Best Commentaries on Proverbs

Goldsworthy’s brief treatment of Proverbs provides a helpful and theologically integrated overview and introduction to this portion of the Wisdom Literature.

O’Dowd’s commentary shines for its rich theological application. He brings insights from the field of education, focusing on how God’s people can develop virtue as they navigate life. His commentary will give readers and Bible teachers insight into how best to apply the book of Proverbs to their own lives, and to those they serve in their teaching ministries.

Wilson’s commentary on Proverbs is insightful and well-written. It will equip Sunday school teachers and small group leaders with a solid overview of the book’s most significant issues.

“Those who are preaching or teaching through Proverbs will want to supplement Waltke’s work [see below] with a commentary that reflects on various issues related to application.” For Mathison, “Hubbard’s work is the best place to turn for this. While not as comprehensive as Waltke, Hubbard does not neglect addressing the difficult questions, all the while remaining clear and readable.” He offers pastors, teachers, and Bible study leaders clear and compelling insights into Proverbs that will equip them to understand, apply, and teach the truth in God’s Word.

Ross is a prominent and careful evangelical biblical scholar, and this commentary gives pastors and Bible teachers an abundance of excellent help for the exposition of Proverbs. In the revised edition, Ross keeps the introduction and outline with little change and retains his helpful topical index.

Leeuwen’s commentary is written from a progressive evangelical perspective, but it reflects his intrepid expertise in the field of biblical wisdom literature and helpful theological reflections. As Mathison observes, “There is more reflection on the theology of the book here than in most commentaries.”

De Silva has done the church a great service in condensing Waltke’s magisterial volumes (see below) into a more user-friendly and accessible edition for pastors and Bible teachers who may not have time to absorb the longer work. Like the original, it shows how the proverbs are grouped into clusters around themes, but it eliminates technical discussions and provides examples of how to apply the proverbs to life and culture. This volume also includes a subject index that lists the proverbs by topic.

Ansberry’s ZECOT commentary masterfully combines serious linguistic analysis with exegetical insight and pastoral application. Its literary analysis offers readers a refreshing way to think about and teach the book of Proverbs. For readers looking for a commentary that deals extensively with the Hebrew text, this work is highly recommended.

Longman calls Fox “a master interpreter.” In his excellent volumes, Fox examines Proverbs’ place in the intellectual history of ancient Israel. In volume one, he includes a survey of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. Then, in addition to his translation and commentary proper, he includes extended thematic essays on Proverbs 1–9, covering themes like the origins of personified wisdom, what wisdom is, and where wisdom can be heard. In volume two, Fox gives special attention to comparable sayings in other wisdom books, particularly from Egypt, and makes extensive use of medieval Hebrew commentaries, which receive scant attention in previous Proverbs commentaries.

Longman’s commentary focuses on the book’s theological and ethical message. The appendix of his commentary contains approximately thirty essays synthesizing Proverbs’s teaching on subjects like wealth, family, business, ethics, and more.” Mathison notes the work is “quite readable” and “very helpful in getting to the heart of the matter of the text.”

Waltke’s two-volume commentary on Proverbs represents a life-time of faithful, dedicated scholarship. His analysis of the text, not merely by individual verses but also by blocks of text, which he understands to be clustered around themes, is a huge advance in the study of Proverbs. Waltke’s commentary is also useful for understanding the technical aspects of the Hebrew text. He provides his own translation which may not conform to any modern translation, but nicely brings out the sense of the Hebrew. This commentary is scholarly and evangelical. It’s illuminating and edifying for serious exegetical and homiletical work.