The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1–39
The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1–39
The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1–39
Semi-technical
Evangelical

The Book of Isaiah

in New International Commentary on the Old Testament

by John N. Oswalt

4.65 Rank Score: 7.45 from 19 reviews, 10 featured collections, and 31 user libraries
The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 1–39
Pages 759
Publisher Eerdmans
Published 1/1/1986
ISBN-13 9780802825292
The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40–66
Pages 755
Publisher Eerdmans
Published 1/1/1998
ISBN-13 9780802825346

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Oswalt’s NICOT commentary carefully balances the book’s structure, the flow of thought of each passage, and exegetical nuggets from the original language to support its interpretive decisions. Oswalt is fabulous on verse-by-verse details. [Full Review]
DrRobert DrRobert October 2, 2022
Having enjoyed Block's commentary on Ezekiel in the same series, I was disappointed to find this on Isaiah such extremely hard work. If you want a study of textual variants, disputed authorships and scholarly controversies, this may be for you (although somewhat out of date). But if you want a warm, encouraging, challenging commentary that helps you understand the dilemmas, choices, fear and faith of Isaiah and his contemporaries, and which strengthens your trust in God, then Barry Webb's BST volume is much more helpful. We wait eagerly for the forthcoming volume on Isaiah by Peter Gentry in the Zondervan Exegetical commentary series.
Fred Fred February 25, 2020
I am teaching a Bible Study on Isaiah and this and the NIVAC commentary are by far the most helpful and seem to be well-balanced and faithful to the text. It is also one of the few commentaries that improperly doesn't read into the text of Isaiah 18 as a judgement against Ethiopia just because it has the word "Woe/Ah" at the beginning.
A.E. Carnehl A.E. Carnehl September 12, 2014
Oswalt's Isaiah commentary in NICOT is excellent. He writes from a refreshingly conservative and evangelical point of view. His comments are always very thorough without being complicated or recondite. This is a very fine commentary that will be used by pastors and church workers for decades and decades.
Tim Challies Tim Challies January 6, 2014
Like Motyler, Oswalt has written multiple volumes on Isaiah. His contribution to the NIVAC is regarded as top-notch but this, his entry in the NICOT, is far more thorough. Keith Mathison says, “The completion of John Oswalt’s commentary on Isaiah in 1998 was a major blessing to the Christian church. This work, which replaced E. J. Young’s older three-volume commentary on Isaiah in the NICOT series, is a model of careful evangelical scholarship. It should be on the desk of every student of the Old Testament.” [Full Review]
JD JD August 29, 2013
Oswalt is one of the best commentaries on Isaiah that I've encountered. His work is scholarly and thorough, but written in a way that is easy to read and understand.
Mark Underkofler Mark Underkofler November 10, 2012
Beautifully written commentary that reads like a Christian living book while having the depth of a strong exegetical commentary. He has worked carefully with the text in detail without losing track of the big themes and moves of the book. He holds to Isaiah authorship for the entire book. One of the best commentaries on any book of the Bible for the pastor or student seeking to understand the Scriptures for preaching, teaching, personal study or research. Strength- Easy to read and written at the level of the pastor or college student to understand and preach/teach this book. Weakness- Not as strong interacting with the more recent higher criticism issues in scholarship today.
The completion of John Oswalt's commentary on Isaiah in 1998 was a major blessing to the Christian church. This work, which replaced E. J. Young's older three-volume commentary on Isaiah in the NICOT series, is a model of careful evangelical scholarship. It should be on the desk of every student of the Old Testament. It should be consulted along with Motyer. Oswalt has also written a less technical commentary on Isaiah for the NIV Application Commentary series. This volume does not replace the larger two-volume work, but it will be of use to busy pastors. [Full Review]
John Glynn John Glynn September 20, 2008
Jim Rosscup Jim Rosscup September 20, 2008
Brian LeStourgeon Brian LeStourgeon July 29, 2008
Oswalt is the recognized evangelical work of choice. I also highly recommend Motyer’s The Prophecy of Isaiah (IVP, 1993 – not the abridged 1999 version) for its literary insights.
Best evangelical commentary on Isaiah. I enjoyed Oswalt's commentary on Isaiah 1-39 while leading a Bible study on it. It's the most comprehensive conservative evangelical commentary, much better than its predecessor in the series by E.J. Young. I share more theologically with Young and Alec Motyer's commentary, but Oswalt is balanced most of the time and presents so much more information that I wouldn't want to use either of the others without his... [Full Review]
Solid Evangelical exposition of the biblical text. Introduction could be stronger. [Full Review]