Filip Sylwestrowicz

Joyce Baldwin's small volume on Esther frequently makes it to the lists of top commentaries on Esther. Its reputation is well deserved. Baldwin's writing style is readable, clear, succinct and to the point. Despite its modest size, her commentary contains a lot of information. It is particularly strong in helping the reader grasp literary qualities of the book. I also appreciated her excursuses on fasting, vengeance and portions. Baldwin wrote from an evangelical perspective and generally for a broader audience. She comments on Hebrew text but other works should be consulted on linguistic matters. Sadly this commentary is out of print.