ESV Expository Commentary (Volume 8) by Daniel M. Doriani (Matthew), Hans F. Bayer (Mark), Thomas R. Schreiner (Luke)

(Wheaton: Crossway, 2021), 1568

Full 12-Volume Set: ESV Expository Commentary

I previously took a look at the Gospel of John in Volume 9 of the ESV Expository Commentary series, and today I'm taking a look at Volume 8 which has the other Gospels of Matthew through Luke.

The lectionary for Mass for these recent weeks in Ordinary Time has been working its way through Luke's Gospel, and it has been nice to refer to the ESV Expository Commentary when I have questions or want to get another view on a familiar passage. My recent approach to engage more deeply with the readings at Mass has been to do some variation of the following:

First, check the daily readings in context using the Liturgy Bible—observing when these and adjacent passages are used in the Lectionary and Divine Office—and mark them in the Bible I take with me to Mass.
Attend Mass and follow along with the readings.
At home, check initial questions using a resource like the Ignatius Catholic Bible or the Navarre Bible.
Follow up for deeper study using more lengthy resources such as the ESV Expository Commentary or the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture.

Of course I don't take the time to do this for every reading every day, but you can think of it as the "daily Bible onion to peel".

I'm writing this on the Solemnity of All Souls (November 1), so I'll use the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12 as a representative sample of the commentary in Volume 8 of the ESV Expository Commentary. Dr. Doriani introduces the Beatitudes by contrasting them with the virtues held by ancient and modern cultures. Unlike secular virtues, the Beatitudes seem to promote undesirable traits of weakness and neediness. Yet the Beatitudes should be thought of as a whole, illustrating a full "portrait of a disciple" (84). Dr. Doriani then gives a helpful diagram to decompose the Beatitudes of Need ("poor in spirit", "mourn", and "meek") and the Beatitudes of Action ("merciful", "pure in heart", and "peacemaker"), which surround the center of Righteousness: "Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness Shall Be Satisfied" (85). I found this to be a helpful way to view the beatitudes as a whole rather than atomic virtues to aspire to.

This is exactly the type of insight the ESV Expository Commentary is most helpful for. Because the commentary is detailed but focused on larger sections of Scripture than single verses, it is able to make connections and draw forth insights that go beyond what you might find in a typical study Bible.

Topic: The Bible

Source

Crossway Review Program

Created: 2025-08-12-Tue
Updated: 2025-11-01-Sat