Online Commentaries

The Westminster Confession states, “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all: yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them” (WCF 1.7). This means that there are portions of Scripture that are difficult to understand and interpret. Thankfully, God has gifted the church with teachers to assist the saints in understanding the Bible (Eph. 4:11-13). One way these teachers have done this is by writing commentaries on the books of the Bible. There are many helpful commentaries online that are in the public domain (i.e. free). StudyLight.org provides a large list of online commentaries; some are good, and some are not so good. We have selected some commentaries that, by and large, provide sound doctrine and exegesis. The Scriptures are infallible, but men are not; therefore, the reader should be a Berean and “examine the Scriptures daily” to see whether the things written by the commentators match what is written in the Scriptures.

Whole Bible Commentaries

John Calvin’s Commentary on the Bible
John Gill’s Exposition of the Whole Bible
Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary on the Bible

Partial Bible Commentaries

Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
John Lightfoot’s Commentary on the Gospels

Individual Book Commentaries

Charles Spurgeon’s Treasury of David (Psalms)
Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians
John Owen’s Exposition of Hebrews

Commentary Lists

Best Commentaries Website

It is often hard to know which commentaries one should buy for a particular book of the Bible. Thankfully, there are some good websites out there to help take the guesswork out of the process. BestCommentaries.com is a helpful resource because it has collected scholarly reviews and averaged them to provide their visitors with reviews and ratings that assist in making informed purchases. You can search their complete lists book by book, or you can narrow your search down to their top 2 commentaries for each book. They also have lists provided by scholars Tremper Longman III (Old Testament) and D.A. Carson (New Testament). We have provided links below for your convenience.

BestCommentaries.com Old Testament Commentaries
BestCommentaries.com New Testament Commentaries
BestCommentaries.com Top 2 Commentaries for Each Book of the Bible
Tremper Longman, III’s Old Testament List
D.A. Carson’s New Testament List

Ligonier’s List

Ligonier Ministries (R.C. Sproul) provides a list of their top five commentary recommendations for each book of the Bible. You can browse this list by clicking here. If you find a commentary that is on the top 2 of BestCommentaries.com and on the Ligonier top 5, it is a good indication that it is worth buying.

Desiring God’s List

Desiring God Ministries (John Piper) also provides a list of their top commentary recommendations. You can search their list by clicking here.

Tim Challies’ List

Tim Challies gives a list on his blog that include his top 5 recommendations on many books of the Bible. His list focuses on newer commentaries because many of the older ones are available online for free. You can consult his list by clicking here.

Reformed Books Online

For those who like the older stuff, ReformedBooksOnline.com provides a list of Puritan commentators. You can access their list by clicking here.

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