Recommended Resources on Exodus, Part 4: Exegetical Commentaries (Timothy Raymond)

I continue to labor away, preaching though the book of Exodus.  I’ve passed the one year mark and am still in chapter 20, and while that may seem like a long time in one book, both my congregation and I have found the series incredibly helpful and edifying.  I’m convinced that Exodus is one of the most important books to master in the entire Bible, as it sets the stage for the entire story line of Scripture and gives us all the major categories for understanding the work of Jesus. (In case anybody is curious, here’s a link to all my sermons thus far.)

In preparing this series, the Lord’s enabled me to do an unusual amount of research into Exodus and I’m sharing the fruits of my studies with you, my brother-pastors, in the hopes of equipping you to more effectively preach this pivotal book of the Bible.  Today I’ll be pointing you to the most helpful exegetical commentaries I’ve discovered on Exodus.  (For previous installments in this series, go here, here, and here).

EP Study Commentary: Exodus, Volumes 1 & 2 by John D. Currid

While better known for his works on archaeology and ANE backgrounds, Currid, Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, is a very competent commentator, especially on the Torah. When I preached through Genesis several years ago, his volumes on Genesis became my go-to commentaries for understanding and applying that book.  The situation is similar with Exodus in that Currid has produced a commentary which excels in exegesis, cultural background, theological reflection, and practical application.  Had I not discovered Mackay’s commentary (see below), this would be my favorite all-round Exodus commentary.

Exodus: A Mentor Commentary by John L. Mackay

In preaching through books of the Bible, I almost always find myself drawn to one commentary in particular as a must-read, foundational commentary, one that I’ll always peruse no matter how pressed for time I may be. For Exodus, this is the one.  Mackay, former Principal of the Free Church College, Edinburgh, professor of Old Testament, and author of several commentaries on Old Testament books, has written a volume on Exodus which is clear, unashamedly evangelical, gently Calvinistic, supported by the best scholarship, attuned to contemporary application, interestingly written, and about perfect length.  If you’re only going to buy one exegetical commentary on Exodus, make it this one.

The Book of Exodus: A Critical, Theological Commentary, by Brevard Childs

Some of you may be surprised to find Child’s name included in this list. Childs wasn’t an evangelical but apparently a very conservative mainline Protestant who worked amongst liberals (sort of like a Bruce Metzger-type).  This commentary on Exodus is one of the most impressive commentaries I’ve ever used of any kind and covers just about everything you could ever imagine: exegesis, linguistics, various types of criticism, inter-canonical connections, biblical theology, systematic theology, New Testament trajectories, even summaries of post-biblical history of interpretation (from both Jewish and Christian perspectives).  It’s hard to believe one man created such a vast work.  Be careful of the sections entitled “Literary and Traditio-Historical Problems” (I just skip over those), but I’ve found this commentary a joyto read, thoroughly helpful, and have quoted it to my congregation more than once.  (If you’re curious why I’d recommend Childs but not Peter Enns on Exodus, see this post.)

Lord willing, in my next installment in this series I intend to recommend a few pastoral/applicatory commentaries on Exodus. After that, I intend to conclude this series with a post on some resources on the Tabernacle.

I’ll close today by reiterating my invitation. If there are resources on Exodus (i.e., lectures, commentaries, books, etc.) you’d recommend or would like me to review, leave them in the comments below and I’ll consider including them.

Timothy Raymond is an editor for Credo Magazine and has been the pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Muncie, Indiana since April 2006. He received his MDiv from the Baptist Bible Seminary of Pennsylvania in 2004 and has pursued further education through the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation.