Best Esther Commentaries for Bible Study, Preaching, and Teaching

The best Esther 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 Esther. 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 Esther.

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 Esther Commentaries

Please read: The “Top 10” list below is a starting point for learning about Esther 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

Esther
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by Joyce G. Baldwin

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Esther commentary Baldwin

Reviews and Accolades:

• Desiring God: #1 recommended commentary on Esther

• Tremper Longman: scored 5 out of 5 stars, “combines a keen literary and theological sense with a firm and intelligent opinion concerning the book’s historicity”

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Excellent, though brief, evangelical treatment.”

• Keith Mathison: #2 ranked commentary on Esther, “Joyce Baldwin was among the most consistent commentators of the previous generation… Clear, concise, and to the point — always an asset in commentaries.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes

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.

Also see the best one-volume bible commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.

#2

Esther
NIV Application Commentary
by Karen H. Jobes

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Esther commentary Karen jobes

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “without a doubt this is the best commentary to buy on Esther”

• Keith Mathison: #1 ranked commentary on Esther, “Karen Jobes has written the most engaging, interesting, and helpful commentary on the book of Esther presently available.”

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

Ruth-Esther
Word Biblical Commentary
by Frederic Bush

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Esther commentary Bush

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “very competent… gives a thorough discussion of all the technical issues”

• Keith Mathison: #4 ranked commentary on Esther, “will be of benefit to seminary students and others doing in-depth study 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: “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.

#4

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
New American Commentary
by Mervin Breneman

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Esther commentary Breneman

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: “a competent and readable commentary”

• Keith Mathison: #4 ranked commentary on Esther, “for those seeking helpful summaries of the more technical work”

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 “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.

#5

Esther and Ruth
Reformed Expositional Commentary
by Iain M. Duguid

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Esther Ruth commentary by Iain Duguid

Reviews and Accolades:

• Keith Mathison: #3 ranked commentary on Esther, “careful and clear… a very helpful focus on contemporary application”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Purpose: The REC series has “four fundamental commitments. First, these commentaries aim to be biblical… Second, these commentaries are unashamedly doctrinal… Third, these commentaries are redemptive-historical… Fourth, these commentaries are practical…” All authors are “pastor-scholars.”

See more about the Reformed Expository Commentary series.

#6

Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
The Daily Study Bible Series
by J.G. McConville

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Esther commentary McConville

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: “excellent at both revealing the books’ meaning in their Old Testament context and explaining their relevance for today”

• Keith Mathison: #5 ranked commentary on Ezra

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes

Purpose: From the publisher: “Invaluable for individual devotional study, for group discussion, and for classroom use, the Daily Study Bible provides a useful, reliable, and eminently readable way to discover what the Scriptures were saying then and what God is saying today.”

See more about The Daily Study Bible series.

#7

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
New Century Bible Commentary
by D.J. Clines

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Esther commentary Clines

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “carefully and thoroughly researched… scholarly and clear”

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “A well-done, though brief, commentary.”

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “Scholarly and comprehensive in scope, The New Century Bible Commentary series has earned wide respect across theological traditions …

Based on the Revised Standard Version, the commentaries are at once accessible and informed, containing clear verse-by-verse exposition and reflecting contemporary debate.”

See more about The New Century Bible Commentaries.

#8

Esther
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by Debra Reid

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Esther commentary Reid

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4.5 out of 5 stars, “smart, to-the-point interpretation of the book that does not lead astray”

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “Two features distinguish The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series: theological exegesis and theological reflection…

The result is a paragraph-by-paragraph engagement with the text that is deliberately theological in focus.”

See more about the Tyndale Old Testament Commentary series.

#9

Esther
Old Testament Library
by Jon D. Levenson

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Esther commentary Levinson

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “readable and often-interesting interpretation of Esther”

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

Esther
The JPS Torah Commentary
by Adele Berlin

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Esther commentary Berlin

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “Berlin is one of the best commentary writers around”

Best for: students, pastors, teachers, professors, and scholars with training in Hebrew who can follow a technical commentary

Purpose: From the publisher: “The JPS Torah Commentary series guides readers through the words and ideas of the Torah. Each volume is the work of a scholar who stands at the pinnacle of his field.

Every page contains the complete traditional Hebrew text, with cantillation notes, the JPS translation of the Holy Scriptures, aliyot breaks, Masoretic notes, and commentary by a distinguished Hebrew Bible scholar, integrating classical and modern sources.

Each volume also contains supplementary essays that elaborate upon key words and themes, a glossary of commentators and sources, extensive bibliographic notes, and maps.”

See more about the JPS Bible Commentary series.

More Book of Esther Commentaries for Christian Ministry

Please read: Why are the Esther 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.


Esther
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised
by Elaine Phillips

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Esther commentary Expositor's

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: “one cannot find a better historically oriented commentary than this one”

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.


Esther
Understanding the Bible Commentary Series
by Timothy S. Laniak

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Esther commentary Understanding the Bible

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

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.


The Message of Esther
The Bible Speaks Today
by David G. Firth

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Esther commentary Firth

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.


Inconspicuous Providence: The Gospel According to Esther
The Gospel According to the Old Testament
by Bryan R. Gregory

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Esther commentary Gregory

Best for: individual study, devotional reading, Bible studies, adult Sunday school classes

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Gospel According to the Old Testament series illuminates the good news of our Savior in the Old Testament books. Here you will find thoughtful, Christ-focused theology at an accessible level.”

See more about the Gospel According to the Old Testament commentary series.


Esther and Daniel
Brazos Theological Commentary
by George Sumner and George Sumner

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Esther commentary Brazos

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible enlists leading theologians to read and interpret Scripture for the twenty-first century, just as the church fathers, the Reformers, and other Orthodox Christians did for their times and places.

The commentaries are designed to serve the church — through aid in preaching, teaching, study groups, and so forth — and demonstrate the continuing intellectual and practical viability of theological interpretation of the Bible.”

See more about the Brazos Theological Commentary series.


Esther
Abingdon Old Testament Commentary
by Linda Day

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Esther commentary Abingdon

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.

These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theology students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other church leaders.”

See more about Abingdon commentaries


Ruth and Esther
Smyth and Helwys Bible Commentary
by Kandy Queeen Sutherland

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Esther commentary Smyth Hewlwys

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.


Esther
The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries
by Carey A. Moore

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Esther commentary Anchor Moore

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.


Esther
Evangelical Exegetical Commentary
by Anthony Tomasino

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Esther commentary Tomasino

Best for: expository preachers, Bible college and seminary students, church elders and teachers, experienced Bible readers

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series incorporates the latest in critical biblical scholarship, yet each volume is written from a distinctly evangelical perspective.

The authors explore the context and meaning of the biblical books while showing the value and truth of the texts in ancient times and today.

These commentaries present historical and literary insights for understanding the text within the Bible’s larger story and applying it to everyday life.”

See more about Evangelical Exegetical Commentaries.


Classic Esther Commentaries

Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
Ironside Expository Commentaries
by H.A. Ironside

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Esther commentary Ironside

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.


Esther
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
edited by Marco Conti

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Esther commentary Ancient Christian

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:

Compare 75 different commentary series on the Bible Commentary Series Comparison Chart

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