Every NICOT and NICNT Commentary, Ranked

I knew the NICOT and NICNT commentary series appeared often on bestcommentaries.com, but I was curious to see just how they stacked up, so I did some digging.

A few titles especially stood out, and I highlight them below. Beneath that, I include the full list volumes and how they rank on bestcommentaries.com. An impressive number of volumes—thirty-seven!—rank in the top three.

As you spot volumes you might be interested in, take a look at the new NICOT/NICNT mini bundles.

Highlights from the series

Matthew

By R. T. France

Written by a member of the NIV translation committee and “Matthean scholar par excellence” (according to Donald Hagnar), this verse-by-verse commentary is thorough and stays close to matters of context. France frequently draws attention to the distinctive nature of the province of Galilee and the social dynamics involved when a Galilean prophet presents himself in Jerusalem as the Messiah.

D. A. Carson calls it, “Judicious, well-written, and informed, […] likely to become a standard work on Matthew for some time to come.”

John

By Leon Morris

Hailed as perhaps “the best commentary on any book of the Bible by an evangelical in recent decades” by Christianity Today when it was first published in 1971, Leon Morris’ The Gospel according to John has become one of the enduring standard commentaries on John’s Gospel. It has been praised for its keen insights and “superb” writing style.

Romans

By Douglas Moo

Moo teaches advanced Greek, New Testament theology, and Pauline studies at Wheaton College. This work finds him in his wheelhouse, which explains its strong reputation.

“If a student could own but one commentary on Romans, this should be it—now and for a long time to come.”

—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary

Joshua

By Marten H. Woudstra

“This volume must surely be regarded as the finest commentary on the Book of Joshua. . . . Should be a part of the library of any serious student of the Scriptures who anticipates teaching or preaching from this important and colorful Old Testament [book].”

—Bibliotheca Sacra

Isaiah

By John N. Oswalt

“This commentary will be one of the most widely used and appreciated [in the NICOT series], and perhaps even one of the flagship volumes.”

—Southwestern Journal of Theology

“The completion of John Oswalt’s commentary on Isaiah in 1998 was a major blessing to the Christian church … It should be on the desk of every student of the Old Testament.”

—Keith Mathison, professor and author

Volume ranking on bestcommentaries.com

Here’s a breakdown of how each volume ranks on bestcommentaries.com, which bases its decisions on which have received the best reviews.

New Testament

* Is combined with other commentaries in the following volumes:

• Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon
• 1–2 Thessalonians
• 1–2 Timothy and Titus

Old Testament

* Is combined with other commentaries in the following volumes:

• Ezra and Nehemiah
• Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah
• Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
• Haggai and Malachi

***

Related articles

• 7 of the Best Exegetical Bible Commentaries
• 35 Best Commentaries for the 7 Most-Preached Books
• What Is the Pentateuch? Plus 15 Best Commentaries for Studying It
• 9 Commentaries on Wisdom Literature & Why It Matters

Related resources

• Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament | ZECNT (14 vols.)
• The Expositor’s Bible Commentary | EBC (12 vols.)
• Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament