The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

Whilst the interest in/focus on the development of Judaism may slightly reduce this commentary’s utility to the average preacher, I do think that it is a thorough and helpful commentary if read with discernment – not least as Harrington helps notes of God’s sovereignty/intimacy, the importance of prayer/lament/worship/family and other things sing clearly. Unlike some commentaries, it held my attention throughout, whether I agreed or not, and with the expection of the very long excursus noted above, the tangents followed were generally brief and interesting enough to not be too distracting. I will certainly have it to hand when working on Ezra/Nehemiah, and were I to preach on either, this would be quick off the shelf with Kidner and Moore. It almost feels unneccessary to allude to the excellenct production Eerdmans make of these NICOT volumes – but it is a pleasure to use. My concern/quibble at the outset about how high a view of scripture is employed here is worth noting again – not necessarily as a negative, but as an observation that this is a different kind of commentary than many readers of this blog might be looking for. That said, if you want a reasonably technical, well put together, carefully researched and spiritually-engaged commentary on Ezra/Nehemiah, then this is an excellent choice. In going back over my notes whilst writing the review, I was reminded that it was a pleasure to read, opened up these two books of Scripture to me, and that is pretty impressive for a 500+ page commentary! [Full Review]