Biblical Commentaries Online
Links updated February 2008
Advice and Reviews
Commentaries
- Calvin's Commentaries. English translation of the famous reformer's commentaries. Also here.
- Matthew Henry's Commentary. The best resource I know for traditional Protestant interpretation and application.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary. A good concise commentary, much less full than Calvin's or Henry's, but more recent. Also here. Download it in a variety of formats here.
- The People's New Testament. A commentary by the Disciples of Christ scholar Barton W. Johnson, first published in 1891. Contains Arminian interpretations, in line with the theology of the American "restoration movement," but otherwise very helpful, with introductions and appendixes. Also here.
- John Wesley's Notes on the Bible provide a concise commentary from an Arminian perspective, though the doctrines peculiar to Arminianism are not emphasized. The notes for the New Testament were originally published as part of Wesley's New Testament.
- John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible. Though dated in some respects, Gill's (strongly Calvinistic) commentary is especially helpful for theological exposition. Also here.
- Classic Bible Commentaries, courtesy of E-Word Today. Includes commentaries of Gill, Jamieson-Faussett-Brown, John Lightfoot, Ben Johnson, Matthew Henry, McGarvey and Pendleton, and Luther (Galatians). Also the notes of Darby, Wesley, and the Geneva Bible.
- e-Catena. By Peter Kirby. References to the New Testament culled from the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers. Very helpful for students who want to know how the text was interpreted in ancient times.
- An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, by Charles Hodge (1860).
- An Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, by Charles Hodge (1862).
- The Minor Prophets: A Commentary Explanatory and Practical. By Edward B. Pusey. Conservative and devotional in tone, but with good scholarly substance.
- A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Proverbs, by Crawford Howell Toy.
- The Epistles of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, Galatians and Romans, Translation and Commentary by the late Benjamin Jowett, M.A. 3rd edition, edited and condensed by Lewis Campbell (London: John Murray, 1894). Facsimile PDF format.
- Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, by Dr. Gijs van den Brink (1997). A good conservative and up-to-date commentary, based on the NIV.
- Barnes' Notes on the New Testament. A conservative commentary on the New Testament by an American Presbyterian, Albert Barnes (1832). Also here.
- Expository Notes. By Thomas L. Constable, Senior Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. PDF files for each book of the Bible, giving much helpful background information.
- Notes on the Greek New Testament. By Peter Misselbrook. Brief commentary on all the books of the New Testament designed for students who have some Greek. Consists mostly of quotations drawn from recent commentaries by conservative scholars.
- Word Studies in the New Testament by Marvin Vincent. A very useful resource for teachers. Vincent goes through the entire New Testament briefly noting interesting details about words and phrases. First published in 1886.
- Word Pictures in the New Testament by A.T. Robertson. Similar to Vincent's earlier work, but more up to date in scholarship and more technical. First published in 1933. The work is also available with its prefaces here, and in smaller (and advertising-heavy) files here.
- IVP New Testament Commentaries at Bible Gateway. A collection of brief and casual commentaries from a moderately conservative perspective, recently published by InterVarsity Press. Currently available online are: Matthew (Craig S. Keener); Luke (Darrell L. Bock); John (Rodney A. Whitacre); Acts (William J. Larkin); 2 Cor (Linda L. Belleville); Galatians (G. Walter Hansen); Philippians (Gordon D. Fee); Colossains (Robert W. Wall); 1 Tim (Philip H. Towner); Philemon (Robert W. Wall); Titus (Philip H. Towner); James (George M. Stulac); 1,2,3 John (Marianne Meye Thompson); and Revelation (J. Ramsey Michaels).
- Coffman's Commentaries. Conservative and devotional commentary on the whole Bible by a Church of Christ scholar, James Burton Coffman. Useful for beginning students, but rather florid in style, and theologically Arminian.
- William Barclay's Commentaries on the New Testament, as revised by James Martin in the 1970's. Barclay is somewhat liberal in places, but generally conservative. Read more about him here. His commentaries are mostly on the devotional side, and a good source for sermon illustrations and practical comments.
- Adam Clarke's Commentaries. Conservative and Arminian.
- John Lightfoot's Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica. Notices many parallels in early Jewish writings that help to explain the New Testament. Also here.
- Expositions of Holy Scripture by Alexander Maclaren (1908). We might call this a devotional commentary, but it is written on a much higher level than most devotional works. It consists of expository essays on most of the Bible.
- Commentary on Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians and Romans, by J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton (1916).
- Romans Verse-by-Verse, by William R. Newell (Moody Press, 1938). A good solid commentary for laymen, by a famous teacher at Moody Bible Institute.
- The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Not really a commentary, but a collection of cross-references for every verse of the Bible. Scripture is its own best interpreter!
- Bengel's ‘Gnomon of the New Testament’ in English — Johann Albrecht Bengel, Gnomon of the New Testament, trans. By C.T. Lewis and M. R. Vincent (Philadelphia: Perkinpine & Higgins, 1864): vol. 1 (Gospels and Acts); vol. 2 (Romans to Revelation).
- Bengel's ‘Gnomon of the New Testament’ in Latin — Johann Albrecht Bengel, D. Joh. Alberti Bengelii Gnomon Novi Testamenti. Third edition, edited by Ernest Bengel and Johann Steudel (London: Williams and Norgate, 1862).
- Macknight on the Epistles. — James Macknight, A New Literal Translation from the Original Greek, of All the Apostolical Epistles; with a Commentary and Notes, Philological, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical; to which is added a History of the Life of the Apostle Paul. New Edition (Philadelphia: Thomas Wardle, 1841).
- George Campbell's ‘Four Gospels’ — George Campbell, The Four Gospels, Translated from the Greek, with Preliminary Dissertations, and Notes Critical and Explanatory. 4 vols. (Boston: W. Wells, 1811): Vol. 1; Vol. 2; Vol. 3; Vol. 4. Also, the same work in a later two-volume edition (Andover: Gould and Newman, 1837): Vol. 1 (also here); Vol. 2.
- Delitzsch on Isaiah — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Prophecies of Isaiah, trans. by James Martin. 2 vols. (1873): vol. 1; vol. 2.
- John Locke's Paraphrase and Commentary on the Epistles of St. Paul — A Paraphrase and Notes on the Epistles of St. Paul to the Galatians, First and Second Corinthians, Romans, and Ephesians, to which is prefixed an Essay for the Understanding of St. Paul's Epistles, in vol. 8 of The Works of John Locke. A New Edition, Corrected (London: Thomas Tegg, 1823). Also in a reprint (Boston: Hilliard, Gray and Co. , 1832) here. First published in parts, beginning in 1705.
- An Old Testament commentary for English readers, by various writers, edited by Charles J. Ellicott, 5 vols. (London: Cassell, 1882-3): vol. 1; vol. 2; vol 3; vol. 4; vol. 5.
- A New Testament commentary for English readers, by various writers, edited by Charles J. Ellicott, 3 vols. (London: Cassell, 1884): vol. 1 (Gospels); vol. 2 (Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians); vol. 3 (Ephesians to Revelation).
- English translation of the commentaries of Heinrich A. W. Meyer: on
Matthew;
Mark and Luke;
John;
Acts;
Romans;
1st and 2nd Corinthians;
Galatians;
Ephesians.
- A Commentary on the Original Text of the Acts of the Apostles, by Horatio B. Hackett (Boston: John P. Jewett and Co., 1852). second edition, 1858.
- Eadie's commentary on Philippians — John Eadie, A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1869). Second edition, edited by W. Young (1884).
- A.T. Robertson on Matthew — A. T. Robertson, Commentary on the Gospel According to Matthew (1911). Also here.
- Charles J. Ellicott on the Epistles of Paul —
Pastoral Epistles (1856);
Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon (3rd. ed., 1865);
1 and 2 Thessalonians (1858), 4th ed. (1880);
Ephesians (3rd. ed., 1864), 4th ed. (1868);
Galatians (1854), 2nd ed. (1859, also here), 3rd ed. (1863, also at the Internet Archive here).
- International Critical Commentary —
Driver on Deuteronomy (1903);
Moore on Judges (1895, 1910);
Smith on 1 and 2 Samuel (1899, 1902);
Barton on Ecclesiastes (1908, also here);
Harper on Amos and Hosea (1905);
Paton on Esther (1908);
Allen on Matthew (1907);
Gould on Mark (1896);
Plummer on Luke (6th ed., 1903);
Sanday and Headlam on Romans (1895, 7th ed. 1902, ninth ed. 1904, 10th ed. 1905);
Plummer on 2 Corinthians (1915, also here);
Burton on Galatians (1920);
Abbott on Ephesians and Colossians (1897, 1903);
Vincent on Philippians and Philemon (1897);
Frame on 1st and 2nd Thessalonians (1912);
Ropes on James (1916);
Bigg on the Epistles of Peter and Jude (1903, also here);
Charles on Revelation, vol. 1, vol. 2 (1920).
- The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges —
Maclear on Joshua (1897);
Lias on Judges (1896);
Kirkpatrick on 2nd Samuel (1890);
Lumby on 1st Kings (1886);
Lumby on 2nd Kings (1891);
Barnes on 1st and 2nd Chronicles (1899);
Davidson on Job (1884);
Kirkpatrick on Psalms (1906) Cf. also the separate volumes
Psalms 1-41 (1901),
Psalms 42-89 (1900, also here),
Psalms 90-150 (1903, also here);
Perowne on Proverbs (1899);
Plumptre on Ecclesiastes (1888);
Harper on the Song of Solomon (1902);
Skinner on Isaiah,
chaps. 1-39 (1897),
chaps. 40-66 (1898);
Davidson on Ezekiel (1893);
Driver on Daniel (1900);
Cheyne on Hosea (1884);
Driver on Joel and Amos (1898);
Perowne on Obadiah and Jonah (1889);
Cheyne on Micah (1882);
Davidson on Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah (1896);
Perowne on Haggai and Zechariah (1890);
Carr on Matthew (1893);
Maclear on Mark (1893);
Farrar on Luke (1891);
Plummer on John (1902);
Lumby on Acts (1891);
Moule on Romans (1891);
Lias on 1st Corinthians (1896);
Lias on 2nd Corinthians (1897);
Perowne on Galatians (1896);
Moule on Ephesians (1891);
Moule on Philippians (1893);
Moule on Colossians and Philemon (1898);
Findlay on 1st and 2nd Thessalonians (1898);
Humphreys on 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus (1895);
Farrar on Hebrews (1891);
Plumptre on James (1890);
Plumptre on 1st and 2nd Peter and Jude (1890);
Plummer on the Epistles of John (1889, cf. also the revised edition of 1896);
Simcox on the Revelation of John (1894).
- J.B. Lightfoot on Galatians — Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galatians; A Revised Text with Introductions, Notes, and Dissertations by Joseph Barber Lightfoot;
1st ed. (London: MacMillan, 1865);
2nd ed. (1866);
3rd ed. (1869);
4th ed. (1874, also here).
- J.B. Lightfoot on Philippians — St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians: A Revised Text with Introduction and Notes by Joseph Barber Lightfoot, 3rd ed. (1873, also here).
- J.B. Lightfoot on Colossians and Philemon — St. Paul's Epistles to the Colossians & to Philemon: A Revised Text with Introduction and Notes by Joseph Barber Lightfoot, 2nd ed. (1876).
- C.J. Vaughan on Philippians — St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, with Translation, Paraphrase, and Notes, for English Readers, by Charles John Vaughan (London: MacMillan, 1885).
- Plummer on Matthew — An Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to S. Matthew by Alfred Plummer (London: Elliot Stock, 1910).
- Godet's Commentary on Luke — Frederic Louis Godet, A Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke By F. Godet, translated from the second french edition by E. W. Shalders and M.D. Cusin (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1875); vol.1 (also here); vol. 2.
- Godet's Commentary on Romans — Frederic Louis Godet, Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, by F. Godet, translated from the French by Rev. A. Cusin, the translation revised and edited with an Introduction and Appendix by Talbot W. Chambers (New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1883).
- The Expositor's Greek Testament (1903) — vol. 3 (2 Cor., Gal., Eph., Phil., Col.).
- Alford’s ‘New Testament for English Readers’ — The New Testament for English Readers: Containing the Authorized Version, with Marginal Corrections of Readings and Renderings, Marginal References, and a Critical and Explanatory Commentary, by Henry Alford, D.D., Dean of Canterbury (London: Rivingtons, 1866; 2nd ed. 1868):
Matthew, Mark, Luke (1868, also here);
John, Acts (1863);
Epistles of Paul (1865, also here);
Hebrews, Catholic Epistles, and Revelation (1866).
- Peloubet on Acts — The Teachers' Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, by Francis N. Peloubet (Oxford, 1901).
- Mayor on Jude and 2 Peter — The Epistle of St. Jude and the Second Epistle of St. Peter; Greek Text with Introduction, Notes, and Comments, by Joseph B. Mayor (London: Macmillan, 1907).
- Hodge on Romans — Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans by Charles Hodge, New Edition (Philadelphia: Martien, 1864).
