always get something out of Greenhill whenever we refer to him.  He had not, of course, the critical skill of the present day, but his spiritual insight was keen.  He rather commented on a passage than expounded it.” – Spurgeon

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Ezekiel 2

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 2nd Chapter of Ezekiel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Ezekiel 11

Harris, Robert – A Treatise of the New Covenant; set Forth Sermon-Wise, on Ezekiel 11  1632

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Ezekiel 14

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 14th Chapter of Ezekiel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Ezekiel 16

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 16th Chapter of Ezekiel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Ezekiel 17

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 17th Chapter of Ezekiel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Ezekiel 20

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 20th Chapter of Ezekiel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Ezekiel 24

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 24th Chapter of Ezekiel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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On the Last Part of Ezekiel

Alleine, William – The Mystery of the Temple and City Described in the Nine Last Chapters of Ezekiel Unfolded  1679

** “Very rare; will interest interpreters of prophecy.” – Spurgeon

Beverley, Thomas – The Pattern of the Divine Temple, Sanctuary & City of the New Jerusalem, measured according to Ezekiel’s last and greatest vision, ch. 40 to the end…  ([London, 1690])

Beverley (d. 1702) was a puritan.


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Daniel

1600’s

Willlet, Andrew – A Six-fold Commentary upon the Most Divine Prophecy of Daniel  1610

Willet (1562–1621)

**  “Dr. Williams says that this is a work of much information, as it contains the ‘opinions of many authors on each point of difficulty.’  He adds that in none of his expositions does Willet ‘discover more skill and judgment than in the present work.'” – Spurgeon

Huit, Ephraim – The Whole Prophecy of Daniel Explained, by a Paraphrase, analysis and brief comment: wherein the several visions showed to the prophet are clearly interpreted, and the application thereof vindicated against dissenting opinions  1643

**  “Huit’s short doctrinal summaries of the verses will bring useful subjects before the preacher’s mind; otherwise Huit is not very remarkable.” – Spurgeon

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On the Major Prophetic Passages of Daniel

1500’s

Broughton, Hugh – An Apology in brief assertions defending that our Lord died in the time properly foretold to Daniel  1592

Broughton was a reformed Anglican.

* “This author was pedantic and eccentric, but yet a man of real learning.  His works have almost disappeared.  In his own day some considered him a sage and others a quack.  He was a little of both.” – Spurgeon

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1600’s

Brightman, Thomas – A Most Comfortable Exposition of the Last and Most Difficult Part of the Prophecy of Daniel, from 11:26-12:13, wherein the Restoring of the Jews and their calling to the Faith of Christ after the utter overthrow of their three last enemies is set forth in lively colors  †1607

* – “This exposition and the author’s commentary on Canticles are appended to his work on Revelation, and do not appear to have been published separately.  In his title-page Brightman is called a bright and worthy man, and in the preface we are told that ‘he shined every way and was a Brightman indeed.’  His work is rather a curiousity tan a treasure.” – Spurgeon

Parker, Thomas – The Visions & Prophecies of Daniel Expounded  1646

Parker (1595–1677)  an English, Reformed, nonconforming clergyman and a founder of Newbury, Massachusetts.

*“This learned book is enough to perplex and distract any ordinary mortal, but probably Dr. Cumming and brethren of his school would revel in it.  We had sooner read a table of logarithms.” – Spurgeon

Aspinwall, William – The Work of the Age: or the Sealed Prophecies of Daniel Opened & Applied, wherein is plainly proved that all the governments in the world, except the government of Christ, are but images, or parts of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, and shall be suddenly broken in pieces by the little stone cut out of the mountain without hand: together with the means how Christ will effect all this. Showing also that image-government & image-worship have always been companions.  Explaining likewise Daniel’s mystical numbers and discovering some misprisions about the little horn, both in the translation and application of the same, amending sundry places in our common translation & clearing some chronological points from the common errors  (London, 1655)

Aspinwall (d. 1662) was an English puritan minister that got ejected in the Great Ejection of 1662.

More, Henry – A Plain and Continued Exposition of the Several Prophecies or divine visions of the prophet Daniel  1681

*“If a man had no more than More on Daniel he would certainly long for more, and need a work more spiritual and more suggestive.” – Spurgeon

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Chapters of Daniel

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Daniel 3

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 3rd Chapter of Daniel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Daniel 6

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 6th Chapter of Daniel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Daniel 7

Du Moulin, Pierre – The Prophecy Contained in Dan. 7  1613  26 pp.

Moulin (1568–1658) was a Huguenot minister in France.

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Daniel 11-12

Brightman, Thomas – A Most Comfortable Exposition of the Last and Most Difficult Part of the Prophecy of Daniel, from 11:26-12:13, wherein the Restoring of the Jews and their calling to the Faith of Christ after the utter overthrow of their three last enemies is set forth in lively colors  †1607

* – “This exposition and the author’s commentary on Canticles are appended to his work on Revelation, and do not appear to have been published separately.  In his title-page Brightman is called a bright and worthy man, and in the preface we are told that ‘he shined every way and was a Brightman indeed.’  His work is rather a curiousity tan a treasure.” – Spurgeon

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Daniel Commentary in Latin

Broughton, Hugh – Commentary on Daniel  1599

Broughton was a reformed Anglican.

* “This author was pedantic and eccentric, but yet a man of real learning.  His works have almost disappeared.  In his own day some considered him a sage and others a quack.  He was a little of both.” – Spurgeon

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The Minor Prophets

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All (or Many) of the Minor Prophets

1500’s

Gwalther, Rudolph

Homilies, or Godly Sermons on:

Obadiah & Jonah
Joel
Zephaniah

Gwalther (1519-1586)

Daneau, Lambert – A Fruitful Commentary upon the Twelve Small Prophets, brief, plain, and easy, going over the same verse by verse, and showing everywhere the method, points of doctrine, and figures of rhetoric, to the no small profit of all godly and well disposed readers, with very necessary fore-notes for the understanding of both of these, and also all other the prophets  1594

*  “Eminent French Protestant divine (1530-1596).”  “A translation of a work famous in its own day, but of small service now.” – Spurgeon

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1600’s

Hutcheson, George – A Brief Exposition of the 12 Small Prophets  (Hosea-Malachi)  Buy  1657

Hutcheson was a Scottish Covenanter.  Note that the Sovereign Grace Publishers reprint only contains 6 of the minor prophets (see the review on Amazon).

*** – ‘Get it.  Hutcheson is always rich.  He resembles Dickson.’ – Spurgeon

Stokes, David – A Paraphrastical Explication of the Twelve Minor Prophets, viz. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi  1659

Stokes (1591?-1669) was a Cambridge educated, (Anglican?) priest.  The work has a recommendatory preface by John Pearson, an Anglican divine, known for his standard work on the Apostles’ Creed.

**  “Of no importance.” – Spurgeon


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Hosea

1500’s

Luther, Martin – Works, vol. 18: Minor Prophets I: Hosea & Malachi  Buy

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1600’s

Burroughs, Jeremiah – An Exposition of the Prophesy of Hosea, vols. 1 (chs. 1-3), 2 (4-7), 3 (8-10),  4 (11-13)  Buy  1643  Does not include ch. 14, but see Reynolds and Sibbes

***“Masterly.  A vast treasure-house of experimental exposition.  With the exception of Adams, we prefer it to any other of the expositions reprinted under the editorship of Mr. Sherman.” – Spurgeon

Pococke, Edward – A Commentary on the Prophecy of Hosea  d. 1691  EEBO

Pococke (1604-1691) was a reformed Anglican.

** – “Orme says Pocock was ‘one of the finest Oriental scholars, and certainly the first Arabic scholar of his age.’  His book is a treasury filed with the products of laborious research.” – Spurgeon

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Chapters in Hosea

1600’s

Downame, John – Lectures upon the Four First Chapters of the Prophecy of Hosea, wherein the text is expounded and cleared, and such profitable instructions observed, and applied, as naturally arise out of this holy Scripture, and are fit for these times  1608

***“An exposition of the richest kind.  Get it by all means, if you can.” – Spurgeon

Smith, Samuel – An Exposition upon the Sixth Chapter of the Prophesy of Hosea  1616

*** “In Smith’s usual quiet, rich, expository manner.” – Spurgeon

Sibbes, Richard – The Returning Backslider, or a Commentary upon Hosea 14  1639

*** “Manton says of Sibbes, that he had a peculiar gift in unfolding the great mysteries of the Gospel in a sweet and mellifluous manner, and therefore he was by his hearers usually termed the Sweet Dropper, ‘sweet and heavenly distillations usually dropping from him with such a native eloquence as is not easily to be imitated.’  This commentary on Hosea is a fair specimen of his style.” – Spurgeon

Reynolds, Edward – An Explication of the Fourteenth Chapter of Hosea; in Seven Sermons  d. 1676

Reynolds was a Westminster divine and reformed Anglican.

*** – “Reynolds was on of the greatest theological writers in an age of great divines.  He worthily takes place with Burroughs.” – Spurgeon

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Joel

Topsell, Edward – Times Lamentation: or An Exposition on the Prophet Joel, in sundry sermons or meditations  1599

*** “Among the old English commentaries Topsell is the writer on Joel.  He has the usual force, homeliness, piety, and fullness of the Puritan period.” – Spurgeon

Pococke, Edward – A Commentary on the Prophecy of Joel  d. 1691

Pococke (1604-1691) was a reformed Anglican and Arabic scholar.  The level of the work is intermediate to advanced.

** “Full of antique learning.  Holds a high place among the older comments, but will never again be popular.” – Spurgeon

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Chapters in Joel

Udall, John – The True Remedy Against Famine and Wars, Five Sermons upon the First chapter of the Prophesy of Joel  1586

** “We gave so high a price for this small black letter volume that we should like to make it profitable to our brethren, and therefore we commend to the more starchy of them the following extract, which will also serve to show how the old preachers lashed with vigor the fashions of the times.  Udall says:

‘For the feeding of our monstrous humor of vanity, how many thousands of quarters of the finest wheat, which God ordained for the food of man, are yearly converted into that most devilish device of starch.  A sin so abominable that it doth cry so loudly in the Lord’s ears for vengeance, as his justice must needs proceed against us for it, without speedy repentance.'” – Spurgeon

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 2nd Chapter of Joel  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Amos

Benefield, Sebastian, on chs. 1-3

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** – “Dr. Benefield was Lady Margaret Professor in Oxford, a Puritan and thorough Calvinist.  His volume was, in its time, the standard Commentary on Amos.  It is somewhat prolix and plentifully sprinkled with Latin; it only discusses three chapters in 953 pages.” – Spurgeon
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See Hall below for the rest of Amos.
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Hall, Thomas – An Exposition by Way of Supplement, on Amos chs. 4-9  EEBO  1661

** “Hall took up Amos where Benefield left off.   He says he studied brevity, and perhaps he succeeded, for he does not quite fill 600 pages with six chapters.  The two quartos make up a complete work, of an antique type, not suitable to modern tastes, nor up to the mark of present criticism, but still instructive.  What Puritan is not?” – Spurgeon


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Obadiah

1500’s

Brasbridge, Thomas – Abdias the Prophet, Interpreted…  (London, 1574)

Brasbridge (1536/7–1593) was an English divine and author.

Pilkington, James – On the Prophet Obadiah  †1576  74 pp.

Pilkington was a reformed bishop in the Church of England.

** “Full of the minor as well as the major controversies of the Reformation period, and therefore the less interesting to us.  In its own day it was *the* master-work on the two prophets, Haggai and Obadiah.” – Spurgeon

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1600’s

Rainolds, John – The Prophecy of Obadiah Opened and Applied, in sundry Sermons  d. 1607  38 pp.

Rainolds (1549–1607) was an English puritan.

** “Full of classical stories and learned allusions; but more useful when first written than now.  The author was one of the most learned men the world ever produced, but he is not likely to be a favorite with modern readers.” – Spurgeon

Marbury, Edward – A Commentary or Exposition upon the prophecy of Obadiah  d. 1655

Marbury (1581-1655) was a reformed puritan.

*** “Far more lively than Rainolds.  His spirituality of mind prevents his learning becoming dull.  He says in the preface, ‘all my desire is to do all the good I can,’ and he writes in that spirit.” – Spurgeon

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Jonah

1500’s

Luther, Martin – Works, vol. 19: Minor Prophets II: Jonah and Habakkuk  Buy

Tyndale, William – The Prophet Jonah with an Introduction Before Teaching to Understand Him and the right use also of all the Scripture, etc.  1531

Hooper, John – An Overview and Deliberation upon Jonah: made and uttered before the king’s majesty, in Seven Sermons  1550

Hooper (ca. 1495-1500–1555) was one of the English reformers and martyrs who got burnt at the stake under Bloody Mary.

* “It would not repay the student to buy Hooper’s works for this short piece.  The language is antique, and the thought not of the newest.” – Spurgeon

King, John – Lectures on Jonah  1559

** “Quaint and rich, with a little occasional quiet mirth.  It was *the* book of its time.  Some will think it out of date, others will, like Grosart, prize the work of ‘the Bishop with the royal name.'” – Spurgeon

Brenz, Johannes – News from Nineveh to England, brought by the Prophet Jonah, which news is plainly published in the godly and learned Exposition of Master John Brentius  trans. Thomas Tymme  (London, 1570)

Brenz (1499-1570) was a German, Lutheran and a professor of Latin, Greek and Hebrew at Heidelberg.

Calvin, John – The Lectures or Daily Sermons… upon the Prophet Jonas  1578

*** “This of course is fuller than the Commentary, and, as the work of a reverend master, is beyond our criticism.” – Spurgeon

Smith, Henry – Jonah, the Messenger of Ninevah’s Repentance, Set forth in his Calling, Rebellion, and Punishment  d. 1591

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1600’s

Abbott, George – An Exposition upon the Prophet Jonah contained in Certain Sermons  1600

Abbott (1562-1633) was a reformed Anglican.

*** “Abbott was a renowned Calvinist divine, and one of the translators of the present version of the Bible.  No set of works on Jonah would be complete without this learned, laborious, and comprehensive exposition.  It is, of course, very antique in style; but, like ‘old wine’, it is none the worse for its age.” – Spurgeon

Fuller, Thomas – Notes upon Jonah  d. 1661

Fuller was a reformed Anglican.

*** “Full of wisdom, and fuller of wit; in fact, too full of the soul of the latter, for they are far too short.” – Spurgeon

Jemmat, William – A Practical Exposition of the Historical Prophesy of Jonah, delivering sundry brief notes in a cursory way concerning the mind of the Holy Ghost in the several passages  (London, 1665)

Jemmat (d. 1678) was a conforming puritan clergyman.

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Micah

1500’s

Gilby, Anthony – A Commentary upon the Prophet Micah  1551

Gilby (c.1510-1585) was a reformed puritan.

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1600’s

Pococke, Edward – A Commentary on the Prophecy of Micah  d. 1691

Pococke (1604-1691) was a reformed Anglican and an Arabic scholar.

** “Full of antique learning.  Holds a high place among the older comments, but will never again be popular.” – Spurgeon

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Micah 6

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 6th Chapter of Micah  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer


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Nahum

None

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Habakkuk

1500’s

Luther, Martin – Works, vol. 19: Minor Prophets II: Jonah & Habakkuk  Buy

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1600’s

Marbury, Edward – A Commentary or Exposition upon the prophecy of Habakkuk  d. 1655

Marbury (1581-1655) was a reformed puritan.

*** “Here Marbury holds the field alone among old English authors, and he does so worthily.  There is about him a vigorous, earnest freshness which makes his pages glow.” – Spurgeon

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Habakkuk 2

Cooper, Thomas – The Exposition upon the 2nd Chapter of Habakkuk  in A Brief Exposition of such Chapters of the Old Testament as Usually are Read in the Church at Common Prayer on the Sundays  d. 1594  English reformer

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Habakkuk 3

Wycliff, John – ‘The Prayer of Habakkuk’  in Select English Works of John Wycliff, vol. 3, part 1, p. 24-32

Wycliff (1320–1384) was an English Bible translator and proto-reformer.

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Zephaniah

None

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Zephaniah 2

Perkins, William – A Faithful and Plain Exposition upon Zephaniah 2, containing a powerful exhortation to repentance, as also the manner how men in repentance are to search themselves  d. 1602


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Haggai

1500’s

Pilkington, James –  Commentary on Haggai  1562

Pilkington was one of the English reformers.

** “Full of the minor as well as the major controversies of the Reformation period, and therefore the less interesting to us.  In its own day it was *the* master-work on the two prophets, Haggai and Obadiah.” – Spurgeon

Grynaeus, John – Haggeus the Prophet, whereunto is added a most Plentiful Commentary Gathered out of the Public Lectures of Dr. John James Gryneus  1586

Grynaeus (1540–1617) was a reformed professor at Basel, Switzerland and Heidelberg, Germany.

* “Grynaeus was a voluminous author, and commented on most of the books of Scripture, but only this work has been turned into English, and it is now seldom met with.” – Spurgeon 

[Note that Spurgeon’s rating system is based on books he recommends to purchase; hence he often gave hard to find books a low rating, though he may not have been familiar with them.]

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1600’s

Rainolds, Edward – An Exposition upon Haggai  d. 1607 

Rainolds was a puritan, to be distinguished from Edward Reynolds (†1676).

** “Rainolds was the tutor of Hooker, and had a main hand in our authorized version of the Bible.  Bishop Hall says, ‘the memory, the reading of that man were near a miracle.’  We ought to be enraptured with a commentary from such a divine, but we confess that we are not.” – Spurgeon

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Zechariah

Reformer

Luther, Martin – Works, vol. 20: Minor Prophets III: Zechariah  Buy

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Puritan

Pemble, William – A Short and Sweet Exposition of the First Nine Chapters of Zechariah  in Works, pp. 389-471  †1623  

Pemble was a Reformed puritan.

** “Richard Capel [a reformed divine, †1656] says:

‘Amongst the hardest books of Scripture the prophets may have a place, and amongst the prophets, Zechary is a deep, wherein an elephant may swim, and therefore I cannot but commend the wisdom of that man of God (the author of this book), who bestowed his learning and his pains to open the mysteries of this prophecy.  Death ended his days ere he could quite finish his work, and great weakness hindered an in intended supplement.’

Pemble was a learned Calvinistic divine, and his writings are highly esteemed, but not very captivating.” – Spurgeon

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Chapters in Zechariah

I.E. – The Two Olive Trees: or, The Lord’s Two Anointed ones, which always stand before Him, the ruler of the whole earth, Zech. 4, described also Rev. 11, by the names of Two Witnesses, two olive trees, two candlesticks, two prophets.  And showing what they are in their own true nature, differing from all the new fancied ones, and in what manner they always prophesy.  How they are said to finish their testimony.  How they were to be killed by the Beast, and when. How long their corpse should lie in the streets of the Beast’s great city, dead and unburied.  And when the spirit of life from God should enter into them, and they stand upon their feet again.  And what great things should follow after the same to the end, and thence for ever.  (London, 1645)

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Malachi

1500’s

Luther, Martin – Works, vol. 18: Minor Prophets I: Hosea & Malachi  Buy

Gilby, Anthony – A Commentary upon the Prophet Malachi  1553

Gilby (c.1510–1585) was a reformed, English puritan and translator of the Geneva Bible.

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1600’s

Stock, Richard – A Commentary upon the Prophecy of Malachi  †1626

Stock was a reformed puritan.

** “Contains a stock of knowledge, and more than a sufficient stock of quotations from the fathers.  Torshell printed the book fifteen years after Stock’s death, and finding it to be written for a popular audience only, he added an examination of the original and a few notes in a more learned style, to make a complete commentary.  The two authors have thus composed *the* work upon Malachi.” – Spurgeon

Sclater I, William –A Brief and Plain Commentary, with Notes upon the Whole Prophecy of Malachy  1650  †1626  published by his son of the same name.

** “Not equal to the general standard of puritan comments.  The editor of the work rightly says, ‘the method is, for the chapters themselves, analytical; for the practical observations, synthetical.’  We are quaintly told that he would start the hare [rabbit] with any man; that is to say, he would suggest thought and leave others to pursue its track.” – Spurgeon

Torshell, Samuel – An Exercitation upon the Prophecy of Malachi  d. 1650

Torshell (1605-1650) was reformed.  

** – Spurgeon, for his comments see above on Stock.

Pococke, Edward – A Commentary on the Prophecy of Malachi  d. 1691

Pococke (1604-1691) was a reformed Anglican and an Arabic scholar.

** “Full of antique learning.  Holds a high place among the older comments, but will never again be popular.” – Spurgeon

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Malachi 3:16-18

Watson, Thomas – Religion our True Interest, or Practical Notes upon Mal. 3:16-18  Buy

** “This would be a great find if we could only come at it, for Watson is one of the clearest and liveliest of puritan authors.  We fear we shall never see this commentary, for we have tried to obtain it, and tried in vain.” – Spurgeon

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