Best Commentaries on Psalms

It is not often that a new commentary arrives with praise like this. Sinclair Ferguson says these volumes “place the whole church of Christ in their author’s debt” and are “surely destined to be—the go-to resource for multitudes of preachers, teachers, and students for decades to come.” Joel Beeke calls the work “magisterial” and expects it to “become a staple in the pastor’s library for many years to come,” while Iain Duguid commends the way it “not only exercises our minds but feeds our souls.” Four volumes, all 150 psalms, and Christ at the center of each one. If you mean to preach or study the Psalms in the years ahead, I expect this will be the set you reach for first.

Hamilton reads the Psalter the way it was assembled to be read—as a single book with its own storyline that leads to Christ. Dane Ortlund calls it “a really wonderful and landmark work” and adds, “I will return to this work every time I preach, teach, and write on a psalm.” Albert Mohler says it “belongs on the desk of every preacher and in the library of every Christian.” Where Ash warms the heart, Hamilton traces the argument; the two sets complement each other well.

Harman has contributed many strong commentaries on various Old Testament books. Both the series and the author have strong track records, so I expect these volumes will soon appear on many of the top recommendations.

Phillips will be providing four volumes on Psalms to the REC and two of them—the middle two—have already been published. Based on his many other commentaries, there is no doubt that these, too, will prove excellent. (Psalms 42-72: , , ; Psalms 73-106: , , )

One difficulty in suggesting commentaries for Psalms is that they are often multi-volume and in some cases the volumes are of unequal quality while in others they have not yet been completed. Wilson’s commentary does not cover all of the Psalms but is said to be excellent and a great place to begin. The format of the series ensures that it is heavy on application and contemporary significance.

VanGemeren’s commentary is volume 5 in the WBC. The experts consider it something of a hidden treasure (perhaps because in a previous version it was bound with a couple of other books of the Bible). Tremper Longman awards it 5 stars and says it is “excellent on the text and the text’s theology and is particularly helpful in sermon preparation.”

Kidner is a wonderful commentator who has penned volumes on many books of the Bible. The TOTC is an excellent choice for those looking for something that is introductory-level. Though the volumes are brief, Longman points out “This is compensated for by Kidner’s ability to write concisely. Thus in spite of its brevity, this commentary is highly recommended for its theological insight and practical bent.”

This appears to be a classic case of a multi-volume set displaying uneven quality. Craigie’s volume is said to be the strongest and had he written the others this would probably be a top recommendation. (Unfortunately he died after the publication of volume 1.) Allen’s is regarded by most as the next strongest of the three. All of them are rather technical, making them a better choice for pastor or scholar than a general reader.

The BST is quite closely aligned with the TOTC in that these are shorter, less technical commentaries geared toward a general audience. That makes them ideal for those who wish to read devotionally, but perhaps a little bit less helpful for sermon preparation. Still, they are useful volumes and receive some accolades from the commentators on the commentaries.

This is a massive series from a highly-regarded scholar.