Matthew Boffey
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 NICOT and NICNT 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.”
Mark
By William L. Lane
Highly praise, this commentary adeptly uses redaction criticism to produce a work that is insightful for professionals but accessible to lay people. William Lane’s The Gospel of Mark presents this Gospel as a complete literary work in its own right, and a work of special genius that kickstarts the tradition of Gospel writing.
Romans
By Douglas J. 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 & 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
| Book | Ranking |
| Matthew | 1 |
| Mark | 3 |
| Luke | 2 |
| John | 3 |
| Acts | 3 |
| Romans | 1 |
| 1 Corinthians | 1 |
| 2 Corinthians | 3 |
| Galatians | 8 |
| Ephesians | 4 |
| Philippians | 1 |
| Colossians | 2 |
| 1 & 2 Thessalonians | 9 |
| 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus | 2 |
| Philemon | 2 |
| Hebrews | 4 |
| James | 31 |
| 1 Peter | 7 |
| 2 Peter | (Not yet included in series) |
| 1–3 John | 3 |
| Jude | (Not yet included in series) |
| Revelation | 2 |
Old Testament
| Book | Ranking |
| Genesis (2 vols.) | 2 |
| Exodus | (Not yet included in series) |
| Leviticus | 1 |
| Numbers | 4 |
| Deuteronomy | 1 |
| Joshua | 2 |
| Judges | 30 |
| Ruth | 3 |
| 1 Samuel | 2 |
| 2 Samuel | 31 |
| 1–2 Kings | (Not yet included in series) |
| 1–2 Chronicles | (Not yet included in series) |
| Ezra* | 2 |
| Nehemiah* | 2 |
| Esther | (Not yet included in series) |
| Job | 2 |
| Psalms | 8 |
| Proverbs (2 vols.) | 1 |
| Ecclesiastes | 2 |
| Song of Songs | 1 |
| Isaiah (2 vols.) | 1 |
| Jeremiah | 1 |
| Lamentations | 22 |
| Ezekiel (2 vols.) | 1 |
| Daniel | (Not yet included in series) |
| Hosea | 4 |
| Joel* | 1 |
| Amos | 6 |
| Obadiah* | 1 |
| Jonah* | 1 |
| Micah* | 1 |
| Nahum* | 1 |
| Habbakuk* | 1 |
| Zephaniah* | 1 |
| Haggai* | 2 |
| Zechariah | 8 |
| Malachi* | 2 |
* 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
Logos Staff
Tom McCall
Timothy Muehlhoff