Best Job Commentaries | Reviews for Preaching, Teaching, and Bible Study

The best Job 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 Job. 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 Job.

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 Job Commentaries

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

Job
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by Francis I. Andersen

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Job commentary by Francis Andersen

Reviews and Accolades:

• Desiring God: #1 recommended commentary on Job

• Tremper Longman: “one of the best conservative commentaries on Job”

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Excellent treatment by a renowned evangelical linguist.”

• Keith Mathison: #3 ranked commentary on Job, “Virtually any reader should be able to pick up this volume and work their way through it with little difficulty. A very helpful introductory commentary.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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

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

The Book of Job
New International Commentary on the Old Testament
by John E. Hartley

Job commentary by John Hartley

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “a major contribution to the study of the book… solidly evangelical in its approach and very well researched”

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Conversant with scholarship, evangelical (though not always in the traditional sense), thought-provoking, thorough, and arguably the best.”

• Keith Mathison: #2 ranked commentary on Job, “Readers will find much insight into the meaning of Job here. Highly recommended.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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

Hartley also wrote one of the best Genesis commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.

Purpose: From the publisher: “All of the NICOT volumes combine superior scholarship, an evangelical view of Scripture as the Word of God, and concern for the life of faith today.

Each volume features an extensive introduction treating the biblical book’s authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology. The author’s own translation of the original Hebrew and verse-by-verse commentary follow.

The commentary itself carefully balances coverage of technical matters with exposition of the biblical text’s theology and implications.” 

See more about the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series.

#3

The Message of Job
The Bible Speaks Today
by David Atkinson

Job commentary by J.A. Motyer

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: “provides a practical approach”

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Pastoral approach to suffering based on the experience of Job.”

• Keith Mathison: #5 ranked commentary on Job, “There is much of practical value here.”

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 “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.

#4

Job 1-20, 21-37, 38-42
Word Biblical Commentary
by David J.A. Clines

Job commentary by David Clines

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4.5 out of 5 stars, “stimulating and insightful…it is provocatively written”

• Keith Mathison: #1 ranked commentary on Job, “this is the best commentary available on the book… Clines is one of those commentators who realizes the necessity of dealing not only with the minutiae of the text, but with the big picture as well”

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.

#5

Job
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised
by Elmer Smick

Job commentary by Elmer Smick

Reviews and Accolades:

• Keith Mathison: #4 ranked commentary on Job, “[Smick] was a godly man, and his devotion to Jesus Christ is evident on the pages of his commentary on Job.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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.

#6

Job
New American Commentary
by Robert L. Alden

Job commentary by Robert Alden

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: “readable and insightful theological interpretation”

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 new 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.

#7

Job
Cornerstone Biblical Commentary
by August H. Konkel

Job commentary by August Konkel

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “has excellent technical notes dealing with the meaning of words”

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 Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides students, pastors, and laypeople with up-to-date, accessible evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments.

Presenting the message of each passage, as well as an overview of other issues relevant to the text, each volume equips pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge so they can better understand and apply God’s Word.”

See more about the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series.

#8

Job
Baker Commentary on the OT Wisdom and Psalms
by Tremper Longman III

Job commentary Tremper Longman

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “Veteran Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman offers an accessible commentary on one of Scripture’s most intriguing books. With his deft exegetical and expositional skill, the resulting work is full of fresh insight into the meaning of the text.

Longman also wrote one of the best Daniel commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.

In addition to the helpful translation and commentary, this volume considers theological implications of the wisdom texts found in the book of Job as well as their literary, historical, and grammatical dimensions.”

See more about the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms series.

#9

Job
Understanding the Bible Commentary Series
by Gerald H. Wilson

Job commentary Gerald Wilson

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.”

See more about the Understanding the Bible Commentary Series.

#10

Job
Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary
by Lindsay Wilson

Job commentary Lindsay Wilson

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 Two Horizons Bible commentary series.

More Book of Job Commentaries for Christian Ministry

Please read: Why are the Job 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.


Job
NIV Application Commentary
by John H. Walton

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Job commentary John Walton

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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

Walton also wrote one of the best Genesis commentaries, based on aggregate reviews.

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.


Job
Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible
by Steven Chase

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Job commentary Steven Chase

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “Building on a wide range of sources from biblical studies, the history of theology, the church’s liturgical and musical traditions, contemporary culture, and the Christian tradition, noted scholars focus less on traditional historical and literary angles in favor of a theologically focused commentary that considers the contemporary relevance of the texts.”


Job
Smyth and Helwys Bible Commentary
by Samuel E Balentine

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Job commentary Samuel Balentine

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.


Job
New Beacon Bible Commentary
by A. Wendell Bowles

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Job commentary Wendell Bowles

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “The New Beacon Bible Commentary provides 21st-century scholars, pastors, theological students, and laity an academically competent, readable commentary in the Wesleyan theological tradition.

Each volume features: Contemporary Scholarship from notable experts in the Wesleyan theological tradition.”

See more about New Beacon Bible Commentaries.


Job
Evangelical Press Study Commentary
by Hywel R. Jones

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Job commentary Hywel Jones

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “EP Study Commentaries are invaluable tools for the minister, theologian and serious students of the Scriptures. This series is both readable and user- friendly.” See more about Evangelical Press Study Commentaries.


Job
College Press
by Stephen M. Hooks

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Job commentary Stephen Hooks

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “College Press NIV Commentary Series is formatted with a verse-by-verse explanation of the text.

It was developed for both the scholar and the average Bible student. The College Press NIV Commentary Series is the only full commentary set in print from the Restoration Movement.”

See more about College Press Commentaries.


The Book of Job
The Old Testament Library
by Norman C. Habel

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Job commentary Norman Habel

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.


Job
The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries
by Marvin H. Pope

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Job commentary Marvin Pope

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Anchor Yale Bible Series, previously the Anchor Bible Series, is a renowned publishing program that for more than 50 years has produced books devoted to the latest scholarship on the Bible and biblical topics.”

See more about the Anchor Bible Commentary series.


Classic Job Commentaries

Job
Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture
by Marco Conti

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Job commentary Ancient Christian serie

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “The ACCS is a post-critical revival of the early commentary tradition known as the glossa ordinaria, a text artfully elaborated with ancient and authoritative reflections and insights.

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.

Also see:

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

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