The best Jeremiah commentaries are listed below. There are exegetical commentaries, scholarly and technical commentaries, as well as commentaries that are easy to understand. The “Top 10” list is based on aggregate reviews.
This list of commentaries is intended to help the reader understand and apply the author’s message in the book of Jeremiah. They are not suggested as a replacement for prayer, the Holy Spirit, and the reader’s own diligent study of Scripture.
It is hoped that these books will aid the Christian pastor, preacher, teacher, student, as well as any Bible reader that wants to understand more about Jeremiah.
May each reader’s aim be to glorify God in Jesus Christ; to strengthen Christ’s bride, the Church; and to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost.
After browsing the commentaries below, please see Best Bible Commentaries: Top 50. Based on aggregate reviews.
10 Best Jeremiah Commentaries
Please read: The “Top 10” list below is a starting point for learning about Jeremiah 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 many people in the right direction to find the right resource for their purposes.
#1
The Book of Jeremiah
New International Commentary on the Old Testament
by J. A. Thompson
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Desiring God: #1 recommended commentary on Jeremiah
• Tremper Longman: “treats Jeremiah as a real person in a definite historical setting… well worth getting”
• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “The best of the evangelical commentaries.”
• Keith Mathison: #1 ranked commentary on Jeremiah, “Probably the best overall commentary on the book of Jeremiah… Thompson writes from an evangelical perspective and offers numerous helpful insights into the meaning of this book”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “All of the NICOT volumes combine superior scholarship, an evangelical view of Scripture as the Word of God, and concern for the life of faith today.
Each volume features an extensive introduction treating the biblical book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology. The author’s own translation of the original Hebrew and verse-by-verse commentary follow.
The commentary itself carefully balances coverage of technical matters with exposition of the biblical text’s theology and implications.”
See more about the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series.
Also see the best one-volume bible commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.
#2
Jeremiah, Lamentations
NIV Application Commentary
by J. Andrew Dearman
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out 5 stars, “a very sensitive theological reading”
• Keith Mathison: #2 ranked commentary on Lamentations
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.
#3
Jeremiah and Lamentations
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by R.K. Harrison
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Desiring God: #1 recommended commentary on Lamentations
• Tremper Longman: “an excellent commentary for laypeople”
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.
#4
Jeremiah
The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries
by Jack R. Lundbom
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 5 out 5 stars, “a brilliant commentary on the book in its original meaning”
• Keith Mathison: #2 ranked commentary on Jeremiah, “Those looking for an exhaustive technical commentary on Jeremiah… Highly recommended for the serious student of Jeremiah”
Best for: students, pastors, teachers, professors, and scholars with training in Hebrew who can follow a technical commentary
Purpose: From the publisher: The series “vigorously pursues the goal of bringing to a wide audience the most important new ideas, the latest research findings, and the clearest possible analysis of the Bible.”
See more about the Anchor Bible Commentary series.
#5
Jeremiah
Hermeneia
by William Holladay
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out 5 stars, “a major contribution to Jeremiah studies… well-presented”
• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Superb treatment of every aspect of the text and interpretation of the book. Highly recommended though often technical. By no means conservative yet more moderate than other commentators.”
Best for: students, pastors, teachers, professors, and scholars with training in Hebrew who can follow a technical commentary
Purpose: From the publisher: “The Hermeneia commentary series seeks to offer authoritative interpretation of the earliest texts of the biblical books…
The name Hermeneia, from the Greek, has a rich background in the history of biblical interpretation as a term for the detailed, systematic exposition of a scriptural work. Hermeneia is designed for the serious student of the Bible…
The editors of Hermeneia impose no systematic-theological perspective upon the series (directly, or indirectly by selection of authors).”
See more about the Hermeneia Bible commentary series.
#6
Jeremiah
Kidner Classic Commentaries
by Derek Kidner
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Keith Mathison: #5 ranked commentary on Jeremiah, “accessible and insightful, and this one is no exception… for a general reader wanting to know the relevance of Jeremiah for today”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes
Purpose: From the publisher: “The book of Jeremiah is full of turmoil and national tragedy, the story of key people like Baruch, Gedaliah and Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, and the drama of rediscovering the forgotten book of Mosaic law.
Kidner also wrote one of the best Genesis commentaries, and one of the best Ecclesiastes commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.
National events interweave with the lives of individuals; the rediscovered book of God’s law transforms Josiah, Jeremiah and the future of the world.”
#7
Jeremiah
A Mentor Commentary
by John L. Mackay
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Keith Mathison: #3 ranked commentary on Jeremiah, “especially helpful for Bible teachers and pastors who are looking for help with exposition of the text”
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.
#8
Jeremiah
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised
by Michael Brown
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “a substantial and intelligent commentary”
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.
#9
Jeremiah
Old Testament Library
by Leslie C. Allen
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out 5 stars, “[Allen] does a great job articulating the message of Jeremiah in its original context”
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.”
See more about the Old Testament Library commentary series.
#10
Jeremiah
Smyth and Helwys Bible Commentary
by Terence E. Fretheim
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out 5 stars, “extremely well-written commentary… highly recommended”
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “Written by accomplished scholars with all students of Scripture in mind, this innovative new commentary series is designed to make quality Bible study more accessible.
Pastors, professors and students of Scripture are discovering that this commentary is a wonderful new tool for enhancing interpretation.”
See more about Smyth-Helwys commentaries.
More Book of Jeremiah Commentaries for Christian Ministry
Please read: Why are the Jeremiah 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.
Jeremiah, Lamentations
Understanding the Bible Commentary Series
by Tremper Longman III
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Keith Mathison: #4 ranked commentary on Jeremiah, “easily accessible, Longman provides numerous literary and theological insights into the book”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Longman also wrote one of the best Proverbs commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.
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. Notes at the close of each chapter provide additional textual and technical comments for those who want to dig deeper.”
See more about the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series.
Jeremiah
International Theological Commentary
by Walter Brueggemann
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out 5 stars, “easy-to-read and contemporary interpretation… thought-provoking”
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “Explores the historical setting and message of Jeremiah as well as the text’s relevance for the church today.
A fresh look at critical theological issues in the Jeremiah tradition. Argues that Jeremiah’s voice compels us to re-discern our own situation vis a vis faith, obedience, justice and compassion.”
See more about the International Theological Commentary series.
Jeremiah
Believers Church Bible Commentary
by Elmer A. Martens
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Reviews and Accolades:
• Tremper Longman: 4 out 5 stars, “takes a more traditional and evangelical approach”
Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “Elmer A. Martens explores the message and insights of Jeremiah for today. In Jeremiah, God disciplines people and punishes them. Yet there is also forgiveness and the promise of a new covenant.
This ancient book is strangely relevant to our generation. The more we learn about the stressful times in which Jeremiah lived, about the passionate prophet himself, and about the arrangement of the book that bears his name, the more forceful the message becomes.”
The Message of Jeremiah
The Bible Speaks Today
by Christopher J. H. Wright
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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.
Jeremiah and Lamentations
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by Hetty Lalleman
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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.”
Jeremiah, Lamentations
New American Commentary
by F. B. Huey Jr.
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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.
Jeremiah 1-25 and 26-52
Word Biblical Commentary
by Peter C. Craigie, Page H. Kelley, and Joel F. Drinkard Jr.
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Approach to Scripture: Evangelical
Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Craigie also wrote one of the best Psalms commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.
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.
Jeremiah
Abingdon Old Testament Commentary
by Louis Stulman
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Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries series offers compact, critical commentaries on all the books of the Old Testament.
In addition to providing fundamental information on and insights into Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical exegesis so as to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed engagement of the biblical texts themselves.”
See more about Abingdon commentaries.
A Commentary on Jeremiah:
Exile and Homecoming
by Walter Brueggemann
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Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: From the publisher: “Offering a fresh look at the critical theological issues in the Jeremiah tradition, Brueggemann argues that Jeremiah’s voice compels us to rediscern our own situation, issuing an urgent invitation to faith, obedience, justice, and compassion.
This combined edition of Brueggemann’s original two-volume work, published until recently as part of the International Theological Commentary series, is an essential resource for students, pastors, and general readers alike.
It is reprinted here with a new introduction by Brueggemann that surveys the current state of Jeremiah studies.”
Jeremiah
International Critical Commentary
by William M. Kane
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Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers
Purpose: The ICC series has “sought to bring together all the relevant aids to exegesis, linguistic and textual no less than archaeological, historical, literary and theological to help the reader understand the meaning of the books of the Old and New Testaments…
No attempt has been made to secure a uniform theological or critical approach to the biblical text: contributors have been invited for their scholarly distinction, not for their adherence to any one school of thought.”
See more about the International Critical Commentary series.
Classic Jeremiah Commentaries
Jeremiah
Geneva Series of Commentaries
by John Calvin
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Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes
Purpose: From the publisher: “C.H. Spurgeon concurred: ‘Everything that Calvin wrote by way of exposition is priceless. His expositions are more equal in excellence than those of other men; other men rise and fall, but he is almost uniformly good.’
These estimations still hold true and, even in this age of multiplying commentaries, those of John Calvin stand out as models of honesty, good sense, and evangelical warmth.
Here, in this extensive exposition of Jeremiah, we encounter Calvin s great gifts as an exegete and theologian.
But we also see how his experience as a pastor and preacher equipped him to produce this outstanding exposition of ‘the weeping prophet.”
Jeremiah
Ironside Expository Commentaries
by H.A. Ironside
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Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes
Purpose: H.A. Ironside (1876-1951) was an internationally acclaimed Bible teacher and preacher, as well as the author of more than sixty books.
His writings include addresses or commentaries on the entire New Testament, all of the Old Testament prophetic books, and a great many volumes on other biblical topics.
For eighteen of his fifty years of ministry, Dr. Ironside was pastor of the historic Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Ill.
Jeremiah
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
edited by Dean O. Wenthe
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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:
Also Compare 75 different commentary series on the Bible Commentary Series Comparison Chart