The Book of Ezekiel

Block’s two-volume NICOT commentary is, in my view, the best all-round commentary on Ezekiel. It combines exceptionally detailed exegesis of the Hebrew text with literary sensitivity, historical and ancient Near Eastern background, theological depth, and sustained attention to the book in its final form. Block is not merely synthesizing previous scholarship: many of his structural, literary, and theological readings are genuinely constructive, particularly his treatment of Ezekiel’s visions, the reuse and development of earlier material within the book, Gog, the Davidic hope, and the temple vision. He also avoids both excessive redactional fragmentation and simplistic literalism, while remaining consistently useful for preaching and biblical theology. The sheer size can make it demanding to use, but if I could own only one major commentary on Ezekiel, this would be it. An outstanding commentary and an easy 5/5.

A masterful work that does justice to the nuance of the text. [Full Review]

A useful work in the evangelical stream

Block’s commentary is thorough but not dense. He deals with the text so closely that nothing is overlooked, but he doesn’t dwell there, often zooming right out to look at the book’s big picture as well. While there are other excellent commentaries on Ezekiel, the commentators on the commentaries are unanimous in their praise and most rate this one as the most important work on the book, and a must-have for anyone who wishes to preach through it. [Full Review]

It is difficult to decide between the commentaries by Block and Duguid (See #2 below), but because of its comprehensiveness, I have to consider Block's commentary the most helpful overall. His massive commentary deals with every individual text in detail, but also steps back to discuss the theological implications of each major passage. There are also a number of helpful excursuses on a variety of important topics. Very highly recommended. [Full Review]

Technical and thorough. However, his 'Theological Implications' are proportionally brief. Though a wealth of information, a busy pastor may find Duguid a more helpful tool.

This is one of the best modern commentaries on any biblical book. It is engaging, insightful, scholarly, complete, and useful. Pricey, yes, but worth it. You may never need another commentary on Ezekiel.

The most comprehensive study of the book available, it incorporates a wealth of linguistic and ancient Near Eastern comparative knowledge. [Full Review]