With 39 Old Testament books, and numerous new commentaries pouring off the press each year, it is hard to keep up with the latest and the best. But that I have tried to do. Many hundreds of OT commentaries are around, but here I list only a handful for each OT book.
They feature my biases of course. Being an evangelical Protestant, most of the volumes listed here reflect that stance. And these are mostly newer volumes as well. In my introductory piece I explain my rational for choosing commentaries.
Here I simply list what I regard to be some of the better academic and scholarly works on the OT. If you read just one from each OT book, you will know a fair amount. If you read all four or five your learning on these volumes will be very extensive indeed.
But they need to be supplemented of course by direct Bible reading and study, as well as by some of the more devotional and expository commentaries. Happy reading!
Genesis
Hamilton, Victor – Genesis, 2 vols. (NICOT)
Matthews, Kenneth – Genesis, 2 vols. (NAC)
Waltke, Bruce – Genesis: A Commentary
Walton, John – Genesis (NIVAC)
Wenham, Gordon – Genesis, 2 vols. (WBC)
Exodus
Childs, Brevard – The Book of Exodus (OTL)
Durham, John – Exodus (WBC)
Enns, Peter – Exodus (NIVAC)
Stuart, Douglas – Exodus (NAC)
Leviticus
Gane, Roy – Leviticus, Numbers (NIVAC)
Harrison, R.K. – Leviticus (TOTC)
Hartley, John – Leviticus (WBC)
Ross, Allen – Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus
Wenham, Gordon – Leviticus (NICOT)
Numbers
Ashley, Timothy – The Book of Numbers (NICOT)
Brown, Raymond – The Message of Numbers (BST)
Cole, Dennis – Numbers (NAC)
Wenham, Gordon – Numbers (TOTC)
Deuteronomy
Christensen, Duane – Deuteronomy, 2 vols. (WBC)
Craigie, P.C. – Book of Deuteronomy (NICOT)
McConville, J.G. – Deuteronomy (AOTC)
Merrill, Eugene – Deuteronomy (NAC)
Wright, Christopher – Deuteronomy (NIBC)
Joshua
Butler, Trent – Joshua (WBC)
Hess, Richard – Joshua (TOTC)
Howard, David – Joshua (NAC)
Woudstra, Marten – Book of Joshua (NIC)
Judges
Block, Daniel – Judges, Ruth (NAC)
Butler, Trent – Judges (WBC)
Cundall, Arthur/Leon Morris – Judges & Ruth (TOTC)
Younger, K. Lawson – Judges/Ruth (NIVAC)
Ruth
Atkinson, David – The Message of Ruth (BST)
Bush, Frederic – Ruth/Esther (WBC)
Campbell, Edward – Ruth (AB)
Hubbard, Robert – The Book of Ruth (NICOT)
1&2 Samuel
Arnold, Bill – 1&2 Samuel (NIVAC)
Firth, David – 1&2 Samuel (AOTC)
Klein, Ralph – 1 Samuel (WBC)
Tsumura, David – The First Book of Samuel (NICOT)
Youngblood, Ronald – 1,2 Samuel (EBC)
1&2 Kings
Hobbs, T.R. – 2 Kings (WBC)
House, Paul – 1,2 Kings (NAC)
Konkel, August – 1&2 Kings (NIVAC)
Provan, Iain – 1,2 Kings (NIBC)
Wiseman, Donald – 1,2 Kings (TOTC)
1&2 Chronicles
Braun, Roddy – 1 Chronicles (WBC)
Dillard, Raymond – 2 Chronicles (WBC)
Hill, Andrew – 1&2 Chronicles (NIVAC)
Selman, Martin – 1,2 Chronicles, 2 vols. (TOTC)
Wilcock, Michael – The Message of Chronicles (BST)
Ezra
Fensham, F. Charles – The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (NICOT)
Kidner, Derek – Ezra & Nehemiah (TOTC)
Levering, Matthew – Ezra, Nehemiah (BTCB)
Williamson, H.G.M. – Ezra, Nehemiah (WBC)
Nehemiah
Fensham, F. Charles – The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (NICOT)
Kidner, Derek – Ezra & Nehemiah (TOTC)
Levering, Matthew – Ezra, Nehemiah (BTCB)
Williamson, H.G.M. – Ezra, Nehemiah (WBC)
Esther
Baldwin, Joyce – Esther (TOTC)
Bush, Frederic – Ruth/Esther (WBC)
Jobes, Karen – Esther (NIVAC)
Job
Alden, Robert – Job (NAC)
Andersen, Francis – Job (TOTC)
Clines, David – Job, 3 vols. (WBC)
Hartley, John – The Book of Job (NICOT)
Wilson, Gerald – Job (NIBC)
Psalms
Goldingay, John – Psalms, 3 vols. (BCOTWP)
Kidner, Derek – Psalms, 2 vols. (TOTC)
Tate, Marvin – Psalms 51-100 (WBC)
VanGemeren, Willem – Psalms (EBC)
Wilson, Gerald – Psalms, vol. 1 (NIVAC)
Proverbs
Koptak, Paul – Proverbs (NIVAC)
Longman, Tremper – Proverbs (BCOTWP)
Murphy, Roland – Proverbs (WBC)
Ross, Allen – Proverbs (EBC)
Waltke, Bruce – Proverbs, 2 vols. (NICOT)
Ecclesiastes
Bartholomew, Craig – Ecclesiastes (BCOTWP)
Hubbard, David – Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (MTOT)
Kidner, Derek – Message of Ecclesiastes (BST)
Longman, Tremper – Ecclesiastes (NICOT)
Song of Songs
Garrett, Duane/Paul House – Song of Songs/Lamentations (WBC)
Gledhill, Tom – The Message of the Song of Songs (BST)
Hess, Richard – Song of Songs (BCOTWP)
Hubbard, David – Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (MTOT)
Longman, Tremper – Song of Songs (NICOT)
Isaiah
Goldingay, John – Isaiah (NIBC)
Motyer, Alec – The Prophecy of Isaiah
Oswalt, John – The Book of Isaiah, 2 vols. (NICOT)
Smith, Gary – Isaiah, 2 vols. (NAC)
Watts, John – Isaiah, 2 vols. (WBC)
Jeremiah
Craigie Peter/Page Kelley/Joel Drinkard – Jeremiah 1-25 (WBC)
Dearman, J. Andrew – Jeremiah/Lamentations (NIVAC)
Harrison, R.K. – Jeremiah & Lamentations (TOTC)
Keown, Gerald/Pamela Scalise/Thomas Smothers – Jeremiah 26-52 (WBC)
Thompson, J.A. – Book of Jeremiah (NICOT)
Lamentations
Dearman, J. Andrew – Jeremiah/Lamentations (NIVAC)
Dobbs-Allsopp, F.W. – Lamentations (Interp)
Garrett, Duane/Paul House – Song of Songs/Lamentations (WBC)
Harrison, R.K. – Jeremiah & Lamentations (TOTC)
Provan, Iain – Lamentations (NCBC)
Ezekiel
Allen, Leslie – Ezekiel, 2 vols. ((WBC)
Block, Daniel – The Book of Ezekiel, 2 vols. (NICOT)
Duguid, Iain – Ezekiel (NIVAC)
Stuart, Douglas – Ezekiel (MTOT)
Daniel
Baldwin, Joyce – Daniel (TOTC)
Goldingay, John – Daniel (WBC)
Longman, Tremper – Daniel (NIVAC)
Lucas, Ernest – Daniel (AOTC)
Hosea
Andersen, Francis/David Freedman – Hosea (AB)
Dearman, J. Andrew – Hosea (NICOT)
Garrett, Duane – Hosea, Joel (NAC)
Hubbard, David – Hosea (TOTC)
McComiskey, Thomas – Hosea, The Minor Prophets, vol. 1
Stuart, Douglas – Hosea – Jonah (WBC)
Joel
Allen, Leslie – Joel, Obadiah, Jonah & Micah (NICOT)
Dillard, Raymond – Joel, The Minor Prophets, vol. 1
Garrett, Duane – Hosea, Joel (NAC)
Hubbard, David – Joel & Amos (TOTC)
Stuart, Douglas – Hosea – Jonah (WBC)
Amos
Hubbard, David – Joel & Amos (TOTC)
McComiskey, Thomas – Amos (EBC)
Mays, James – Amos (OTL)
Smith, Gary – Hosea/Amos/Micah (NIVAC)
Stuart, Douglas – Hosea – Jonah (WBC)
Obadiah
Allen, Leslie – Joel, Obadiah, Jonah & Micah (NICOT)
Baker, David/Desmond Alexander/Bruce Waltke – Obadiah, Jonah, Micah (TOTC)
Niehaus, Jeffrey – Obadiah, The Minor Prophets, vol. 3
Stuart, Douglas – Hosea – Jonah (WBC)
Jonah
Baker, David/Desmond Alexander/Bruce Waltke – Obadiah, Jonah, Micah (TOTC)
Baldwin, Joyce – Jonah, The Minor Prophets, vol. 2
Nixon, Rosemary – The Message of Jonah (BST)
Stuart, Douglas – Hosea – Jonah (WBC)
Micah
Allen, Leslie – Joel, Obadiah, Jonah & Micah (NICOT)
Andersen, Francis/David Freedman – Micah (AB)
McComiskey, Thomas – Micah (EBC)
Waltke, Bruce – A Commentary on Micah
Nahum
Baker, David – Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (TOTC)
Kaiser, Walter – Micah – Malachi (MTOT)
Longman, Tremper – Nahum, The Minor Prophets, vol. 3
Robertson, O. Palmer – Nahum, Habak and Zeph (NICOT)
Habakkuk
Andersen, Francis – Habakkuk (AB)
Bailey, Waylon – Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (NAC)
Baker, David – Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (TOTC)
Robertson, O. Palmer – Nahum, Habak and Zeph (NICOT)
Zephaniah
Baker, David – Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (TOTC)
Kaiser, Walter – Micah – Malachi (MTOT)
Motyer, Alec – Zephaniah, The Minor Prophets, vol. 3
Robertson, O. Palmer – Nahum, Habak and Zeph (NIC)
Haggai
Baldwin, Joyce – Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (TOTC)
Boda, Mark – Haggai, Zechariah (NIVAC)
Kaiser, Walter – Micah – Malachi (MTOT)
Verhoef, Pieter – The Books of Haggai and Malachi (NICOT)
Zechariah
Baldwin, Joyce – Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (TOTC)
Boda, Mark – Haggai, Zechariah (NIVAC)
Kaiser, Walter – Micah – Malachi (MTOT)
McComiskey, Thomas – Zechariah, The Minor Prophets, vol. 3
Malachi
Baldwin, Joyce – Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (TOTC)
Hill, Andrew – Malachi (AB)
Kaiser, Walter – Micah – Malachi (MTOT)
Stuart, Douglas – Malachi, The Minor Prophets, vol. 3
For the NT see here: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2010/07/13/recommended-new-testament-commentaries/
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