Which commentaries are the best...especially for upper-level undergrads and graduate students? The top 2 to 4 commentaries for each book of the Bible are listed below. The "top" selections have been designated as such primarily by resource guides, such as Tremper Longman's Old Testament Commentary Survey, and by scholarly bibliographies, such as Raymond Brown's An Introduction to the New Testament. ** For complete listings, please refer to the guide shelved in REFERENCE (REF BS 491.2 .O57). The titles in each group are organized by author's last name and not by quality ranking.

Old Testament
New Testament

GENESIS
Brueggemann (Interpretation)
Von Rad (Old Testament Library)
Wenham (Word Biblical Commentary), 2 volumes
Westermann (Continental Commentary), 3 volumes

EXODUS
Childs (Old Testament Library)
Durham (Word Biblical Commentary)
Fretheim (Interpretation)

LEVITICUS
Hartley (Word Biblical Commentary)
Milgrom, chs. 1-16 (Anchor Bible)
Wenham (New International Commentary on the OT)

NUMBERS
Ashley (New International Commentary on the OT)
Budd (Word Biblical Commentary)
Wenham (Tyndale OT Commentary)

DEUTERONOMY
Craigie (New International Commentary on the OT)
Miller (Interpretation)
Weinfeld, chs. 1-11 (Anchor Bible)

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JOSHUA
Boling (Anchor Bible)
Butler (Word Biblical Commentary)
Woudstra (New International Commentary on the OT)

JUDGES
Boling (Anchor Bible)
Cundall & Morris (Tyndale OT Commentary)

RUTH
Campbell (Anchor Bible)
Hubbard (New International Commentary on the OT)

SAMUEL
Anderson, 2nd Sam. (Word Biblical Commentary)
Brueggemann (Interpretation)
Klein, 1st Sam. (Word Biblical Commentary)
McCarter (Anchor Bible), 2 volumes

KINGS
Cogan & Tadmore, 2 Kings (Anchor Bible)
Hobbs, 2 Kings (Word Biblical Commentary)
Jones (New Century Bible Commentary)
Nelson (Interpretation)
Wiseman (Tyndale OT Commentary)

CHRONICLES
Braun, 1 Chronicles (Word Biblical Commentary)
Dillard, 2 Chronicles (Word Biblical Commentary)
Japhet (Old Testament Library)
Williamson (New Century Bible Commentary)

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EZRA - NEHEMIAH
Blenkinsopp (Old Testament Library)
Williamson (Word Biblical Commentary)

ESTHER
Baldwin (Tyndale OT Commentary)
Moore (Anchor Bible)

JOB
Clines, chs. 1-20 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Habel (Old Testament Library)

PSALMS
Allen, ps. 101-150 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Craigie, ps. 1-50 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Kidner (Tyndale OT Commentary), 2 volumes
Tate, ps 51-100 (Word Biblical Commentary)

PROVERBS
Kidner (Tyndale OT Commentary)
McKane (Old Testament Library)

ECCLESIASTES
Crenshaw (Old Testament Library)
Whybray (New Century Bible Commentary)

SONG OF SONGS
Keel (Continental Commentary)
Murphy (Hermeneia)
Pope (Anchor Bible)

ISAIAH
Clements, chs. 1-39 (New Century Bible Commentary)
Oswalt, chs. 1-39 (New International Commentary on the OT)
Seitz, chs. 1-39 (Interpretation)
Watts (Word Biblical Commentary), 2 volumes

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JEREMIAH
Clements (Interpretation)
Holladay (Hermeneia), 2 volumes
Thompson (New International Commentary on the OT)

LAMENTATIONS
Hillers (Anchor Bible)
Provan (New Century Bible Commentary)

EZEKIEL
Allen, chs. 20-48 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Brownlee, chs. 1-19 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Greenberg, chs. 1-20 (Anchor Bible)
Zimmerli (Hermeneia), 2 volumes

DANIEL
Collins (Hermeneia)
Goldingay (Word Biblical Commentary)
Towner (Interpretation)

MINOR PROPHETS
Achtemeier, Nah.-Mal. (Interpretation)
Allen, Joel, Ob., Jon., Micah (New International Commentary on the OT)
Limburg, Hos.-Micah (Interpretation)
Stuart, Hos.-Jonah (Word Biblical Commentary)

HOSEA
Anderson & Freedman (Anchor Bible)
Mays (Old Testament Library)
Wolff (Hermeneia)

JOEL
Crenshaw (Anchor Bible)
Wolff (Hermeneia)

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AMOS
Mays (Old Testament Library)
Paul (Hermeneia)
Wolff (Hermeneia)

OBADIAH
Watts (Cambridge Bible Commentary)
Wolff (Continental Commentary)

JONAH
Sasson (Anchor Bible)
Wolff (Continental Commentary)

MICAH
Hillers (Hermeneia)
Mays (Old Testament Library)
Wolff (Continental Commentary)

NAHUM, HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH
Berlin (Anchor Bible)
Roberts (Old Testament Library)
Robertson (New International Commentary on the OT)

HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH, MALACHI
Meyers & Meyers (Anchor Bible)
Petersen (Old Testament Library)
Verhoef (New International Commentary on the OT)

MATTHEW
Allison & Davies (International Critical Commentary), 3 volumes
Hagner (Word Biblical Commentary), 2 volumes
Hill (New Century Bible Commentary)

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MARK
Cranfield (Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary)
Guelich, ch. 1-8 (Word Biblical Commentary)
Hooker (Black's NT Commentary)
Lane (New International Commentary on the NT)

LUKE
Danker (Jesus & the New Age)
Fitzmyer (Anchor Bible), 2 volumes
Johnson (Sacra Pagina)
Marshall (New International Greek Testament Commentary)

JOHN
Barrett (1978)
Beasley-Murray (Word Biblical Commentary)
Brown (Anchor Bible), 2 volumes
Morris (New International Commentary on the NT)
Schnackenburg, 3 volumes

ACTS
Barrett (International Critical Commentary)
Bruce (New International Commentary on the NT)
Haenchen (1971)
Marshall (Tyndale NT Commentary)

ROMANS
Barrett (Black's NT Commentary)
Dunn (Word Biblical Commentary), 2 volumes
Fitzmyer (Anchor Bible)
Moo (New International Commentary on the NT)

1 CORINTHIANS
Fee (New International Commentary on the NT)
Barrett (Black's NT Commentary)
Conzelmann (Hermeneia)

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2 CORINTHIANS
Barrett (Black's NT Commentary)
Furnish (Anchor Bible)
Martin (Word Biblical Commentary)
Thrall (International Critical Commentary), 2 volumes

GALATIANS
Betz (Hermeneia)
Bruce (New International Greek Testament Commentary)
Longenecker (Word Biblical Commentary)

EPHESIANS
Barth (Anchor Bible), 2 volumes
Lincoln (Word Biblical Commentary)

PHILIPPIANS
Hawthorne (Word Biblical Commentary)
O'Brien (New International Greek Testament Commentary)

COLOSSIANS & PHILEMON
Lohse (Hermeneia)
O'Brien (Word Biblical Commentary)
Schweizer (Colossians)

THESSALONIANS
Best (Harper's NT Commentary)
Bruce (Word Biblical Commentary)
Marshall (New Century Bible Commentary)
Wanamaker (New International Greek Testament Commentary)

PASTORAL EPISTLES
Dibelius & Conzelmann (Hermeneia)
Fee (New International Bible Commentary)
Houlden (Harper's NT Commentary)
Kelly (Black's NT Commentary)
Knight (New International Greek Testament Commentary)
Quinn, Titus (Anchor Bible)

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HEBREWS
Attridge (Hermeneia)
Bruce (New International Commentary on the NT)
Lane (Word Biblical Commentary)

JAMES
Davids (New International Greek Testament Commentary)
Johnson (Anchor Bible)
Laws (Harper's NT Commentary)
Martin (Word Biblical Commentary)

1 PETER
Davids (New International Commentary on the NT)
Goppelt (1978, 1993)
Kelly (Black's NT Commentary)
Michaels (Word Biblical Commentary)

2 PETER & JUDE
Bauckham (Word Biblical Commentary)
Green (Tyndale NT Commentary)
Kelly (Harper's NT Commentary)
Neyrey (Anchor Bible)

LETTERS OF JOHN
Brown (Anchor Bible)
Marshall (New International Commentary on the NT)
Smalley (Word Biblical Commentary)

REVELATION
Beasley-Murray (New Century Bible Commentary)
Caird (Harper's NT Commentary)
Mounce (New International Commentary on the NT)

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