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

The best Leviticus 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 Moses’ message in the book of Leviticus. 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 Leviticus.

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 Leviticus Commentaries

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

Leviticus
Word Biblical Commentary
by John E. Hartley

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Leviticus commentary Hartley

Reviews and Accolades:

• Desiring God: #1 recommended commentary on Leviticus

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “substantial in quality as well as in quantity”

• Keith Mathison: #2 ranked commentary on Leviticus, “If you can afford more than one commentary on Leviticus, Hartley’s commentary in the WBC series is a good choice.”

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.

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

#2

Leviticus
New International Commentary on the Old Testament
by Gordon J. Wenham

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Leviticus commentary Wenham

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “a fascinating and extremely helpful discussion… a well-written commentary”

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Best commentary in English on the topic. Clear exposition with appreciation for ancient Near Eastern backgrounds to Old Testament sacrifice and ritual. Complete discussion of Old Testament relationships to the New Testament and the theological significance of the book.”

• Keith Mathison: #1 ranked commentary on Leviticus, “This commentary is not only the best commentary on the book of Leviticus, it is one of the best commentaries on any book of the Bible that I have read.”

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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

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

Leviticus
New American Commentary
by Mark F. Rooker

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Leviticus commentary Rooker

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “[Rooker] has an eye on making the book relevant for the Christian reader”

• Keith Mathison: #3 ranked commentary on Leviticus, “Rooker’s work… is both exegetically thorough and well written.”

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.

#4

Leviticus, Numbers
New International Version Application Commentary
by Roy Gane

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Leviticus commentary Gane

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “Gane is an expert in ancient Israelite ritual,” and “adept at pointing to the continuing theological relevance of this material”

Interview: See Best Bible Commentaries’ interview with Roy Gane on this volume

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.

#5

Leviticus
Expositor’s Bible Commentary Revised
by Richard S. Hess

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Leviticus commentary Expositor's

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “one of the best, most succinct treatments of Leviticus”

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

Leviticus
A Continental Commentary
by Jacob Milgrom

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Leviticus commentary Milgrom

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “Milgrom is clearly the world’s leading expert on Leviticus”

• Keith Mathison: #4 ranked commentary on Leviticus, “Milgrom approaches Leviticus from an unnecessarily critical stance. This means this commentary must be used with great care and discernment.”

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

Purpose: From the publisher: This series “makes leading critical biblical scholarship from German and French scholars available to the English-speaking world.

This series combines scholarly excellence with academic rigor to benefit pastors, students, and scholars of both the Old and New Testament…

Each book in the Continental Commentary Series includes comprehensive introductory material, including an explanation of narrative themes, an overview of the historical and cultural context, an analysis of textual traditions, and an evaluation of recent literature.”

See more about the Continental Commentary series.

#7

Leviticus
The JPS Torah Commentary
by Baruch A. Levine

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Leviticus commentary JPS Torah

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 4 out of 5 stars, “writes with the educated layperson in mind… theologically sensitive”

• Keith Mathison: #5 ranked commentary on Leviticus, “For those doing in-depth work, it should be consulted. This commentary should be used with great care and discernment.”

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 Torah commentary series.

#8

Leviticus
Apollos Old Testament Commentary
by Nobuyoshi Kiuchi

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Leviticus commentary Apollos

Reviews and Accolades:

• Tremper Longman: 5 out of 5 stars, “Kiuchi is an expert on Levitical ritual… highly recommended”

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “The Abingdon New Testament Commentaries series offers compact, critical commentaries on the writings of the New Testament.

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 the Apollos Old Testament Commentary series.

#9

Leviticus
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by R.K. Harrison

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Leviticus commentary Harrison

Reviews and Accolades:

• John H. Walton and Andrew E. Hill: “Somewhat brief, but a most readable commentary with useful introductory sections. Thoroughly evangelical in its stance, with concern for contemporary application.”

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.

#10

Holiness to the Lord:
A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus
by Allen P. Ross

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Holiness Allen Ross

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “In Holiness to the Lord, Allen P. Ross enables preachers and teachers to mine the riches of Leviticus and deliver them to a contemporary audience.

Following the same practical method he used in the acclaimed Creation and Blessing, Ross first carefully sites Leviticus within its context in the ancient world.

Then he traces the development of God’s plan of salvation-how Leviticus’ laws, rituals, symbols, and events prepared for the complete revelation in Jesus Christ.

Finally, unlike traditional commentaries, Ross offers helpful ideas for correlating Leviticus to New Testament teachings (particularly Romans, Hebrews, and Peter) and for applying the material in relevant expository form.”

More Book of Leviticus Commentaries for Christian Ministry

Please read: Why are the Leviticus 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.


Leviticus
Tyndale Old Testament Commentary
by Jay Sklar

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Leviticus commentary Sklar

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.”


Leviticus
Evangelical Press Study Commentary
by John D. Currid

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Leviticus commentary Currid

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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

Purpose: “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.


Leviticus
A Mentor Commentary
by Robert I. Vasholz

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Leviticus commentary Vasholz

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “Mentor books are written at a level suitable for Bible College and seminary students, pastors, and other serious readers.” See more about the Mentor Bible Commentary series.


Leviticus, Numbers
Understanding the Bible Commentary Series
by W.H. Bellinger, Jr.

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Leviticus commentary Bellinger

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.


Leviticus
The Bible Speaks Today
by Derek Tidball

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Leviticus commentary Tidball

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.


Leviticus
Brazos Theological Commentary
by Ephraim Rander

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Leviticus 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.


Leviticus
Concordia Commentary
by John W. Kleinig

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Leviticus commentary Kleinig

Approach to Scripture: Evangelical

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture is written to enable pastors and teachers of the Word to proclaim the Gospel with greater insight, clarity, and faithfulness to the divine intent of the biblical text.”

See more about the Concordia Commentary series.


Leviticus
New Beacon Bible Commentary
by Thomas J. King

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Leviticus commentary King

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.

Convenient introductory material for each book of the Bible, which includes information on authorship, date, history, audience, sociological/cultural issues, purpose, literary features, theological themes, hermeneutical issues, and more.”

See more about New Beacon Bible Commentaries.


Leviticus
The Old Testament Library
by Erhard S. Gerstenberger

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Leviticus commentary

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.


Leviticus
The Anchor Yale Bible Commentaries
by Jacob Milgrom

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Leviticus commentary Anchor Milgrom

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.


Classic Leviticus Commentaries

Leviticus
Geneva Series of Commentaries
by Andrew Bonar

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Leviticus commentary Bonar

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

Purpose: From the publisher: “Leviticus is one of the least read and understood parts of Scripture. Yet, the author of this commentary points out, no book in the Bible contains more of the very words of God than Leviticus.

Bonar wrote his notes on Leviticus for his personal use, but was persuaded to publish them by friends. His commentary, though based on sound exegesis, is marked by simplicity. T

he author is always careful to make spiritual application, for, as he says, ‘The Gospel of the grace of God, with all that follows in its train, may be found in Leviticus. This is the glorious attraction of the book to every reader who feels himself a sinner.'”


Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Ancient Christian Commentary
edited by Joseph T. Leinhard

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Leviticus 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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