The Prophecy of Isaiah

Motyer remains my first choice for a single commentary on Isaiah. He combines close attention to the Hebrew text with an unusually persuasive account of the literary and theological unity of all sixty-six chapters, and his famous movement from the King to the Servant to the Anointed Conqueror gives readers a memorable framework without reducing the complexity of the book. His treatment is consistently evangelical and Christological, but normally grows out of sustained engagement with Isaiah itself rather than simply importing New Testament conclusions. At times his structural proposals and messianic readings can be more confident than the evidence demands, and more technical works should be consulted on difficult philological questions. Even so, very few commentaries combine originality, exegetical insight, theological depth and usefulness for teaching or preaching so successfully. If I could own only one commentary on Isaiah, this would still be it.

Motyer’s masterwork. As Longman observes “It is thoroughly researched and thought-out. It represents the best of a conservative evangelical approach to the book at the end of the twentieth century.” Despite some weaknesses in its dated format, the commentary is so well-written it can be read straight through devotionally. Motyer provides careful linguistic and poetic analysis as well as clear outlines that would translate easily for preaching/teaching. His focus is on giving an apologetic for Isaiah’s unity and pre-exilic date, and on expounding its rich inter-textual connections and theology. Highly recommended. [Full Review]

Motyer's knowledge and profound insights shine through. What adjective best describes this commentary? Brilliant comes to mind! Highly recommended.

Writing a single volume commentary on Isaiah and doing it well is an unenviable task. Motyer has pulled it off well. He balances detail with readability well. You don't feel like he's passing over anything important, but it isn't hampered by every minute piece of data. This is a commendable volume, useful for people at varying levels of formal training (though targeted, it seems, more for those with at least some training; pastors and college or seminary students).

Motyer has written a couple of commentaries on Isaiah; this is the longer and better of the two and should not be confused with his contribution to the Tyndale Commentary on the Old Testament (though that one is also worth consulting). It is widely regarded as the best, or at least one of the best, commentaries on Isaiah and a must for any theological library. Tremper Longman says, “It represents the best of conservative evangelical approach to the book at the end of the twentieth century” and praises it for being well-researched, well thought-out, and especially helpful in theological matters. [Full Review]

The best commentary on Isaiah, hands down, is Motyer's stand alone volume published by InterVarsity Press. It is semi-technical, so those who are not trained in the biblical languages may find some sections more difficult than others, but the wealth of exegetical insight is worth the effort. For those who would like to gain the benefits of Motyer's work without the technicalities, he has also contributed the volume on Isaiah to the Tyndale series. This smaller volume is not simply a summary of the larger work. Motyer went back to the text, and this smaller volume contains many helpful insights not found in the larger work. [Full Review]

A heavier and more detailed study than his commentary in the TOTC.

This would be my choice for a lean and useful technical commentary. It is in the top three on Isaiah. There is depth of insight and evenness in style here that is not often found in today's market (last 2 decades).

Attention to textual details within the literary structure of the book. Evangelical. [Full Review]