Genesis

Mathews’ exceptionally detailed discussion of the biblical text handles disputed passages with sensitivity. His high view of Scripture is reflected throughout his discussion. An important work for pastors to consult. [Full Review]

I was glad that I had Mathews work while preaching through Genesis 1-11. Personally, I favored it over Wenham and Sailhamer. And look forward to continuing to use it if I come back for the rest of Genesis. This commentary has it all. Literary structure and historical discussion, analysis of original language (but transliterated and brief), and a great amount of time spent with the actual text while also exploring the interconnectedness within Scripture, which again, personally I really enjoy. Give me Mathews, Calvin, and Steinmann's small work and I'm covered for Genesis.

My one complaint about this commentary is Matthews' tendency to see allusions in almost everything, even when the evidence is merely a single Hebrew word (which, in my mind, is not in itself sufficient to establish an allusion). Other than that, though, I agree with the other reviewers that this two-volume commentary is outstanding. More up-to-date than Wenham, the commentary dialogues with higher criticism, other historical and modern commentaries, and works of biblical theology, providing fair summaries of the views of others while also promoting its own (relatively conservative) stance. Matthews comments on historical, literary, and theological issues, and as a bonus provides some very interesting excursuses.

Personally, I believe this is the best commentary in the entire NAC series. It is exegetically sound and theologically rich. Matthews is a brilliant exegete and simply skilled at drawing meaning from the text. This two-volume commentary is more technical than most in the NAC series—with some in-depth exegetical discussion—but all of the Hebrew is transliterated. So no worries if Hebrew isn’t your thing. [Full Review]

[Full Review]

I was initially sceptical that I should have this commentary, but now I consider it to be one of the best commentaries I have ever used. Not only is Matthews highly readable, but his research is extremely in depth and his judgments and decisions are more informed than any Genesis commentator that I have read. This volume has the added benefit of very current data being considered. In my opinion, this is not only the top commentary on Genesis, but also a top commentary period.

Along with the complimentary volumn on Genesis by Dr. Matthews, I rank this as one of my favorite commentaries that I own (overall, not just on Genesis). It scores high as being practical, excellent for sermon prep, technical, yet an enjoyable read. NAC has some excellent commentaries and some forgetable ones. These two are in the top three or four.

I loved the first volume of this commentary and have recently received and found useful the second volume as well. I would add that there is much lacking in this commentary. I did not find it as helpful devotionally nor did I find it the best at summarizing the point of a larger segment or drawing application from it. For most commentaries I might consider these deficiencies. But can I really fault a commentary that is over 1500 pages of small print for being lacking in information? No, this commentary is still worthy of 5 stars for what it is and would be a good addition to any library. There is tons of detail and background information. There is good study of the structure and literary artistry in the texts. There is dialog with other authors about the more critical issues of textual formation (thankfully clearly separated out and put in even smaller print for those who do not have an interest in these issues). The book is scholarly but also very readable. To the pastor, I might recommend Ross (Creation and Blessing) first. For the stories of the Patriarchs one should add one or many of the many good studies that have been written on their lives. In summary, Genesis is one of those books where one needs a lot more than one commentary to cover the issues that arise, but Matthews deserves a 5 and is one that deserves its place near the top of one to consult.

In recent years, Broadman & Holman have published a number of excellent commentaries in their New American Commentary series. In 2005, with the publication of the second volume of Kenneth Mathews' commentary on Genesis, they added another outstanding contribution. [Full Review]

Kenneth Mathews' NAC rivals Hamilton and Wenham for depth. I haven't spent much time in it, but I think it's at least nearing their level in quality as well. This is a very underrated commentary, an excellent standout in a pretty good series. He's probably more conservative than either, certainly more than Wenham. Mathews is strong on ancient near eastern background. [Full Review]

This is one of my favorite commentaries and is a model for my selection criteria. Evangelical, scholarly, accessible, and complete without becoming overwhelming. This is a standard by which other commentaries may be judged. Hamilton (NICOT) is also good, but Mathews is great and a bit more current. [Full Review]

Most up to date. [Full Review]