Best Exodus Commentaries | Reviews for Bible Study, Preaching, and Teaching

Imagine what it would be like to have more insight into the life of Moses, the burning bush, the 10 plagues, the Red Sea crossing, and the tabernacle. Not only will learning and absorbing the message of Exodus help you understand an important season in Israelite history, but it will draw you closer to Jesus Christ. Bible commentaries on Exodus can help you understand its message and apply it to your life.

The Bible instructs Christians to seek wisdom (Prov. 1:7, James 1:5) and who better to learn from than pastors, theologians, and professors who have been studying and teaching Exodus for decades?

10 Best Exodus Commentaries

The best Exodus commentaries are listed below. There are exegetical commentaries, scholarly and technical commentaries, as well as commentaries that are easy to understand. They are not suggested as a replacement for prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the reader’s own diligent study of Scripture. The “Top 10” list is based on aggregate academic reviews.

Please use the list below as a starting point for learning about Exodus commentaries. It is not intended to be the “final word” because of its limitations. Nevertheless, a list based on aggregate reviews is likely to point you in the right direction to find the right resource for your purposes.

#1

Exodus
New American Commentary
by Douglas K. Stuart

Exodus commentary by Douglas Stuart

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: “a well-written exposition of the book from an evangelical perspective”

• Keith Mathison: ranked #1 commentary on Exodus, “Stuart’s comments on the biblical text are clear and readable. The more technical issues are relegated to the footnotes. This is now the first commentary on Exodus to which I turn.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The New American Commentary is introduced to bridge the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. This new series has been designed primarily to enable pastors, teachers, and students to read the Bible with clarity and proclaim it with power.”

See more about the New American Commentary series.

After browsing the commentaries below, please see Best Bible Commentaries: Top 50. Based on aggregate reviews.

#2

Exodus
NIV Application Commentary
by Peter Enns

Exodus commentary by Peter Enns

Reviews and Accolades:

• Desiring God: #1 recommended commentary on Exodus

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “incredibly insightful theological study of the book… ideal for those preaching on Exodus”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the General Editor: The primary goal of the NIV Application Commentary Series is to help you with the difficult but vital task of bringing an ancient message into a modern context.

The series not only focuses on application as a finished product but also helps you think through the process of moving from the original meaning of a passage to its contemporary significance.”

See more about the NIV Application Commentary series.

Also see the best one-volume bible commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.

#3

The Book of Exodus
The Old Testament Library
by Brevard S. Childs

Exodus commentary by Brevard Childs

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “one of the best commentaries on Exodus… valaubale to evangelical ministers”

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Detailed and technical study of Exodu’s place in the Old Testament canon, with thought-provoking theological discussion.”

• Keith Mathison: #5 ranked commentary on Exodus, “Because of the author’s critical stance and the book’s technical nature, I can only recommend this commentary to discerning pastors and teachers.”

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.”

#4

The Message of Exodus
The Bible Speaks Today
by J.A. Motyer

Exodus commentray by J.A. Motyer

Reviews and Accolades:

• Keith Mathison: #2 ranked commentary on Exodus, “On almost every page, the reader finds helpful insights into the meaning of the second book of Moses. Very highly recommended.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: The “the three distinctives of The Bible Speaks Today series are (1) “BST authors are committed to a serious study of the text in its own integrity,” (2) that “expositors should not be antiquarians, living only in the remote past” but suggest application for living, and (3) “each book is intended to be both readable in style and manageable in size.” 

See more about the Bible Speaks Today commentary series.

#5

Exodus: An Exegetical Commentary
by Victor P. Hamilton

Exodus commentary by Victor Hamilton

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “a good treatment of the text’s meaning without much theological or canonical reflection”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “Victor Hamilton, a highly regarded Old Testament scholar with over thirty years’ experience in the classroom, offers a comprehensive exegesis of the book of Exodus… this commentary will be valued by professors and students of the Old Testament as well as pastors.”

#6

Exodus
Preaching the Word
by Philip Graham Ryken

Exodus commentary by Philip Graham Ryken

Reviews and Accolades:

• Keith Mathison: #4 ranked commentary on Exodus, “His massive expository commentary is a goldmine for preachers. It is theologically deep and refreshingly practical, all the while remaining very readable.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “For years, Crossway’s Preaching the Word commentary series has helped pastors, preachers, and anyone who teaches God’s Word to better interpret and apply the message of the Bible.

Under the careful editorial oversight of experienced pastor and best-selling author R. Kent Hughes, this series is known for its commitment to biblical authority, its pastoral tone and focus, and its overall accessibility.” 

See more about the Preaching the Word commentary series.

#7

Exodus
Word Biblical Commentary
by John I. Durham

Exodus commentary by John Durham

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “the strength of this commentary is its focus on the theology of the text”

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “WBC series delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation.

It emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology.” 

See more about the Word Biblical Commentary series.

#8

Exodus
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by R. Alan Cole

Exodus commentary R Alan Cole

Reviews and Accolades:

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Brief but well-researched and readable. Thoroughly evangelical in perspective. Helpful introductory sections on the historical background and theology of Exodus.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: This series is “designed to help readers understand what the Bible actually says and what it means… [each commentary] examines the text section by section, drawing out its main themes.

It also comments on individual verses and deals with problems of interpretation. The aim throughout is to get at the true meaning of the Bible and to make its message plain to readers today.”

See more about the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series.

#9

Exodus
Interpretation
by Terence E. Fretheim

Exodus commentary Terence Freitheim

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “very readable…stimulating in discussing the theological message of the book”

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “This series of commentaries offers an interpretation of the books of the Bible. It is designed to meet the need of students, teachers, ministers, and priests for a contemporary expository commentary.

These volumes will not replace the historical critical commentary or homiletical aids to preaching.

The purpose of this series is rather to provide a third kind of resource, a commentary which presents the integrated result of historical and theological work with the biblical text.”

See more about the Interpretation Bible commentary series.

#10

Exodus
Understanding the Bible Commentary Series
by James K. Bruckner

Exodus commentary James Bruckner

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4.5 out of 5 stars, “intelligent, nuanced, relatively brief treatment of the book”

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “Each volume in the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series breaks down the barriers between the ancient and modern worlds so that the power and meaning of the biblical texts become transparent to contemporary readers.

They present a careful section-by-section exposition of the biblical books with key terms and phrases highlighted and all Hebrew transliterated.”

See more about the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series.

More Book of Exodus Commentaries for Christian Ministry

Please read: Why are the Exodus commentaries below not in the “Top 10”? It’s not because they have received poor reviews or because people haven’t found them helpful. The reasons vary:

  • Some are relatively new and haven’t been widely reviewed, read, or used yet.
  • Others haven’t been widely distributed, so it is difficult to get enough information to aggregate.
  • Still others may be outdated in relation to biblical scholarship or out of print and difficult to acquire.

The “Top 10” list is reviewed annually. Readers are encouraged to consider the volumes in this section before making a purchase. These 10 are not in any particular order.


Exodus
A Mentor Commentary
by John L. Mackay

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Exodus commentary John Mackay

Reviews and Accolades:

• Keith Mathison: #3 ranked commentary on Exodus, “[Mackay’s] work should be consulted by every serious student of Exodus.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “Mentor books are written at a level suitable for Bible College and seminary students, pastors, and other serious readers.” See more about the Mentor Bible Commentary series.


Exodus
New Cambridge Bible Commentary
by Carol Meyers

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Exodus commentary Carol Meyers

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “insightful in terms of the original meaning of the text… very winsomely written”

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The NCBC aims to elucidate the Hebrew and Christian scriptures for a wide range of intellectually curious individuals… [volumes] do not assume the reader has a great deal of specialized theological knowledge or an impressive command of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or biblical Greek.”

See more about New Cambridge Bible Commentaries.


Exodus
Apollos Old Testament Commentary
by T. Desmond Alexander

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Exodus commentary Desmond Alexander

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Apollos Old Testament Commentary (AOTC) aims to take with equal seriousness the divine and human aspects of Scripture.

It expounds the books of the Old Testament in a scholarly manner accessible to non-experts, and it shows the relevance of the Old Testament to modern readers.”

See more about the Apollos Old Testament Commentary series.


Exodus
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised
by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.

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Exodus commentary Expositor's

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “Written primarily by expositors for expositors… its stance is that of a scholarly evangelicalism committed to the divine inspiration, complete trustworthiness, and full authority of the Bible… the chief principle followed in this commentary is the grammatico-historical.” 

See more about the Expositor’s Bible Commentary series.


Exodus
Brazos Theological Commentary
by Thomas Joseph White

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Exodus commentary Thomas Jospeh White

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible enlists leading theologians to read and interpret Scripture for the twenty-first century, just as the church fathers, the Reformers, and other Orthodox Christians did for their times and places.”

See more about the Brazos Theological commentary series.


Exodus
The College Press NIV Commentary
by Randall C. Bailey

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Exodus commentary Randall Bailey

Interview: See Best Bible Commentaries’ interview with Randall Bailey on this volume 

Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes

Purpose: From the publisher: “College Press NIV Commentary Series is formatted with a verse-by-verse explanation of the text.

It was developed for both the scholar and the average Bible student. The College Press NIV Commentary Series is the only full commentary set in print from the Restoration Movement.”

See more about College Press commentaries.


A Commentary on Exodus
Kregel Exegetical Library
by Duane A. Garrett

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Exodus commentary Duane Garrett

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “A Commentary on Exodus explores all of these events [of Exodus] with a view toward their significance both for the meaning of the Old Testament and for the message of the Christian church.

Exegetically deep enough to satisfy the scholar and logically organized to meet the needs of the pastor, Garrett’s commentary promises to become standard reference material in Exodus studies.”

See more about the Kregel Exegetical Library series.


Exodus
The JPS Torah Commentary
by Nahum Sarna

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Exodus commentary Sarna

Best for: students, pastors, teachers, professors, and scholars with training in Hebrew who can follow a technical commentary

Purpose: From the publisher: “The JPS Torah Commentary series guides readers through the words and ideas of the Torah. Each volume is the work of a scholar who stands at the pinnacle of his field.”

See more about the JPS Torah commentary series.


Exodus
Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
by Eugene Carpenter

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Exodus commentary Eugene Carpenter

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series incorporates the latest in critical biblical scholarship, yet each volume is written from a distinctly evangelical perspective.

The authors explore the context and meaning of the biblical books while showing the value and truth of the texts in ancient times and today.

These commentaries present historical and literary insights for understanding the text within the Bible’s larger story and applying it to everyday life.”

See more about Evangelical Exegetical Commentaries.


Exodus
The Anchor Yale Bible Commentary
by William H.C. Propp

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Exodus commentary Anchor Propp

Best for: students, pastors, teachers, professors, and scholars with training in Hebrew who can follow a technical commentary

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Anchor Yale Bible Series, previously the Anchor Bible Series, is a renowned publishing program that for more than 50 years has produced books devoted to the latest scholarship on the Bible and biblical topics.”

See more about the Anchor Bible Commentary series.


Classic Exodus Commentaries

Gleanings in Exodus
by A.W. Pink

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Exodus commentary Arthur Pink

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “Gleanings in Exodus contains exhaustive studies that bring out deep theological and spiritual truths from the Scriptures. This is an excellent resource book.”


Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
edited by Joseph T. Leinhard

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Exodus commentary Ancient Christian

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The vast array of writings from the church fathers — including much that is available only in the ancient languages — have been combed for their comment on Scripture.”

See more about the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series.


Also see:

Compare 75 different commentary series on the Bible Commentary Series Comparison Chart

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